MLK Day

I think the most memorable MLK day was at Northwestern. The admin didn't give students the day off, so a handful of students gathered in the ISRC lounge in the evening. I don't remember the details of our conversation but I do remember a surreal quietude had settled over the room, like the presence of peace was in the room. There was a shared feeling of total sincerity and truth that I rarely experience in group discussions. It was a long cold winter day and we arrived at the room worn down by the weather, our studies, and the state of the world. In between people's comments, there were long stretches of considerate silence. It was felt like everyone was actively listening, instead of waiting for their turn to speak. I was living in the international dorm so the room's racial demographic was Asians born in America and abroad, Whites, Latinos, Blacks, some Europeans. Everyone just let their guard down, no one was attacked, our fears and presumptions just vanished in the discussion. I remember thinking that this must be what world peace would feel like. True peace isn't stagnation or everyone in lockstep agreement. It is flexible, alive, expansive, dynamic. It is a deep and abiding sense of compassion and consideration. I felt like this moment was the truest honor of MLK's legacy. Not statues or pasting his quotes, or reviewing speeches. His legacy was alive in us, in the students, in people who grew up in other countries who barely knew anything about him, in relationships, in moments when something opens up in people for whatever reason: after 9/11 on the subway whenever was so considerate and loving for the first few days, or when an inexplicable love sweeps through a group of strangers.

I remember seeing the musical "Next to Normal" with Pam and taking the subway back. I looked around and -for whatever reason, seeing great art, the fantastic music of the piece, the time of day- everyone seemed to have their extra something in them. It's hard to describe the visual and emotional feeling but it stunned me. There was this electric shock that ran through my heart and I looked at everyone and saw this tremendous miracle. After a few moments, I felt sad because I knew that this sudden surge of love would subside soon. Maybe MLK felt like that all the time, maybe it's the feeling of saints: to look at anyone and feel the miracle. I am lucky that I can get an occasional glimpse and that holidays like this offer me a chance to look behind the curtain of cynicism. 

The Cult of the Adult

A friend has been talking about child abuse and sexual abuse going on in the Orthodox Jewish community in Miami. Another person is talking about the abuse in the Catholic Church. Then there's abuse in Islam, Hinduism, Baptists. There is abuse in the music industry, Hollywood, the military, politics, left-wing social movements, alt-right groups, Fox News, CBS News, the theatre community, prisons, college. Where ever there are humans, you will find abuse. It's not the religion or the industry that fosters it, but the silence. What allows abuse to continue systemically is a lack of open questioning and -usually- an us vs. the world mentality. If you can get your flock to fear the world outside more than what's going on inside the herd, then people will stick around and deal with the known devil in their own family, rather than facing the peril of the unknown boogeymen outside. Rather than spending time attacking one institution after another, why not deal with the mentality most people have going into most schools, religions, workplaces? Why don't we address the way we train our kids? Why don't we talk about the American cult of obedience that is killing us, making us stupid, allowing greed to divide us, allowing predators to run wild? We put obedience over-inquisitiveness, and compassion for our own kind over empathy for others. As long as these things continue, there will be systemic abuse in every institution...because it's the people that are rotten, not the system.

As a child, I was always mystified when I was kicked out of Sunday Bible school. I would ask a question. The teacher would get peeved. I would ask them why they were angry? They would deny it, saying that I was a child of God. I would say 'great b/c I have another question.' I would get the boot and my usual parting shot was 'don't you want us to be curious? Don't you want us to know?' They were trying to train me into a being a submissive adult. I knew that back then. I knew that the teacher's heart was in the right place, but they were just doing what had been done to them.

Time and time again, the biggest conflicts I've had in my life has not been when I was lazy or stupid. God, no. The world almost seems to relax and appreciate a lazy artist or a stupid man willing to stand with the herd. What has irritated, enraged, baffled people is asking questions, refusing to accept something in the herd, questioning a lawyer in court (which got me excused from jury duty for several years), questioning the purpose of an 'anti-hate' march at Northwestern b/c it represented the kind of vague white liberal blanket of nothingness that suppresses thought and encourages people to walk around at night with a candle and think they're doing something against a generic unspecified hate.

The cult of obedience leads to abuse, genocide, environmental devastation, racism, xenophobia, misogyny, #metoo, and all the systemic horrors. Why don't we re-train our kids and adults to question things, to demand accountability and righteousness?

Reading Your Script: A Script

THEM: Hi, we have never ever met before. But I have some free script doctor work I want you to do for a complete stranger. Would you be interested?
ME: Not particularly. But go on.
THEM: You read this script and give comprehensive analysis and make yourself liable for a lawsuit later on if any of your ideas are in any way close to mine.
ME: Hmm...this is very dangerous and thankless. I'm tempted.
THEM: It will be fun. You seem very very busy.
ME: I am.
THEM: So you are the perfect person to read my script and give an in-depth critique.
ME: Well, free work, the risk of a lawsuit, odds are the script will be terrible. This all sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?
THEM: The catch is that once you read it and give me notes, I will require several follow-up emails, maybe even phone calls. I will hang around you for a long time and suck free work out of you. And unless you adore the script, I will not take any of your notes. And then I will ask you to find me an agent.
ME: What’s the genre? The only thing I hate is horr-
THEM: -Horror.
ME: Perfect. So I read your undoubtedly terrible horror script-
THEM: -for free! I can't emphasize how much I value your expertise and time by giving you nothing in return except this smiley face...😁
ME: That's a cute smiley face.
THEM: I pay all my medical bills with smiley faces.
ME: Really?
THEM: No, just kidding. I use real money. But you're going to do this inexplicable task for emojis.
ME: Right. And then I give you notes you're not going to take, put myself at risk for future legal action, and get entangled in a one-way relationship in which you take and take until you move on to another target. Send it over. And you might as well send over the lawsuit you might file against me. Should I give you my bank account number?
THEM: I think that sweetens the deal. 😁

SOBE Bar at 8am

at 8am I walked to Maxine's Bar and Bistro on South Beach. I sat down at the bar and waited for my takeout order. A middle-aged roughneck-looking guy sat down next to me. The woman bartender brought Roughneck his breakfast: a Bloody Mary and a Corona. Good morning 8am! Roughneck said he just wanted to get this down but he might order some food. He had a raspy voice that sounded like it had been smoked, shot, and drowned in whiskey. Roughneck sipped the bloody mary and yelled 'spicy! Just like the way I like my women!' The bartender smiled and left. Roughneck brought his husky dog to the bar and gave him a takeout tray of water to sip from. His phone rang and a buddy was on the other line to lament that his new Cadillac had just been keyed by a crazy ex. Roughneck rasped 'yeah, bitches be crazy.' Convo continued for another minute and then he looked at me and said that women are crazy up in Palm Beach. He said he was from Chicago but moved down here. He asked me what I did and I said I'm here working on a play about the cocaine wars.

ROUGHNECK: Oh...I know about that world.
ME *trying to act surprised*: Really?!?

We talked about the different cartels from Sinaloa to Juarez. He hinted and ducked around a few questions I asked. Roughneck was in restaurant construction *wink wink.* I asked him what he was doing down here in South Beach and he said it was for a meeting. He said the cartels have become more businesslike these days. A lot of money "might" be going through restaurants and what not. I gently pressed for details and he insisted that he was in the legit restaurant business now. I told him to come to COCAINE COWBOYS in March. He said he would and that a friend claimed to have worked with Griselda Blanco. I told him that one of Griselda's henchman was from Chicago and started off as a car thief. He perked up: that's what he used to do as a juvey. Roughneck said he stole cars but wasn't very good at it because he got caught. He told a very explicit story of stealing a doctor's Porsche and what that doctor when he caught up with Roughneck. When he was 17, a judge told him he could either go to prison or go into the Navy. So he joined the Navy and worked in construction. The bartender brought me my takeout order. I shook hands with Roughneck. He said he would check out Miami New Drama for the play. 

In the Family

Fate brings us strange twists and turns. Several years ago, my Mema had a 2 bedroom house all to herself. In her neighborhood was J, a stern retired vet who shared a home with his wife. Shortly after J's wife passed, his kids moved back in. His kids brought their kids, their friends, and friends of friends. They trampled through his home. They partied, wrecked, stole from J.  They ran him out of his own home. J slept on Mema's couch while he fumed 'they can't do this to me.' A vein on his forehead would bulge and he would raise his voice in rage.

Day after day passed while he fumed and slept on Mema's couch. Slowly J moved his stuff into Mema's home since she had an extra bedroom. They lived together for several years. J came over to our house on Christmas and on all the holidays. As Mema became more frail and forgetful, J saved her life on numerous occasions. She would forget to take her insulin and slip into a diabetic coma, or fall down in the middle of the night on her way to the bathroom. Mema finally passed on. In her will, Mema left her house to me and my sister. But what to do about J who was residing there? There was no hesitation: he stays.  He offered to pay rent with his veteran's check. We refused and we told him: you live rent-free and you're not paying for any bills. Spend your money on yourself. My mom would stop by the house to check up on him, fix things in the house, call a repairman if something broke. A few more years passed and J started to get frail. His kids were now stopping by his new residence...taking things, casing the place. When J. went into the hospital, his kids broke into Mema's house looking for valuables. We all agreed that this was not going to end well. We could no longer protect J from his own kids. We found a nursing home for him. He had his own kids taken off his emergency contact. We were listed now since we were his family. Years continued to pass. We visit on occasion, check up on him, moved him into a better retirement home. He is safe.

This afternoon I walked into the new retirement home. The place actually seems nice. I found J in the TV room watching football. We greeted each other. J said had no problems any more. I told him I had a gift and he fretted because he didn't have any room for something fancy. I took out a small booklet with pictures of him and Mema. Years and years of photos my mom compressed into a small book he could carry with him. I thanked him. He saved my grandmother's life, which means he saved my life and the life of everyone in my family. He doesn't rage about his kids the vein doesn't pop in his forehead. He doesn't think about them any more and this strange twisting road of fate has led us to this point in our lives. A taciturn vet with few words. Mema's house was sold, his house is occupied, but here we are...so grateful to have found a new family.

GET WHAT YOU WANT: JANUARY 2019

1.
CAPITAL FRINGE
Deadline: January 2
website: www.capitalfringe.org/fringeartist/fringe-festival/curated-series

For the 2018 Capital Fringe Festival we began a project, the Fringe Curated Series, where we commissioned three new plays derived from folklore or myth from non-western cultures.  In exploring these narratives, we brought different perspectives to life.  We commissioned scripts from Matthew Capodicasa, Farah Lawal Harris and Stephen Spotswood and it was very well received!

Always looking to grow, develop and take risks, in our second year we are choosing a different focus to commission from.  For the 2019 Fringe Festival, we are seeking to commission and produce work that explores key issues currently facing humanity:

Forgiveness, trust and how time can either unearth or leave covered progress

In 2018 the request for proposals was invite only, as we wanted to limit the scope of what we were taking on while we created the program from scratch.  For 2019, we are looking to expand the pool of playwrights that are encouraged to submit proposals.


2.
BUFFALO STATE COLLEGE 10-MIN PLAY
Deadline: Jan 3
Website: https://theater.buffalostate.edu/

Call for Submissions for an evening of ten-minute plays at Buffalo State College. The program will run two nights during the Spring 2019 semester.

Submission Guidelines:

*The play must have characters in 18-25 range, no exceptions. If needed, you may include ONE (1) character not in that age range, but we are looking for plays that will resonate with the diverse young actors playing the roles, as well as the diverse college students in the audience; changing the ages on a generic play probably isn't going to work.

*Playwrights may submit one or two plays, but if you submit two, please do so in separate emails.

*All plays must be no longer than ten minutes, which may actually mean fewer than ten pages. If you’re not sure, please read it aloud.  No exceptions, no matter how brilliant the extra minutes may be. We mean it.

*All plays must have minimal set requirements. Plays chosen will receive full productions at Buffalo State’s black box theater, but with eight plays being performed, there is no time for elaborate set changes.

*Please email ten-minute plays with minimal set requirements to buffstateshortplays@gmail.com in standard format in Word or PDF.

*Email subject line should have your name and title of your play, e.g. MARY BROWN/MY AWESOME COLLEGE AGE PLAY.

*Body of email should contain contact information (including email and phone) and the play’s production history ONLY. You don’t have to write a cover letter, so please don’t. Anything other than the requested information is only going to give us a bad first impression (i.e. you don’t follow rules).

*Submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines will not be considered.

The Deadline:
Submissions must be received by January 3, 2019. We prefer earlier to later, as we read and cull as the submissions come in.

You will receive a confirmation email when we receive your play. Finalists will be notified by email by mid-March. We are sorry we cannot respond to each individual playwright.

The Producer:
Buffalo State will provide directors, actors, designers, and technical crew for the run of the show.  We will encourage directors to be in touch with playwrights throughout the process. For more information about the theater department at Buffalo State, please visit our Web site: theater.buffalostate.edu.

The Production:
Plays will be presented together as an evening of theater.  Chosen playwrights will receive a copy of the program, four complimentary tickets to be used any night of the run, and a $25 royalty.

If you have questions, email buffstateshortplays@gmail.com with QUESTION in the subject line.


3.
2019 LEAH RYAN FEWW PRIZE
Deadline: January 8
Website: https://leahryansfeww.submittable.com/submit

All women who consider themselves emerging playwrights (as distinct from fledgling or mid-career playwrights) are eligible to apply for the 2019 Leah Ryan's FEWW Prize. Playwrights from all over the world are encouraged to apply, but the play must be written in English. Eligibility does not require that a submitted work adhere to the traditional three-act structure. One-acts, two-acts (even four-, five-, six- acts), monologues, adaptations, and any other wild (or deceptively tame) format will be considered with equal seriousness. The only absolute requirement is that the submitted text be a completed full-length work for theater.

The winner will be chosen by a a readers committee, and will be presented with her award as part of the 2019 Lilly Awards, which honors the work of women in American theater. In addition, the winner will receive a cash prize of $2,500, a workshop at the Vassar Powerhouse Theater, and a reading of her play in New York City.

Finalists will be contacted in mid-March and will have one week within which to submit their full play.


4.
OPEN FIST THEATRE (Los Angeles)
Deadline: Jan 7

Open Fist Theatre Company, based in Los Angeles, is seeking submissions for their third annual political pop-up event. This year's theme is:
"WHAT MATTERS NOW ?/!" A political pop-up of the theatrical kind.

We are looking for 10 minute short plays that address our current social, political and/or environmental situation. Any style.

The Pop-Up will be produced in March 2019.

Please submit your piece and any questions to: info@openfist.org


5.
NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Deadline: January 11
Website: http://www.shadowsontheteche.org

The National Trust for Historic Preservation seeks to commission a playwright, to be selected by a jury, to create a new dramatic work (or works) that will be focused on African American experiences in the 19th and 20th centuries at The Shadows and in New Iberia, Louisiana. The work will be informed by archival documentation and other primary sources at The Shadows and in other institutions as appropriate. As a part of this project, the new work will be performed in New Iberia as a readers’ theater production, but it is also expected that the entire work, or vignettes from it, will be performed in other venues and that videos of portions of it will ultimately be used to augment tours at The Shadows. The chosen playwright will receive a stipend of $15,000, to be paid in three installments of $5,000 each at the beginning, mid-point, and conclusion of the project. In addition to the stipend, the grant will provide limited additional funds for travel and lodging to assist with research.

Funding from the National Endowment for the Arts will specifically support:

1) a commission for a playwright to develop a play, or series of plays, based on African American experiences at The Shadows and in New Iberia;

2) the production of the new work (or works) by regional performing arts groups at The Shadows and other venues in New Iberia; and

3) the facilitation of formalized community discussions after each performance that will include the playwright.

During the 18-month project period, the playwright will have access to the buildings, landscape, museum collections, and archives at The Shadows. The staff of The Shadows and other community partners will assist in identifying other primary sources in the region and beyond to assist the playwright in developing the new work.

The potential venues in New Iberia beyond The Shadows include a variety of spaces where the history happened, like at the Steamboat Warehouse Pavilion, where enslaved people were held before being transported on the bayou, the once segregated Essanee Theater, or possibly in residential neighborhoods like West End. Performing these works in non-traditional spaces will blur the lines between past and present and better highlight the histories of all residents. It will also help to activate these spaces in new ways. Where they were once sites of discord and suffering, through using performance art, these places can become spaces of reflection and a force for positive change.


6.
ELEPHANT ROOM (NYC/PHI writers)
Deadline: January 15
Website: http://www.elephantroomproductions.com/

 Elephant Room Productions (Philly/NYC) are currently seeking ten playwrights to submit 10-20 minute plays concerning the opioid crisis (to be submitted no later than 1/15/2019).

These plays will be read and discussed in our Elephant Ears Reading Series readings, produced as audio plays in our podcast, The Trumpet, and then be produced as staged-readings in an evening-of-readings performance in October to support National Substance Abuse Prevention Month and Red Ribbon Week. A generous portion of proceeds from this production will be donated to a related organization to help end the opioid crisis.

If you or someone you know would like to submit a piece, please do so by sending it to TheHerd@elephantroomproductions.com


7.
MACDOWELL COLONY
Deadline: Jan. 15
Website: http://www.macdowellcolony.org/

The MacDowell Colony provides time, space, and an inspiring environment to artists of exceptional talent. A MacDowell Fellowship, or residency, consists of exclusive use of a studio, accommodations, and three prepared meals a day for up to eight weeks. There are no residency fees. MacDowell will only accept applications for the upcoming deadline. For the Literature Summer residency, submissions are due January 15th, 2018.

MacDowell Fellows are selected by our admissions panels, which are comprised of a revolving group of distinguished professionals in each artistic discipline who serve anonymously for three years.

Eligibility

The Colony accepts applications from artists working in the following disciplines: architecture, film/video arts, interdisciplinary arts, literature, music composition, theatre, and visual arts. The sole criterion for acceptance is artistic excellence, which the Colony defines in a pluralistic and inclusive way. MacDowell encourages applications from artists representing the widest possible range of perspectives and demographics, and welcomes artists engaging in the broadest spectrum of artistic practice and investigating an unlimited array of inquiries and concerns. To that end, emerging as well as established artists are invited to apply. Applicants who are enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs as of the date of application are ineligible for a residency and therefore cannot apply. Doctoral candidates who have finished all coursework may apply.

MacDowell is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, physical ability or disability. The Colony offers barrier-free access to its main buildings and some studios. There are no medical facilities or medical personnel on site. MacDowell is situated in a rural area with limited access to medical care facilities. We strongly suggest that applicants with special medical needs contact the Resident Director before applying.


8.
BOGLIASCO FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: January 15
Website: http://www.bfny.org/en/apply

Bogliasco Fellowships are awarded to gifted individuals working in all the disciplines of the Arts and Humanities without regard to nationality, age, race, religion or gender.

To be eligible for the award of a Fellowship, applicants should demonstrate significant achievement in their disciplines, commensurate with their age and experience. Please note that Bogliasco Fellowships are not awarded to students currently in a degree-granting program. The Foundation gives preference to those whose applications suggest that they would be comfortable working in an intimate, international, multilingual community of scholars and artists.

The Foundation only accepts applications submitted through the online application system. To access the system, you must first register for an account here, where you will also find a list of requirements that we strongly encourage you to read before beginning your application. Once registered, you may login as needed to work on your application by clicking on the "login" button indicated to the left.

Bogliasco Fellowships include full room and board, plus the use of a private studio. The cost of transportation to and from the Bogliasco Study Center is the responsibility of Fellows and their accompanying spouses/partners. So also are all project materials and equipment, and any personal expenses incurred during the fellowship period, including medical expenses.


9.
MCKNIGHT FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: January 17
Website: pwcenter.org/programs/mcknight-fellowships-in-playwriting

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

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

Past recipients include Carlyle Brown, Lisa D’Amour, Barbara Field, Keli Garrett, Jeffrey Hatcher, Christina Ham, Cory Hinkle, Carson Kreitzer, Melanie Marnich, Greg Moss, Kira Obolensky, and Dominic Orlando.

Fellowship recipients may not receive any other Playwrights' Center fellowships, grants, or Core Writer program benefits during the grant year. If a recipient is a Core Writer, the Core term will be extended by one year.

Applicants may only apply for one McKnight Foundation-sponsored fellowship each year in all disciplines.


10.
2019 ANT FESTIVAL
Deadline: January 16
Website: http://arsnovanyc.com/submit-work/

We’re now accepting submissions for our 12th annual ANT Fest, a month-long festival of All New Talent showcasing new work from New York’s most adventurous emerging artists. ANT Fest 2019 runs from June 3 – 27.

Every June, Ars Nova throws open our doors to the next wave of pioneering, hybrid theater-makers and fills our stage with their most dynamic ideas. We’re on the prowl for artists with diverse viewpoints and impressive skills, who see the future of live entertainment and want the chance to try out their ideas on stage. As an artist-driven festival, ANT Fest brings together an eclectic network of creators who feed our artistic community all year long.

We’re interested in unique, innovative projects that span traditional genre boxes (theater, comedy, music, burlesque, drag, variety arts or anything else you can think of) in an exciting way to tell a story, make us laugh or showcase musicians with a vibrant new sound. This is the place to pitch that crazy show you’ve been dying for an excuse to make! We’re waiting for you.

A range of unique submissions will each be given a night to perform in Ars Nova’s intimate Off Broadway theater and the opportunity to be a part of artist-driven events throughout the festival. Artists of color and all theater-makers with wide-ranging viewpoints are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applications must be submitted by 11:59pm on Wednesday, January 16. Artists chosen for the festival will be notified by the end of March.


11.
NYFA ARTIST FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: January 23
website: https://apply.nyfa.org/submit

The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is excited to announce that the 2019 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship application cycle is now open. NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships are $7,000 unrestricted cash awards made to individual originating artists living and working in the state of New York. These fellowships are not project grants and are intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, regardless of the level of his or her artistic development. In 2018, NYFA awarded a total of $623,000 to 89 artists throughout New York State.

Applications close Wednesday, January 23, 2019 at 11:59 PM (EST).

2019 Award Categories
Fellowships are awarded in 15 different disciplines over a three-year period. The 2019 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship Categories are:

Architecture/Environmental Structures/Design
Choreography
Music/Sound
Photography
Playwriting/Screenwriting
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible, applicants must meet all of the following requirements by the application deadline:

25 years old or older
Current residents of New York State and/or one of the Indian Nations located in New York State. Must have maintained New York State residency, and/or residency in one of the Indian Nations located therein, for at least the last two consecutive years (2017 & 2018)
Not enrolled in a degree-seeking program of any kind
Are originators, not interpreters of the work, i.e. choreographers or playwrights and not dancers or actors


12.
CORE WRITER PROGRAM 2019-2022
Deadline: January 24
Website: https://pwcenter.slideroom.com/#/login/program/45424

The intent of the Core Writer Program is to support playwrights who demonstrate a sustained level of accomplishment, commitment, and artistic excellence. Created in recognition of the particular needs of emerging and established writers, the program offers significant resources intended to further a playwright's career and is available to writers nationally.

Playwrights who have benefited from the Core Writer program include Christina Anderson, Trista Baldwin, Lee Blessing, George Brant, Carlyle Brown, Connie Congdon, Marcus Gardley, Jeffrey Hatcher, Sherry Kramer, Carson Kreitzer, Martyna Majok, Melanie Marnich, Winter Miller, Greg Moss, Qui Nguyen, Kira Obolensky, Jen Silverman and Alice Tuan.

The Core Writer program gives 25-30 of the most exciting playwrights from across the country the time and tools to develop new work for the stage. All Core Writers receive play development workshops at the Center, in collaboration with prominent directors, actors, dramaturgs, and designers. Selected work by Core Writers makes up our formal season of public readings: the PlayLabs festival and the Ruth Easton New Play Series. Core Writers are also promoted by the Center and provided opportunities through an extensive network of colleges and universities, cultural institutions, and producing theaters.

Each term is three years; Core Writers may reapply for additional terms.

Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

It is not required for an applicant to have had professional productions in order to apply. However, please note that this program is highly competitive and is designed for committed professional playwrights who are pursuing playwriting as their primary career.


13.
FRESH FRUIT FESTIVAL SUBMISSIONS
Deadline: January 29
Website: http://www.freshfruitfestival.com/

Accepting submissions of any kind of performance art featuring LGBTQ characters or themes. Held July 8 through 21 at The WILD Project and other Manhattan venues. YOU are the producer of your show, but there are no required application fees or participation fees, and all productions receive a box office share.

DETAILS
Categories: Full length plays; One-Act Plays; Choreographed Dance pieces; Thematic new Solo Shows, comedic or dramatic; Musicals; Opera; Cabaret; Unimaginable . . . ? -any kind of performance art featuring LGBTQ characters or themes.

The CREATIVITY is yours; the OVERHEAD is ours. And thanks to the generosity of New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York City Council there are no required application fees or participation fees, and all productions receive a box office share! We provide:

ADA and AEA approved performance venues
AEA approved venue insurance
Technical, Booth, & Front-of-house Staff
Repertory Lighting Plot & Sound system, with Video available
On-line, real-time ticketing service with audit trail
Glossy, full-color Festival brochures
Networking events & Marketing assistance for all shows
Optional co-production plans* for higher box-office shares
Deadline:  Tuesday, January 29th.
Late Submission Deadline:  ($35 Late Reading Donation due) Monday, February 25th. (NO Fee if you are on NY Medicaid)


14.
HERE ARTIST RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Deadline: February 1
Website: http://here.org/programs/harp/

One of the most robust residency programs in the country and serving as a national model, HARP provides a commission, development support, career planning, and a full production to hybrid artists, all within a collaborative environment of peers working across disparate art forms – including theatre, dance, music, puppetry, visual art, and new media. HARP provides significant long-term support, as well as $50,000 in cash and $50,000 in space, equipment and services over 2-3 years to tailor each residency to each artist’s individual needs. Through significant investment of time and resources, dynamic work within a strong community is created.


15.
BRICLAB RESIDENCY
Deadline: February 7
website: www.bricartsmedia.org/artist-opportunities/residencies/briclab-residency

BRIClab is a commissioning and residency development program for Brooklyn and New York City-based artists to explore and expand the possibilities of their work in music, dance, theater and multi-disciplinary performance.  Free and open exploration and intentional commitment to process – with the support of the staff and resources that BRIC offers – are at the heart of the BRIClab program. Artists receive stipends and an intensive residency in BRIC’s Artist Studio with development time, opportunities for artistic mentoring, and work-in-process performances.

Artists receive:

-Exclusive use of the BRIC House Artist Studio for 10-12 days (10am – 10pm)
-Artist stipend of $1750
-Additional $200 for Creative Advisor honorarium
-Technical support from BRIC’s production staff
-Two work-in-progress showings, determined by BRIC (usually Thursday & Friday evening in the -2nd week of the residency), followed by artist/audience dialogues
-Photographic and video documentation of showings


16.
MAP FUND GRANT (starts on Dec. 3rd)
Deadline: February 15
website: https://mapfund.submittable.com/submit

The MAP Fund invests in artistic production as the critical foundation of imagining — and ultimately co-creating — a more equitable and vibrant society. MAP awards $1 million annually to up to 40 projects in the range of $10,000 – $45,000 per grant.

MAP supports original live performance projects that embody a spirit of deep inquiry, particularly works created by artists who question, disrupt, complicate, and challenge inherited notions of social and cultural hierarchy across the United States. Funded projects address these concerns through the processes of creating and distributing live performance to the public, and/or through the content and themes of the work itself. MAP is committed to intersectional anti-racism, and does not support cultural appropriation or oppressive project language, structures, or content.

The program pursues its mission by annually welcoming applications for new live performance projects. Each year, MAP hires a different cohort of peer reviewers who recommend the projects they believe most align with MAP’s goals through a rigorous, facilitated review process.