Thanksgiving Reflections

I don't think things are worse now than they've ever been. I just think we're both hyper-aware and have instant reactions to news. France was beset with terrorism in the 1960s but Americans didn't care and our media didn't sensationalize to elicit fear-based responses. Unarmed blacks have been getting lynched and gunned down by cops for centuries, but there was no video. Congo President Lumumba was assassinated by Western forces and no one really blinked when a civil war started. Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh was overthrown in a coup orchestrated by the CIA but no one really cared and there was no video. South Africa's apartheid government assassinated leaders for decades and America's response was to declare that it was Nelson Mandela who was a terrorist. Saddam Hussein tortured his people for decades but no one really cared because gas was cheap, the victims were brown, and there was no film. FBI's COINTELPRO frequently gunned down Black Panther leaders, bombed Black activists in their homes, and put people away on fraudulent charges. The drug surge into cities was facilitated by our government to break these movements and no one seemed to care (notice how there is a call for softening drug laws now that it's hitting the suburbs?). Every Latin and South America country has experienced coups and American-gov sponsored revolutions in the 20th century at the cost of thousands of lives. The same is true in most of Africa, the Mideast (aka Africa for people who can't handle the truth), many countries in Asia. I think we're just starting to wake up. This is a moment when we're starting to peek behind the curtain and to learn how our cell phones are made, trace power operating in the world, see how women are treated and have been treated for hundreds of years, challenge cultural hegemony, transform capitalism, change our world. But it can only change by dealing with the world honestly. Don't blink, don't fold your hands in frustration like this is all brand new. We're just seeing things more clearly. Happy Thanksgiving!

An Attack in Paris

Twanging fiddles and the announcer saying 'promenade' as square dancers gallop in the next room. Surreal. In the hallway ppl are on their phones asking for the update. 40. 60. 100. 140. 155. A Francophile asks for the massacre's location. Bataclan, I think. Wit fails us and everything else feels cliche. Be strong? Light is greater than darkness? We've said this before and each time it feels less earned. Each time it feels more vague and wishful. In fact darkness is vast. Humanity's intermittent light seems shrouded in incalculable cruelty. In history enlightened civilizations fall into savagery all the time because of invading hordes, superstitions, corruption, callousness, plagues, fanaticism, madness. Darkness is the majority of time this season and next. Darkness is the sickening feeling. Maybe something lighter will come out in the morning. But for now, an honest darkness can be more condoling than the false flash of optimism. They are still square dancing in the next room but there's no cowboy screams. Just the sound of clomping feet as the announcer calls out the next move. 

GET WHAT YOU WANT: November 2015

1.

Women’s Project Lab

deadline: November 8th

website: http://wptheater.org/lab/

WP Theater is looking for 15 female-identified playwrights, directors, and producers who crave an artistic home, professional support, and the resources to launch them into the next phase of their careers to join the 2016-2018 WP Lab.

Lab provides up to fifteen artists with community, a vital professional network, entrepreneurial and leadership training, free rehearsal space and, most significantly, tangible opportunities for the development and production of bold new work for the stage.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY:

Must be a female-identified artist living within 90 minutes of Women’s Project Theater via car or rail.

Must be able to attend evening meetings at Women’s Project Theater twice each month for the duration of the two years, as well as other events throughout the year, such as master classes, retreats, observerships and other special events at WP.

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.

THE PARTICIPATING ARTISTS WILL:

Receive a stipend

Participate in a monthly lab meeting led by Women’s Project Theater’s Artistic Staff

Participate in a bimonthly meeting of the five artists in their concentration led by a mentor in their field.

Participate in master classes led by established artists.

Receive complimentary tickets to WP shows, invited dress rehearsals and other special events

Receive artistic support and professional development guidance from the artistic staff.

Participate in The Pipeline Festival, a festival of five new plays, written, directed and produced by the WP Lab, to be presented during the second year.

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

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS (PDF document submission):

-Current resume

-One page statement that describes your artistic vision and the specific process behind it and why this residency would be useful for you in this moment of your career.

-A list of 3 professional references, including title/affiliation, phone and email

Playwrights:

In a separate PDF, the full length script most representative of your work and that you believe to be ready for production.

The draft should not have your name or any other identifiers.

The play must be at least 60 pages long, and must be a completed draft, though it need not be a final draft. Directors & Producers:

A list of upcoming productions, workshops, readings and other projects with dates, venues, and your role.

You may also include a link to your website, or other online resources.

Additional materials should not exceed 3 pages and may include reviews (no excerpts) and photos

Hard copy applications will not be accepted.

All materials will be reviewed by a panel of theater professionals. Finalists will be notified by early May and asked to interview in June 2016. The 2016-2018 Lab will begin in September 2016.

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

SEND APPLICATION MATERIALS TO:

WPLabSubmissions@womensproject.org

Subject Line: WP Lab Application Submission

Hard copy applications will not be accepted

If you have specific questions, please email wpinfo@womensproject.org after reading the Frequently Asked Questions section below. No phone calls please.

2.

LAST FRONTIER THEATRE CONFERENCE

Deadline: Nov. 23rd

website: http://www.theatreconference.org/

The Last Frontier Theatre Conference strives to create an educational experience for playwrights, actors, directors, and theatre enthusiasts that enriches participants’ minds and inspires their souls. Participants are completely immersed in the theatre arts for eight days, with a blend of performances, developmental readings, classes, and social events.

The Conference gives a venue for playwrights to present their work in the Play Lab, where they receive feedback from theatre professionals and their peers, and have the opportunity to network with actors and other writers.

It is vital for the state’s theatre community to embrace the story tellers who are speaking about the unique experience of living in the Last Frontier. The Conference is dedicated to fostering playwriting and the presentation of new works by Alaskans.

The Last Frontier Theatre Conference is now accepting submissions through November 23, 2015, for the Play Lab. Authors must register for the Conference and be in attendance for their reading; the cost of transportation is the responsibility of the participants. Guidelines:

• Plays must be received by November 23, 2015
• One submission per author.
• Submissions should run between 20 minutes and 2 hours.
• They can be of any genre except musical.
• The play should not have received a professional production; readings and amateur productions are acceptable. Authors should be interested in developing this play.

3.

Ashland New Plays Festival

deadline: January 15th (or when 400 qualifying scripts have been received)

website: http://www.ashlandnewplays.org/submit-a-script/

ANPF’s flagship festival is an international playwriting competition that culminates in the reading of four new plays culled from hundreds of submissions by a cadre of volunteer readers. This unique and much-loved five-day festival in Ashland, Oregon, features professional actors from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the community. The event includes rehearsals and two staged readings of each winning play. Four winning playwrights receive a $1,000 stipend and local accommodations. Submissions will be accepted until January 15, 2016 or when 400 qualifying scripts have been received.

4.

Jerome Fellowship

Deadline: Nov. 19th

website: https://pwcenter.org/programs/jerome-fellowships

The Playwrights' Center Jerome Fellowships are awarded annually, providing emerging American playwrights with funds and services to aid them in the development of their craft. Four $18,000 fellowships will be awarded in 2016, in addition to $1,500 in development support. Fellows spend a year-long residency in Minnesota and have access to Center opportunities, including workshops with professional directors, dramaturgs and actors.

The Playwrights' Center has awarded these fellowships in partnership with the Jerome Foundation since 1976. Past recipients include Lee Blessing, Lisa D'Amour, Kristoffer Diaz, Dan Dietz, Sarah Gubbins, Naomi Iizuka, Melanie Marnich, Rhiana Yazzie, Martín Zimmerman and August Wilson.

Selection Process

Applicants are screened for eligibility by the Playwrights' Center and evaluated by an initial select panel of professional theater artists; finalists are then evaluated by a second panel of national theater artists. Selection is based on artistic excellence, potential for growth, and commitment to a vital life working in the field. The selection process is guided by the Playwrights' Center's mission statement. The Playwrights' Center does not participate in selection decisions.

5.

Mcknight Advancement Grant

Deadline: Jan. 8th

website: https://pwcenter.org/programs/mcknight-advancement-fellowships

The McKnight Advancement Fellowships recognize playwrights whose work demonstrates exceptional artistic merit and excellence in the field, and whose primary residence is in the state of Minnesota. The fellowship includes:

• A $25,000 stipend
• $2,500 to support a play development workshop and other professional expenses
• $1,400 in travel funds

Past recipients include: David Adjmi, Carlyle Brown, Lisa D'Amour, Barbara Field, Keli Garrett, Jeffrey Hatcher, Melanie Marnich, Gregory Moss, Kira Obolensky, Dominic Orlando, Christina Ham, and Martín Zimmerman.

6.

McKnight National Residency

Deadline: Dec. 10th

website: https://pwcenter.org/programs/mcknight-national-residency-and-commission

Supported by a grant from the McKnight Foundation, this program aids in the commissioning and development of new works from nationally recognized playwrights. Benefits include:

• A $14,000 commission
• At least two U.S. round-trip airline tickets
• Housing during the residency period
• Up to $5,750 in workshop funds to support the development of the play
• A public reading of the commissioned play

Past recipients include: Kia Corthron, Kate Fodor, Daniel Alexander Jones, Sibyl Kempson, Craig Lucas, Taylor Mac, Ruth Margraff, Dan O'Brien, Betty Shamieh, Kathleen Tolan, and Mac Wellman.

7.

Saving Endangered Species

Deadline: Nov. 30th

website: http://www.sesprize.com/#!guidelines/c4xm

Write a ten-minute play about an endangered species.  Go to the World Wildlife Fund worldwildlife.org/species  or CITES cites.org/eng/gallery/species/index.html and choose one or more species (Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish, Flora & Fauna, or Invertebrates).  The species must be integral to the plot, not just mentioned.  Astonish the audience with the magnificence of the species – take us on an adventure – make us laugh, make us cry, make us weep if they're gone – motivate the audience to save them!

8-10 plays will be selected for a Staged Reading at a California theatre, with an award of $100usd for each play.  Multiple playwrights/Translators on a single play will divide the award equally (unless they request a different division).  The audiences’ “ticket” will be a donation to a specified non-profit Wildlife Conservancy.  There is No Entry Fee.

Entries must be received by midnight November 30, 2015.  Winners and Finalists will be announced by May 31, 2016  via e-mail and on the SES website.  One submission per playwright.  Plays must be in English, or have been translated into English.  SES does not offer critiques.

Plays may be Comedic, Dramatic, or for Young Audiences (performed by adult actors).  No adaptations or musicals.  Maximum  4 actors – no elaborate props, swinging trapezes, or flaming torches, please.

Playwrights must hold the copyright.  Legal clearance of materials not in public domain is the playwright's responsibility.  Previously produced plays are accepted, published plays are not.  Playwrights are obligated to inform SES if their play becomes published after submission.  Plays with any contractual commitments, which restricts SES in any way, are not accepted. SES reserves the right to decide what is restrictive.

Include on the Title page: your name, address, phone number and e-mail – On the 2nd page: cast list, location/time, the endangered species and any playwright’s notes/glossaries.

SES reserves the right to cancel the competition if not enough plays meet the mandate and artistic caliber required for presentation. If canceled, an announcement will be made via e-mail and on the website.

All winning playwrights are invited to the Staged Reading.  Travel and accommodations are not included in the Prize.

8.

InspiraTO 10th Play Festival

Deadline: Dec. 1st

website: http://www.theatreinspirato.ca/participate/play

1.This year's creative challenge: Shift. The play must show that a "shift" has taken place or is about to take place in the play.

shift:  Move from one place to another, especially over a small distance. Change positions. Adjust. Correct. Lift. Land, people, buildings, structures or objects repositioned. Distruption. Swerve. Pivot.

Show us.

Leave your comfort zone.

2. The play must be a ten-minute play. The contest is open to anyone without geographic or age restrictions. You must submit online. Please fill out the submission form below and submit your play by December 1, 2015.There are no fees. Once you submit you will be taken to a page confirming that we have received your submission. You may only submit one play.

The story can be a comedy, a drama, a parody, absurd or anything in between (in English only). We accept any style except musicals.

The cover page should have the title of the play, the playwright's name and the list of characters. The pages should be numbered. The format should be easy to read. We accept previously produced plays (but not plays that have produced in InspiraTO before). The playwright must own the rights to the play up to June 12, 2016 (i.e. the script cannot be owned by a publisher).

We are particularly interested in scripts that aren't afraid to make bold choices: quality writing backed by imaginative staging. Only those playwrights whose plays have been selected will be notified by January 15, 2016.

The plays will be selected by a committee from the Toronto theatre community. If selected, your play will be performed in Toronto, Canada from June 2 - June 12, 2016. Between ten to eighteen, ten-minute plays will be selected and performed. 1st Prize: $500 CDN. Should your play be selected for inclusion in the festival, you are giving the non-exclusive right to Theatre InspiraTO to produce and perform the play in the 11th Annual InspiraTO Festival in Toronto (Canada's largest ten-minute play festival), in the June 2016. The InspiraTO Festival will find the cast, crew and market your play. Authors retain copyright and full ownership of their plays.

3. The submission must be a play. A ten-minute play is distinct from a sketch, or a skit; it is a compact play, with a beginning, middle and an end. You need a character facing obstacles in pursuit of some specific goal. You need rising action, conflict, and a climactic moment and your play must tell a complete story.

Generally speaking, scripts (including the stage directions, character names and dialogue) that are over 1,900 words are more than ten minutes long on stage. This does not mean that all plays under 1,900 words are under ten minutes, so be wise: use Word Count and read the play out loud while timing the length (including all pauses). You don't want your hard work rejected because it was too long.

Get inspired. See your story come to life! Complete application online: http://www.theatreinspirato.ca/participate/play

9.

The Julliard School’s Lila Acheson Wallace Playwright Program

Deadline: Dec. 15th

website: www.juilliard.edu/apply-audition/application-audition-requirements/playwrights-program-application-requirements

The Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program encourages and aids the development of new and diverse voices in the American theater.

Under the direction of Christopher Durang and Marsha Norman the Playwrights Program offers one-year, tuition-free, graduate level fellowships to four writers. Selected playwrights may be invited to continue their studies through a second academic year, thereby completing a total of 52 credits for the two-year fellowship period and earning an Artist Diploma in Playwriting.

Juilliard's Playwrights Program is purposely small and allows the artists to focus on the practical aspects of dramatic writing while at the same time they are encouraged to take advantage of the wealth of resources within Juilliard's walls, and those afforded via the School's prime location on Broadway — the greater New York City theater scene. Students may take any class in the Drama Division and are encouraged to see productions around the city by receiving free or discounted tickets to many events on- and off-Broadway. The essence of the Playwrights Program lies in the weekly master class with the playwright heads focusing on dramatic structure and the cultivation of each writer's individual voice. Twice monthly lab readings of the students' work allow the writers, with the help of Juilliard acting students and alumni, to tackle the practical aspects of creating a new play. In addition, seminars centering on other aspects of the theatrical profession are planned on a quarterly basis. The year's end culminates when students in the playwrights residency present their work to professionals from New York and around the country in a showcase evening. The intention is that these events will create a bridge for these artists between Juilliard and the larger community.

10.

Neil LaBute New Theatre Festival

Deadline: Dec. 31st

website:http://stlas.org/labute-new-theater-festival/

SUBMISSIONS

Submissions will be accepted October 1 through December 31, 2015. Professional Submissions: Successful entries will have no more than four characters and be crafted specifically to exploit our intimate performance space. (18′ x 18′ stage) Changes in scenery or setting should be achievable quickly and with few major set moves. Our focus is on fundamental dramaturgy: plot, character and theme.

PROFESSIONAL SUBMISSIONS

Professional, new and previously unproduced one-act play submissions should include a letter of inquiry, a synopsis and a 10-page sample from the script. Running time for each performance should not exceed 45 minutes. Up to Eight plays will be chosen. In addition, a new piece from Mr. LaBute will be performed every night for the run of the festival.

HIGH SCHOOL SUBMISSIONS

Winning plays by high school students will be presented in readings. The guidelines are straightforward: The one act should include no more than four characters featuring a clearly developed plot and distinctive characters. No longer than 15 minutes in length. Non-Professional, new and previously unproduced one-act play submissions should include a letter of inquiry and complete script.

Submissions should be sent to:

LaBute New Theater Festival, St. Louis Actors’ Studio, 360 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108

For more information: 314-458-2978 or help@stlas.org

11.

Robert Rauschenberg Artist as Activist 2016

Deadline: 12/7/15

website: http://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/artist-activist-fellows

The Artist as Activist Fellowship provides independent artists and art collectives with a demonstrated commitment to applying their creative work to the public sphere up to $100,000 over two years along with access to opportunities for professional advancement. Fellows are identified through a highly competitive open call for proposals. In 2015 more than 600 applicants from 42 states, spanning artistic genres and thematic focus, were narrowed to six fellows with the help of 30 field experts from across the U.S. This inaugural cohort of Fellows is tackling timely issues—from climate change to caste-based sexual violence to mass incarceration.

Fellows are identified through a highly competitive open call for proposals. In 2015 more than 600 applicants from 42 states, spanning artistic genres and thematic focus, were narrowed to six fellows with the help of 30 field experts from across the U.S. This inaugural cohort of Fellows is tackling timely issues—from climate change to caste-based sexual violence to mass incarceration.

Applying lessons from the inaugural round of fellowship applications, the foundation will use an alternating thematic frame to guide future open call for proposals. During the 2016 and 2017 fellowship cycles, the thematic frame is racial justice through the lens of mass incarceration. Artists with ambitious projects that tackle this critical issue are invited to seek up to $100,000 in support.

THEME

Racial justice with particular focus on mass incarceration

WHO SHOULD APPLY?        

US-based artists and artist collectives seeking to work full-time on an

ambitious creative work tackling this issue

FELLOWSHIP PERIOD          

May 1, 2016 – April 30, 2018

FELLOWSHIP GRANT          

Up to $100,000 over a two-year period

DEADLINE                               

December 7, 2015, 5:00 pm (EST)

AWARD NOTIFICATION      

Late April 2016

APPLICATION WEBINARS          

November 16, 2015, 10:00 am (EST)

For more information, including application instructions, http://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/artist-activist-fellows

12.

NYFA Artists Fellowship

Deadline: 1/28/16

website: https://www.nyfa.org/Content/Show/Artists'%20Fellowships

Artists' Fellowships are not project grants but are instead intended to fund an artist's vision as displayed across a single criterion of work. Fellowships are not awarded to interpretative artists such as dancers or actors, applicants must be the originators of the work, ie. choreographers or playwrights. NYFA is committed to supporting artists from diverse cultural backgrounds at all stages of their professional careers. In 2015, NYFA awarded 91 Fellowships to 95 awardees with 4 collaborations totaling an amount of $642,000. Who Can Apply? To be eligible for the award, applicants must meet the following requirements:

- You must be 25 years old or older.

-You must be a current resident of New York State and/or one of the Indian Nations located in New York State for at least the two consecutive years prior to the application deadline.

-You must not be enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate degree program of any kind at the time of the application deadline.

-You must not have received a NYFA Fellowship in any discipline in the past five years. -you must not be a NYFA employee, member of the NYFA Board of Trustees or Artists' Advisory Committee, an immediate family member of any of the above, or an immediate family member of a 2015­/2016 panelist.

How Do I Apply?

-Create a new application online All applications and support materials must be uploaded and submitted via the online application at https://apply.nyfa.org/ , NYFA does not accept any physical copies. Applicants must create an account with submittable.com in order to access the application form and to upload their support materials, If you do not already have an user account with submittable.com, you must create one with your name and email address in order to apply. Once you’ve created a login, you can use this to submit to any organization that accepts applications supported by submittable. Enter your details and click Create Account and Continue. A verification email will be sent to your email address, check your inbox and click on the link provided in the email to verify your account.

- Begin your online application. Select your category or categories​. Applicants may apply in up to two categories per year but will only be awarded in one. Should you receive an award in 2 categories, you will have to choose which category to be recognized in. Applicants use the same login details to create applications in either category but must submit a separate application and support materials for each category. List any collaborations. ​Collaborating artists must apply together with one application. A collaboration is defined as up to three artists who can clearly demonstrate an ongoing collaborative career. Collaborating artists can apply with an account under a collaborative artist name or with an individually named account providing that, in either case, all collaborators are listed under the Applicant Information section of the application form. Collaborator’s names should be separated by a “ / ” in the Name field. Should a collaborative application receive an award, the grant will be divided evenly between the 2 collaborating artists. All individual applicants must clearly state their respective roles and must meet eligibility requirements.

- Fill out your online application​. You must fill out your Applicant Information, Work Statement, any additional statements and upload your Work Samples and Résumé. Each application will have varying components depending on the discipline in which an applicant is applying so please refer to the category guidelines for further assistance in completing your application.

-Upload your Work Samples​. Work samples are a representation of your artistic work within the last five years. All Work Samples are submitted through the application, NYFA accepts a variety of file formats to support your application which will vary depending on the discipline in which you are applying so please refer to the category guidelines for further assistance.

-Submit your application. When you have finished filling out your information and have completed the Work Statement, additional statements and uploaded your Work Samples, simply click on the Submit button on the bottom of the application form to submit your application. Once submitted, you will no longer be able to make changes to your application so make sure you have reviewed everything carefully before submitting. FAQ What is an Artists’ Fellowship? Artists' Fellowships, awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three­year period, are $7,000 cash awards made to individual originating artists living and working in the state of New York and or Indian Nations located therein for unrestricted use. Artists’ Fellowships are not project grants but are intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, regardless of the level of his or her artistic development. How are Fellows selected? Artists' Fellowships are chosen based on the single criterion of work that demonstrates a compelling vision as defined by the assembled panel's collective opinion. Materials are reviewed and voted on by the panelists in elimination rounds which produce a smaller pool for each round. An artist's advancement is a product of the collective vote of the panel. A single panelist cannot ensure an applicant's success or failure. Panel selections are reviewed by the Artists' Advisory Committee and by NYFA's Board of Trustees. Neither the Committee nor the Board reviews the work of applicants or makes any aesthetic judgments. Panelists' names are kept confidential until the awards are announced.

NYFA is committed to supporting New York State artists of diverse cultural, sexual, and ethnic backgrounds. NYFA does not discriminate based on the age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or ability/disability of artists, and welcomes work whose content reflects the lived experiences of the applicants. 3 How is work reviewed? In visual arts categories, an artist's digital images are viewed four at a time, horizontally, in the order uploaded by the applicant. Moderators will read aloud the materials, dimensions, and date of the first and fifth images to the panel. In categories accepting video samples, panelists review up to a total of 4 minutes of an applicant's work samples, and may scan through the entire work in later rounds. In literary categories, manuscripts are reviewed by five readers across the state before assembling at NYFA for the final decision. For all categories, an applicant's statements are available for panelists to read as they review support materials. NOTE: This review process is not anonymous. Applicants' names are known by the panelists in all categories. How are panels assembled?

Recommendations for potential panelists come from many sources, including; the Artists’ Advisory Committee, arts and cultural organizations around New York State and Indian Nations located therein, and suggestions from practicing artists. All potential panelists must be practicing artists and must receive three recommendations from their field. The Artists' Advisory Committee then approves final choices that reflect considerations of genre, age, ethnicity, and geography within New York State and Indian Nations located therein. Panels are held separately with different panelists for each category. Applicants may participate in this process by suggesting themselves or others as panel candidates on the application. NOTE: Panelists change each year. When are the fellowships announced? All applicants will be notified of final decisions in late Summer of 2016. The names of all Fellows, Finalists and the panelists who selected them will be listed online at www.nyfa.org. If I receive an award, what must I do? Fellows must first verify their New York State residency or Indian Nation residency within New York State. Once a recipient has received notification of their award, they are required to submit documentation verifying their residency for the years 2014 and 2015. Acceptable documents include tax forms, phone bills, utility bills, bank statements, driver’s license, etc. Grants are given in one payment of $7,000 upon verification of residency.

13.

ATHE Award of Excellence for Playwriting

Deadline: Nov. 10th

website: http://www.athe.org/?page=Playwriting

The ATHE Award of Excellence in Playwriting honors a new play marked by sophisticated and nuanced storytelling, with the potential to make a major artistic impact on contemporary theatre.

The Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) conference takes place August 14-11, 2016 at Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, IL. The playwright will receive conference registration, three nights in the conference hotel, $600 towards travel expenses (reimbursement), and a one-year membership in the Dramatists Guild. Additionally, the winner will receive a plaque at the annual ATHE Awards Celebration and attend a reception.

CALL FOR SCRIPTS

Please read submission policy carefully:

• We invite playwrights to submit plays via electronic script submissions, in standard Samuel French playwriting format - 12 point font, character name centered or 3.5 inches from left margin, 1” margin all around.
• Submitted plays should be full-length plays.
• Plays must have been written during the two years preceding the upcoming national conference (August 2016) by playwrights engaged with an institution of higher education (be it student, faculty, artist in residence, guest artist, etc.) during that time period.
• Submissions will be limited to the first 150 scripts received.
• Submission deadline is November 10.
• Scripts will be accepted internationally but must be written in English.
• There is no submission fee.
• Please remove all playwright identification from the script including name, mailing address and telephone/fax/e-mail.
• Submit qualifying plays at: http://www.athe.org/?page=Playwriting
• Please include (not on the script):
• Script Name
• Playwright Name
• Playwright Email
• Playwright Telephone Number
• Playwright postal mailing address.
• Please do not send a synopsis or playwright resume.
• Only one submission per playwright will be accepted. Scripts will not be returned.
• Self-nomination is permitted.
• Plays can be produced or un-produced but must be un-published.
• The winning playwright is expected to attend the ATHE Conference and participate in a development workshop and staged reading of the play.
• If you have questions please contact:  Charlene Donaghy at Charlene@charleneadonaghy.com

14.

Little Black Dress INK

Deadline: Nov 15th

website: http://www.littleblackdressink.org/

Little Black Dress INK is creating production opportunities for female playwrights through its Female Playwrights ONSTAGE Project; a short-play festival dedicated to producing peer-selected works by women. In addition to contributing to the selection of plays, participating playwrights are able to review and revise their work via online-streaming of play readings, and are encouraged to blog about the process along the way. Submissions are now being accepted from awesome female playwrights for consideration in this year’s festival! This festival utilizes a peer-review process for evaluating submissions. By submitting to this fest, you agree to participate in this unique opportunity to help select plays for production.

Please make sure to read over the following guidelines carefully before submitting.  Incomplete submissions, or submissions that do not meet the following criteria will not be considered:

• You must be a female playwright to enter the ONSTAGE Festival.
• This year’s festival theme is Curves Ahead.  Playwrights are invited to submit short plays and/or monologues written on this theme.  In the past we’ve had great success with short scenelets as well (10-minute plays comprised of a couple of scenes, which we can sprinkle throughout the show)
• LBDI strongly suggests you do not submit plays or monologues longer than ten minutes. Keep in mind that in all instances, shorter truly is better.  Plays running longer than ten minutes stand very little chance of making it into the festival, as we strive to produce as many playwrights as possible.
• Little Black Dress INK utilizes a peer review process for evaluating plays.  By submitting to this fest, you agree to participate in this unique opportunity to help select plays for production.
• Once our submission window is closed, you will receive a selection of plays to read and score using the LBDI online eval form.  You MUST read and submit your evaluations by the required date in order for your play to remain in consideration.
• Submitted works will be read by other participating playwrights and LBDI artistic personnel.  By submitting to the festival, you agree to share your work for review in this process.

Submission materials must be emailed to LBDI by November 15th, 2015 and should include:

• The following information in the body of your email:
• Your name
• The title of your play
• Your contact information *It is very important that you use a reliable email address as all correspondence will be done via email*
• A blind PDF of your script – do NOT include your name anywhere on the script!
• Email materials to submissions@LittleBlackDressINK.org

15.

Yale Institute for Music Theatre

Deadline: Jan. 8th

website: http://drama.yale.edu/YIMT/institute-home

Established in 2009, the YALE INSTITUTE FOR MUSIC THEATRE is a program of Yale’s Binger Center for New Theatre that bridges the gap between training and the professional world for emerging composers, book writers, and lyricists. The Institute seeks distinctive and original music theatre works to be developed in an intensive two-week summer lab at Yale School of Drama. The Institute matches the authors of the selected works with collaborators, including professional directors and music directors, as well as a company of actors and singers that includes professionals and current Yale students. The lab culminates with open rehearsal readings of each project, presented as part of New Haven’s International Festival of Arts & Ideas.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mark Brokaw, two original music theatre works will be selected for the 2016 Institute, which will take place June 13–28 in New Haven. Online applications are being accepted now through January 8, 2016, 11:59PM (EST). Click here for more information and to apply.