Dreams of Dance

I finished "How Yoga Works" by Geshe Michael Roach last night. It was around 2 am of a long day of talking, meeting, and infusing the dharma in everything. I drifted off to sleep feeling light and serene.  The dreams began flowing to me in snippets. Now awake, I can't tell if it was one long dream or a series of vignettes.

I dreamed of animals being kept in the underground subway tunnels. In particular I had an image of deer living in the subway tunnels that would sprint away when oncoming trains would appear.

There was another vignette in which I was walking up these long stairs to different floors. I was seeing people. It was an office cubicle/living space and the walls were glass so you could see right through. I walked through the hallways and the rooms were packed with various people eating, watching TV, playing games.

But the most visceral dream vignette was about dancing. I was home in a luscious, wood-paneled apartment with high Gothic ceilings. It was dark and I lit a red candle on top of melted white wax in a glass container. Suddenly a guy enters with red hair. He's apparently my roommate. I have done something wrong because I apologize. Perhaps I shouldn't have lit the candle.  For some reason my roommate reveals to me that he knows voodoo. I say that I've been running into a lot of voodoo people recently.

I ask him to show me his magic skills. He sits down with the red candle and begins doing some chanting while I walk into the next room and prepare. I crouch with cross-legs (like a ballerina about to spring into a leap). All of sudden I'm dancing, spinning and moving. The dancing becomes more acrobatic. I find myself leaping off the bookshelves, dancing on the sides of the walls.

I am laying in bed having this dream and -at the same time- I can feel my heart beat racing in the bedroom while I sleep. Since I'm having such a good time, I consciously make a decision to go back into the dream and leave my sleeping body. Shrouding my body is an energy field. It's a green light and my body is coated in it with this strong auric field that is a bit heavier than air but much lighter than water. I know that it's a certain special power. I can feel it because I can't break out of it. When I dance this green coat of light moves me. And then it starts throwing me up in the air. I'm aware that -at this stage in the dance- this isn't my body. It's almost entirely the green field of energy moving and my body is being carried like a goldfish in a plastic bag.

I finish my dancing with a leaping flourish. My roommate doesn't look to pleased. I thank him and say that he must be 'truthful' in his magic claims. He frowns and says he could do better. I'm incredulous but anticipate what that 'better' may mean.

My dreams continued all night. I was walking to the subway along with several other people under highway tunnels. I was going up and down stairs. There was a feeling of journey and exploration.

When I awoke my mind was buzzing but my body felt rested. I laid on the side of the better and began doing breathing exercises and some basic yoga poses. A new day.

GET WHAT YOU WANT: March 2013

This GET WHAT YOU WANT: March 2013. This is a small month for contests and fellowships but the ones that are listed are heavy-hitters: P73, Nicholl Fellowship, Dramatists Guild, BAX artist residency, and Princess Grace to name a few.

Enjoy and spread!

1.
P73 Fellowship
Deadline: May 1st

Apply online: http://www.page73.org/programs/programs-application/
The P73 Playwriting Fellowship provides year-long comprehensive support to one early-career playwright who has received neither wide public recognition nor substantial production opportunities in New York City. Through this program, Page 73 provides artistic and financial resources to one emerging playwright as he or she develops a new play that has not received substantial prior development support.  For his/her fellowship year, the P73 Playwriting Fellow receives a cash stipend in the amount of $10,000 and development support in the amount of up to $10,000.
The P73 Fellowship is best suited to writers who have concrete and reasonable goals that can be achieved through the resources provided by Page 73. These goals may include, but are not limited to, specific artistic objectives that relate to the development of a new play and assistance in building relationships within the New York City theater community. Please note that funds from the P73 Playwriting Fellowship do not cover full-scale productions under an Actors’ Equity Showcase Contract, LOA or an Actors’ Equity Mini-Contract.
At the start of his or her fellowship year, the fellow either must have clearly articulated a proposed project in his or her application or must have provided the first few pages of the new play. During the fellowship year, the fellow receives a cash grant. Additional funds are ear-marked to cover expenses for the grantee’s research, workshop and reading presentations; such additional funds are used for fees for collaborating artists. The fellowship year includes at least one public presentation of the new play. Page 73 also supports the writer by helping the fellow identify collaborators, such as directors, designers, actors and dramaturgs, for the project.
The fellow is associated with Page 73 for the calendar year. After being selected, he or she works with Page 73′s producing directors to develop a plan for the year and establish a timeline for the development and production work to be done on the new play. The fellow is expected to be present in New York City from time to time to fully engage in the opportunities that the fellowship provides.

2.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting
Deadline: starts March 15- May 1st

No applicant may have earned more than $5,000 writing for film or
television. Scripts should be in standard form, approximately 90-120
pages. Only PDF screenplays submitted through online application are
accepted. Equal collaborations by exactly two writers are eligible.
Adaptations of another person's work are not eligible, even if that
work is in the public domain or if the entrant has acquired rights to the work.
Awards: Up to five $35,000 fellowships.

Prize includes plane ticket to Los Angeles and one week hotel accommodations for each out of town finalist and fellow; industry seminars; lunch with Nicholl Committee; Awards Dinner.
http://www.oscars.org/awards/nicholl/index.html


3.
BAX Artist Residency
Deadline: April 15th

Apply online: http://artistservices.bax.org/artists-in-residence/air-application-and-guidelines/2013-2014-letter-of-intent/

The residency best suits an artist in the process of discovery, transition and/or is in a transformative stage of development. It is essential that the AIR be self-directed and be willing to engage in a dialogue with BAX. While there are many services BAX is able to provide, no residency can meet all the needs of an artist. Hence, BAX will do its best to direct and advise artists in the search for additional support and services throughout this residency. Artists are chosen through application, work sample and interview. We support choreographers, playwrights and performance artists. Much of the work crosses genres and disciplines. The residency supports research and conception, readings, showings and workshops, rehearsals and production. There are six participating artists each season who receive up to two years of uninterrupted artistic, technical and administrative support as well as 250 hours of rehearsal space. They are also provided with a $2,000 yearly stipend, and the use of BAX as a fiscal conduit for fundraising purposes. Artists may apply for additional funding using this designation.
The year runs from July 1 – June 30. Artists are encouraged to attend each other’s rehearsals. In November they host each other’s Open Studio showings to the public and lead post showing conversations. In January they show work in progress or excerpts in a shared evening roster and during the spring present fully developed work. These performances are fully produced which means they are of no cost to the artists who are provided with a fee, lighting/sound designers and board operators, both front and back of house staff, all publicity and marketing and outreach support to develop new audiences. In monthly meetings they share the success and challenges. BAX is a place for artists to engage in “real talk” as opposed to “getting the gig”, to speak honestly about their struggles and by doing so achieve artistic maturity. When artists attend one another rehearsals regularly there is context to speak aloud in actionable language in front of an audience. Once the work has been produced BAX often assists resident artists to seek a broader audience to establish relationships with other producers and funders.
BAX has provided an artistic home for new theatrical ideas and experimental artists whose themes or ways of working might not have found an alternative home base. Some of the individuals and groups who have benefited from residencies at BAX include: Faye Driscoll, Levi Gonzalez, Nami Yamamoto, luciana achugar, Dan Fishback, Young Jean Lee and Catharine Dill. To become more familiar with our programming you can also visit us at www.bax.org.
Selected artists will have the opportunity to establish an artistic home. This home includes:

• Building a dynamic relationship with both the Executive Director and the Marketing /Communications Director that includes work/livelihood issues, goal setting, accessing resources, to name a few.
• Being a participatory member of a peer group
• Technical support for presenting and long-range planning for your projects at BAX and beyond.
• The residency includes 250 hours of free rehearsal space in any of our four studios
• REQUIRED: Open Studio showings in November 2013
• REQUIRED: A shared production (with other AIR) in our season, usually in January
• REQUIRED: A full production of residency work in our AIR Festival between April – May 2013 (usually 3-4 evenings).
• An opportunity to curate in year two.
• Stipend of $2000
• Please note that due to audience development considerations we request that the work you develop not be presented elsewhere in the NYC area for two months before or after your BAX performances. Exceptions to this can only be made in consultation with the Executive Director. Artist cannot apply if they currently have (or will have concurrently) other residencies in NYC. Work developed may not have a commitment to premiere in another venue during the residency period.
• An opportunity to apply for a second year of residency

Questions should be directed to artistservices@bax.org (subject: AIR LOI).

4.
Hit and Run Festival
Deadline: May 1st

Play-Makers Spokane is pleased to announce its call for comedic scripts for Hit & Run VII, a staged reading of short plays in October.

• What? 10-minute or 15-minute plays (15 page maximum)
• One script only. It must be a comedy.
• Please don’t send scripts submitted in previous years.
• Playwrights can be from anywhere, but plays must be in English.
• Standard play format preferred.
• There are no restrictions on content, but our audiences prefer more family-friendly fare.
• Deadline: May 1, 2013
• Notification: September

Submission procedure:

1. Send the full script with a title page with your contact information, a synopsis and character breakdown, and a short bio. Include all the information in one document. The document should be labeled the play’s name_your last name (i.e. Hamlet_Shakespeare).

2. E-mail your script as a Microsoft Word document or PDF toplaymakersspokane@gmail.com. The subject line should include your name and the title of the play.

Fee? None. No payment to writers as this is an all-volunteer event.

Questions? Contact Hit & Run coordinator Sandra Hosking atplaymakersspokane@gmail.com.


5.
Inkwell
Deadline: March 17th

SUBMIT YOUR PLAY IN PROGRESS TO THE INKWELL!

Now through March 17th

For a period of four weeks every 12 to 18 months, The Inkwell asks playwrights from across the country to submit plays to be considered for sustained, collaborative development processes that can include:

• intensive dramaturgical support;
• opportunities to participate in master classes, webinars, and workshops;
• mentoring and networking opportunities with other playwrights and playmakers;
• intensive rehearsals with actors, directors, and dramaturgs leading to staged readings; and,
• input from designers on how set, costume, sound, and other stage elements serve a play.

We will be choosing between 25 and 30 plays in progress for our unique initial development experience, a FIRST CONTACT showcase reading. We will then select a handful of playwrights for 18-month sustained, developmental collaborations to support these playwrights' artistic and professional growth.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INKWELL WILL ONLY ACCEPT PLAYS THAT MEET THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:

• Plays that are full-length. We will not consider any one-act plays.
• Plays that have not received a full production. A full production includes any public event centering on the script that involved a director, actors, and design elements.  The Inkwell considers staged readings and academic productions exceptions to this rule.
• Plays that are submitted through within the submission period of February 22nd through March 17th
• Plays that are formatted as Microsoft Word or PDF files.

REMEMBER, WE ONLY ACCEPT SUBMISSIONS ONLINE THROUGH THE INKWELL'S WEBSITE. We will not accept any submissions sent to us by mail or directly to the submissions email address.

To learn all about the play submission process, and to submit your play, please visit THE INKWELL'S WEBSITE. And if you have questions, email us at submissions@inkwelltheatre.org. We look forward to reading your plays.

THE INKWELL is Washington, DC's resource for new play development for playwrights...for playmakers...for playgoers.      


6.
Silver Spring Stage
Deadline: March 15th

Silver Spring Stage is seeking original one-act scripts for its upcoming annual One-Act Festival.  The Festival will run for three weekends, from August 8 through August 25, 2013. One weekend will be devoted to plays by local playwrights (MD, DC, VA).

The other two weekends are open to all playwrights.

Silver Spring Stage will award Playwrights’ Prizes at the conclusion of the Festival.  Prizes will be $150 for Best One-Act Play and $100 for One-Act Runner-Up.  All plays presented as part of the Festival will be eligible for prizes.

Submission requirements:

• All submissions must be emailed in Word or .pdf format to: oneacts2013.ssstage@gmail.com.  Hard copies will not be accepted and will not be returned.
• Please include the author’s name and contact information (including address) in the body of the email.
• All mentions of the author’s name or contact information must be removed from the script.
• All scripts must be submitted in standard professional play format.
• There is no minimum length, but plays may not exceed 50 pages.
• Scripts must be original and unpublished, but may have been previously performed.
• Playwrights may submit no more than two scripts.
• Plays that have previously been submitted to Silver Spring Stage may not be submitted again.
• All submissions must be received by March 15, 2013.

Plays will be selected based on artistic merit, technical and casting requirements, adherence to submission rules, length, and originality.  Selected playwrights will be notified by May 1, 2013.

Questions?  Email us at oneacts2013.ssstage@gmail.com


7.
VisionFest
Deadline: April 15th

LiveWire established VisionFest in 2008 as a community-driven festival featuring new, unique guidelines each year chosen by a public vote. Each year, we choose 6 to 10 plays to present at the festival. Programs are provided with ample space for the audience to offer feedback to the playwrights on their piece.

PLAY SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN!

Plays must deal with technology's influence on society (or what happens when things short circuit). Submissions were open to local, regional, national and international playwrights.

• Only original material may be submitted.
• LiveWire will ONLY be accepting online submissions. Submissions should be sent to visionfest@livewirechicago.com.
• Submissions should be formatted as a PDF (.pdf) or Word Doc (.doc) with the title of the play as the name of the file (i.e., My-Awesome-Play.doc).
• Do not include playwrights' name on any of the pages in the document.
• In the body of the email, please include: Playwrights' Name, Title of Play, Email Address, Phone Number and Current City of Residence.
• Submissions open Jan 15 through Apr 15. (Any submissions sent outside of these dates will be discarded.)
• Plays must be between 1 to 10 minutes in length; 1 to 10 pages depending on density of material. (Any scripts over 10 minutes will be discarded.)
• One submission per playwright will be considered.
• Previously produced scripts will NOT be accepted.

8.
Dramatists Guild Fellowship
Deadline: May 3rd

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Applications for the program commencing in Fall, 2013 must be received by the Guild no later than May 3, 2013. Please read all of instructions carefully.

**IMPORTANT CHANGES: This year, we will be accepting electronic submissions ONLY. E-mail all submissions to fellows@dramatistsguild.com. We are also expanding the requirements to include writers who have had one or more professional productions.**

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Applicants will be eligible for the program with any of the following qualifications: 1) Participation in a graduate program in theatrical writing within the last five years; or 2) Participation in an organized theatrical workshop within the last ten years; or3) Comparable experience, and a recommendation by a theater professional or theater educator;or 4) Pertinent, documented practical experience. All applicants must be residents of New York or the surrounding metropolitan area for the time of their fellowship. Applicants must also be prepared to meet on alternate Monday evenings of every month, and to make themselves available, if possible, to participate in observerships, assistantships, etc. when those opportunities arise.

DRAMATISTS GUILD PLAYWRITING FELLOWS:

Please submit a cover letter answering the following: “Describe an experience in which somebody’s input on your work as a writer affected or inspired you”; a resume containing pertinent contact information for you; 20 pages of a script you have written. Please name submission as follows: LastNamePlayTitle (for example: NottageRuined.pdf. The document(s) must be e-mailed as a PDF.

DRAMATISTS GUILD MUSICAL THEATER FELLOWS:

If you are applying as a Musical Theater Fellow and you write both music and lyrics, you may apply alone as a “self-contained” writer. Members of collaborative teams must apply together. Collaborative teams with composer and lyricist should also consider applying with their librettist partner, or, at the very least, make their librettist partner available whenever that project is being discussed. Unfortunately, we cannot accept people who write only lyrics or only music or only libretti without a writing partner, as we cannot pair collaborators. The cover letter and materials submitted should make it clear whether you and your collaborator(s) are applying as a team or whether you are applying as a self-contained writer.

Please submit a cover letter; a resume containing pertinent contact information for you; mp3 files of four (4) songs with lyric sheets; a brief description of each song as to its plot placement, a brief synopsis of the musical, and the complete libretto, if one exists. Musical submissions need not be elaborately produced; piano and voice is sufficient. Please note that we can only accept music in the mp3 format. PLEASE E-MAIL EACH SONG SEPARATELY and name them as follows: LastNameMusicalTitleSong# (for example: FlahertyRagtime#1.mp3) The other documents must be e-mailed as a PDF.

9.
Princess Grace
Deadline: March 31st

Essentially, we encourage emerging playwrights to apply at the
beginning of their careers so that through the New Dramatists Fellowship, they can develop their work as well as benefit from being a part of a unique, diverse, dynamic community of professional playwrights. An applicant’s status as an emerging playwright is evaluated during the adjudication process.

One playwright will be selected to receive:
•    A grant in the amount of $7,500
•    A residency (including transportation costs) at New Dramatists, Inc.
in New York City
•    Inclusion of script in New Dramatists’ library
•    National distribution of the recipient’s script to scriptshare
subscribers for the duration of the fellowship
•    Opportunity for winning play to be licensed and published by Samuel
French, Inc.

Apply:http://www.pgfusa.com/images/2013%20Playwriting%20Application-%20Princess%20Grace%20Awards.pdf


10.
The Puzzle: Marble's Festival of New Work
Deadline: March 11th

"The Puzzle: Marble’s Festival of New Work" is in its third year, and is currently seeking plays, musicals, and the spoken word of various lengths that illuminate the human condition.  Selected pieces will receive staged readings during the festival week of Monday, June 24 - Saturday, June 29, 2013 here at Marble Collegiate Church. Each piece will be assigned a director and cast with professional actors in the NYC area.  
If you are interested in submitting your creative work for "The Puzzle", download the application here, and mail or turn in the completed application with supporting materials by Monday, March 11, 2013.

11.
Mirrors: Monologues for Women
Deadline: March 31st
This competition is open to women 16 years or older who submit betweenFebruary 1 and March 31, 2013.

Playwrights may submit only one monologue. Monologues must be unpublished and unproduced. Type your monologue on standard paper with 1-inch margins double-spaced in 12-point type. Number each page of the monologue.
Please avoid gratuitous profanity. We are unable to accept electronic submissions. Scripts will not be returned. We are unable to provide critiques for submissions.

Please send the following to the address below.

- 3 copies of your one to three page monologue with no identifying information on the title page. On the character page of your monologue, indicate the speaker’s age and the person(s) to whom she is speaking.

- 1 one unbound title page with all contact information

- Your signed Permission Form (seehttp://www.h2ba.com/donna/permission-form.doc)

- A 60-word bio

MIRRORS: Monologues From Women’s Lives
Box 115
527 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10016

Monologues postmarked before February 1 or after March 31, 2013, will not be considered.

Questions? Please email us: mirrormonologues@gmail.com

12.
Newman University Seeking Full-Length Plays
Deadline: March 14th

Newman University is seeking new full length plays.  The selected play will be performed as a part of our 2013-2014 Season.

We are looking for new, unpublished works that we can mount for a premiere.

Preferable cast size between 4 and 10.

Please send with cover letter and SASE if you need the hard copy returned.

Mark Mannette
Director of Theatre
Newman University
3100 McCormick
Wichita, KS  67213

Email enquiries to mannettem@newmanu.edu.

13.
MADLAB SEASON 2014
Deadline: June 1st

Send us your full length plays.  Long one-acts, two-acts, three-acts if you think you have what it takes! We can take it, and...well...we want it.  These will be considered for our regular theatre season (not for THEATRE ROULETTE, I repeat...not for THEATRE ROULETTE).

To maximize your chance of selection, please read all the guidelines carefully before submitting.

All submissions should be send to andy@madlab.net
Please put “MADLAB 2014 SEASON” in the subject line.  If you do not have email, please call 614.221.5418 to set up different arrangements.

Submissions must arrive no later than June 1st, 2013.

We will begin accepting submissions as of November 2nd, 2012.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Though we are up for anything, ideally, scripts should be long one-acts (70-90 minutes) or two-act plays (100-120 minutes). If you have something else longer, please feel free to send it on.

You may submit multiple scripts.

Script submissions WILL NOT be returned to the applicant; MadLab will destroy all evidence of your creative instincts upon a funeral pyre at an undisclosed location in order to protect both the innocent and the guilty.  Ashes will NOT be returned to you unless you purchase a commemorative urn from MadLab at the bargain basement price of $999.95.

Due to our environmentally conscious president, you must email your script to us.  If emailing is absolutely impossible for you, please call us at 614.221.5418 so we can make alternate arrangements.

Please send your script attached as a Microsoft Word document or PDF format.

Scripts should be emailed to andy@madlab.net.

Please put “MADLAB 2014 SEASON”  in the subject line.

If “MADLAB 2014 SEASON” is not in your subject line, your submission may not be received.  All submissions will receive a reply email to ensure that your submission was received.

MadLab pays a royalty of $200 + 10% of our box office for any playwright that is gracious enough to allow us to produce his/her work.  We know this will not be anywhere near worth the time and effort you put into writing your play, but we are happy that every little bit helps. If you have any questions, please email them to Managing Director Andy Batt at andy@madlab.net

14.
Ohio State University: Newark New Play Contest
Deadline: March 30th

1) The contest is open to anyone, anywhere; plays, however, must be written in English.

2) Plays must be completely unproduced and unpublished, up to and including the date of the contest deadline.

3) Please use the standard playwriting format for manuscripts.

4) Judging will be blind, so it is important for contestants to follow these directions EXACTLY.

• First, please ensure that your name does not appear on ANY page of the actual script.
• Second, please type your contact information on a sheet of paper, seal it in an envelope, and staple it to the last page or inside cover of your script.
• Electronic submissions are not allowed.

5) Plays are to be full-length works; a collection of short plays is not an acceptable substitute.

6) There are no restrictions on cast size or subject matter.  However, please keep in mind that the winner will be produced by a one-man theater department.  In general, plays with small casts, unit sets, and younger characters stand a better chance of winning.

7) The official opening date for the contest is November 1, 2012. The absolute deadline for submissions TO BE RECEIVED is March 30, 2013;entries received after that date will be returned unread to entrants. Winners will be announced on or before September 1, 2013.

8) The first prize-winner will receive $500, and the first-prize play will be given a full production at the end of the spring semester in 2014. The playwright is encouraged and welcome to attend; regrettably, Ohio State Newark cannot defray expenses. The second prize-winner will receive $300, and the third prize-winner will receive $100.

9) In addition to the prize-winners, there will be an indeterminate number of honorable mentions, designated by a certificate (suitable for framing).

10) Winners will be notified by individual emails; unsuccessful candidates will receive a mass email. All entries become the property of Ohio State Newark upon receipt, and all but the first-prize winner will be shredded.  However, if you would like your script to be passed on to the local community theater’s playreading committee for review, please so indicate on your contact sheet.

Please send all manuscripts to:

Dave Williams, Associate Professor
Ohio State Newark New Play Contest
192 LeFevre Hall
The Ohio State University at Newark
Newark, OH 43055

If you have questions, please contact me at williams.1343@osu.edu.

15.
THE 2013 AMY & ERIC BURGER ESSAYS ON THEATRE COMPETITION
Deadline: March 18th

A tremendous opportunity exists for a theatre writer to submit an essay on drama or theatre and collect a $2,500 prize as a reward for their literary talents.  Kind donors affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Wyoming have endowed the Amy and Eric Burger Competition and I hope you will send an essay and/or encourage your students or colleagues to submit an essay.
Here are the rules:

1)  The essay must be written in English on any aspect of drama or theatre;
2)  Deadline: Entries must be postmarked by March 12, 2013 and received by March 18, 2013;
3)  Only one submission per writer. Essays must be unpublished and between 1,800 and 7,500
words in length. Topics in film and television are excluded. The judge¹s decision is final.
Submissions:

1)   Send two copies of the essay; do not identify the author on the essay;
2)   Attach a cover letter with the title of the essay and the author¹s name, address, phone number, and email address;
3) Mail first class with sufficient postage to:
National Amy & Eric Burger Essay Competition University of Wyoming
c/o Dr. Jim Volz, President,
Consultants for the Arts Theatre & Dance,
PO Box 6850 Fullerton, California 92834-6850
Please note that entries will not be returned. The winner will be notified by June 1, 2013. The prize will be presented as cash in the form of a check. This is a continuing competition, varying in form. The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Wyoming reserves the right to make no award or to cancel the competition at any time for any reason.