African Americana: A Social Satire

AFRICAN AMERICANA

At the end of last year I was asked in a small Brooklyn museum to write a piece about Obama and race. I remembered my stint as an Obama staffer in the 2008 campaign and all my traffic stops with the local Cleveland police force. I decided to try my hand at a social satire blending my memories with some cultural archetypes. What came out of that was "African Americana."

Even though it was just a workshop production on a blank stage I was so happy that Jesse Phillips-Fein (curator of the Obama to Occupy Festival) asked me to join in on the parade of shows at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX).

Fortunately someone recorded the show and -with the permission of all those involved- I put it on youtube. Even though "African Americana" went up in January 2013, it feels like it happened years ago. It was nice to get this web clip this weekend from the talented videographer, Denae Hannah.

A month later I adapted "African Americana" into a full-length play "Obama-ology" which was workshopped at Red Shirt Entertainment. I'm looking to keep this satire going because, unfortunately, it's all too relevant these days.

Summer Sonnet: A Volcano Sings

Languishing in missing stanza design

unfolds the lost garden of Kahuna

wildflowers poutty lips benign

a lovely green melodic lacuna.

In the arbor filled with fragrant beaks

effusing tributary night colognes

mixing with hungry flames of burning teak

as lust-trampled willows wither and moan.

The magic mountain's awakened red screams

unfurl crimson dawn across ebony sky

fiery Niagaras bury lost dreams

of Eden occults soon blighted to die.

On flowers entombed in verdant hollows

Pythian temples of tomorrow grow.

- By Aurin Squire

From Ernest Gideon Green to Trayvon Martin: The Struggle Continues

Last night I was involved in a moment where history met with artistic re-enactment and vice versa. I was involved in the "The Little Rock Nine Project" and Ernest Gideon Green was in the front row. Mr. Green was the first Black citizen to graduate from a desegregated high school in America as a part of the Little Rock 9. Since he was the first of the 9 to graduate he is the Rosa Parks of schools and has gone on to be a civil rights icon, successful businessman, and winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Bill Clinton. I was helping out with the dramaturgy of the piece which premiered at Nuyorican Poets Cafe last night. As the piece concluded with his graduation and Green's decision to walk across the stage to receive his diploma despite death threats and attempts at his life, the actors began to sing a song about how the events unfolded that day and how he made a decision to stand. From the first row of the audience Mr. Green stood up. He stood alongside the actors as they began singing directly to him about the day. And as each series of actors spoke to him, he became an actor in a piece about his life. You could hear the collective gasp and weeping in the audience.

I was reminded of the power of art to reflect and interact with history. Afterward, Mr. Green spoke about the work that was done and the work that has yet to be done. As the audience filed out of the theatre, the news of the Trayvon Martin trial was echoing through people's phones and social media. George Zimmerman was found not guilty of murdering Trayvon Martin. Despite the fact Zimmerman admitted to pulling the trigger and that he pursued Martin, who was a non-violent pedestrian moving down the public space of the road, the court of US law saw that George's fear of a Black youth walking past him was sufficient enough to warrant murder. Zimmerman now gets to go home, resume his life, retrieve the murder weapon from police evidence, and possibly make millions of dollars off the homicide in endorsements and book deals from the conservative media.

I have been absorbed into the collective outrage on social media and amongst my friends. The anger is justified due the historical context of the murder more so than the individual perpetrator. Zimmerman just happens to be the latest killer in a long-line of American patriarchy who violently act out against disadvantaged groups and then claim themselves to be the victims. I was reminded of this line of defense when looking at the Little Rock 9 and the outrage from the Southern governors at the time who were both instigating violence against Blacks while claiming to be the victims who have lost their freedom.

And yet there stood Ernest Green. 50 years later after all the assaults, threats, and attempts at his life. Many of his colleagues did not make it. But there he stood on stage. Still standing after all these years. Many others will continue to stand because it's needed. It's not an act of willpower but a gesture of grace under assault. Now more than ever we need to stand, but not against Zimmerman. The stand must be taken against the system which allows someone like Zimmerman to psychologically justify murder based on racial fear.


WHITE SUPREMACY

White Supremacy is not only the promotion of racial superiority, but of the inferiority of others as it pertains to their body, mind, and basic humanity. It's woven into the fabric of this nation and has been an underpinning psychological motivation for civil wars, lynching, and hundreds of years of hatred. It's obvious to see how White Supremacy plays out in a case like Zimmerman. What's not as obvious is how it plays out within the Black community.

Right now in Chicago, hundreds of Black youths are being murdered. They are being murdered by other Black people. These killings are happening mostly on the South Side of Chicago. The deeper question is how the same White Supremacy that can give the world the Zimmerman acquittal can produce the steady onslaught of death amongst Black populations mostly at the hands of its own people. The insidious nature of White Supremacy is that it's an unspoken belief which is often taken up by others regardless of their racial background. When I see life disrespected in such a systematic way it cuts to the matter of the system in place.

It's a very real feeling among Black people that their lives are worth less than others because of White Supremacy. It's a feeling promoted by the society at large and pass down to the next generation. In the past, it would be the job of the church and parents to inoculate Black children against this crippling virus. Now it appears as if the next generation is not only unprotected but picking up this disease both outside and inside our communities.

The devaluation of Black life is something that's been well-documented. Hip hop culture promotes it, Viacom streams it, and both Black and White audiences pay for it. There is a collusion going on and yet no one wants to speak of this obvious perilous choice both sides have made. It is too profitable and shameful. Furthermore the tasks of overturning this White Supremacist collaboration appears to be too costly and complicated.

In order to begin undoing the system of White Supremacy it's going to take a lot of serious, continued, aggressive efforts by all races. It's not about letting Zimmerman off the hook or explaining it all away by saying 'Black people need to get their families together.' It is about keeping it on the psychology which drives the system and influences people. It's very cold work that removes weekly faces of outrage that distract us from the larger issue. Zimmerman and Paula Deen aren't the larger issue. The thinking which ties them together as much as Jay-Z is the larger and more provocative issue.

BLACK COMMODIFICATION

Personally, I'm a fan of Jay-Z. I love many of his songs. But I can't deny that there's a strange tone of White Supremacy in hip hop culture by devaluing Blackness. Even more complex is how Blackness is only validated within the context of consumerism for many of us. Buying stuff makes up for the lack of life worth.

On the same night of meeting civil rights leader Ernest Green and hearing about the Zimmerman acquittal, I was walking back from a restaurant in the Flat Iron district. I passed by the 40/40 club. I was hit with another level of awareness by all the men and women in flashy suits. I asked my friend -who happens to be Black- what the 40/40 club is about and he said 'everyone pretends like they're in a rap video.' I began wondering why all these things were blending together in my mind on this day: Mr. Green, Trayvon, Jay-Z. On a deeper level it feels intermixed.

If Black devaluation isn't an American way of life, then how we treat each other so poorly? How can I walk by on the night of Zimmerman's release and see dozens of Black women in tight skirts and skyscraper heels teetering their way past the velvet ropes with the ambition of someone buying them a $500 bottle of champagne. There were no riots or protests here. Trayvon's death was a blip on the consciousness of these men and women. It appeared that Black death and White Supremacy were well-accepted by this group and their escape was to the club.

On that historic night, what would happen if Jay-Z shut down the club and demanded that people pay attention to something other than his marketing brand. As a Black man from the Marcy Projects, does he owe anything to young men and women who look like him and are getting gunned down by policeman, their own brothers, and random vigilantes? Does this debate even register in this world and why not?

It's going to take a lot more than yelling at Zimmerman or castigating Paula Deen. The troubling issue is that it's much easier to expiate our fears on to a few individuals rather than address the larger system we are working in. There are no forums to consider these questions, much less to pursue answers to the insidious nature of White Supremacy, Black Devaluation, and Commodification. Only shouting and rage at figureheads. I suspect that all our noise is merely a rehearsal for the next Trayvon incident, the next Fruitvale Station shooting, the next brief register of race consciousness that will be subsumed beneath blind, calcifying outrage.

This problem is deeper than a man and more complicated than a case. But if we -as a nation- cared for Trayvon then as much as we hate Zimmerman now, we might be able to stop the cycle of White Supremacist violence in the near future. 

GET WHAT YOU WANT: July 2013

1.

The Civilians' Research & Development Group

Deadline: July 14th

The Civilians' R&D Group is comprised of theater artists from various disciplines (writers, directors, composers, etc.) interested in exploring diferent strategies for making investigative theater and being a part of The Civilians' community of artists. We define "investigative thetaer" broadly, meaning any creative process of inquiry that feeds the creation of a work of theater. Methods may include research, a community-based focus, interviews, company-devised strategies, or other experimental strategies of the artist's design. The artists meet biweekly for nine months to share and discuss their methodologies and the resulting work with the group, R&D Coordinator EllaRose Chary, and Artistic Director Steve Cosson. The generative artists in the group (writers, composers writer/actor, writer/director, etc.) are expected to attend the majority of sessions; regular attendance is critical andshould be considered when applying. Additionally, a group of directors are chosen to complete the group. Directors are invited to meetings, but not expected to attend at all; the directors become more active at the end of the season, with the direction of the public readings. The intention of the group is that each writer will finish a draft for public presentation by May, 2014. Given the nature of the process, it is understood that these drafts will be in various stages of development when they are presented. Please visit the above links to learn more about past participants and their projects.

To apply for the 2013-2014 R&D Group, writers should submit their contact information, a one paragraph bio, and a one to two paragraph proposal for an investigative project to be developed in the group that includes some thoughts as to why you are interested in working on this project in this particular group. The project may already be in process or be completely new; however, it is important that the artist has the intention to be actively developing the work during the period of the group. A collaborative team of two people may apply together (writer and composer, for example), but in such cases, both artists must commit to full participation. Directors should submit contact information and a resume. Deadline for applications is July 14, 2013.

Please send applications to EllaRose Chary at rdgroup@thecivilians.org.

Click HERE for blog posts by our artists about working with the investigative method and their projects!

2.

Belarusian Dream Theatre

Deadline: September 1st

Ensemble Free Theater Norway is now accepting submissions of plays for inclusion inBelarusian Dream Theater.  The deadline for entry is 1 September 2013.

Each play must be no longer than 10 pages in length, or approximately 10 minutes in length.  Plays may be written in any genre, style, or aesthetic.  Plays must be relate to Belarusian subjects in some way (ie the country´s politics, people, language, history, art, economy, etc), and may be inspired by anything from a news article to an interview to personal experience.  Works of bold imagination are strongly encouraged.  Plays by Belarusian dramatists are particularly welcome. 

Email submissions to brendan.mccall.norway@gmail.com

3.

2013 NAACP 10 Minute Play Festival

Deadline: July 15th

The NAACP’s Beverly Hills branch is getting ready for its 10-minute play festival and is looking for exciting new works that best represents the NAACP’s mission and vision.

Here are the entry rules:

• The play, exclusive of title and cast pages may be NO MORE THAN TEN PAGES
• The play should have 2-6 characters and minimal props and costumes
• Staple or paper clip the play. DO NOT use binders or folders of any kind. Plays cannot be returned. Enclose a SASE if you would like assurance that your play was received.

Only 20 plays will be selected for the festival, and they will be notified of the selection July 31. Those selected will be asked to submit a jpeg photo and brief bio.

Authors may submit multiple plays, but each play submitted must be accompanied by the submission of an entry fee of $20.00.

Submissions must be postmarked on or before July 15, 2013. No exceptions.

If you have questions, please e-mail Karen Chappelle, at NAACP10minuteplays@yahoo.com

Mail entries to:

Karen Chappelle, NAACP Theatre Festival

1680 N. Vine Street Suite 709

Hollywood, California 90028

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4.

Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Play Contest

Deadline: October 1st

The Castillo Theatre sponsors the Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Play
Contest annually. In its sevent year, the purpose of the political play
contest to encourage the writing of scripts for the stage that engage
the political/social/cultural questions affecting the world today and/or
historical events and issues that impact on our political/cultural
heritage.  While Castillo recognizes that in the broadest sense, all
theatre is political, the contest is seeking politically progressive
plays that: look at social and/or economic problems and challenges;
explore possibilities of social transformation; and, reflect the
concerns and interests of communities and/or which explore the
importance of community. The contest also welcomes scripts that
experiment with form and seek new ways of seeing and new ways of
experiencing theatrical performance. The plays submitted to the
Fratti-Newman Contest may be written in any style, set in any historical
time, geographic or imaginary location, contain any number of
characters and be of any length. The plays must be in English and cannot
be musicals or adaptations. No scripts will be considered that have
previously been submitted to this contest, have received a production or
won other contests. Only one script per playwright will be accepted.

The contest is judged by a team of distinguished theatre artists. The
winning script(s) will receive a reading and/or a production at the
Castillo Theatre in New York City during the theatre’s 2014 summer
season.

All scripts should be submitted in hard copy and must be accompanied by:

• 
  a statement of the political/social/cultural questions that the script
  engages (scripts without a statement will not be considered);

• A brief synopsis;
• A character breakdown, including gender, age and ethnic requirements, if any;
• A 100-word biography of the playwright;
• A current email address for the playwright

Please note:

• •Receipt of script will be acknowledged via email.
• Scripts will not be returned.
• Castillo will not give critical feedback to playwrights/contestants.
• Contest
  winners are required to sign a letter of agreement, which will include
  but not be limited to granting the right for Castillo to produce one or
  more readings and/or a full production of the winning play.
• Contest
  winners are responsible for travel expenses or any other expenses
  incurred as a result of participating in the development of the play
  with Castillo, or as a result of attending the reading and/or full
  production.

All scripts must be postmarked by October 1st

The winner(s) will be publicly announced at the Otto René Castillo Awards for Political Theatre in New York City in May of 2014.

Send all submissions to:

Castillo Theatre

543 West 42nd Street

New York, NY 10036

Attn: Fratti-Newman Political Play Contest

Questions and inquiries should be addressed to Madelyn Chapman at 212-356-8485 or mchapman@allstars.org.

5.

Yale Drama Series

Deadline application: August 15th

The Yale Drama Series is seeking submissions for its 2014 playwriting competition. The winning play will be selected by the series' current judge, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Marsha Norman. The winner of this annual competition will be awarded the David Charles Horn Prize of $10,000, publication of his/her manuscript by Yale University Press, and a staged reading at Lincoln Center Theater.

There is no application form or entry fee. Please follow these guidelines in preparing your manuscript:

1. This contest is restricted to plays written in the English language. Worldwide submissions are accepted.

2. Submissions must be original, unpublished full-length plays written in English. Translations, musicals, and children's plays are not accepted. The Yale Drama Series is intended to support emerging playwrights. Playwrights may win the competition only once.

3. Playwrights may submit only one manuscript per year.

4. Plays that have been professionally produced or published are not eligible.  Plays that have had a workshop, reading, or non-professional production or that have been published as an actor’s edition will be considered.

5. Plays may not be under option or scheduled for professional production or publication at the time of submission.

6. The manuscript must begin with a title page that shows the play's title and your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address (if you have one), page count and (if applicable) a list of acknowledgments; a second title page which lists the title of the play only, a 2-3 sentence keynote description of the play,  a list of characters, and a list of acts and scenes.

7. Plays must be typed/word-processed, page-numbered and in standard professional play format. A brief biography may be included at the end of the manuscript, on a separate page, but is not required.

8. The Yale Drama Series reserves the right to reject any manuscript for any reason.

9. The Yale Drama Series reserves the right of the judge to not choose a winner for any given year of the competition and reserves the right to determine the ineligibility of a winner, in keeping with the spirit of the competition, and based upon the accomplishments of the author.

Submissions for the 2014 competition must be postmarked no earlier than June 1, 2013 and no later than August 15, 2013.

Do not send the only copy of your work. Manuscripts cannot be returned after the competition. If you wish receipt of your manuscript to be acknowledged, please include a stamped, self-addressed postcard.

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS:

The Yale Drama Series Competition strongly urges electronic submission. By electronically submitting your script, you will receive immediate confirmation of your successful submission and the ability to check the status of your entry.

Electronic submissions for the 2014 competition must be submitted no earlier than June 1, 2013 and no later than August 15, 2013.

If you would like to submit an electronic copy of your manuscript please go to:https://yup.submittable.com/submit

6.

Congo Square Theatre: August Wilson Initiative

Deadline: August 1st

Congo Square Theatre Company is an ensemble dedicated to producing definitive and transformative theatre spawned from the African Diaspora as well as from other world cultures. Congo Square Theatre Company seeks to establish itself as an institution of multicultural theatre.

​

We are interested in full-length plays, translations, adaptations, musicals and performance art. We will consider productions of previously produced plays.

​

We do not accept unsolicited scripts for consideration for our seasons. Plays maybe submitted through a literary agent or accompanied by a letter of recommendation from a theater professional (i.e. an artistic director or literary manager at a professional theater). If neither applies, write a letter of inquiry including a brief synopsis, cast list, relevant production history, and 10-15 pages of sample dialogue. The company may then request a complete script.

​Send submissions to:

​

Congo Square Theatre Company

Attn: Daniel Bryant

2936 N. Southport

Chicago, IL 60657

​

Please send all submissions June 1 – August 1.

​

No email or fax submissions accepted. Please include a SASE if you would like your materials returned.

Submission Deadline: August 1, 2013

7.

Valencia College Theatre

Deadline: July 30th

Valencia College Theater announces a call for script submissions for its 23rd annual Florida Playwrights’ Competition. As it has since 1991, Valencia will produce a full-length original play in Spring 2014 as part of its regular subscription series.

Playwrights (who must reside in Florida) are invited to submit a cover letter, resume or bio, one page synopsis, and the first 15 pages of no more than two never-before-produced manuscripts. The deadline for this first phase of submission is July 30, 2013. A committee will evaluate the excerpts and selected playwrights will be invited to submit the full manuscript as part of the second phase of the submission process.

From these manuscripts, one play will be chosen for development as a workshop production with the playwright’s participation. The writer will receive a stipend to cover travel and other expenses related to the production. The administrator of the competition plans to announce the winning play in early September 2013, and the workshop process will begin in late fall 2013 or early spring 2014.

Scripts must be original, previously unproduced, full-length plays. Scripts that have received staged readings may be submitted. Collaborations are acceptable, but children’s plays, adaptations, and musicals are ineligible at this time.

Electronic submission of the cover letter, resume or bio, one-page synopsis and 15-page excerpt is required. Please send submissions and questions to Valencia’s incoming Artistic Director (May 2013), John DiDonna, at jdidonna@valenciacollege.edu.

8.

terraNOVA Collective's 2014 Groundbreakers Playwrights Group

Deadline: Applications available June 5th-August 5th

Go to this website: http://www.terranovacollective.org/groundbreakers-2014.html

Since 1996, terraNOVA has developed over 90 new plays through our Groundbreakers program.

Groundbreakers Playwrights Group is an annual developmental playwriting lab, in which 6 playwrights receive the unique opportunity to work on a play-in-progress with the goal of creating a completed draft. Each playwright will hear their play read around the table by professional actors 3 times over 18 weeks, receiving feedback from the Groundbreakers Playwrights Group, special guests and the artistic staff of terraNOVA Collective.  terraNOVA assembles a diverse group devoted to creating theatrical, original, innovative, socially relevant new work for the stage and welcomes submissions of new plays-in-progress that will benefit from collective feedback and further terraNOVA Collective's artistic mission. We are especially interested in playwrights who, in addition to working on their own play, have an interest in attending weekly workshops to engage in the development of other playwrights' work. Groundbreakers is made possible through public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the Dramatists Guild Fund.

Deadline for applications: August 5, 2013

Notification: October 1, 2013

PARTICIPATING PLAYWRIGHTS WILL RECEIVE:

An opportunity to create a 10-minute play to be showcased in terraNOVA’s Annual Benefit.

Complimentary tickets to all terraNOVA events in the current season.

Hands-on artistic support and professional development guidance from terraNOVA's artistic staff.

A workshop and reading performance in terraNOVA's annual Groundworks New Play Series.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY:

Must be able to attend weekly sessions. Attendance is mandatory.

Questions can be directed to jessi@terranovacollective.org

9.

Public Theatre Emerging Writers Group

Deadline: August 30th

EMERGING WRITERS GROUP PROGRAM

The Emerging Writers Group, now accepting applications for its fifth cycle, targets playwrights early in their careers, creating an artistic home, support, and resources for a diverse group of up-and-coming playwrights.

Through an open application process, The Public Theater will select 10 emerging playwrights to join the Emerging Writers Group from January 2014 through December, 2015.

The participating playwrights will:

• Receive a stipend of $6,000
• Participate in a biweekly writers group led by The Public’s Literary Department
• Receive at least one reading at The Public
• Participate in master classes led by established playwrights
• Observe rehearsals for productions at The Public
• Receive an additional stipend for theater tickets to productions at other theaters
• Receive complimentary tickets to Public Theater shows, invited dress rehearsals and other special events
• Receive artistic support and professional development guidance from the literary department and artistic staff

REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY:

• Cannot have professional representation for playwriting including, but not limited to, agent, manager or lawyer.
• Cannot be a full-time student at any point during the duration of the program.
• Cannot be enrolled in any academic playwriting course during the duration of the program.
• Must not have had productions in New York other than those using the showcase code or in an off-off Broadway theater with 99 or fewer seats. (If your New York show used a higher contract tier than the showcase code, you are not eligible to apply. If your New York show received a festival production in a theater with more than 99 seats and did not use an Equity contract, you are eligible to apply.)
• Must live within 90 minutes of The Public Theater via car or rail.
• Must be able to attend evening meetings at The Public Theater every other week in 2014 and 2015 as well as other events throughout the year, such as master classes, retreats, observerships and other special events at The Public.
• Regular attendance is mandatory and therefore applicants should view the program as a two-year-long commitment.
• Must be available for an in-person interview in early December 2013.

If you are unavailable for an in-person interview or have a limited conflict in regards to attending biweekly meetings, please make note of such conflicts on the Application Form. We will try to accommodate such situations on a case-by-case basis.

For further clarification of Requirements for Eligibility, please see the Frequently Asked Questions section below.

Applicants must submit the following:

• Completed Application Form. Click here to download.
• Names of and contact information for two references (to be listed on the application form). The references can be a theater professional, teacher of any discipline, or workplace supervisor.
• Resume (in PDF or MS Word).
• One-page artistic statement (in PDF or MS Word) incorporating answers to the following questions:
• Why do you want to participate in the Emerging Writers Group at The Public Theater?
• Have you participated in a writers group before?
• If so, what was it like and why was it meaningful to you? If not, how do you hope this writers group would contribute to your artistic growth?
• If you were selected for the Emerging Writers Group, what would your goals for the program be?
• One full-length play or book of a musical (in PDF or MS Word)
• Play/musical must be at least 60 pages long.
• If your play is a solo show, it must be at least 20 pages long.
• The script must be a completed draft, though it need not be a final draft. The script cannot summarize scenes-yet-to-be-written or contain any other hallmarks of an incomplete draft.
• If you applied for the program previously, you must submit a different script; revised drafts of the play previously submitted will not be accepted.
• NOTE: Writers selected for the group will be asked to begin a new play; the play you send with your application should be your strongest writing sample, not a play you propose to develop during the EWG program.

If your contact information or eligibility status changes between August 30th and your notification, you are required to update The Public Theater by mailing a letter to the address below or sending an email to EWGquestions@publictheater.org.

For further clarification of materials required for application, please see the Frequently Asked Questions Section below.

Please email materials to:EWGapplications@publictheater.org with your name and title of your play in the subject line of your email.

(Please include any messages to us on your application form, not in the body of your email. This email address is for applications only; please email questions toEWGquestions@publictheater.org)

We encourage email submissions for the sake of going green, but you are also welcome to mail or deliver materials to:

Emerging Writers Group

The Public Theater

425 Lafayette Street

New York , NY 10003

If you mail your application: please do not bind or staple your script; a binder clip will suffice. We encourage you to save paper by printing your play on recycled paper or double-siding your script. If you would like confirmation that your application materials have been received, please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard for us to mail back to you. Your application materials will not be returned.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: AUGUST 30, 2013. Materials must be postmarked August 30th or received at the theater or emailed by midnight EST of August 30th.

10.

Ars Nova Play Group

Deadline: August 5th

All emerging playwrights are eligible to apply. In selecting new members, we will take into account the strength of the submitted play, what the writer stands to gain from membership at this point in his or her career, and the overall balance of voices and styles within the group. Women and writers of color are encouraged to apply.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please click here to apply online: http://arsnovanyc.com/play-group-applications

Applications require the following supporting materials: one full-length play, a playwriting resume, a personal statement.  Word docs of all files are preferred, but PDFs are acceptable.

Please attach your play (please save as LAST NAME, FIRST NAME PLAY TITLE), resume (please save as LAST NAME, FIRST NAME RESUME) and personal statement (please save as LAST NAME, FIRST NAME STATEMENT) to  your completed online application form and submit it by August 5, 2013. All applications will be reviewed and finalists will be notified by December 16, 2013.

For any questions regarding applications, email artistic@arsnovanyc.com.

11.

New Dramatists Residency

Deadline: July 15-Aug. 15th

To apply go to: http://newdramatists.org/how/apply-residency

New Dramatists continues to revise its admissions process and guidelines accordingly. Please read all the information on this page and for more detailed information download the “Admissions Guidelines” and “Application Information” documents below. If you have any questions, please email us.

•Admissions process is completely paperless

•Applicants apply through a module on our website

2013 Admissions Procedural Changes:

•The new submission window is July 15-August 15

•Upload a stand-alone Title page for each play with your full name and contact information

•Every script page must include the play's title. Your name and any other identifying information must not appear on any script page.

•Do not submit a Special Thanks Page or any other supplemental material with identifying information

•Do not submit Recommendation Letters

•Submit a one page “Letter of Intent” answering the following prompts: New Dramatists was founded on the premise that writers are each other’s greatest resource. If granted a New Dramatists Residency, how would you actively engage with the community of writers?

To begin your application, click on the “Begin Application” button below. (If you applied last year, you will need to create a new admissions applicant account.) You will be asked to create a username and enter your email address. Once you have clicked “Submit,” you will receive an email with instructions on how to log in. From this point forward, you will be guided through a simple process collecting all of your admissions materials in seven easy steps:

1. Log in. You will be asked to confirm you are a US Citizen, or that you have permanent INS work authorization.

2. Fill in your full name, address, and phone number.

3. Type or copy your "Letter of Intent" directly into the text field.

4. Upload your bio, resume, or CV; or copy your bio directly into the text field.

5. Upload a stand-alone Title Page for each play with your full name and contact information

6. Upload Two Full-Length Works (Plays and/or Books to Musicals) (The following files may be used: txt, pdf, doc, docx, rtf).

7. Review your application, and click “Submit Your Application” to complete the process. You will receive an email confirming your application has been received.

You may save your application at any point and return to it later before submitting. Once the application window closes at 11:59 (EST) p.m. on August 15, you may not alter your application in any way.

To apply go to: http://newdramatists.org/how/apply-residency

12.

Mobtown Players Reading Series

Deadline: August 30th

Last season, the play development wing of Baltimore’s Mobtown Players workshopped three new plays. One of them, Madeline Leong’s Stage IV, will receive a full production on the Mobtown stage this summer (July 26-August 10). For the 2013-2014 season, we will again devote 4 slots to the development of new work by area writers.

Each of the first 3 slots will consist of back-to-back weekends of public readings. The Mobtown Players will supply actors, directors, and marketing acumen. Playwrights will have a chance to revise their drafts based on feedback from the first weekend’s readings, and to rehearse those revisions for the second weekend’s readings. The goal for the 4th slot is to select one script to receive a full production by the Mobtown Players. The winning script will also receive a $50 honorarium.

Scripts for the first slot, which will run October 11-19 (2013), should be submitted by July 31. Scripts for the remaining two slots, which will run January 10-18 (2014) and March 28-April 5 (2014), should be submitted by August 31. If you prefer a particular slot, please include that information with your submission; otherwise, we will consider you for all three.

Plays may be any length, genre, or style and may be written on any topic. Please include with your submission 3-5 questions you still have about your play or scenes/moments you’d like to develop. (You won’t be held to this, but it will provide a starting point if we select your play.) You must be able to attend most rehearsals and each reading of your play. If you have questions, please contact Brent at mobtownplaywrights@gmail.com. Scripts should be submitted electronically to the same email address.

13.

The Sky Cooper/Marin Theatre Company

Deadline: August 31st

New American Play Prize

Norton J. “Sky” Cooper established the New American Play Prize at Marin Theatre Company in 2007 to celebrate the work of the American playwright and to encourage the creation of bold, powerful new voices and plays for the American stage. The Sky Cooper Prize will be awarded annually to either an established or emerging playwright for an outstanding new work. The play selected as the Sky Cooper winner will receive a full production at Marin Theatre Company as part of the theatre’s annual season and will be given regional and national promotion. In addition, the playwright receives a $10,000 award, as well as travel and accommodations for the MTC rehearsal period.

GUIDELINES

Plays must be full-length in any genre: comedy, drama, etc. Musicals, translations, individual one-acts, and any play previously submitted for the Sky Cooper or David Calicchio Prizes are not eligible. Collaborations are welcome, in which case prize benefits are shared. Plays may not have received a full-scale, professional production prior to submission. Plays that have had a workshop, reading, or non-professional production are still eligible. Playwrights must be citizens of the United States. Playwrights with past production experience are especially encouraged to submit new work. Only one submission per playwright is allowed each year. If you are eligible for the David Calicchio Award you may submit the same play for both prizes.

Submission is a two-phase process.

Phase I: Submit a two-page maximum abstract of the play including title, character breakdown, brief story synopsis and playwright bio or resume. Also include 10 pages of consecutive sample dialogue. Do not send videos or CDs. Literary agents may submit full scripts of their client’s work. All abstracts and dialogue samples will be read. From these, selected manuscripts will be solicited for Phase II by October 1. Due to the high number of submissions, not every playwright will receive a response to their Phase 1 submission. Do not send a manuscript with or instead of the abstract. Unsolicited manuscripts will not be read. Due to the high number of submissions we cannot return any materials. If you would like notification that your submission was received, please send it with a SASP. Electronic submissions are accepted in Word or PDF format only and paper copies must also be sent to MTC if requested. Please NO PHONE OR EMAIL inquiries.

Phase II: All manuscripts that have been solicited after Phase I will be read. Manuscripts should be neatly typed, securely bound and have the playwright’s name, contact address and phone number clearly visible on the front page. No solicited manuscript will be returned without a self-addressed, stamped envelope with adequate postage.

Submissions are accepted between April 1 and August 31 (postmarked).

Address all submissions to:

The Sky Cooper/Marin Theatre Company New American Play Prize

Marin Theatre Company

397 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941

Or electronically to skycooper@marintheatre.org

14.

David Calicchio/Marin Theatre Company Emerging Playwright Prize

Deadline: August 31st

Norton J. “Sky” Cooper established the Emerging American Playwright Prize award at Marin Theatre Company in 2007 in honor of David Calicchio’s lifelong career as a playwright and in support of Marin Theatre Company’s commitment to the discovery and development of new and emerging American playwrights. The Calicchio Prize will be awarded annually to a professionally unproduced playwright for a new work that shows outstanding promise and a distinctive new voice for the American theatre. The play selected as the Calicchio Prize winner will receive 2 public staged readings at Marin Theatre Company as part of the theatre’s annual New Works Series. The playwright will receive a $2,500 award, as well as travel and accommodations for the MTC rehearsal period (25 hours).

GUIDELINES

Plays must be full-length in comedy, drama, etc. Musicals, translations, adaptations, individual one-acts and any play previously submitted for the Sky Cooper or David Calicchio Prizes are not eligible. Collaborations are welcome, in which case prize benefits are shared. Playwrights may not have received a full-scale, professional production of the submitted play, or any of their other works, prior to submission. Plays and playwrights that have had workshop, reading or non-professional productions are still eligible. Playwrights must be citizens of the United States. Only one submission per playwright is allowed each year. If you plan to also submit your play to the Sky Cooper Play Prize you may do so but it must be the same play.

Submission is a two-phase process.

Phase I: Submit a two-page maximum abstract of the play including title, character breakdown, brief story synopsis and playwright bio or resume. Also include 10 pages of consecutive sample dialogue. Literary agents may submit full scripts of their client’s work. All abstracts and dialogue samples will be read. From these, selected manuscripts will be solicited for Phase II by October 1. Due to the high number of submissions, not every playwright will receive a response to their Phase 1 submission. Do not send a manuscript with or instead of the abstract. Unsolicited manuscripts will not be read. Due to the high number of submissions we cannot return any Phase I materials. If you would like notification that your submission was received, please send it with a SASP. Electronic submissions are accepted in Word or PDF format only and paper copies must be sent to MTC if requested. Please NO PHONE OR EMAIL inquiries.

Phase II: All manuscripts that have been solicited after Phase I will be read. Manuscripts should be neatly typed, securely bound and have the playwright’s name, contact address and phone number clearly visible on the front page. No solicited manuscript will be returned without a self-addressed, stamped envelope with adequate postage.

All final selections are made by Jasson Minadakis, Artistic Director of Marin Theatre Company.Submissions are accepted between April 1 and August 31 (postmarked).

Address all submissions to:

The David Calicchio/Marin Theatre Company Emerging American Playwright Prize

Marin Theatre Company

397 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941

Or electronically to davidcalicchio@marintheatre.org

15.

Rainbow Theatre

Deadline: Sept 3rd

Looking for short plays (10-20 minutes in length) to be produce as readings alongside full length plays (already chosen) for the first season of The Rainbow Theatre Project.

They should deal directly with the LGBT experience (i.e., The Normal Heart) or deal obliquely with the LGBT experience (i.e., Design for Living) or have a kinship with the LGBT experience (i.e., The Elephant Man) or is a work by a LGBT playwright, ideally relating to the LGBT experience. I would like new work but plays that have had a limited life span are acceptable.

Deadline for submissions is September 3, 2013.

Submissions can be sent directly to hleegable@aol.com.

Selected plays will receive a commission/stipend.

Check out our Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/RainbowTheatreProject/info.

16.

Red Shirt Rooftop Reading Festival of New Ten-Minute Plays

Deadline: July 8th

The Rooftop Reading Festival is an annual event dedicated to public readings of new ten-minute plays. Hailed by the New York Post as “Theater on high,” this dynamic festival not only presents art in a very unique setting, but helps to build strong community and bonds among the America Theater Artists who participate.

Ten playwrights will be in residence at the festival as they continue to develop their new scripts. Input and support from a professional core group of actors, directors, dramaturges, producers, and audience members will be provided.

Each playwright selected will receive a stipend, as well as meetings with Red Shirt’s Producing team to help support the future development of the playwright’s work in the Commercial Theater.

Literary agents may submit scripts as well.

Submission Guidelines

• Submissions open from May 1st – June 19th
• Application fee of $20 in cash or money order made out to Red Shirt Entertainment
• Include the playwright’s current CV with 10 minute play
• No more than three characters in the cast
• Playwrights must be available to be in NYC in residence on September 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th.
• Festival Public Reading Days are September 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th
• Playwrights are responsible for their own housing and travel during the festival in NYC

Please mail ten-minute play with cover letter, CV and $20 application fee to:

Red Shirt Entertainment

c/o Rooftop Reading Festival

18 West 23rd St.

4th Floor

New York, NY 10010

NOTE: No drop-offs, emails or phone calls please.

For more information, please visit www.redshirtentertainment.com.

17.

Overtime Theatre

Deadline: August 1st

The Overtime Theater is seeking play submissions for our 2014 season. Devoted to original work, we are particularly interested in new plays that are innovative in form and bold and moving in content. San Antonio’s “Theater for the People” — the Current readers’ favorite theater for four years in a row — creates a wide range of plays, from scrappy nerdcore to weird fringe, from heartwarming to hilarious, and has a loyal following. Located near the blossoming Pearl Brewery complex at 1203 Camden Street, we are at the heart of the city’s most exciting arts district, right next to the San Antonio Museum of Art, the Museum Reach of the Riverwalk, and the South Broadway renaissance.

We are seeking original experimental and devised work, film and novel adaptations, translations and adaptations of classics, musicals, genre parodies, political pieces, community-based plays, science-fiction and superhero epic adventures, broad comedy, gritty realism, and especially that which we haven’t seen and can’t be categorized. We are looking for unique local and national voices, visions, characters, and worlds that could only be live theatrical events, although they may (and are encouraged to) engage other media.

In all the plays we select, we are looking for work charged with a sense of now, pieces that wake the audience up to the present moment.

Please submit all completed plays or inquiries to BOTH the Literary Manager, Rachel Joseph at rjoseph@trinity.edu and the Artistic Director, Kyle Gillette at kgillett@trinity.edu no later than August 1, 2013. We only accept electronic submissions on a .pdf or .doc file. Please include contact information, cast requirements, and technical aspirations. We will acknowledge receipt of work and inform playwrights of their submission status by the end of November 2013.

18.

BLUE INK PLAYWRITING AWARD

Deadline: September 1st

We are seeking submissions of new plays for our 2014 award. The winning play will be selected by the theater’s award-winning Ensemble. The winner of this annual competition will be awarded the Blue Ink Playwriting Award of $1,000 and receive a staged reading at American Blues Theater in Chicago.

Submissions will be accepted by American Blues Theater from July 1, 2013 to September 1, 2013.  Playwrights may only submit one (1) manuscript each year for consideration.

There is a $5 administrative fee. Please follow these guidelines in preparing your manuscript:

1.  This contest is restricted to plays written in the English language. Worldwide submissions are accepted.

2.  Submissions must be original, unpublished full-length plays written in English. Translations, musicals, and children’s plays are not accepted.

3.  Playwrights may submit only one (1) manuscript per year.

4.  Plays that have been professionally produced or published are not eligible. Plays that have had a workshop, reading, or non-professional production will be considered.

5.  Plays may not be under option or scheduled for professional production or publication at the time of submission.

6.  American Blues Theater reserves the Right-of-First-Refusal to produce the World-premiere of the winning manuscript for one (1) year beginning on date of the public announcement on February 27, 2014.

7.  Plays must be sent as a Word document or pdf file to blueink@americanbluestheater.com.

8.  Send the $5 administrative fee to: American Blues Theater, 1016 N. Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60610. You may pay online, send a personal or cashier’s check, or cash.  You will receive notification of your completed submission—both manuscript and payment—via e-mail.

19.

WAREHOUSE PAC (10-minute play festival)

Deadline: Sept 1st

1.  Plays should take place in a “salon,” of sorts.  The set will consist of three 1960s/70s salon hair dryers, one styling chair, a counter, etc…  Although the location is a “beauty, barber, and bait shoppe,” writers need not include references to all.  Nor does “Eunice” need to be present.

2.  Five characters or less.  (Quirky characters and situations welcome.)

3.  Must be comedies.

4.  Plays must be 10-minutes running time.

Submission Requirements:

Please submit three scripts with title only.  Please bind each script with a paper clip—no staples or binders.  Include a separate page with title and contact information.

Send to:

The Warehouse PAC

9216-A Westmoreland Rd.

Cornelius, NC 28031

ATTN:  Short-play fest

Deadline:   August 30th, 2013

Selections will be made through blind-readings by October 31, 2013.  All writers will be notified of the selection, but feedback on scripts will not be given.

Production Date : January 16th – February 2nd, 2014

The Warehouse, just north of Charlotte, is an intimate, 55-seat black box theater.  Selected writers are not paid, but will receive 2 comp seats to their night of choice.  And much fanfare. For additional information, email warehouse at marlabrown@mac.com or call 704.619.0429.