Wednesday, March 27, 2019

WHACK-A -2020 CANDIDATE


Rules
- beg someone to run in 2020
- wait until person announces they are running and then...
- talk shit about them running.
- get them to quit running.
- then ask 'why you quitting?'
- fix candidate a plate to take home (no mac n' cheese. Mac n' cheese is for closers.)

THEM: Elizabeth Warren was the one who should've run 2016. She speaks truth to power.
WARREN: Okay, I'm in.
THEM: Are you 'in' a time machine, heifer? It's 2019. I said 2016. I'm done wicchu.

THEM: God, imagine how great it would be if Beto ran.
BETO: Okay, I'm gonna run.
THEM: Fake ass motherfucker. He think he cute. Ugh, why you standing on ppl's tables like you ain't got no sense?

THEM: If only someone was strong and moderate like Kamala Harris?
KAMALA: Okay, I'm gonna do it.
THEM: Are you gonna do it like you did your white husband?!? How about all 'dem black kids you put in prison? You gonna do it like that, you traitor?

THEM: It would be great if we had someone relatable and unpolished like Sherrod Brown.
SHERROD: All right ppl, I'm ready.
THEM: You ready to apply for a QUEER EYE makeover? Wiccha dusty ass jackets.

THEM: I wish there were more Latinos running.
JULIAN CASTRO: Okay, here I am.
THEM: Who? Wait, what just happened? No, I didn't mean you. I meant a fictional Latino. Why are you still here?

Monday, March 25, 2019

Taking the Mueller Bait (and losing the focus)

I think the turning point for me was the end of 2017. I went home for the holidays and I saw that cable news (particularly MSNBC) had been overtaken by the Russia-Russia-Russia question. My inbox started to fill with emails from Dem groups seeking donations by using the Mueller investigation as an outrage point. Any Mueller insult Trump tweeted not only reverberated with his fans, but it vibrated in the Dem echo chamber. A limited-scope investigation was now bait for not only the media but fundraising. Mueller speculations caused this endless glee in both GOP and Dem speakers and it made me feel like I was being played. Mueller was our hope and savior. Mueller was the devil incarnate. Mueller was going to save democracy. Mueller was going to hand the White House to the Dems on a silver platter. It seemed like Dems were surrendering tons of valid anti-Trump arguments and focusing in on just one thing. I still followed the news and was intrigued by Mueller, but it didn't deserve all of my time and energy. House Dem candidates showed that when they just forgot about Mueller and ran on progressive ideas they trounced the Republican party. But progressive ideas are not really what mainstream Dems want to talk about b/c many of the party leaders are bought by corporations. And corporate media doesn't want to talk about progressives ideas b/c its antithetical to its business model. So the Russian probe served as a point of mutual agreement: they had no control over it, it was a silent investigation so endless speculation could abound, and they could fundraise on any Trump tweet.

Don't get me wrong: I think the investigation was important and I followed verified indictments. The process led to over 30 Trump officials being indicted and/or found guilty. It also helped launched dozens of investigations at the federal and state level that will continue. I still want to see the full report and I think AG Barr is shady as hell. But Mueller IS NOT the answer. It was a legal investigation. it wasn't a witch hunt, nor was it the left-wing salvation. I want a Dem party and MSNBC that is not held hostage by this narrow issue. Dems can and do beat the GOP when they talk about issues in clear thematic tones. No middle American voters are being swayed by Russian interference (which they did). They are being swayed by healthcare, unions, gun violence. Yes, the Russian gov and mafia support Trump b/c they have deep financial ties. But guess what: deep financial ties are not collusion. Is it corruption? Hell yes, but it is 100% legal corruption. Our system is compromised by dark money and lobbyist, but it is legal. A prosecutor can't put someone in jail for being a scumbag when American politics rewards the behavior. As AOC said, 90% of the heinous and corrupt stuff in US politics is legal. So maybe run on changing that. But if you do run on cleaning up the system, that means that Dems have to be clean too. In 2020 they have to be a better party than the one that currently exists. They have to embrace progressive issues, talk about campaign corruption, and have leadership (Pelosi and Schumer) willing to change or get out of the way.

2020 is around the corner. I hope everyone gets prosecuted through the SDNY and DC courts...AND I hope Dems run on being the change they want to see.

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Death Star: WGA v. ATA

WGA/ATA Negotiations: The major talent agencies are victims of their own success. No one REALLY needs an agent to create work or get a job. 99% of that happens through human relations. Managers and lawyers can make introductions too. In the 1960s and 1970s agents had to be seen as the indispensable 'the middle man' in the creation process b/c they didn't really participate in the making of anything. The top agents in town became powerbrokers on their ability to network, talk, schmooze, and deal. Outsized egos and legends formed. Organizations formed around these 'larger than life' figures. Assistants, junior agents, lawyers, and layers of bureaucracy were added. The agencies became enamored with their own brand and how to market themselves. Bigger buildings, Oscar and Emmy extravaganzas, Babylonian largesse, and excessive displays of power/wealth in order to keep the aura of importance around them. There is a reason why the CAA building is referred to as THE DEATH STAR with a mixture of ridicule and envy by others: it is a gilded citadel to flaunt its brand of power, fear, and ego like the scary Evil Empire in Star Wars. Their concern with branding meant that they didn't have time for the details of a) the overall well-being of their clients' career and b) the minutiae of contracts. Artists started hiring the people in the agency backrooms: managers to look after their career and entertainment lawyers who knew the actual law and contract negotiations. Now you have agents, managers, entertainment lawyers: all middlemen in the process to do a very simple thing: connect ppl and negotiate contracts. You only need one middle man...if even that. Some people get by on just having an entertainment lawyer to negotiate contracts, while the rare few artists broker deal themselves.

It's funny b/c once an agency gets you in the door -aka their main job- their power wanes. They lose leverage once you have secured a job, or start to know people in the industry. It is still nice to have them, but they are less and less necessary. I'm not at the level where I can do everything myself and pick up a phone and get a studio exec on the line. But there are plenty of artists who can do that. Steven Spielberg doesn't NEED an agent. Oprah and Leonardo DiCaprio don't need someone to take their 10%. Showrunners already know the executives and have power. If you think about the powerful showrunners and producers in Hollywood that's about 500-600 extremely wealthy writer/producers who could walk away from their agency tomorrow and still keep working. It wouldn't affect their bottom line or their projects, but it would devastate the 'middle man' infrastructure. Not only would agencies be cut off from hundreds of millions of dollars, but the aura of power would also implode...like a Death Star.

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Operation Varsity Blue

There was a recent FBI busts for rich parents who were bribing to get their children into Ivy League schools. They were paying college advisors to rig the system. This FBI sting caused a massive backlash against not only the perpetrators but the kids of the aflluent.

I don't think it's fair to go after the kids of these parents arrested in Operation Varsity Blue. I can't judge their intelligence or aptitude. I only know that they come from wealth, which isn't their sin or salvation. In many cases, I have seen overambitious wealthy parents mess up their children's life by trying to nail down a job or college as if they are trying to say to the world 'See! I did it all. Got the perfect partner, job, home, AND my kids got into an Ivy League school. Tied up all the loose ends, I did it.'

I experienced things from the flip side of this reality. I was the one who was FREQUENTLY told that I got into Northwestern because of affirmative action. I heard this while I was in high school. I heard this at NU. The people who would tell me this was always white men from upper-middle-class or wealthy family. Now, these people didn't know that I was captain of the football team, wrestling team, and debate team. They didn't know that I was athlete of the year for my high school and in their Hall of Fame, that I was all-state and lettered, an NFL scholar for civic activism, a two-time wrestling champion for my district in my two years, that I had won almost every debate tournament I entered, that our congressional team won Harvard the year I was captain. These people didn't know that I was a reporter for 3 local newspapers and 2 online publications, that I took the SAT's one time without the aid of any tutors or books and that my score was high enough that a high school advisor said 'do not take it again' and that I fucked around on the ACT and still scored in the top 1%.

My parents warned me that ppl were going to say 'affirmative action' no matter what I did...and by people they meant white guys. My sister told me to never explain my bio to someone like this and that they weren't worth it. So, instead, I would just laugh in their face. This would unsettle them. They wanted me to get upset or justify my existence in their space. I would laugh and mutter 'you are so stupid' and then just walk off. Perhaps not the most mature way of handling things but I was a teenager and usually running off to a job or practice or studying. I didn't have time for haters.

Now I see that these were incredibly insecure. Their feelings are justified. The system was built for them so they have no excuse for not making it. When people of color succeed it is often a triumph of will or a case of overcoming obstacles. When white men succeed, it is often a case of just walking through the door.

I sarcastically told my friends that the scandal undermines the merit-based system of wealthy families paying exorbitant fees to send their children to elite private schools where they do drugs and fuck around for a few yrs until the secondary institutions pipeline them into Ivy League schools with the help of expensive tutors who teach them the tests they need to pass so they can drink and drug for another four years while their rich parents bribe the colleges in the 'correct way' by paying for a new athletic center or putting money into an endowment, or knowing a friend-of-a-friend who goes to the same country club as the college's dean. All of this is the completely legal and standard operating procedure. Why did you need to bribe middlemen when the entire college system was created and designed for the 'long bribe?' You out here looking like Boo-Boo the Fool for nothing. You didn't have to commit any crimes to win. Is this your first day being rich and white?

These parents are incredibly powerful and wealthy...but are also scared, weak, fragile people. They commit crimes, they rig the system, the write the rules. This is the group most likely to lash out if a person of color manages to scale the citadel wall of academia and make it inside. These days the only thing I have for them is compassion. They will never be happy. They are consumed by ego and live in a world without honest reflection. Attacking others is their only way of relating to different people. That is the saddest thing of all: to be wealthy in material and poor in spirit is a hell that many rich people live in every day.

Monday, March 11, 2019

Happy Accidents

Happy Accidents. I decided to switch things up and eat breakfast in the marina park and then do some laundry. Before I could sit down on a bench, an old friend appeared. We talked about life and he invited me to meet some other friends. I kind of wanted to do laundry, but I went. It was fun and I invited them to the matinee performance of “Confessions of a Cocaine Cowboy.” They wanted to hang out for brunch but I told them I wanted to go back to the hotel and do laundry. When I got back to my room, I got a call from Michel asking if I could meet two prominent NY theatre artists who are in town. ‘I kind of wanted to do laundry before the show...but sure.’ Great lunch, and then I go to matinee. Wonderful performance. Afterward, a Brit director wanted to meet up at the restaurant further down with a mixed crowd of Broadway musical writer, poets, and bartenders. But my laundry...ok. We met up, it was fun, and then I rushed to the hotel to grab my clothes. A local artist/bartender who came to see the matinee was chilling in the hotel courtyard. “Hey...lets have a drink at the hotel bar?’ Nope, I’m doing laundry!!! I go to my door and my keycard doesn’t work. I went to the front desk and got a new card, which doesn’t work. We tried 2 more cards and the hotel says it has to reset the system. It’s going to take 20 minutes. I am now convinced that the world is trying to stop me from doing laundry. Fine, I meet the bartender, he gives me a white wine. He introduces me to other artists. Time passes. They fix the door, I storm back inside, grab my clothes, get ready to go to Laundromat, and I get a call from a director. Nooo!! I have to do laundry!! Director says that if I need to do laundry I could do it at his apartment for free. I go over there, watch PBS, talk about theatre history. His partner is an architect and he tells me about happy accidents. He says ‘you notice that none of the tables in this apt touch the floor?’ Honestly? No. I’ve hung out in this apt dozens of time, but I looked around and he’s right: none of the tables, counters, and desks have legs. He talked about designing a table for this apartment and how each prototype would tip over, and the legs would be in the air. He had an epiphany that he could completely redesign this apt into a futuristic space with tables and counters suspended from the ceiling. The effect is a surreal, clean living space. A work of art that came about from an accident...just like this day. My laundry was done, they folded it, and sent me on my way.

Critics vs. Artists

I'm a critic and an artist, so I know both sides. I have gotten to a point now where I can watch a play, have an opinion, and then know with 99% accuracy how NY critics are going to review the same work based upon popular trends. The trend doesn't invalidate the art. But often it can appear like something is 'bad' when it is not in fashion with what critics are looking for at the time. When I was at Northwestern I started off as a reporter. I took over the film review section for the Daily Northwestern, and expanded into theatre and art reviews. After my first year, professors (like Susan Booth) pegged me as an artist so I started writing plays and screenplays. In my last 3 yrs, I was writing reviews for movies/plays and writing scripts at the same time. Reviewers are, for the most part, wonderful and inquisitive minds. But some critics believe that something in fashion right now is how theatre or movies should always be seen. It would be like a fashion critic who only praises designers who use a lot of buttons b/c buttons were 'in' the season they started working.

I remember a few years ago I saw a wonderful play at 59E59. It was a family drama, all-white cast, set in Delaware. The play was, in fact, developed at a small theatre, had success, and they brought it to NYC. I sat there watching this completely engrossing, well-layered play and thought 'wow, I'm enjoying this...and it's going to get destroyed by NY critics.' Sure enough, the reviews came out and called the play simplistic and flat b/c it lacked theatrical fireworks. It wasn't bitter enough, it wasn't cynical enough for the season. It had a whiff of earnestness and kindness (God forbid).

Conversely, I saw a pretty terrible play last year but it had the 'fireworks' in it to disguise the lack of heart and thought. I sat there hating on this play AND I was completely aware that it was going to receive rave reviews. It was slick, it gave the appearance of wisdom, when I found the work to be just cruel. Critics loved it. It fit with the cynicism that is expected in 'emerging' writers.

(Also if you are a woman or an artist of color, you face the double whammy of not only being judged by mostly white critics, but being judged in how they think 'minority' art should be presented to white audiences. What's authentic about your experience to 'them' which is a total mind fuck added on top of the universal mind fuck of critic and artist, but that's another post.)

No matter the season or reason, artists still need to do there work. We still need to hold our heads up. Maybe some of the stuff we do will be 'in season' and some of it will be out. But we should keep an eye on the long-term goals and dreams that drive us, rather than the trends.

Monday, March 4, 2019

GET WHAT YOU WANT: MARCH 2019


1. DRAMATISTS GUILD FUND FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: March 12
website: https://dgf.org/programs/fellows/

The ideas of today’s writers become groundbreaking shows of the future. DGF’s Fellows program helps create that future by propelling the most promising creative talents to their full potential. The Fellows program is a selective, year-long intensive for playwrights, composers, lyricists, and bookwriters. The program pairs talented writers with accomplished professional mentors, who help them hone their process, and find their unique voice.

This program increases the likelihood that Fellows will be able to turn their passion and talent into a successful career, impacting audiences around the globe. The Fellows program, currently headed by Michael Korie (Grey Gardens), Laurence O’Keefe (Legally Blonde), and Diana Son (Stop Kiss), is highly sought after for its uniquely successful format of partnering playwrights and musical theater writers together in the learning process. In addition, Fellows receive a stipend and the opportunity to partner with several arts organizations for Fellows-specific development opportunities.


2. WRITERS LAB (for women screenwriters over 40)
Deadline: March 14th
Website: https://thewriterslab.nyc/apply/

The Writers Lab is a four-day script development workshop that gives women screenwriters over 40 the opportunity to work intensively on their feature film scripts with the support of established writers, directors, and producers. The retreat takes place near NYC, but in the countryside: beautiful and private locations that minimize distractions and promote creativity and confidence. Through one-on-one meetings, panel discussions, guest speakers, and group meals, Mentors and Writers engage in a rigorous process that provides support in both the craft and commerce of screenwriting.

Deadline: March 14, 2019 (11:59pm EST) Application Fee: $55.00 $35.00 – NYWIFT, other WIF chapters*, and WGA members *(Members of other Women in Film chapters must provide proof of membership via a letter from their chapter’s staff or Board President.)


3. NYTW 2050 ADMINISTRATIVE FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: March 15th
Website: https://www.nytw.org/education/2050-admin-fellowships/

NYTW is proud to announce the 2019/20 Season 2050 Administrative Fellowship program—a sister program to our successful 2050 Artistic Fellowship, which supports emerging playwrights and directors. Replacing our current internship program, the new fellowship represents one of several NYTW initiatives to address the economic barriers that may prevent talented individuals from pursuing careers in the theatre.

For 20 years, NYTW has honed an inclusive fellowship program for emerging theatre makers with a multiplicity of perspectives. These fellowships have taken many forms, supporting playwrights, directors, designers and administrators.

The 2050 Fellowship is named in celebration of the U.S. Census Bureau’s projection that by the year 2050, there will be no single racial or ethnic majority in the United States. This projection provokes thoughts at New York Theatre Workshop about the transformations that will take place in the American landscape – technologically, environmentally, demographically and artistically. They are a catalyst for broader questions about our moral and artistic future.

We’re seeking enthusiastic candidates who are underrepresented in theatre administration. We encourage applicants with a unique perspective inclusive of race, color, religion, familial status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age and physical ability to apply. We are committed to diversity in all areas of our work, on and off stage. NYTW is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE), and all qualified applications will receive consideration.


4. PRINCESS GRACE AWARD
Deadline Window: Feb 15-March 15
Website: https://newdramatists.org/princess-grace

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 one-season (September – June) artistic residency at New Dramatists, Inc. in New York City (For Award recipients living outside of the New York metro area, your on-site residency can be adapted according to your schedule with reimbursement provided for transportation costs to/from New York.)
• Inclusion of the winning script in New Dramatists’ library
• Advocacy for the recipient and their script to New York and National theatre communities for the duration of the fellowship, including opportunities to gather with the Princess Grace community, New Dramatists writers, and other theatre professionals
• Mentorship from a New Dramatists resident playwright for the duration of the fellowship
• Opportunity for winning play to be licensed and published by Samuel French, Inc.


5. ACADIANA REPERTORY THEATRE
Deadline: March 15th
Website: http://www.acadianarep.org/

The Acadiana Repertory Theatre, celebrating our 10th anniversary in 2020, is committed to serving playwrights as a place where they feel they can develop work with a company that has a desire to help in the growth of both the playwright and the play. We strive to create a safe, creative, open environment for our playwrights and, using our own experience, along with the experiences of some of our friends from across the country, we seek to help playwrights create and develop shows that have the best chance of a long life of production. Through developmental readings, developmental productions, and soon, the possibilities of residences, we hope to help, through working with the amazing playwrights we come in contact with, the voices of new American playwrights be heard.

We are now accepting submissions for our 2019 Season, which kicks off in in early February. We accept submissions of full length plays and musicals. In order to be eligible for consideration, submissions:
-Should be no longer than 90 minutes (we occasionally make exceptions)
-Should be full length.
-Should be actor/story forward
-Have minimal technical and set requirements
-Have a cast no larger than 10
-Should have limited to no production history and should not be published. We are looking specifically for work that you are looking to further develop and are looking for playwrights who want to be involved in the process.
-include a cast list and a synopsis

Scripts should be submitted in PDF format to submissions@acadianarep.org

The window for submissions will close on March 15th.

Playwrights will be notified that their submission has been received as well as if their show has been selected as a finalist or not passed through.

Please note: There are no submission fees nor is there a fee to be a part of the season. Playwrights will be responsible for travel expenses should they choose to join us for any part of the process.

To find out more information about us, submissions, or our past work, visit www.acadianarep.org


6. SLV SOCIA PRACTICE RESIDENCY
Deadline: March 17th
Website: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfr4ahOQ-8wbLu5hqx0B2VOKsVyBhQXPRYh8sCgEv4mPdZz7A/viewform

We look forward to inviting three artists, each representing the disciplines of visual art, music, and theater over the next two years. These guest artists are invited to work with members from our low-income communities, with the potential to connect to the rich Hispanic heritage of our region. Selected through this competitive call-for-entry process, artists from traditionally underserved communities, or with experience working with such communities, are strongly encouraged to apply. Selected proposals will result in performances or a visual work of art representing each of the three disciplines and highlight community involvement.

The inaugural session of the SLV Social Practice Arts Residency will commence in the fall of 2019 and run through November 2020.  We adopt the Alliance of Artist Communities’ definition of a social-practice residency as a program that primarily enables artists to engage in community-based work in significant ways throughout a residency. A social practice program necessitates residence because active community engagement and collaboration, and a local investment over time, are essential to deepen connections and address complex social issues in our region. The selected artists will be scheduled for 1 - 5 month residencies aligned with the university semesters. This will allow the guest artists the maximum benefit of university resources, such as facilities and student assistance, during their visit.

Alamosa, Colorado and ASU will serve as the artist’s host and creative home. Artists will be provided university housing and receive a stipend to cover project expenses. Upon arrival each artist will also receive an orientation to the SLV region, including meeting several project partners who will offer community connections to the artist, beyond the university, during their stay. The orientation is designed to introduce the artists and the community to each other, to help influence the development of their projects, and allow each artist exposure to, and feedback from the community.

The Social Practice Residency supports the creation of a wide range of projects through a philosophy of immersive discovery, discussion, creative thinking, and collaboration. The residency is designed to allow the artists as much freedom as possible to create projects that address our civic and social needs; therefore, the rotating position is not strictly tied to a specific discipline or form. However, it is our goal to select three individuals each with a background in either visual art, music, or theater.  At the end of their session, each artist is responsible for organizing a capstone event.  We are open to a wide range of project outcomes including those that could be fully realized within the community or those that are tied to a more traditional gallery or performance venue. All artist projects are required to involve close collaboration with the community, with participants directly involved in the process and result of projects.


7. ROYAL COURT THEATRE
Deadline: on-going
Website: https://royalcourttheatre.com/playwriting/literary-office/

The Literary Office is dedicated to finding exciting new plays that ask bold questions about the way we live now. We receive over 3000 unsolicited scripts a year from emerging and established playwrights, all of which are assessed and considered for development or production at the Royal Court.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
If you are a writer and would like to send us a script for consideration, then the Literary Office is your first port of call. The Royal Court programmes original plays that investigate the problems and possibilities of our time. Occasionally, we also present revivals. We are looking for outstanding plays which are formally or thematically original and are unlikely to be produced elsewhere.

Before you submit a script to us, we suggest you familiarise yourself with the Royal Court; come and see the plays being produced in our Upstairs and Downstairs spaces, and look at the archive and reviews of recent productions. This should give you a better feel for what we are looking for.

We do not accept one act plays or multiple submissions.

Please do not send us screenplays, novels, collections of poems or radio plays as the Royal Court does not programme adaptations from other forms. We will not read historical or biographical plays and we are unlikely to programme new musicals unless these have been commissioned by us. Unfortunately, we cannot consider resubmissions or new drafts of plays we have read and responded to, unless we have specifically requested a new draft.

SUBMITTING YOUR SCRIPT
Please send scripts in hard copy (double-sided if possible with contact details on the first page only), with a brief synopsis and covering letter describing any previous playwriting experience, to: The Literary Office, Royal Court, Sloane Square, London SW1W 8AS. Unfortunately, we cannot accept scripts by email.

Scripts sent without return postage will be recycled. We are unable to return scripts sent internationally so please do not send International Postage Coupons. Please use recyclable envelopes when submitting scripts to us.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
All English language scripts submitted to the theatre are booked in and distributed to readers, as appropriate, from the Literary Office. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt of your script, generally by email. This can take up to three weeks depending on the current quantity of submissions. The scripts are then read by a team of professional playwrights and directors, the senior in-house readers and/or the Literary Manager.

The reader’s report forms the basis of a recommendation to the Literary Manager and, where appropriate, may lead to consideration of the script by the senior Artistic Team at our weekly script meeting and/or additional support for play development through workshops, attachments or readings.

We read all scripts sent to us and will contact you to let you know whether or not we wish to proceed with the development of your play. We receive a large number of scripts through this submissions process; we aim to let you know the outcome of our reading within three to four months of acknowledging receipt but it can take us longer than this to fully consider plays.


8. LARK PLAYWRIGHTS’ WEEK
Deadline: April 1st
Website: https://www.larktheatre.org/

Playwrights’ Week is an annual, intensive, seven-day festival designed to foster a peer-based community among a cohort of writers with new work in development. Playwrights’ Week 2019 will take place between October and November 2019.

Selected via a year-long Open Submissions process, we provide approximately five playwrights with crucial creative resources in a nurturing and rigorous laboratory setting, which includes a series of group conversations around the work. Each new play receives twelve hours of rehearsal in advance of a public staged reading, focused on the writer’s self-stated developmental goals.

Our support criteria emphasizes ambitious, fresh, playful, engaging, energizing, provocative, powerful, and theatrical work by writers with clear artistic goals who are open to a collaborative development process.

Important Information:
Playwrights’ Week 2019 will take place between October and November 2019.
Each applicant should expect a confirmation of application receipt in April 2019 and a final response in September 2019.
While there is no official minimum number of pages for submitted full-length plays, we do not accept 10-minute plays or musicals.
Previously produced plays ARE eligible for consideration.
Plays previously submitted to this program are accepted, but we strongly encourage the submission of new work.
Writers living outside of the U.S. can apply if the script was originally written in English.
Due to the volume of submissions to this program, we will be unable to accept revised scripts during the selection process.
Housing and travel will be provided for all out of town writers.
Email any other questions to: submissions@larktheatre.org.

A complete submission is composed of two parts:

A completed application form.
A full-length script, with your name or any identifying information removed as we are committed to an anonymous initial review.
Download the Application Form:
 Playwrights' Week 2019 Application Form (84.8 KB)

Please review the following SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Submit ONE completed application and ONE full-length play.
No more than ONE play per playwright will be considered.
List only the play title on the cover page. No personal information.
Submit only .doc or PDF files as attachments.
Please EMAIL your script and completed application as two separate attachments in the same email to: submissions@larktheatre.org


9. LIBERATION THEATRE COMPANY WRITERS’ RESIDENCY
Deadline: April 1st
Website: https://liberationtheatrecompany.submittable.com/submit/5c907b4a-3660-476a-8ac0-e896f892b304/liberation-theatre-company-writing-residency-program-2019-2020?fbclid=IwAR3YxmKOdsQ6fr-lWocl8eRNN5MRWdvGjeVzq5gc-ac1PvMHpTNswCzEE24

Liberation Theatre Company (LTC) for our third year, is proud to announce Writing Residency Program 2019 – 2020 (supported by NYSCA and The Left Tilt Fund); furthers our commitment to the development of new Black playwrights for the American theatre.

It is a rare opportunity burgeoning playwrights have to hone their craft under their own vision through provided resources from an organization that only seeks to uplift their voices.  For that I owe Liberation Theater Company an unlimited amount of gratitude. Nathaniel Johnson - Residency Playwright 2017/18

The Writing Residency Program will select four early-career playwrights and provide them with dramaturgical and professional support over a ten-month period, during which time they will each be required to complete a new full-length play.

Beginning in May 2019, selected playwrights will attend monthly group meetings to share and refine their works-in-progress in a collaborative, energized setting; meet individually with LTC’s Artistic Director and staff who will provide additional support for their artistic needs, concerns and process; and have the resources of a director and professional actors during a table reading as their play begins to take shape.
Additionally, through connections with the larger New York City theatrical community, LTC will provide access to theatre tickets (when available) and seek to support, inspire, and assist playwrights in any way a small and dedicated company can.

The Residency will conclude in February 2020 with public readings of each playwright’s finished play. Upon successful completion of the program, each playwright will receive an honorarium.

Eligibility

To be considered for the Writing Residency Program all applicants must be a) residents of New York City at the time of participation (May 2019 – February 2020). b) Applicants must have written at least two full-length plays or three one-act plays. c) The applicant must not have received a production of any of their work that was more developed than a Showcase presentation under the Actors’ Equity Association production code.

Application Submission Procedure

To be considered for the 2019 - 2020 Writing Residency Program, Liberation Theatre Company will only accept submissions via this online form. If you have questions about the program or the application process, please email: info@liberationtheatrecompany.org.

The following materials must be uploaded and submitted in PDF or DOCX form no later than 11:59 PM EST on Monday, April 1, 2019. Make sure that all documents are properly labeled with your name.

Completed Online Application Form
Letter of Intent. This should be limited to 1,000 words and address all of the following points:
Your writing career thus far and where you feel you are in your creative and professional life.
Your career goals and how you will use the Residency to further those goals.
Briefly describe the play you will complete over the 10-month program.
Why you feel ready for a rigorous residency such as this.
Have you participated in a residency/fellowship before? If so, describe your experience.
Anything else you think may be relevant.
   3. A 10-page Work Sample that best represents you as a playwright
   4. The full script from which you selected your 10-page work sample
   5. Your playwriting resume (not a bio). Please include one personal or professional reference, with the person’s title or institutional affiliation, phone number and email address. (Referrer must be someone familiar with you and your work.)


10. SANTE FE INSTITUTE INTERNATIONAL THEMATIC RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Deadline: April 1st
Website: https://sfai.org/eligibility-how-to-apply/

The International Thematic Residency Program invites artists and creative practitioners of all disciplines to apply for a one- to three-month residency program. Residents receive lodging, studio space, and access to programmed events to promote their work and practice, and individuals, collaboratives, and families are welcome to apply.

The core of SFAI’s International Thematic Residency Program is a curated community of diverse creative practitioners living and working together within a shared space, and which requires good interpersonal abilities. All of our programming and partnerships are designed to support thought-provoking conversations and inspire action around social justice, cultural freedom, and environmental responsibility in a safe and supportive space where the sharing of diverse experiences and approaches is celebrated.

There is a $35 fee to apply.


11. FADE TO BLACK FESTIVAL
Deadline: April 1st
website: https://monologuebank.submittable.com/submit/75ef900d-f987-4e0f-801d-934965b19f69/fade-to-black-play-festival-2019?fbclid=IwAR3Sot_Fv4ityiorE7QAqgpLOY6E3IaVpAUPz_e11p9_crhsjTuCVz3GyuU

SCRIPT SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED FROM FEBRUARY 1, 2019 TO APRIL 1, 2019.
No fee is required.
No restriction of theme or genre.
Three (3) scripts submissions are allowed per playwright.
Selected playwright winners will be awarded a cash prize of $100.00.

TO QUALIFY:
You must be the sole African-American author of the submitted work.
Playwright must publicly and openly identify themselves as African-American, Black, or of the African diaspora.
Previously published or produced work by the author or theatre/company is not allowed (See definitions below).
Play must run no longer than 8-10 minutes long on stage. Consider conducting an informal reading to ensure).
Play should accommodate a “bare-stage” set requiring only a minimum of removable stage props and require basic lighting and sound cues.
Play must not be a musical.
Play must not be written for children or youth.
Play must not contain characters that are under 17 years old.
Play must not be a re-submission of previous Fade To Black play festival seasons.
Play must not be considered a translation or adaptation.
Play must not be a film. Screenplays will not be accepted.
Play should be "stand-alone", separate body of work that has not been extracted from a larger, previously written play.
Author must be at least 18 years of age.
Play must be submitted in a PDF format.

DEFINITIONS:
"Produced” - Your play was marketed for production date(s) by either you (its playwright) or a theatre company and was performed before an audience who purchased tickets to see the event.
"Published" - Your play is an officially published work and commands royalties from the producing theater each time it is performed.
Staged readings (formal or informal) are not considered productions. If your play has only had public or private readings but has not been produced as a full-scale stage performance, you are permitted to submit the play.


12. 2020 ATELIER MONDIAL RESIDENCY FOR NYC ARTISTS
Deadline: April 7th
Website: www.residencyunlimited.org/2020-atelier-mondial-residency-for-new-york-city-artists/

RU is proud to announce its sixth open call for New York City-based artists for a 6 month residency at the Atelier Mondial (formerly International Studio and Exchange Program of the Basel Region - iaab) in Basel, Switzerland. This is an exchange program wherein RU hosts a Swiss-based artist in New York City during the same period. The residency program is generously supported by the Zaeslin-Bustany Scholarship.

CONDITIONS

The Atelier Mondial offers a 850 square foot working and living space from January 1 to June 30, 2020, an allowance of $1,200 per month while in Switzerland to cover day to day living costs and a roundtrip flight Switzerland <-> New York. The artist will also receive a 'reduced tarif' public transport card for all public transportation in Switzerland.

RESIDENCY FEATURES

In 2014 the Atelier Mondial facilities were been relocated to a newly constructed building complex at Freilager-Platz at Dreispitz, an emerging art zone just behind the Swiss railway station. Located very close to the Schaulager and the Helsinki building – by the architects Herzog & de Meuron – and directly vis-à-vis the new Academy of Art and Design Basel (HGK FHNW ), the Atelier Mondial studios, along with a number of new ‘off’ or alternative spaces and galleries, are now part of the growing Campus of the Arts. The House of Electronic Arts Basel (HeK) is located on the ground floor of the new Atelier Mondial complex at Freilager-Platz 10, where guest artists from around the world will be staying on the first floor.

Basel is a major Swiss cultural and industrial city in the tri-border area where Switzerland, Germany and France meet. It has a rich cultural heritage (e.g., such famous inhabitants include Erasmus, Holbein, Böcklin, Burckhardt, Nietzsche, etc.), ongoing traditions and vital and diverse range of cultural activities (e.g., theater, music, dance, film, etc.) Many of its museums (e.g., Kunstmuseum Basel /Museum of Contemporary Art, Schaulager, Kunsthalle Basel , Fondation Beyeler, Museum der Kulturen, Tinguely Museum, Antikenmuseum Basel and Sammlung Ludwig, etc.), as well as its contemporary architecture , are renowned worldwide. A lively alternative cultural scene complements the prominent public and private institutions.


13. NEW VOICES FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: April 15th
Website: https://www.larktheatre.org/get-involved/submit-play/

The New Voices Fellowship supports playwrights of color under 30 who demonstrate financial need. During a year-long residency, Fellows will work on multiple artistic projects through an individually-tailored program of Lark play development programs, and form relationships with other theater-makers at various career stages from all parts of the world. Fellowship includes a cash award of $15,000, plus an Opportunity Fund of $3,000 for the purposes of travel, research, autonomous workshops, or other work-related expenses, along with access to a wide range of Lark resources, including artistic program participation, office and rehearsal space, and staff support.

14. A STUDIO IN THE WOODS: ADAPTATION RESIDENCY
Deadline: April 22nd
Website: http://www.astudiointhewoods.org/apply-for-adaptations-living-with-change/

New Orleans and the region are frequently invoked as one of the areas most vulnerable to the effects of environmental change. Our highly manipulated landscape can be seen as a microcosm of the global environment, manifesting both the challenges and possibilities inherent in the ways humans interact with urban and natural ecosystems. With nearly half of the world’s population living within 40 miles of a coastline with rising seas, the concerns of Southern Louisiana resonate globally. Adaptations Residencies invite artists to examine how climate-driven adaptations – large and small, historic and contemporary, cultural and scientific – shape our future. Adaptations Residencies will provide artists with time, space, scholarship and staff support to foster critical thinking and creation of new works. The call is open to artists of all disciplines who have demonstrated an established dialogue with environmental and culturally related issues and a commitment to seeking and plumbing new depths. We ask artists to describe in detail how the region will affect their work, to propose a public component to their residency and to suggest ways in which they will engage with the local community. Direct questions to Cammie Hill-Prewitt at info@astudiointhewoods.org

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS
Proposals are due April 22nd and residencies will be awarded by June 14th, 2019.

DATES
Residencies are 6 weeks and will take place between September 2019 and May 2020. Flexibility in your dates is appreciated as we try to accommodate everyone’s schedules.

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY
Visual, musician/composing, performance, literary, new media, and interdisciplinary artists are eligible to apply. Both established and emerging artists may apply, but a rigorous work ethic and demonstrated commitment to public engagement are expected.  Artists of color are encouraged to apply and we are particularly interested in receiving applications from indigenous artists. Students are not eligible. Collaborative teams of up to two artists can be in residence, please contact info@astudiointhewoods.org for instructions on how to apply as a collaborative team.

SELECTION PROCESS
A multidisciplinary jury will judge proposals on the following criteria:

The creativeness and integrity of the proposal
Demonstrated ability to collaborate with colleagues and wider audiences
The proposal’s public component and its depth of engagement with the community

SUPPORT
Recipients will be provided $2500 as a stipend and $2000 towards materials. Artists will also have the opportunity to work with an external evaluator/ally. Depending on the needs of the project, we may be able to assist artists in accessing Tulane University faculty consultants or research collections. ASITW provides full room and board including food, utilities for living and studio space to selected residents. Residents are expected to cover personal living expenses, additional materials and supplies, and any other expenses relating to the cost of producing work incurred while in the program. Travel and shipping expenses to and from ASITW for the residency are also the responsibility of the artist.

***UPDATE***


15. DJERASSI PROGRAM
Deadline: March 15th
website: http://djerassi.org/apply/artist-residencies/

Residencies are awarded competitively, at no cost, to national and international artists in the disciplines of choreography, literature, music composition, visual arts, media arts, and science. There are 6 residency sessions each year: 5 are 4 weeks long and 1 that includes Open House/Open Studios is 5 weeks long. One session is devoted to Scientific Delirium Madness and the intersection of art and science. No shortened or partial residencies are offered.

We seek applications from emerging and mid-career artists, for whom appointments as resident artists may make a significant difference to their careers, as well as from established artists with national and/or international reputations. Applicants are evaluated by panels of arts professionals in each category.

Djerassi Program is designed as a retreat experience to pursue personal creative work and share collegial interaction within a small community of artists. In this spirit residents are expected to commit themselves for the entire residency session they are awarded.

Our Program chef prepares communal dinners Monday through Friday, and provisions both kitchens. Residents prepare their own breakfasts, lunches, and weekend dinners using ingredients supplied by the Program. We offer vegetarian and gluten free meals, although we cannot guarantee a gluten free environment.

Location and Transportation
Djerassi Program is located in a spectacular rural setting in the Santa Cruz Mountains over-looking the Pacific Ocean, yet is within easy driving distance of San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area. There is no access to public transportation from the Ranch. Rides to Palo Alto for errands are provided by the staff at least once a week. Transportation to and from the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is provided by the Program on the first and last day of each session.


16. So-Fi Festival
Deadline: March 18th
website: https://www.so-fi-festival.com/

Are you a solo theatermaker who uses film, dance, music, sculpture, food or another multidisciplinary medium to tell stories?

We want you to apply to our festival.

The So-fi Festival launched in Nov 2018, as new a low-fi, high-concept, multidisciplinary festival for solo works. We define multidisciplinary work as a work that uses multiple artistic mediums which are all integral to the storytelling. Examples are, but not limited to: film, photography, VR, sculpture, dance, experimental music/sound, puppetry, culinary arts, photography, etc. We define solo work as work that primarily features one performer.

So-fi and Torn Page are co-producers of the So-fi festival and partner with artists who can co-present their works in our festival. We strongly believe that artists should be paid for their work and set out to create an affordable opportunity for artists not only to recoup production fees but to profit as well.

WHAT WE OFFER:

A small but competitively curated festival that allows us to give each artist personal attention.

A robust pr and marketing campaign for each show and the overall festival.

A unique and intimate performance space in Chelsea.

Photos and video documentation of each production.

Primetime performance times for every performance.

A small but mighty equipment inventory.

70% of our box office is paid to artists.

FOH staff and technicians.

Application Deadline: March 18th at midnight.

There is a $25 application fee


17. PIPELINE PLAYLAB
Deadline: March 17th
website: https://pipelinetheatre.org/second-stage/playlab/playlab-class-of-2020-application/

What is PlayLab?
A playwrights group that aids and encourages artists in growing their biggest, wildest ideas into imaginative and daring new plays. Through monthly meetings, workshop-events, and an artistic retreat, each writer is supported in developing their ambitious initial concept into a new script. At the end of the year, each playwright will have the opportunity to present their script as part of Pipeline’s Week of Extraordinary Risk.

What plays are we looking for?
In line with our vision (below!), we want you to send us your most impossible idea for a play that you are dying to write. We are looking for plays that bend the rules, and playwrights who crave a space in which they can dive into new, uncharted territory. We are interested in fostering projects in their earliest stages of conception – the closer you are to first putting pen to paper, the better!

Our vision: we believe that an unbridled imagination is a force of magic with the power to provoke a more courageous and compassionate world.

Who should apply?
PlayLab playwrights should be excited to work within a collaborative group atmosphere, and enjoy providing and receiving constructive feedback. We pay special attention to building a dynamic cohort and encourage playwrights of all races, ethnicities, genders, abilities, physical presentation, and educational and professional backgrounds to apply.

What does a year with PlayLab look like?
The group will spend a year meeting on a monthly basis, sharing pages, and receiving constructive feedback from their fellow writers and the artistic staff of Pipeline. At three points in the year, the group will participate in a Springboard workshop – a one day event tailored to the writer’s specific needs where they will collaborate with members of the Pipeline community (which, depending on the needs of the playwright, may include actors, directors, designers, dramaturgs, etc.) to deepen their exploration of the play. In the spring, the group will go on retreat with the Pipeline ensemble to read their first drafts out loud, get away from the city for some dedicated writing time, and probably play Capture the Flag (be sure to stretch first…there have been injuries). At the end of the year, each playwright will present their play as part of Pipeline’s Week of Extraordinary Risk.

Throughout the season, Pipeline’s artistic team will work closely with each writer to determine ideal goals and writing deadlines to help maintain steady progress leading towards their reading.

Though the primary aim of the PlayLab is to support playwrights in turning their biggest, wildest ideas into finished first drafts, our secondary aim is to expand each playwright’s creative network, and in doing so also build Pipeline’s community. Through Week of Extraordinary Risk, Springboards, and the retreat, we introduce our PlayLab playwrights to our large and vibrant artistic network, while also inviting each playwright to bring in their own contacts to work with us. In this way, PlayLab playwrights can expect to walk away from the program with an exciting new roster of artists to work with for years to come.


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