Enlightened Thoughts on Regime Change from War Criminals

"While no one condones looting, on the other hand, one can understand the pent-up feelings that may result from decades of repression and people who have had members of their family killed by that regime, for them to be taking their feelings out on that regime," he said. "And I don't think there's anyone in any of those pictures ... (who wouldn't) accept it as part of the price of getting from a repressed regime to freedom."

- Donald Rumsfeld...talking about Iraq

“I will keep telling the country that we must stand up against lawlessness and crime, wherever it takes place. We simply cannot condone violence as a way of changing the system.”

-George Bush Sr. talking about riots in America 

Brick Wall Patriotism

In high school, my football coach went down the line asking a loyalty question: would you be willing to run through a brick wall for your team? I didn't even let him finish the question when he got to me.
COACH: Aurin would you-
ME: -HELLLLLLLLLLLL NOOOOOO!!

What was supposed to be REMEMBER THE TITANS inspiration turned Katt Williams comedic. Hell no. Fuck no. Fuck that. No. Never. To summarize...fuck. that.

My coach was disappointed. "You see, this is why we don't win."  It should be noted at this point that the coach in question was a white guy and most of the players were black. It should also be noted that I really really liked this coach and he was also my history teacher. I asked him how he could ask me that question after teaching me 1st period honors American History? How could you have the gall to ask me that question?

It feels like America has been asking that question to generations of black ppl? Would you be willing to run through a brick wall for your country? Die? Fight? Kill? Sacrifice it all? Black Americans always answer 'yes coach' and then we go charging into that wall of annihilation, into the enemy line, through the gates of hell! And those who return ask 'would you mind if you treated me as equal...or just stop killing me? And the coach replies 'stop whining!!'

We ended up having a great discussion from this loyalty question. I told the coach that he has not earned that level of loyalty. And It is a two-way street.' Other black players started saying 'wait umm...I'd like to change my answer.' The team earned the level of loyalty proportional to our mutual sacrifice. For me, that meant I was willing to work hard, try, collaborate...but not to die, not to injure myself, certainly not to go on a suicide mission.

Coach said that's why I would make a bad solider. Maybe he was right. We went 1-10 that year. Maybe it's time we let America lose a few games so that we can win back our self-worth. Yes, losing isn't fun and it hurts...but not as much as that brick wall.

False Police Reports

- visiting friend in the deep South. I was asked if I wanted to borrow someone's car so I could cruise around town? Uh, hell no, no, nope, not going to happen...you are not going to catch me in a Southern town in someone else's car. I stay inside and read. My friend goes out and is arrested LIKE THAT! The cops say he has an arrest warrant (a common lie cops use to hold black people). He's arrested, booked, stripped of his clothes, given prison uniform...and it's a weekend. So he has to wait until Monday to see a judge. The arrest warrant charges were fabricated. He is released after being in prison for 2 days...for no reason.
- can we admit that part of the reason America was so pissed off at Jussie Smollett is b/c he pulled a "Karen" without the privileges given to countless white ppl who make up crimes against black ppl and don't even get a ticket for it, much less get arrested, investigated, charged, and pursued by an entire city gov.
- upstairs neighbor was a white liberal female stoner dating an African man (so she couldn't be racist right?) They get in a fight, WLFS assaults him (he gets scratched up).  Neighbor says she's calling the police on boyfriend to get him deported...b/c why not use your privilege to escalate this, right? But don't worry: WLFS probably voted for Obama. Twice. But anyway the police arrive and find a crying African male and a screaming WLFS saying that he needs to be arrested. Since he's the only one who has visible signs of being assaulted...the cops arrest WLFS. She was in shock...how could this happen to her? My roommates watched gleefully from the window as the NYPD handcuff WLFS. The African man packed his shit up and moved out while WLFS was in jail...never to return. Welcome to America!

Everything is Connected

Everything is Connected...but I've had no tv cable connection the past 2 week. That fact plus more meditation, more work, and a  reduced social media checking means I've been viewing things through this unintentionally altered state. I am aware of the news but it does not bombard and surround me. I hear about a Trump tweet, 100,000 coronavirus deaths, Breonna Taylor, Ahmed Aubrey, Chris Cooper, George Floyd and it is news that arrives at my doorstep. I let in the news and it sits in my kitchen, puts its feet up on the couch, fixes itself a sandwich, rants in the bathroom while washing its hands, and then -at a certain point- I say 'you have to go.' The news leaves behind a thin layer of slime, like a slug. By the time I clean up the goo, another knock at the door...more news. Maybe this time I say 'leave it outside.' I'll get it later. Maybe I let it talk to me through the crack in the door. But the reaction is different from when I used to let the news sleep in my bed, keep its toothbrush in my bathroom, put its dirty clothes in my hamper.

I do have a SMART TV so I've been logging on to Youtube and just selecting a channel and letting it play: nature, ESPN, documentaries about remote viewing. A few days ago I selected the TED TALK channel and I just let it roll on for hours and hours. If I'm using background noise, it might as well be from the viewpoint of 'knowledge' over 'daily news.' Last night the channel got around to a TEDTalk in Taipei titled "Everything is Connected." Astrophysics researcher Tom Chi was explaining how everything is connected. It's not only a spiritual belief but a quantum physics principle and biological system. Chi talked about breath, heart, and mind connection: the breath we are taking now is dependent upon breath other creatures took millions of years ago, and the breath creatures will take millions of years from now is dependent upon the exhale I am making right now. He went on to explain the heart connection and the mind synthesis. But the breath explanation struck me hard in light George Taylor being murdered through strangulation and the repeated anti-police brutality mantra of I CAN'T BREATHE. His last breaths went out into the world, mixed with the breath the cop who was suffocating him, and links to my breath which continues. My breath was dependent upon people who suffered and never knew that their stream would carry on to me so that I could breathe and keep the stream moving. Despite the violence, I do breathe today because of past sacrifices never known and this breath -sad, joyous, tragic, conflicted, black, American- continues on and will effect people I will never see. Chi said that the societies aware of the universal connection deepen their empathy and knowledge. The more societies ignore this fact, the deeper the suffering.

And then there is America: a bipolar manic society. We realize our connection through suffering and tragedy. And then we forget. We are shocked that a president who let thousands of ppl die in Puerto Rico while throwing a temper tantrum would act in the same manner when 100,000 people died. We are reminded of our connection and then we backslide into individualism and tribalism... the two 'isms' which might end this American society.

This isn't some enlightened state. I'm not claiming to be above the horror or removed from it. The news does impact my life. This is just a confluence of not having TV, less social media due to work, and more silence.

Don't let the panic and chaos and rage choke you. Breathe. Let the news in, be a social justice warrior, but breathe. Everything is Connected. 

Perfection of Giving

Tired: Can you read my script and become my on-demand script genie for free?

Wired: Can I engage you in a symbiotic artistic relationship in which I exchange your services for something I can offer?

Hired: Since the universe is a mirror of my actions, how can I be of service to others?

100,000 Killed: Tragic Landmark

As America hits 100,000 corona virus deaths, we have decided that we are done with quarantine. It's boring, it's depressing, so we banish this rule in de facto. States are reopening, ppl are being encouraged to go back to work, and the virus is surging through the middle of the country. Clusters and pockets are breaking out in half of the states. Infections and deaths are overwhelming hospitals in Georgia and North Carolina...but we're done with the virus. We've decided it by our actions, by our leadership, by our feelings.

There is nothing more important than the feelings of middle of America, and by feelings I mean 'comfort' and by middle America I mean 'white.' The common comforts of middle America take precedent over life and liberty. Murder through omission and boredom is the law of the land.

We are used to living a reality of self-help positivity and internet comfort culture so if you ghost someone/something and just keep living your life...they’ll eventually go away or get processed out our your circle by an algorithm. This pandemic has become inconvenient so on some deep subconscious level ppl are thinking ‘I’m just focus on positive thoughts and live my life and the ‘rona will get the hint...it’s over.’ But a virus isn’t a tinder date...you can’t ghost it and expect it to ignore you at the grocery store because it’s awkward. We have raised ppl -right and left-wing- to just believe that their comfort factor can bend reality and facts because it works online. Many many more ppl will die because of this magical algorithmic thinking.

Graduation Day: 2015

5 yrs ago! Young, carefree, and not socially distant. 2015. When Kayne was ok and our prez's greatest crime was being an undercover Kenyan Muslim in the imagination of white ppl with too much time on their hands. Remember theatre, graduation ceremonies, and putting your arms around someone? 5 yrs...I was writing A LOT of articles for New Republic and Talking Points Memo about Ferguson, Black Respectability Politics, police brutality in NYC. I interviewed Robin DiAngelo over the phone when she dropped knowledge with a new term 'white fragility.' I ran to my editors with a feeling that her phrase was foreshadowing something awful. Remember the hate emails I received for writing articles and doing podcasts about BLM...and also remember the LOVE and support I got from so many others that outweighed the negative. Remember when I tried to blow the whistle on a sexual predator in the arts by reporting them to multiple unions and I was told to shut up...#metoo hadn't arrived yet. We were young and carefree and I was being annoying. And so...I dropped it. And articles about BLM fell out of fashion the following election year, and Hillary was going to win anyway...and no, she doesn't need your help phone banking or canvassing. She's got it in the bag thanks to very wise, old white people. No worries Obama nation...we are reaching out to 'working class America' and so I just shrugged my shoulders. Good luck with that Hillary, and John Kerry, and Al Gore, and every single Dem presidential candidate not named Obama in the last 30 yrs...good luck with ignoring POC to reach out to the mythical gray unicorn.

I look at this photo like it's both a postcard from better times...and a warning. Don't slip, don't be gaslighted into silence, enjoy simple freedoms like gathering together...b/c that can be taken away too. And anything is possible because it's graduation day...all the time. And this is an election year in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic exacerbated by scammers, evangelicals, and incompetents gathered under the GOP tent of white fragility.

100,000 dead Americans by Sunday. White Fragility is lethal. But it's graduation day...somewhere in America. And that means there's hope.

2020: Starting Over

December 2019. NYCers were getting extremely sick with flu symptoms in January, testing negative for the flu, and being sent home with Tylenol. And most were riding the subway.

If only we had a team on the ground in Wuhan to trace the disease in November. Oh, we did. And then Republicans defunded and disbanded that team.

Despite everything I have been amazed at the ingenuity, tenacity, and creativity of working class citizens. Well-off people can believe in gov and science and Trader Joe's... and not think about the thousands of essential workers and support mechanisms which invisibly operate to make their lives easy. When one of the 'essentials' fails, the manicured lawns of America go to hell. But the working class operate in a different reality. Lacking trust in gov and affordable health care, ppl become wizards.

Last night there was a BBC documentary on sick people in Venezuela. Living in a failed state with explosive inflation, Venezuelan patients have taken to growing healing herbs in their garden, bartering for cancer medicine, going to faith healers for spiritual surgery. Everything is a negotiation...including life. If you've ever seen those news segments where fast food workers ration out their insulin medication to make it to the next minimum-wage paycheck you understand this negotiation. Under crushing poverty and an incompetent regime, the ppl still claw/scrape/fight for life. When everything fails them, they return to blind faith that something will lift them.

I think about that documentary and how it applies to this country as it is going through a slow-motion collapse. If we knew what 2020 was going to be like back in December, how many ppl would have given up, how many would have started hoarding, how many would have starting growing herbs in their backyard, and how many would have sought refuge in faith?

If you knew this was virus was spreading in December, what would you have done differently? Okay, after you go through your initial hoarding phase, how would you have lived this year differently?

The Circle (Tsam)

Based upon the suggestion of a friend, I decided to do Tsam on Saturday. Tsam (or the Circle) is a Tibetan form of focus. It's really a meditation retreat but the retreat can be 3 yrs, 3 months, 1 month or even a day. I decided to try one day.

When I woke up I did my full sadhana and the Ganden Hlagyama (Thousand Angels), and The Source of All My Good. Next was yoga for an hour, then reading, and writing. After lunch I took a nap, woke up and cooked dinner for me and my mom, cleaned out my sister's room, threw away about 2 full garbage bags of paper, found my old study notecards from dharma classes, organized those, and then it was midnight. During the day I also looked after my Dad, helped my mom order lunch, and kept a low profile. No phone, no computer, no social media, no TV (outside of the TV yoga I did for an hour).

At midnight turned back on my phone and ordered grits, biscuits, and other supplies to make my Mother's Day Brunch. The delivery came at 6:30 AM.

Daily contemplation focused on The Self-Care Exchange:

https://www.mandaladharma.com/compassion/#self-care

Self-Care Exchange launches off from Master Shantideva's writings to relate the Bodhisattva way of living to others. There are several beautiful passages but this verse in particular had meaning....

"I must stop pain of others
because it's pain,
it's like the pain
that I feel myself,.

I must act to help all others
because they're like living beings
it's like the body I own.

I wrote out my interpretation of the verse as it applies to me. My goal was to write 20 ways. I ended up writing 24, refining them down to 22.

22 Ways of Looking at Master Shantideva's Self-Care


1. The hand of charity is an instrument used to feed others even though it is never hungry.
It takes responsibility and decides to put the stomach in its circle of care
because I have decided that the hand and stomach are connected.
If I had a child, I would expand my concern to include them in my circle of care.
My hands would take responsibility for their stomach...
and for my mother, and father...and friends...and some times co-workers.
The circle is malleable according to what and who my hands should feed.
My entire being is a vehicle for charity. How small do I want to make my circle?

2. Divine responsibility: The fingers roam over my body, cleaning, scrubbing, soothing, feed, holding. They are guided by the hands, the hands are guided by the arms, the arms by the mind, and the mind by intention, and intention by wisdom. The greater the wisdom the more territory the hands travel.

3. If pain can be transferred through pictures and words, why can't love?

4. A virus infiltrates, duplicates, and spreads. It does not discriminate. it has total equanimity and the power to go anywhere. If my love had the same equanimity then it could go anywhere. Infiltrate, duplicate, and spread kindness.

5. Meme is a thought virus. It is an idea reduced down to its universal essence to reach the most. If my kindness was reduced down to its essence then it travel like a funny cat video.

6. A radio frequency can be heard when we are tuned into the right channel. Often my love is like that radio frequency in that only a few people attuned perfectly can experience it. But if I set my kindness in different ways then it will cover a wider bandwidth. How many ways can I restate love? How many frequencies can I put out?

7. The first moment out of sleep is equanimity. For a split second I could be anywhere, anything, and anyone. The possibilities are endless when I wake up. I keep trying to return to that first wakefulness in all my kindness. Then there would be no limit.

8. Morning mist moves quiet and gentle over the lawn. It waters big and small things, old and new, all the creatures absorb it into themselves. And then it is gone with the sunrise. Deep kindness flows with the same gentle and quiet pattern. It covers big and small things. It seems to go away with the sunrise, but it's just rising up, condensing, and forming into rain clouds of blessings.

9. I dealt with insomnia for many years b/c my deeds made the mattress into a bed of icicles Tossing and turning in the night. And then I started treating other people's discomfort and the bed of ice melted. Then I could sleep on the floor covered in a blanket of kindness.

10. My Dad watches "Friends" and 'Seinfeld" which are the most viewed shows in the world. Every day, in every country, in every language, people tune in to see a group of people who like each other be 'friends.' These are shows that are only about living with other people and it helps so many with depression and loneliness...just to see people laughing with others, stumbling, and acting love. The act of being can help countless others. And if we can't be our highest self...act as if and many people will be inspired.

11. the immediate pain of working today is to benefit the 'the me of tomorrow.' I believe this so much that I celebrate the sweat, discomfort, and strain of today's workout. When I work for others I can celebrate the same discomfort and pain endured for 'the me' tomorrow. it's a higher form of exercise and self-care.

12. Found my baby clothes. My mom would buy them big and I would grow into them. She's buying them for the concept of a larger me down the road. Her love made her buy for my future. I think my love should be the same way: always a few sizes too big so others can fit into it.

13. My reputation is a shadow version out in the world. When someone insults 'this reputation' I defend it. I love it, cherish it, some times people die for this reputation even though it is separate person out there wandering. Imagine if I cherished real people as much as my reputation.

14. Trying to remove 'I's from sentences to clearly see 'us.'

15. One morning without breakfast and no chance to eat breakfast until the late afternoon. The thought of it made my stomach growl with hunger. But when I meditated on where the hunger was in my stomach, I couldn't find it and the grumbling went away. The same is true when I looked at my hands for greediness or my eyes when I searched for lust. There is no affliction in these things because they are just instruments of my own mind. The same is true of my loved ones, my enemies, and all the rest: they are just appendages of my mental seeds. So why do I look to them for answers?

16. Turning off the phone for 24 hrs and my mind races to gossip and distraction...a kind of mental wi-fi from the router in my mind. The noise is as loud and clear as when my phone is on...which makes me wonder if it was ever the phone that was really distracting me? The pain, dullness, and agitation are provided from my mind of afflictions...so why look for others to correct it? The best way is to change my own router.

17. Wi-fi of "The Wish" can tap into a strong network. Subjectively there is so much supporting material for kindness and compassion. But ultimately these subjective things come from the main source.

18. Clearing out my closet last night of all the things I saved and thought they would mean something to me in the future. Despite my past passion most of the objects still fall into 3 categories now: things I still care about, things I dislike, and things I am indifferent to at this time. The love for most of the object is no longer there. I threw away over 2/3rds of the saved possessions. I will now restore 1/3 of the items and look at them a few years from now where the pattern will repeat itself: I will throw away 2/3rds because they don't mean anything to me now. I do that with people I cherish. But if I could reverse it and find joy in my enemies, then I too would be treasured.

19. About those objects kept, I saved them in a time capsule because I thought they would make me happy. I carried these objects around because I thought I would need them or enjoy them. I was being considerate of my future self. It makes me wonder what objects I can keep for others that I will never meet? The 3 Jewels can be kept to service countless others.

20. Pain is doubled when isolated and reduced when shared. My dad gets happier when he understand and alleviate his discomfort and we are happy. And we are planting seeds for alleviating our pain later on. In some ways, other people's pain is like a wishing jewel: it is the only thing that guarantee our future happiness. So I should take up other people's pain gladly...there is nothing lost  and everything to be gained.

21. Pain is merely the absence of love and compassion. It points the way to where I need to focus. Therefore I should be glad to let pain point the way. It lets me know where to put my love.

22. I woke up this morning and cooked Mother's Day breakfast for my mom. I bought her flowers and a stuffed bear. This all started from someone having an idea to honor her mother. And it spread around the world to every single country. Just a meme, a love virus. The idea of honoring our mother has become an industry of cards, cakes, flowers, and millions of offerings. Our love can build economies, enrich everyone, give hope, spread kindness, and even become an international holiday. Just an idea of honoring our mothers and passing it along.

Dow Jones Death Count

I was told not to look, but I couldn't help it. In the middle of the worst economic news in my lifetime I took a peek at my investment portfolio and saw that...everything is up. By a lot. Some investments are up 40%. the T. Rowe Price Global Tech fund more than doubled. 110%. I am trying to understand the discrepancy b/c...things are really screwed up.

The real employment rate is probably somewhere near 25%. Most small businesses don't have enough money to last another month. We are talking about the collapse of food supply, shortages, gov dysfunction, and millions of ppl falling into poverty...and all is good on Wall Street. Not just good...booming.

Is it delusional optimism before the bubble bursts, or the flood of foreign money that floods America during global panic b/c we are seen as a safe haven? Or maybe it's that the corporations got their bailouts and the status of the 1% is now so detached from the other 99% that the overall wellbeing of humanity does not matter to their bottom line? Or is it a combination of all factors?

Maybe Trump psychosis isn't so far off from reality...just not our reality. Maybe he is operating on a level of psychopathic wealth that is driving up the death toll and the Dow Jones. 

80,000 dead Americans by the end of this week. Wall Street celebrates the bull market. 

Don Shula is Gone But Not Forgotten

Don Shula passed away this morning at the age of 90. He was a HUGE part of my childhood. Down here in SoFl, Shula created the mold of a great leader who spans several generations. He coached for 30 yrs, won over 328 games. He is the winningest coach in NFL history. Period. And he wasn't flashy, married to 3 or 4 wives, running from the law, embroiled in scandal. He kept an impeccable reputation and standard of professionalism that went beyond just football. After 50 yrs of professional football, Shula is still the ONLY coach to lead a team to a perfect undefeated season. 

If you don't love football you might think 'who cares, so what?' Well to put Don Shula in perspective, imagine being the most winningest person at ANYTHING. Now do that for 30 yrs, through 4-5 generations of changes, innovations, and new personnel. Imagine starting something in your 30s and being white hot and then doing it until your 60s and becoming a rock of trust and tradition. He is Sondheim if Sondheim was still cranking out classics, Michael Jordan...if MJ transitioned into being a good NBA owner (he isn't). The closest person he can be compared to is fellow Catholic icon coach, Pat Riley. But unlike Riley he didn't need flash or to switch around to different teams. He stayed and thrived (btw, love Pat Riley too.)

Shula outcoached/out-smarted EVERYONE, including Jimmy Johnson in the famous Thanksgiving Game when the Miami Dolphins were thoroughly mediocre, playing on the road, and in ice...and managed to trick play their way into victory.  Shula was more respected than all the municipals mayors and commissioners combined and had a religious devotion to his craft. He was consistent, devoted, and focused. In his private life, Shula wasn't a hypocrite. He was a passionate Catholic who attended mass every day. He quietly raised 5 kids with his wife Dorothy and they stayed married until she passed away of cancer.

And the Miami Dolphins have been complete shit since they got rid of him in the mid 90s, while the NFL has become a coaching carousel of hot-young stars being fired en masse every few years. Great tradition does not exist in institutions. They reside in people like Shula. Rest in Peace....

Get What You Want: May 2020

1. JEROME HILL ARTIST FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: May 6th
Website: https://www.jeromefdn.org/

Jerome Hill Artist Fellowships support Minnesota or New York City-based artists, early in their careers, who generate and create bold, innovative and risk-taking new work that explores and/or challenges conventional artistic forms.

Fellows receive $50,000* over two consecutive years ($25,000 each year) to support self-determined activities for creation of new work, artistic development and/or professional artistic career development. Fellowship funds support grantees for taking creative risks, exploring new ideas, and pursuing professional and artistic activities.

Fellowships are offered in six fields: Dance, Media (including Film/Video and New Media), Literature, Music, Theater/Performance Art/Spoken Word, and Visual Arts. The Foundation expects to award a total of 60 Fellowships (ten per field).

Jerome Foundation recognizes that many artists today are working across disciplines. Though each applicant must apply in one of the six specified disciplines, there will be the opportunity to identify any additional disciplines in which the artist is working. Artists are invited in the application to share in their own words how they categorize their work.

Artists may apply either as an individual or as part of an ensemble/collective/collaborative—but not both. Artists may submit or be part of only one application: any individual named in more than one application will be ruled ineligible, and all applications in which that individual is named will be removed from consideration.

Fellows will be announced in 2021. Fellows must pursue their self-determined Fellowship activities between mid 2021–mid 2023. After this current cycle, the program will open again for application in 2022 with awards announced in 2023. This program is offered in alternating years.

Artists may receive only one Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship during their career. Fellowships are awarded and funds are issued only to individuals, members of an ensemble/collective/collaborative, or to single-member LLCs. Applications are not accepted from, nor are payments made to, fiscal sponsors, management companies or producers, multi-owned LLCs, consultants or 501(c)3 organizations other than those applying as an ensemble/collective/collaborative.

2. NBC WRITERS ON THE VERGE
Deadline: May 10th
Website: http://www.nbcunitips.com/writers-on-the-verge/?fbclid=IwAR18vTILosMOKagV4-xGcJ654bZNTbUQSYtMOuQEjaBM1XQkyuEQKUx6Clk

Writers on the Verge is a program focused on polishing writers and readying them for a staff writer position on a television series. We are looking for writers who are “almost there” but need that final bit of preparation with their writing and personal presentation skills. We particularly encourage writers of diverse backgrounds to apply.

The program will consist of weekly evening classes at NBCUniversal in Universal City, CA. Once accepted, students must attend all classes and turn in all written assignments.

Classes concentrate on creating exceptional material to enhance their po rtfolio, and understanding the dynamics of pitching oneself in the television industry. Writers are given the chance to interact with industry players ranging from network executives to show runners to agents and receive valuable feedback on their work and pitch style. Writing assignments on a NBCUniversal television show may be available after successful completion of the program but are not a guarantee. Past participants have gone on to series including “The Blacklist,” “Indebted,” “Community”, “Council of Dads”, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, “Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector”, “Chicago Fire” and “Parenthood.”


3. NATIONAL: BLACK THEATER “I AM SOUL” Residency
Deadline: May 11th
Website: www.nationalblacktheatre.org.

The I AM SOUL Playwright Residency, founded in 2013, is the only play development program in the country with a commitment to production that is dedicated to supporting Black playwrights whose work demonstrates exceptional artistic merit, innovation and excellence in the theatrical field. Envisioned as a dream MFA program, the residency also seeks to unleash the soul of a playwright so they can develop, hone and explore new ways of artistic expression in a safe, supportive and transformative environment. Working with NBT's artistic director, program coordinator and staff, the selected playwright(s) will develop a new play during the eighteen-month residency. The process culminates with a workshop production during NBT's season.

With I AM SOUL, NBT seeks to deepen the artistic relationship between Black theatrical institutions and Black playwrights in order to re-establish Black theatrical institutions as the foremost supporters and producers of new works created by groundbreaking Black playwrights. This residency is a part of NBT's Soul Series LAB (Liberating Artistic Bravery) which works to diversify the narratives being developed and produced about Black lifestyle in American theatre by playwrights, directors and producers.


4. STUDIOS OF KEY WEST RESIDENCY
Deadline: May 18th
Website: https://tskw.org/residency-about/

The Studios offers a residency program for emerging and established artists and writers designed to encourage creative, intellectual and personal growth. The program grants nearly 35 artists each year the time and space to imagine new artistic work, engage in valuable dialogue and explore island connections.

The Studios’ residency program is community-based and built upon the hope that visiting artists will take inspiration from Key West’s rich artistic past and present, and will engage with — and be inspired by — the remarkable people and culture that surrounds them.

Key West’s official motto, “One Human Family” reflects our commitment to living together as caring, sharing neighbors dedicated to making our home as close to paradise as we can. To that end, we encourage artists of all races, nationalities, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities to apply.

Residencies are almost a full month, and run from the 16th of the month through the 14th of the next. There is a $40 application fee.


5. AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL: PLAYWRITING
Deadline: May 15th
Website: https://austinfilmfestival.com/submit/play/rules/
DISCLAIMER: $30 entry fee. Let the buyer beware.

 At Austin Film Festival, our mission is to champion all writers across mediums. Our Playwriting Competition (open to full-length plays) gives playwrights a chance to explore our film and television conference. It will also allow film professionals to discover storytellers who have mastered the art and craft of stage drama.

AFF has always promoted story as the most important element of film and TV. So giving playwrights their own story exposure and a chance of crossover into film and TV only advances our mission. There are many other playwriting competitions out there, but AFF offers playwrights broader access to successful writers and professionals in all the other related fields.

Plays that make the Final Round will have readings during the Conference. Advancing playwrights will have access to exclusive panels, workshops, roundtables, and unique networking opportunities with professionals in theatre, film, and television.

AFF understands the relationship between passion and writing. That’s why we have enormous respect for the many successful playwrights who made the seamless transition to film and TV – playwrights such as Tennessee Williams, Horton Foote, John Patrick Shanley, Tony Kushner and Beau Willimon. And that list grows exponentially with today’s widening viewer market.


6. JAMES STEVENSON PRIZE
Deadline: May 15th
Website: http://playingonair.org

In his cartoons for The New Yorker, James Stevenson told stories about the human comedy with energy and economy. Returning for its third consecutive year, Playing on Air’s Stevenson Prize will honor three original comedies that perpetuate Mr. Stevenson's spirit and wit, bringing the finest new American short plays to a national audience.

The Prize is made possible through the generosity and vision of Josie Merck, James Stevenson's wife. For submission details, read on below.

FIRST PRIZE
$6,000 award, plus a Playing on Air recording of the winning play for radio and podcast distribution

SECOND PRIZE
 $3,000 award

THIRD PRIZE
 $1,000 award

Guidelines
Playing on Air invites writers to submit a short comedic play of 10-25 pages (not counting title page).


7. 9THIRTY THEATRE COMPANY
Deadline: May 31st
Website: http://9ttc.org/submissions.php

9Thirty Theatre Company (9TTC) accepts submissions from March to May each season. Please note that due to our small staff we are unable to respond to submissions that are not accepted. Please adhere to the guidelines below. Send submissions in either a .doc or .pdf format to Submissions@9ttc.org. In respect of our commitment to the environment please do not mail submissions to our office.

Guidelines

9TTC produces works that incorporate environmental issues as part of the part, characters, or theme. We are uniquely dedicated to Eco Theatre, connecting humanity and nature, in various forms.

We accept original one acts, and full length plays and musicals.

We do not accept one-person shows, children's shows, screenplays, or works without environmental themes. 9Thirty Theatre Company also does not produce works that have already been produced in New York City.

To have your work considered, please submit the following as one file:
• cover letter, including your contact information
• brief synopsis of piece (500 words or less)
• character descriptions
• 20 page dialogue sample
• brief production history of the work (if applicable)
• bio for yourself and any other collaborators
• if submitting a musical, please include at least 3 recorded demo tracks

To be considered for 9TTC's all submissions must be received by midnight on May 31st.


8.  BMI WORKSHOP
Deadline: June 1st for librettists
                 August 1st for composers and lyricists
Website: https://www.bmi.com/theatre_workshop/application_requirements

The Workshop runs September through May in New York City. Prospective members must make their own living arrangements in the city or be able to commute weekly.

During the first year, composers and lyricists are paired off and are asked to create appropriate songs based on scenes from various sources. The writers perform their assignments, which are then discussed by the other writers and the moderators. There are analyses and discussions of current and past musicals, with an eye to understanding form and structure. Every effort is made to insure that each writer retains his or her individual style.

In the Workshop’s final phase (Second Year), teams work on a musical. The Workshop functions as a forum and a sounding board for works in progress, as music and lyrics are critically evaluated and open dialogue is encouraged.

At the end of each Second Year, the Workshop Committee determines which writers from the group are invited to join the Advanced Workshop. Not everyone is asked. This Workshop is intended for writers of professional caliber who are expected to contribute to the vitality of the musical theatre scene.

Schedule
The First Year Workshop meets Monday at 6:15 p.m. The Second Year Workshop meets Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. The Advanced Workshop meets Monday at 4:00 p.m.


9. GENEVA RESIDENCY
Deadline: June 1st
website: http://www.eofa.ch/en/applications/

Embassy of Foreign Artists (EoFA) is a place of residence for artists in Geneva. Our spaces welcome the different stages of the creative process, from the first gropings and reflections to its presentation in a finished form. EoFA's first vocation is to host artists in residence and to set up a program that promotes interaction with the local public, whether professionals, amateurs or curious. EoFA also organizes wider events where local artists and residents meet around different artistic practices (music, dance, performance, installations, conferences, etc.). Thanks to its many activities and appointments, EoFA has established itself as a place of choice for the discovery of original proposals.

The open call is addressed to all professional artists coming from following artistic fields: performing arts, visual arts and applied arts (fine arts, dance, theatre, music, literature, comics, cinema, etc.). Cultural practitioners, active in the research of contemporary cultural practices, such as curators, play writers, set designer or from other fields and applied disciplines (architecture, design) are also invited to apply.

10. LUXEMBOURG ARTS PRIZE
Deadline: June 2nd
website: https://www.luxembourgartprize.com/en/call-for-submissions-en/

The Luxembourg Art Prize aims to reveal and promote talented artists who have yet to establish a profile on the contemporary international scene. Its function is to discover artists, and it is open to any artist, amateur or professional, with no limits on age, nationality or place of residence. The Prize is aimed at artists working in one or more of the following media: drawing, printing, installation, painting, performance, photography, digital art, sculpture, sound art, video, mixed media, decorative art (textiles and material, glass, wood, metal, ceramics, mosaic, paper or other techniques).

The winner of the Prize receives an award of €50'000 (about US$56,500 GBP42,500 CHF56,000 CA$75,000 JPY6,300,000) paid into their bank account within a few days of the ceremony. The finalist artists will be included in a group exhibition in the gallery. The Luxembourg Art Prize is a unique opportunity to enter the international professional art circuit and to have your work seen by major private and institutional art collectors. You will have the chance to be supported and personally advised by Hervé Lancelin.

Unlike other prizes or art salons, the Luxembourg Art Prize is designed by a leading not-for-profit organisation to boost your career by exhibiting your work in a private exhibition space of museum quality and giving you a high level of visibility.

All the costs associated with travel to and accommodation in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for the finalist artists and one other person of their choice will be paid in full by the organisation in 2019. This includes transport for the works of art, air and train tickets and full-board accommodation in a four-star hotel.

The organisation will arrange return travel for the finalist artists and their companions by train or air. It will send travel documents to the finalist artists and their companions within the ten days before the opening of the finalist artists’ group exhibition.

The organisation will also book hotel rooms on the basis of dual occupancy (each artist with their companion).


11. STUDIOS OF KEY WEST RESIDENCY
Deadline: June 8th
Website: https://tskw.org/residency-about/

The Studios offers a residency program for emerging and established artists and writers designed to encourage creative, intellectual and personal growth. The program grants nearly 35 artists each year the time and space to imagine new artistic work, engage in valuable dialogue and explore island connections.

The Studios’ residency program is community-based and built upon the hope that visiting artists will take inspiration from Key West’s rich artistic past and present, and will engage with — and be inspired by — the remarkable people and culture that surrounds them.

Key West’s official motto, “One Human Family” reflects our commitment to living together as caring, sharing neighbors dedicated to making our home as close to paradise as we can. To that end, we encourage artists of all races, nationalities, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities to apply.

Residencies are almost a full month, and run from the 16th of the month through the 14th of the next. There is a $40 application fee.