Meeting John Singleton

I met John Singleton on my first trip to NYC. I went as the Northwestern representative for Nibblebox, a new internet entertainment company that was trying to harness the creative power of college students to create funny content. I saw the Nibblebox flyer by the Norris Center cafeteria elevator. I thought 'what an awful name' but then I noticed that the company promised lots of swag, free airplane tixs, and a trip to NYC for anyone who wanted to be a campus rep. YOINK! I snatched that flyer off the wall and ran back to my dorm. A free trip to NYC to talk about internet content for a company that sounds like a cross between a porno studio and a cat supply store? NIBBLEBOX!!

I went with Ron Holsey, who I deputized as a vital associate so he could get a free plane tix too. We were put up in a hotel by the United Nations and we used the scary nyc subway to get to the conference where we spent the next few days muttering 'that's so Nibblebox" under our breath every time someone said something that was on brand with either a sexual innuendo or pet supplies. Singleton was the keynote speaker. He was warm and friendly. He seemed to be as confused by Nibblebox as we were. WTF were we doing here, we said to each other with our smizing eyes. I asked Singleton about his upcoming movie SHAFT. His tight-lipped answer suggested that he was not too thrilled with the SHAFT shoot, but he offered me kindness and grace as we were apart of the few black men in a sea of caucasity. Nibblebox!

One of the female Nibblebox execs kept making creepy passes at Ron while wandered around after my meeting with Singleton. I wish I had cornered him and asked for a job, or asked him something more poignant, but this felt like neither the time or place for a discussion about racial dynamics in the entertainment industry. I blew my chance or gave away my shoot. I was in the room where it happened but I...you get the point. Nibblebox.

All these years later, I still remembered a graceful man handling a lot of pressure, being one of the only black directors in Hollywood making it, and trying to find the time to talk to students about stupid frat videos. Some times kindness doesn't come in great acts. Some times it comes in tiny, seemingly mundane moments, in awkward silences, or just a warm knowing look that said 'brother, how the fuck did we end up in here?' NIBBLEBOX!

Thank you Mr. Singleton. I may not have conquered NYC on my first visit, but I certainly partook of your insight, charm, and grace.

Rest in Power.

Sunday Brunch Thoughts on Legacy

I woke up this morning to the irresistible smell of a Sunday brunch being cooked upstairs. My stomach rumbled. I was going to have a breakfast shake but that damn brunch smell permeated the apt hallways. it seeped through my door. I couldn't take it. I ran out of my apartment to get an egg sandwich on a biscuit. In the throes of my cravings, I forgot my keys. Locked out. Not going to make it the gym in time for yoga. I sat on the stoop and looked around. I ate my sandwich and drank kombucha. I watched a father rolling his son down the street on a bike. I thought about the connection between father and son. That's some legacy 'ish.' The scene was like out of a Norman Rockwell painting about family and generations. My mind drifted. After about 20 minutes, a neighbor came back from a morning walk. He let me in and I was back in my apartment. I got back to writing, but the silent sitting had shifted something or opened up my mind. My head started buzzing with random questions...

-is it unusual that there's this sonic boom for Black playwrights but not for Black theatre institutions?

- Maybe it's irrelevant. Maybe a theatremakers true legacy is just the written word.

-In TV, a successful writer ends up having their own show, creating their own company, hiring execs, and getting development deals. They eventually own the means of production (and maybe even distribution down the line) Black moguls like Oprah, Shonda Rhimes, Tyler Perry, Lee Daniels, and Jordan Peele don't just create new stories. They package, produce, market. They build empires that employ others and control...and it all started with the written word. Isn't this a better legacy?

- Imagine if Dick Wolf was a really great playwright. He would have a lot of plays. His plays would get produced by other people, in other cities. The control would be minimal.

- Say what you will about him, David Mamet has a connection to Atlantic Theatre Company. Is that legacy building?

- But is money/power a real legacy? Maybe theatre stays true to the real thing, the only thing that carries over: the written word.

- Or is that 'written word' legacy just romantic bullshit to keep artists from controlling their own shows?

- Maybe a lot of black theatre institutions from the 1960s and 1970s became incestuous and backward? I know very few Black writers from Yale, Juilliard, Brown or any of the elite schools who are being hit up by the Black Theatre conference in NC. Negro Ensemble Company helped create Pulitzer-prize winning plays.

- is the theatre grind so hard, that writers don't think about getting together to own the means of production? When you're on the rise, your main obsession is the next commission and next production, getting connected to the bigger org, the director with more power. Often this leads to tribes of nomadic artists that mingle together for a few months for production and then wander off to the next show.

- The nomads were eventually destroyed by the farmers who built homes. Is the same fate true for artists? Or is the home only what you carry in a script?

- if August Wilson was alive today, would he be running a TV room? Would he have his own prestige empire of tv dramas? Is that hopeful or sad? Would we have gotten the decalogue?

Williamsburg Bar Conversations

Williamsburg Bar Conversations: the bartender handed me my dinner bill and asked me if I'm a PI b/c of my card. No, that is my S-Corp. "I Prefer Pi" is a palindrome that I like. The guy sitting next to me asked if he should get an S-corp b/c he has a salmon fishing business...in Alaska. He flies out there with a partner, catches a ton of fresh salmon on a boat, sells it on the docks, and then brings back about 50 lbs of salmon in a cooler to hand out to friends in Brooklyn. Okay, that is specific.

I asked him what he does in Brooklyn and he said he's a fireman. His firehouse had a busy week. A mother dropped off a newborn baby. That's interesting because I worked on a show where that is a plot point in the pilot. The fireman said it was the first time he's experienced that, but they sat the mother down, made her breakfast and coffee. She explained that she couldn't take care of the child. The fireman debated whether or not to keep the child in the firehouse or send him home with one of the married men. I said...hmmm, that's funny b/c that was in the show I worked on. THIS IS US? He stared at me. No? Never heard of... okay, go on with your story.

The fireman said that they were seriously considering adopting the kid and then they realized that would be ridiculous so they gave him up to the police. And now they're all wondering what's going to become of the kid. Maybe they made a mistake. Foster care isn't easy. So he wandered over to this Williamsburg bar to drink while I ate a very unsatisfying iceberg lettuce taco salad. But the conversation was worth the meal. 

Impeachment Math for Dems

REASONS TO IMPEACH

- two dozen federal crimes committed by Trump. Obstruction of justice charges (there are freaking 10 of them), the illegal Stormy Daniels payments, his corrupt inauguration fund that was used illegally, Cohen blackmailing corporations on Trump's behalf.

-to get his tax returns.

-access the full unredacted report as evidence.

- protect the Constitution.

- bring in Comey, Flynn, Cohen, Gates as witnesses. 3 out of 4 of these people are going to prison.

- get Sally Yates and Preet Bharara to testify.

 you can just play the Lester Holt interview in which he publically admits to tampering with the investigation and firing Comey.

- just read the F***ing NYTimes article which outlines 30 yrs or rampant crimes, systemic tax fraud, lying, cheating and stealing. It just won the Pulitzer Prize. Read it!

REASONS NOT TO IMPEACH

- Fox News viewers might get really angry at Dems.

DEM CONCLUSION

 Hmmm, it's tricky. We don't want to do anything too popular. It might energize our base which makes all of us feel like icky. It might put us in a difficult situation of representing people's wishes and upholding the law, aka being a radical liberal. 

Porn Ages into Art

Misogyny or adult classics? Rapper Luther Campbell (aka Uncle Luke aka Mr. Freak Nasty) was the marshal of a parade down in Miami. He jokingly yelled out 'FACE DOWN' and all the adults over 30 started laughing. The kids were confused. But ppl who grew up in Miami in the 1980s knew he was referring to the call-and-response chorus in his song...

-face down
-ass up
-that's the way we like to....*ahem*

At the time of the song, it was considered truly shocking and disgusting. So all the kids immediately learned the lyrics and would rap them behind their parent's back. In the parade, 20 yrs later the kids have grown into adults and we were laughing at the quaintness of a song...or maybe how it reminded us of our rebellious youth. A few yrs after 2 Live Crew's glory days, Lil Kim's opening salvo in her "Hardcore" album was...

- I used to be scared of the ****
-Now I throw lips to the shit
- Handle it, like a real ***

And then Khia topped her years later with "My Neck, My Back, Lick My..."

Is there a certain point when everything sexually shocking becomes nostalgic? The jazz song "All That Meat and No Potatoes" is about being unsatisfied with a woman's chest. If you take in the words, it's offensive. But now it's considered an American songbook standard.

Is there a point when "Facedown" or "My Neck, My Back" or Lil Kim will be performed in Lincoln Center with a luscious orchestra arrangement...like a lot of the jazz and rock classics? Is it a losing battle to condemn anything because kids will consume it even more when it's 'naughty' and then grow up to have warm and fuzzy feelings about their dad's porn stash or x-rated music? 

The Love of More

There is a woman who begs in my neighborhood. She approached me today on Easter Sunday with her usual routine. She looks and acts like a drug addict: fidgety, spastic, dirty clothes, bad breath. She gets up in people's faces, follows them, says she needs money for tampons. If you give her money for that then it's a sandwich. If she gets that, then it's just $40 to stay at a house for the night. I give until I am comfortable, usually, it's most of the money in my wallet which may be anywhere from $2 to $20. No matter the amount, she asks for more. More more more. I understand her desire for more.

There is a writer friend who asks for help constantly. I give this person help and they ask for rewrites, some times they jokingly ask if I can write for them. They are stuck. My career advances and they cling on as if I can give them some magic potion. Other writers ask for more help: how can I get a TV job, how can I get an agent? I started up a writers' group that now has over 70 ppl because ppl ask for more time, more help. I understand their desire for more.

There is a voice in my head that asks for more time. To meditate and pray. To cut off the outside world and dissolve into silence. More more. Never enough of myself. The voice wants more of me.

More used to exhaust me. More used to exasperate me. I used to see it as this bottomless abyss that kept trying to suck me in. I got angry at 'more.' You want more? I would fold my arms and scream 'you get nothing now!' It took me a while to realize that the 'more' was love. In substitution of that, the voices/people ask for things: labor, money, time. But these things are not substantial enough so the need increases. More drugs, more sex, more money, more fame, more 'likes,' more more more. One drop of love can fill a galaxy, but a universe of stuff can't fill that tiny 'more.'

I set limits on the physical 'more.' Not to be selfish but because I realize the real thing they want is limitless love. And as long as we stay stuck on the finite thing, we will never get to the infinite. I only learned this from the pleading voices and begging hands of this world, so I guess they are there for me as a lesson.

Happy Easter.

WGA/ATA: A Play

Writers: We aren't happy.
Agencies: Well I don't think so. And brah: you look fantastic!
Writers: No, we are telling you that we are not happy. So what are you going to do?
Agencies: Can I get you some bottled water?
Writers: Sparkling?
Agencies: Piss infused.
Writers: Pass. You are ripping us off and here are the receipts.
Agencies: Our math says that you is kind, you is important, um-
Writers: 95% of us are not happy.
Agencies: But Jon Robin Batiz is friends with his agent. Did you read his letter? Soulful, tender, it was like "Old Yeller." We wept.
Writers: We are not happy so...you are fired.
Agencies: You can't fire us.
Writers: Why not?
Agencies: Because. There would be chaos. Chaos! Chaos! CHAOS!!!! The sky will bleed, horses will eat themselves, there will be anarchy loosened upon the farmer's market. Locusts will consume spec scripts.
Writers: we can actually just talk to ourselves, save the 10%, and cut you out of the process entirely.
Agencies: ILLEGAL!! THAT IS ILLEGAL COMMUNIST CHAOS! When did you become such awful monsters?
Writers: You have systemically ripped off writers, you are double-dealing to yourselves, and you lie.
Agencies: Are you sure I can't get you some Jon Robin Baitz water?
Writers: What's that?
Agencies: The piss infused one.

Successful Black Women

I'm watching jazz documentary about Bessie Smith sending a whole group of KKK klansmen running by marching out of her tent. There is an enormous strength in black women. I'm also aware that being a successful black woman seems to bring out the 'ain't shit' nigga patrol. Wendy Williams, JHud, MJB, Mo'Nique, and countless black businesswomen and entertainers who are strong in the face of so much, and then get ripped off by their own husbands because 'well, they're strong. They can take it.' But strength doesn't mean being indomitable, impervious, and invincible. True strength is layered, complex, feminine/masculine, hard and soft, filled with heroic moments as well as quiet soft times. Does the external strength make good men scared to approach them? Do glitz and success attract the jackals? No wonder Oprah never got married. She was in "Color Purple" and was probably thinking "I already acted in that. I don't need to live it." #youtoldharpotobeatme #nahimgood

The Future is the Black Now

Blacks ppl are the canary in the mine/crystal ball of America. We tell you where things are heading about 2-3 generations before they happen.


Black Person: Drugs are destroying our community because our youth feel helpless and alienated.
Gov: Take responsibility and stop being lazy.
White Person (20 yrs later): Opioid addiction is wiping out towns b/c our youth feel helpless and alienated.
Gov: OMG we need to declare a national emergency and help everyone.


Black Person: Gun violence is crazy and out of control with gangs of angry young men shooting ppl.
Media: I'd like to label these young men 'superpredators' and blame it on your broken homes. Take responsibility for systemic problems you can't control.
White Person (20 yrs later): Gun violence by angry young men is killing our children.
Media: National Emergency! We need to do something about these troubled complex teens.


Black Person: Banks are ripping us off with these loans and destroying the community.
Gov: Well you just need to be smarter. Take responsibility!
White Person (2008): These subprime mortgages and shady loans just destroyed the economy.
Gov: Quick: here's an all hands on deck plan, and $800 billion in a suitcase. National Emergency!


Black person: Police have become an insanely violent military force killing unarmed people.
Gov: Well you need to just follow the rules harder. Absolute obedience and everything should be fine.
White Person: The SWAT team just busted down my door and almost killed me over a parking ticket.
Gov: Maybe handing the cops surface-to-air missiles was a bit too much power.


Black Person: Hey look I just did this thing with my mouth and created this beat. Like I'm beating a box.
Media: Sounds stupid and primitive.
Justin Timberlake (30 damn yrs later): Hey guys: check this out.
Media: Here's all the awards!!

Real Estate

Open house for a 3 bedroom apt...that was really a big one-bedroom chopped up into tiny pods that could barely fit a twin bed. Sigh. The elevator opened up into the apt. You could tell this used to be a gem, but now it is an expensive dorm quad with a shared kitchen. One of the prospective renters quickly left. The rest of us humored the realtor for luring us with not-quite-accurate pictures. Oh well. I walked over to a pub for tacos. The guy who left early was sitting at the bar. He said the apt we just saw made him actively depressed. We started talking while eating.

He's a Turkish computer programmer paying $4k/month. He assured me that it was a nice apt. I laughed. It better be. Programmer said he has seen so many great apts chopped up and turned into joyless pods for maximum occupancy. But he assured me that NYC is not as bad as where he just moved from: San Francisco. He said he was paying the same price for a small room and would step outside onto syringes and bottle shards. Tourist stabbings would happen on his block. The programmer said that the homeless hated him. He was the gentrifier and he hated the area but he needed to live there for work. Neither side was thinking about the fact that they were getting screwed by greedy landlords. He was in this country eeking out a living writing code so he could have his bed in a postage-stamp sized apt while the homeless were the former tenants kicked to the curb. He said NYC was a lot nicer. Williamsburg had more trees and fewer stabbings than other places. I said maybe that should be listed in the amenities section next to exposed brick and central AC.

I gave him the listing of an apt I walked by earlier in the day. The price was too rich for me, but not for the non-stabbing apt budget of a programmer. 

GET WHAT YOU WANT: APRIL 2019

1.HALCYON LAB
Deadline: April 4th
Website: https://halcyonhouse.org/arts-lab/apply

At the intersection of art and social change, this nine-month residential fellowship is designed to provide support and resources to emerging artists working on projects which address issues of social justice, civic engagement, and community building. Arts Lab fellows strive to hone their practices and grow as leaders in their respective fields.

Are you a digital artist interested in exhibiting your art in the 'physical world'? Want to see your art displayed throughout Washington, DC during a major international festival? In partnership with ARTECHOUSE, an innovative art space dedicated to showcasing experiential and tech driven artworks, By the People invites you to submit your digital designs to take part in an augmented reality exhibition 'art' hunt'. Through ARTECHOUSE's uniquely designed app, guests will be emboldened to discover the city searching for artworks with their smart phones on the sides of major landmarks, public spaces, and buildings.


2.2020 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.


3. ALPINE FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: April 10th
website: https://alpinefellowship.com/apply

The Alpine Fellowship is a group of writers, thinkers and artists who are passionate about learning and communicating with a view to better understanding themselves and others. We value a capacity for openness - being engaged in critically reflecting on firmly held beliefs; the courage to be vulnerable - speaking from a place of lived experience; the drive for curiosity - being truly able to receive and listen to others.

We think it important to support young people today who may have become somewhat disillusioned by the reality of modern day education. We care about discovering what an alternative model of education might look like. Hence the spirit of the enterprise is necessarily open ended, and we welcome and seek the support, contribution and presence of anyone who relates to what we care about.

Aimed at encouraging theatre writers at the start of their careers to explore and challenge philosophical ideas using the dramatic form. The prize will be £3000 plus a rehearsed reading at the Fellowship’s annual Symposium.

Rules: A dialogue sample of at least 10 pages (a previous play is fine) and a brief proposal of the writer’s intended treatment of the year’s theme of ‘Identity’ (2 pages max, a single paragraph is fine). The Prize is open to anyone above 18 years of age.

The Winner will be expected to deliver a completed script by May 31st, allowing for casting and rehearsals prior to the reading in Sweden.
 Shortlisted entries will be notified by email. Young playwright Jessica Swale will judge the submissions and direct the winning entry’s reading.

4. ACADEMY NICHOLL SCREENWRITING FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: April 10th (normal deadline), May 1st (late deadline with larger fee)
Website: http://www.oscars.org/nicholl/about

Each year, the Academy Nicholl screenwriting competition awards up to five $35,000 fellowships to amateur screenwriters. To enter, submit a feature-length screenplay and entry fee via the online application when the competition is open for submissions. Fellowship winners are invited to participate in awards week ceremonies and seminars and expected to complete at least one original feature film screenplay during the Fellowship year.

QUALIFICATIONS
Screenwriters who have not earned more than $25,000 writing fictional work for film or television.

Entry scripts must be the original work of one writer, or of two writers who collaborated equally, and must be written originally in English. Adaptations and translated scripts are not eligible.

NEW FOR 2017: Full-time students at an accredited college/university are eligible for a discount on their entry fee in 2017. Indicate your status in the demographic section of your online application. The discount will be offered in the payment section.

PRIZES
Up to five $35,000 fellowships are awarded each year to promising new screenwriters. From the program’s inception in 1986, $4.090 million has been awarded to 160 writers.

FELLOWSHIP OBLIGATIONS
Up to five fellows in the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition will be invited to participate in awards week ceremonies and seminars in November.

Fellowship recipients will be expected to complete at least one original feature film screenplay during the fellowship year.

Fellowship payments will be made quarterly subject to satisfactory progress of the recipient’s work, as judged by the Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee.

The Academy reserves the right to grant no awards if, in the opinion of the Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee, no entry is of sufficient merit.


5. DR. FLOYD GAFFNEY PLAYWRITING CONTEST
Deadline: April 12th
Website: http://www-theatre.ucsd.edu/playwritingcontest/index.htm

The UC San Diego’s Department of Theatre and Dance seeks from all enrolled undergraduate students submissions of previously unproduced, unpublished scripts highlighting the African-American experience in contemporary or historical terms. Adaptations from books and other forms are not allowed.

Click here to download a PDF of the contest flyer

Prize: A $1000 honorarium will be awarded to the winning playwright.

-A staged reading of the winning script  in the Wagner New Play Festival attended by national theatre professionals.

-Travel and housing cost to and from UC San Diego to be present for the performance.

Adjudication:

Finalists and the eventual winners will be selected by a team comprised of the faculty and staff of UCSD Department of Theatre and Dance and invited judges from other theatre facilities, the professional theatre, local media or the UCSD student body.

The decision of the team of adjudicators is final. The UCSD Department of Theatre and Dance reserves the right to select no winner.


6. GOOGLE PODCAST CREATOR PROGRAM
Deadline: April 14th
website: https://googlecp.prx.org/

The Google Podcasts creator program seeks to increase the diversity of voices in the industry globally and lower barriers to podcasting. Selected teams will receive seed funding and participate in an intensive training program.

The program is run by PRX, a pioneer in podcast training and education.

What are you looking for?
We are looking for creative, engaged producers who:

Represent a range of geographies, backgrounds, views, voices and styles
Either identify as marginalized in the current podcasting landscape – whether due to race, ethnicity, gender, religion, economic background, sexual orientation, age, physical abilities or some other reason – or intend to reach an audience that self-identifies as marginalized in the podcasting landscape
Have a fresh and compelling podcast idea
Have a sense of the audience they are trying to reach
Have a sense of how their show will sound
Are interested in making their podcasts sustainable in terms of growing revenue and audience
What are you not looking for?
While we are fans of many podcast formats, we believe the following types of shows will not benefit from this type of training:

Does the team represent or intend to reach an audience currently marginalized in the podcasting landscape (see “what are you looking for” section)?
Does this podcast idea demonstrate creativity and originality?
Does this podcast offer insight into broader issues or the human condition?
Does the team have a clear sense of the audience it wants to reach with the podcast, including why the audience has a need for the podcast?
Does the team seem curious, authentic, flexible and honest?
Does the team have a particularly interesting expertise or take on this idea?
Is the team able to dedicate the time necessary to complete the 20-week training?
Does the team seem to understand the time commitment necessary beyond the training to make a successful podcast?
Does the team have rights to tell the stories in the podcast or a plan to obtain them?
Regarding intellectual property, are there any strings attached for PRX and Google supporting these podcasts?
PRX and Google do not assume any rights to your intellectual property in this process, even at the application stage. You alone own your idea. PRX will ask each selected team to sign a letter of agreement covering payment terms, services and program expectations.

Can I apply again if I applied the first time?
Yes. Please highlight the work you have done since the first application and let us know about any new developments with your project.

If I applied the first time, is there a way I can edit my original application?
You can log into your Submittable account to view your original application (more info on how to do so here). However, you will need to start a new application for this round.

Can I apply even it's just me?
Yes, you can apply as a solo producer.

How many people should my team plan to send?
Maximum 3 people per team.


7. 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.


8. P73 FELLOWSHIP & INTERSTATE
Deadline: April 15th
Website: https://www.page73.org/application

The Page 73 Playwriting Fellowship provides a year of comprehensive support to one early-career playwright who has not received a professional production in New York City (please see eligibility requirements below). Through this program, Page 73 provides artistic and financial resources to this writer as they develop one or more new plays of their choosing. The Page 73 Playwriting Fellow receives an unrestricted award of $10,000 and a development budget, managed by Page 73 and the Fellow over the course of the Fellowship year, up to an additional $10,000.

The Fellow is encouraged to think creatively about using Fellowship resources to meet concrete goals that might not otherwise be possible. These goals may include, but are not limited to, development of one or more new plays, assistance in building relationships within the New York City theater community, research, and/or travel. Please note that funds from the Page 73 Playwriting Fellowship do not cover full-scale productions, nor does Page 73 commit to producing the work of the Fellow. The Fellowship incorporates at least one public presentation by the Fellow. Page 73 also helps the Fellow identify and connect with collaborators, including directors, designers, actors and dramaturgs, for Fellowship projects.

The Fellow is associated with Page 73 for the calendar year, from January 1 to December 31. After being selected, they work with Page 73’s staff to develop a plan for the year and establish a timeline for the development work to be done on the new play or plays. The Fellow may also be invited to participate in the Page 73 Summer Residency and, if eligible, Interstate 73 (described below) during the Fellowship year.

If the Fellow is not a New York City resident, they must be prepared to travel to New York during the Fellowship year in order to fully engage in the opportunities that the Fellowship provides.

INTERSTATE: Interstate 73 is Page 73’s yearlong writers group. Consisting of six to eight playwrights and led by Page 73’s Producing Artistic Director and Artistic Associate, Interstate 73 meets twice monthly on weeknight evenings at our office in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Each playwright receives a stipend for participating. Participants bring in pages that are read aloud and discussed by the group. Each participating playwright is also given an opportunity for a reading of a completed work, which can be public or private, depending on the playwright’s interests and needs. Page 73's staff works with each playwright to craft the reading to be as useful as possible for the writer.

Interstate 73 begins each year in January, and meetings run through December; sessions are typically suspended for a period in the summer. Please consult the eligibility requirements below. Page 73 selects participants from individuals we meet through this application process as well as from individuals who have become known to the company through other means.


10. BOGLIASCO FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: April 15th
Website: ttp://www.bfny.org

The Bogliasco Foundation is pleased to announce a new residential Fellowship for an American scholar in European art history. The five-week Fellowship, which will take place at the Foundation’s Study Center near Genoa during the Spring 2020 semester, includes full room and board and a travel stipend of $1000. The Fellowship is open to American art historians of all ages who are working on pre-modern projects (antiquity to early 19th century), and who are not currently in a degree-granting program.

For complete instructions and eligibility details, kindly consult the Foundation’s online application site at http://www.bfny.org/en/apply. The deadline to apply is April 15th.


11. 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.


12. GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE WRITERS' ROOM
deadline: April 22nd
website: http://www.geffenplayhouse.org/thewritersroom

A group for Los Angeles-based playwrights, The Writers’ Room is a product of the Geffen’s deep commitment to supporting new plays and specifically to fostering bold, relevant work by the vibrant artistic community of this city. During a one-year residency, playwright members gather monthly at the Geffen to share their work and receive feedback from their peers in a forum facilitated by Rachel Wiegardt-Egel, the Geffen’s Manager of New Play Development. With applications that are open to all Los Angeles-based playwrights, this program is ideal for those who would benefit from a structured and supportive environment in which to work on a new play. In addition to the feedback of their fellow writers, members receive dramaturgical support from the theater’s artistic staff, a ticket to all Gil Cates Theater shows at the Geffen for the season in which their residency takes place, and the opportunity to further develop their work with a director and actors in a culminating reading that may be open to the public.

We invite local playwrights to apply with ambitious new projects. In order to apply, please send a one-page project proposal and a 20 page writing sample (from a previous full-length play) to thewritersroom@geffenplayhouse.org. The project proposal should include: your name, your email address, your phone number, your permanent address (including zip code), and the title of your writing sample, as well as a description of the plot and style of the play you’d like to work on during this one-year residency and why you would benefit from taking part in The Writers’ Room program. Please send both the proposal and writing sample as PDFs.

The Writers’ Room group will meet once a month on Monday nights from September 2019 through July 2020. (There will also be two months over the course of the year when the group will meet twice, for a total of 13 meetings.) Readings of each play will take place in summer 2020. While we understand that conflicts can be unpredictable, please do not apply if you know you will be unavailable on Mondays generally or will be out of town for an extended period of time that will cause you to miss more than two of the monthly meetings. If you are unsure whether your conflicts will prohibit you from participating, please note this in your proposal. Once the group has been selected, conflicts will be taken into consideration to pick dates that work for everyone.

The Writers’ Room is made possible through the generous support of Patricia Kiernan Applegate.

Application deadline: 11:59 p.m. PST on Monday, April 22, 2019
Interviews of finalist applicants: mid-late July 2019
Notification of program acceptance: mid-late July 2019
Program start date: September 2019
Program end date: end of August 2020


13. CARLO ANNONI PRIZE
Deadline: April 30th
Website: http://premiocarloannoni.eu


The Carlo Annoni Award is for theatre plays on gay themes and on diversity in love. The plays can be written in Italian or in English. The prize is € 1000 for texts for each language (Italian and English).

Plays must be sent by April 30, 2019 to: info@premiocarloannoni.eu

Participation is free of charge. Texts already represented in the previous two years will also be taken into consideration.

The award ceremony will take place in September 2019 with an event in Milan.

A “library” of plays received is being created on this site to make them available to theater companies: those who want their text to become part of the virtual library must express their consent at the time of submitting the play, provided that the Author has all rights.


14. CBS WRITERS’ MENTORING (LA-based)
Deadline: May 1st
Website: https://www.cbscorporation.com/diversity/diversity-institute/writers-mentoring-program/

The focus of this eight month program is on opening doors: providing opportunities to build relationships with network executives and show runners; to support new and emerging writers in their efforts to improve their craft; and to develop the interpersonal skills necessary to break in and succeed. The Writers Mentoring Program is not employment and there is no monetary compensation. It is, instead, a structured program of career development, support, and personal access to executives and the decision-making processes, with the goal of preparing aspiring writers for later employment opportunities in television. Each participant will be teamed with an executive mentor.

A CBS network or studio executive with whom they will meet on a regular basis, to discuss their work, get creative feedback on their material and get advice and support in furthering their career.

Once a week, participants will be invited to attend a small workshop-style meeting with various CBS show runners and other industry professionals. Speakers include executive producers, agents, managers, development and current executives and show runners. The purpose of these gatherings is for participants to gain a better understanding of how the business works from many different perspectives as well as creating the opportunity to make critical networking connections. Another important part of the program is the opportunity for each participant to spend time observing in a writers room, as well as in the CBS current and/or development departments. Each participant will have help in creating a rigorous career action plan and there will be on-going support in evaluating and achieving those goals. Another important benefit of the program is the development of a close-knit peer support group that will sustain participants through the program and beyond. The CBS Writers Mentoring Program helps aspiring writers to understand the unwritten rules of breaking in and moving up. It is a combination of mentoring and networking opportunities. Program opportunities such as mentoring, workshops, and observing can be scheduled around participants’ existing work commitments. In order for a participant to get the most out of the Program a meaningful commitment of time and effort are required. It has been found that in order to derive the greatest benefit from the program, participants should be available to 1) attend a once a week (evening) workshop and 2) attend meetings or observe in various situations for a minimum of five full days (not necessarily in sequence) over the course of the eight-month program.

Eligibility
The primary focus of the CBS Writers Mentoring Program is to provide access and opportunities for talented and motivated diverse writers. Aspiring diverse writers with a strong desire to write for CBS television series are encouraged to apply. You must be 21 or older to be eligible. All completed application materials must be received between March 1, 2019 and May 1, 2019. Any submissions received before March 1st or after May 1st, 2019 will not be considered. No hand delivered submissions will be accepted. Finalists will be notified in mid September 2019 (or such later date as may be determined by CBS). The program is scheduled to begin in October 2019 and continues through April 2020. CBS reserves the right to make adjustments to program schedule as necessary.


15. NATIONAL BLACK THEATER: I AM SOUL RESIDENCY
deadline: May 1st
website: https://www.nationalblacktheatre.org/

Launched in 2012, I AM SOUL - Playwright Residency Program is the only program in the country that is dedicated to Black playwrights, whose work demonstrates exceptional artistic merit and excellence in the theatrical field, with a commitment to a production. Coined as a dream MFA program, this residency also seeks to unleash the soul of a playwright on the page so that they can develop, hone and explore new ways of artistic expression in a safe, supported and transformative environment. 

Alongside NBT’s Artistic  Director, the selected playwright (s) will develop a new play during the eighteen (18) month residency. The program provides the playwright with a stipend, administrative and dramaturgical support, in-house readings, and two 29-hour workshops. This process culminates with a Workshop Production in NBT’s following 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 Black playwrights.