Biden Cancels (some) Student Loan Debt and the GOP Loses It

 Cancelling up to 20k is a good start. Limiting interest rates to 5% is even better.

i paid off 100k in student debt yrs ago. 40k of the total was added debt after I graduated b/c the minimum payments were actually not enough to keep up with interest rates. And just b/c I paid off almost double what I owed doesn't mean other should have to suffer the same fate.

I'm also wondering about medical debt. Ppl who go broke b/c they got sick. I'm here in Oslo and in a lot of the countries I visited this summer these problems are unfathomable. They're dumbfounded by the idea that you end up with crippling debt from trying to get an education or that getting sick could result in financial ruin. Someone asked me 'why do Americans tolerate this system? It makes no sense.' I tried to explain things in terms of cave men and clans: about half the country is fueled by hair-trigger, Pavlovian ill will based in ethno-tribalism. They vote for policies that harm everyone over universal policies that might help someone from a different tribe. This bias is exploited by corporations who buy off politicians who then use tribalism to rob their own clan. Politicians and policy makers promise that this policy 'will ensure that the other tribe doesn't get ahead.' What they don't say is that the policy actually ensures that no one gets ahead and everyone gets punished.

After my dad had his first stroke, he was totally confused by how unhelpful the medical industry was during his time of need. He had been a loyal and consistent contributor to all the 'right pensions and insurances' for these emergencies and now found himself stuck in a corporate maze that seemed designed to make him give up. I was driving him to a doctor's appointment when he was running over all the confusing, contradictory, unhelpful things that had been thrown in his path. Frustrated (not by him but by the circumstances) I yelled " THE MEDICAL BUREAUCRACY DOES NOT CARE ABOUT MEDICINE. IT IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO DO."

My dad sat there stunned by my poisoned fortune cookie pronouncement. I calmed down and explained that bureaucracy has no concerns for him or any humans. Bureaucracy is designed for the proliferation of itself. It exists to expand and create more bureaucracy. So if a system is simple and easy for humans and works then that is a very bad system for...systems.

Education bureaucracy of standardized tests, confusing loan schemes, varying interests rates has nothing to do with a better education. It exists to create confusion and thus require more bureaucracy. Then that bloating bureaucracy needs money to support itself and dilutes its services to save money and creates rules so convoluted that they seemed to have been create from a school bus game of Uno (double reverse, skip, you draw two, and the color is red, etc.)

The student and medical debt system is so illogical and heinous that we don't even examine that we are negotiating with a system that is not designed to make life better. It is only designed to expand and grow itself through confusion.

So our schools and healthcare make ppl sick and stupid and saddled with crippling debt.

But 20k in forgiveness is a good start b/c it's at least trying to do SOMETHING for human beings and not for bureaucracy.

Teacher Shortages

 There's a teacher shortage b/c the political hostility toward teachers is a symptom of a widespread hostility toward truth. When a culture/country/movement or person is drowning in lies, the thing that threatens the status quo is truth and learning. That's why newly empowered dictator go after the artists and teachers first. They're trying to kill the spirit of truth seeking. The conservative movement has attacked teacher's unions for wanting to make a livable wage, offering support to LGBT students, and now has politicized a whole movement against teachers teaching history. And then refuses to protect them and suggest that the underpaid, overworked teacher take up guns to protect their kids from the same hate-based grievances that trigger the mass shooters. So Anne Frank is cancelled from one school system, MLK is eliminated from another school, but open carry is year-around. And the only rhyme or reason is that the historical truth is uncomfortable to the same group that seeks to indoctrinate their children into the same system that is producing increasingly savage mass killers blinded by hatred. 

Throughout the years, my best friends have always made me feel -at some pt- like I was being attacked. And usually it's because it was some lie or error in my thinking that I was trying to protect. After the defensiveness, I've been able to examine not only why they were saying it, but why I felt attacked and the need to attack them: it was because I was protecting something that was comfortably dishonest. 

For the past few yrs I've led two diff writers' groups and it's been interesting. I've learned that you can teach anyone technique and craft. But you can't teach someone to be honest. It's a fundamental trait that is set at a young age. When an artist is getting feedback about something emotionally dishonest in their work, they either run or change. Often, they run b/c the underpinning of their art is a deeply held dishonesty in their own life. It's an automatic computer coding that kicks out the bullshit. Nothing has to be said or done. They just stop showing up b/c they can't take the feeling that 'they're being attacked' when ppl offer constructive criticism b/c what they really want is unwavering adulation. But how can anyone get better with just adoration and applause?

As a country, there is a certain segment which is not open to feedback, does not want constructive criticism, is not interested in hearing anything that makes them uncomfortable. They only want applause for being 'themselves' and anything less is an attack. This segment is exist on both the political right and left. And teachers are their enemy, like sunlight to a grave robber.

Traveling with Dad

August 10th was my dad’s birthday. That morning I woke up and -like every day- set up my altar, stretched, meditated. Stanley Dale Squire would have been 77. He was raised in Miami’s concrete monster housing projects and was one of the first people in his family to graduate from college (Aunt Dollie was the first and ended up getting a Master’s degree from Indiana U.) My dad always wanted to travel and intended on retiring, buying a Winnebago, and driving around the USA, Canada, maybe even Mexico and then South America. A year before retirement, he had his first stroke. And then another. And then 15 years of strokes, paralysis, and hospice before passing away in January 2021. He never got to buy his Winnebago or see the Grand Canyon. 

But when I was a kid we did take family trips to California, Texas, New Orleans, and DC. He did manage to get some traveling done in his life. So I try to take him along with me on these adventures.

 On the altar. In 2017 I was living in LA and my friend called me up one morning and said ‘let’s just jump on a plane and go to Japan.’ That sounded so nice but…I had meetings that week. So she went and I stayed behind and regretted that. 

A year after my dad passed away a friend said ‘meet me in London.’ And I thought about my dad and the Winnebago he never got to buy and said ‘I’ll be there.’ And then ‘let’s go to South Africa,’ and then another friend said ‘you want to meet in France,’ and ‘how about Serbia?’ Yes, let’s do it! Happy 77th, Dad! We’ve been to London, Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Reykjavik, Cape Town, Belgrade, Zagreb, Slovenia, Vienna, Nice, Bordeaux, Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Copenhagen, Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal, and Las Vegas…just this year. Don’t know what’s next, but I’ll pack my bags and my altar. He’s coming with me.

Get What You Want: August 2022

 1. BMI WORKSHOP

DEADLINE: Aug. 1st

WEBSITE: https://www.bmi.com/theatre_workshop/application_requirements

Application Materials

• Composer: Three contrasting compositions - uptempo, comedy song, ballad. Please include a copy of score which includes lyrics.

• Lyricist: Three contrasting lyrics in PDF format - uptempo, comedy song, ballad.

• Composer/Lyricist: Three contrasting songs - uptempo, comedy song, ballad. Please include a copy of score which includes lyrics.

Note that if you apply as a composer and a lyricist, you will be accepted as one or the other (that is, as either a composer or a lyricist) and you will be assigned different collaborators over the course of the year. If you apply as both a composer/lyricist and a librettist and are accepted as both, you will spend your first year as a composer/lyricist only, as the two groups meet at the same time.

Select applicants will be invited to audition in early September. Librettists are accepted on the basis of their written materials and are not required to audition. At the auditions, composers and composer/lyricists will be asked to perform at least two contrasting theatrical compositions; lyricists will be asked to recite samples of their theatrical lyrics. All auditions must be done live, using a piano.

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.

2. NANCY DEAN AWARD FOR LESBIAN PLAYWRIGHTS

DEADLINE: August 1st

WEBSITE: https://www.openmeadows.org/nancy-dean-lesbian-playwriting-award.html

The Nancy Dean award for Lesbian Playwrights is to honor a woman who was at the forefront of Lesbian, queer, gay, genderqueer, gender-nonconforming, trans, intersex and people of color movements.  We honor her focus and writing on Lesbian relationships before the time of the Stonewall rebellion. Her writings were the precursor to social change. In that spirit of struggle and often hidden desire we encourage the submission of new plays that address the conflict of lesbian, queer or gay, trans and nonbinary women struggling to live and love their best lives. In these times of social definition and refinement the age-old conflict of acceptance and the right to live our true lives as we truly are is still our continuing fight which is refined and embolden by each new generation.

 

We understand people have their own language for their gender and sexuality. We are open to submission from people who are lesbian, queer or gay, trans and nonbinary. 

 

As we are a small family foundation with an all-volunteer board, we must rely on nominations to identify potential recipients. We are asking professors, teachers, artistic directors, directors, literary managers, actors, writers, and others to nominate promising writers. As we want to be inclusive, we will allow people to self-nominate. The following are our guidelines:

1. Writer is lesbian, queer or gay or nonbinary;

2. Writer has written at least one play;

3. Writer is writing plays about lesbians;

4. Writer is committed to writing plays and furthering her/their career; 

5. Writer is interested in receiving the award.

 

Please send a letter(pdf) describing why your playwright should receive this award and a full-length play (pdf) to openmeadowsfdn@gmail.com. In your letter, please be as detailed as possible in up to 2 pages. Include the writer’s resume and website or other social media links. We will announce the recipients October 31, 2022. We have been granting three awards of $5000, $2500 and $1250. 

3. NATIVE VOICES PLAYWRIGHTS RETREAT AND 29TH FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS

DEADLINE: August 2, 2022

WEBSITE: theautry.org/events/signature-programs/native-voices-annual-call-for-scripts

Native Voices is accepting submissions of full-length plays (60+ pages) by American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations playwrights addressing all themes and topics. The Retreat and Festival bring artists to Los Angeles to work on a selected number of plays through a rigorous directorial and dramaturgical commitment for 8–10 days in June. The Retreat culminates in public staged readings of the plays at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles. Selected playwrights receive artistic support as well as an honorarium; out-of-town artists receive roundtrip airfare plus lodging in Southern California.

Full-length plays (60+ pages) received by August 2, 2022 will be read and evaluated. A select number of playwrights will be invited to submit formal proposals detailing their developmental goals should their play be chosen for the short list. Scripts will then be sent to a committee of nationally recognized theatre artists for further evaluation. With their help, Native Voices selects up to four plays for the Playwrights Retreat and Festival of New Plays. Playwrights will be notified in March 2023.

Months prior to residencies, selected playwrights participate in dramaturgical conversations with an assigned director and dramaturg. Workshops with these creative teams and a cast of professional actors commence once the playwright arrives on-site. It is important to note that these conversations and workshops are playwright driven, allowing the writer to shape their own developmental path. Selected playwrights should be prepared to dedicate adequate time to this process prior to arriving on-site.

4. THE YALE DRAMA SERIES PLAYWRITING COMPETITION

DEADLINE: August 15th

WEBSITE: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/yale-drama-series-rules-and-submission-guidelines/

The Yale Drama Series is seeking submissions for its 2023 playwriting competition. The winning play will be selected by the series’ current judge, Jeremy O. Harris. The winner of this annual competition will be awarded the David Charles Horn Prize of $10,000, publication of their manuscript by Yale University Press, and a celebratory event. The prize and publication are contingent on the playwright’s agreeing to the terms of the publishing agreement.

There is no entry fee. Please follow these guidelines in preparing your manuscript:

1. This contest is restricted to plays written in the English language. Worldwide submissions are accepted.

2. Submissions must be original, unpublished full-length plays, with a minimum of 65 pages. Plays with less than 65 pages will not be considered. Translations, musicals, and children’s plays are not accepted.

3. The Yale Drama Series is intended to support emerging playwrights. Playwrights may win the competition only once.

4. Playwrights may submit only one manuscript per year.  Only manuscripts authored by one playwright are eligible.

5. Plays that have been professionally produced or published are not eligible. Plays that have had a workshop, reading, or non-professional production or that have been published as an actor’s edition will be considered.

6. Plays may not be under option, commissioned, or scheduled for professional production or publication at the time of submission.

7. Plays must be typed/word-processed and page-numbered.

8. The Yale Drama Series reserves the right to reject any manuscript for any reason.

9. The Yale Drama Series reserves the right of the judge to not choose a winner for any given year of the competition and reserves the right to determine the ineligibility of a winner, in keeping with the spirit of the competition, and based upon the accomplishments of the author.

5. THEATRE VISCERA AND THE THEATRE VISCERA PODCAST

DEADLINE:  August 15th

WEBSITE: https://www.theatreviscera.com/work-with-us-playwrights

We are accepting play submissions for the 2023 season of theatre viscera and the theatre viscera podcast. please read through the submission guidelines thoroughly as submissions that do not adhere to them will not be accepted.

• We accept plays written by queer (LGBTQIA+) playwrights, about queer characters, for queer performers.

• We have a preference for plays about/by transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming folx.

• You may send us full length plays, one acts, or collections of ten minutes. Total submissions must be at least 30 minutes long when read.

• We are considering plays for full production, but have more slots available for plays to be read on the podcast, if your play is an audio play please specify that.

• We are not accepting musicals at this time.

• Please send your scripts to theatreviscera@gmail.com with the subject line “2023 Play Submission” send your plays as .doc, .docx, or .pdf

• Your submission must include a character breakdown and short synopsis.

• Plays must be formatted appropriately, standard play format is preferred but if your piece requires unique formatting just let us know.

• Plays must be paginated and in a readable 12pt font.

• Submissions are limited to 1 per playwright.

• If we’ve already read and declined a piece in previous submission cycles, please do not submit revisions unless specifically requested.

6. COMMISSION FOR NEW PLAY AT MSU

DEADLINE: August 15th

WEBSITE: https://theatre.msu.edu

SUBMISSION FORM

The Michigan State University Department of Theatre seeks to commission a playwright to write a new full-length play, scheduled for a fully-realized production in Spring 2024. The play will feature the work of current Master of Fine Arts Acting and Design students. We are seeking a new play with at least eight great roles that highlight the diversity of our MFA Actors. Meet them here: https://theatre.msu.edu/commission/ 

We imagine a collaborative process where the playwright and MFAs discuss themes, issues, and stories that collectively interest them. 

We seek an early-career or graduate student playwright (preferred, but not essential) interested in writing a play specifically for this group to culminate in public performances

The chosen playwright will receive a $4000 fee to create a new play and participate in all the above-listed events over a year and a half. Funding will also be allocated for travel and housing for on-site developmental workshops and rehearsals. 

A completed full-length play. 

A statement related to your work and themes within it related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

An artist’s statement: One to two-page statement of your artistic mission, which introduces you, your process, and your body of work to us. Please also state what interests you about this project. 

A resume

Interviews of final candidates will be conducted in late August/early September 2022.

If you have any questions, please contact roznows5@msu.edu

7. NATIVE VOICES: SHORT PLAYS FESTIVAL 2023

DEADLINE: August 23, 2022

WEBSITE: https://theautry.org/events/signature-programs/native-voices-annual-call-for-scripts

*Please note that Native Voices only accepts submissions written for the stage or theatre by American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations artists.

Don’t Mess with Auntie! Our communities shape us - our identities, our values, our taste in food. And, in our Native communities, the list of those who rear us extends far beyond that westernized “nuclear family.” This year, Native Voices invites you to tell a story inspired by an Auntie (or, many Aunties…let’s be honest)!

Don’t Mess with Auntie. We know it, we live by it, and goodness, do we have stories about it! Native Voices’ 2023 Short Play Festival is calling all Auntie stories. Laugh, cry, and learn your lessons as we assemble at the Autry for our 13th Annual Short Play Festival. Please keep your plays under 10 minutes. 

Plays selected to participate in the 13th Annual Short Play Festival will also be entered to win the Thomas Studi Gadugi Audience Prize of $500 and the Von Marie Atchley Excellence in Playwriting Award of $1,000.

Scripts longer than 15 pages or read aloud at longer than 10 minutes will not be accepted. Fresh, surprising perspectives are welcome!

8. ECHOES WRITERS GROUP ~ PRIMARY STAGES

DEADLINE: August 28, 2022

WEBSITE: https://primarystages.org/explore/echoes-writers-group

Echoes Writers Group at Primary Stages is a year-long, educational program focused on finding, nurturing, and amplifying the voices of women, non-binary, and gender non-conforming artists. It is a place for writers to develop their practice in a supportive and creative community that grows together. Led by the artistic team at Primary Stages, the group is comprised of writers who are just starting to discover their voice and build their craft, particularly those who are interested in learning about the art of playwriting. 

The Group participates in twice-weekly Mentorship and Sharing Sessions, where writers have the chance to create and develop their own work with professionals from across the theater community. Previous Mentors have included Cusi Cram, Brittany K. Allen, Judy Gold, Migdalia Cruz, Brenda Withers, C. Quintana, Tina Satter, Mfoniso Udofia, Madhuri Shekar, and AriDy Nox, and touched on topics such as Playwriting Fundamentals, Adaptation, 10-minute plays, Comedy, Solo Work, Devised Work, TV/Film Writing, and more. 

Each Group member will receive a $500 honorarium, and the year-long program will include a week of developmental workshops for the writers and culminate in presentations of the group’s works in Spring 2023. 

We are looking for applicants who love to write but have not had the chance to fully explore their passion in a professional or academic setting. Women, non-binary, and gender non-conforming writers have faced many barriers to pursuing and developing their work, and this is meant to be a safe and inclusive space that will offer mentorship, support, and community. Whether you've stepped away from your writing and wish to reinvest in your passion, want to expand the scope of your writing, are discovering a new creative interest, or anything in between, we're looking for undeveloped and undiscovered voices who need room to grow. 

Apply Here: https://forms.gle/BM4U6Up3h5haefyt9

If you have any issues uploading material, please email the files to echoes@primarystages.org.

Applicants will be contacted by the end of September regarding their selection status, and finalists will be asked for a virtual interview. 

9. THE FRANK MOFFETT MOSIER FELLOWSHIP FOR WORKS IN HEIGHTENED LANGUAGE 

DEADLINE: August 31st

WEBSITE: https://www.synecdocheworks.org

Monetary award to playwright: $3000. Synecdoche Works may support further development of a submitted work at its discretion. Submissions must be in a heightened version of the English language in order to provide a meaningful challenge to the actors. This includes, but is not limited to, works using meter, verse, rhyming schemes, pidgins, creoles, and code-switching. Plays must contain at least 60% heightened language. Submissions may be translations or adaptations of works in the public domain.

• No works under 40 minutes are eligible.

• Authors awarded a grant must be willing to participate in a brief rehearsal process culminating in an online video reading of their submitted work*.

• Submitted works cannot be currently attached to a theater or production company.

• Submitted works cannot have had a prior development cycle outside of an educational program.

• We accept English-language plays from anywhere in the world.

Submission portfolio must include:

1. This Google form: https://forms.gle/qwWhmqBiLb6cViBg8

2. The play in standard script format, upload via the Google form or emailed as an attachment to submissions@synecdocheworks.org

Optional: 

1. C.V. or resume.

* Synecdoche Works will make reasonable efforts to facilitate an online video reading, but the reading is not guaranteed.

 

10. BLUE INK AWARD FOR PLAYWRITING

DEADLINE: August 31st

WEBSITE: https://americanbluestheater.com/single-tickets/new-play-development/

The nationally-renowned Blue Ink Award for playwriting was created in 2010 to support new work. Since inception, we’ve named 12 Award winners, 112 finalists, and 171 semi-finalists.  Nearly $10,000 in cash and prizes was distributed to playwrights in 2022.

Each year American Blues Theater accepts worldwide submissions of original, unpublished full-length plays. The winning play will be selected by Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and the theater’s Ensemble. The 2022 winning playwright receives a monetary prize of $2,500. Cash prizes are awarded to finalists and semi-finalists too. 

Send any questions to ElyseD@AmericanBluesTheater.com.

11. AMERICAN-SCANDINAVIAN FOUNDATION TRANSLATION AWARDS

DEADLINE: September 1st

WEBSITE: http://www.amscan.org/fellowships-grants/translation-competition/

The American-Scandinavian Foundation annually awards three translation prizes for outstanding translations of poetry, fiction, drama, or literary prose written by a 20th or 21st-century Nordic author: The Nadia Christensen Prize includes a $2,500 award, publication of an excerpt in Scandinavian Review, and a commemorative bronze medallion.

The Leif and Inger Sjöberg Prize, given to an individual whose literature translations from a Nordic language have not previously been published, includes a $2,000 award, publication of an excerpt in Scandinavian Review, and a commemorative bronze medallion.

The Wigeland Prize, given to the best translation from Norwegian by a resident of Norway, includes a $2,000 award, publication of an excerpt in Scandinavian Review, and a commemorative bronze medallion.

GUIDELINES

• The prizes are for outstanding English translations of poetry, fiction, drama or literary prose originally written in a Nordic language.

• Translations must be from the writing of one author, although not necessarily from a single work.

• The online application will require the following materials:

• Your CV;

• A brief description of the author whose work you are translating;

• One copy of the translation, including a title page and a table of contents for the proposed book of which the submitted manuscript is a part. If prose, manuscripts must be 25-50 pages, double-spaced; if poetry, 15-25 pages. *Note: Manuscripts must have numbered pages, and the translator’s name should not appear on any page of the translation manuscript. Submissions containing the translator’s name will be disqualified;

• One copy of the work(s) in the original language (relevant pages only); and

• A letter or other document signed by the author, the author’s agent or the author’s estate granting permission for the translation to be entered in this competition and published in Scandinavian Review.

The translation submitted in the competition may not have been previously published in the English language by the submission deadline. (If the submitted translation is also under consideration by a publisher, you must inform us of the expected publication date.) Translators may submit one entry only and may not submit the same entry in more than two competitions.

The Translation Prize cannot be won more than three times by the same translator.

12. WOODWARD/NEWMAN AWARD

DEADLINE: September 1st

WEBSITE: https://seeconstellation.org

Each play should be individually submitted at the following link:

CONSTELLATION STAGE & SCREEN PLAY SUBMISSION

The Woodward/Newman Award is an exclusive honor offered by Bloomington Playwrights Project, started through the support of Joanne Woodward, Newman’s Own Foundation, and the Newman family, celebrating Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward’s tremendous history of work on stage and screen. It presents the best unpublished play of the year with a cash prize of $3,000 and a full production as part of BPP’s Mainstage season (soon to be Constellation Stage & Screen, effective July 1, 2022).

.

The winner will be awarded $3,000 and a full production (including housing and transportation).“Full-length” plays should have a complete running time of between 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes) to 2 hours 15 minutes (135 minutes). TYA shows should have a complete running time of over 40 minutes.

Plays submitted must be unpublished at the time of submission (independently published is acceptable).

You will be asked to submit your play as an attachment and all other information (bio, history, synopsis, character breakdown) will be entered into a form. 

Musical submissions may upload demos as an attachment or include a link to a shared folder.

Limit of 2 play submissions per year.

If you have any questions, please email literarymanager@newplays.org

While there are no deadlines for entry, due to the incredible volume of submissions, we advise submitting prior to September 1 to be considered for the following season.

13. RADCLIFFE INSTITUTE FELLOWSHIP

DEADLINE: September 8th

WEBSITE: https://radcliffe.onlineapplicationportal.com

 

Harvard Radcliffe Institute fellows are in residence for a period of nine months from September 1, 2023 through May 31, 2024 and receive a stipend of $78,000 plus an additional $5,000 to cover project expenses. Fellows are expected to be free of their regular commitments so that they may fully devote themselves to the work outlined in their proposal. 

As this is a residential fellowship, fellows are expected to reside in the Greater Boston area for the duration of their fellowship. Fellows may be eligible to receive additional funds for moving expenses, childcare, and housing to aid them in making a smooth transition. Healthcare options are made available as needed.

Harvard Radcliffe Fellows receive office or studio space in Byerly Hall and full-time Harvard appointments as visiting fellows, granting them access to Harvard University's various resources, including libraries, housing, and athletic facilities. If fellows would like to hire Harvard undergraduate students as Research Partners, we will cover their hourly wages.

Fellows are expected to engage actively with the colleagues in their cohort and to participate fully as a member of the Harvard Radcliffe community. To this end, all fellows present their work-in-progress, either in the form of a private talk for their cohort or a public lecture, in addition to attending the presentations of all other fellows during that academic year (up to two talks per week). We offer group lunches and other opportunities to connect with members of your cohort, but attendance at these is optional.

Applications are evaluated on the quality and significance of the proposed project and the applicant's intellectual and creative capacity, as evidenced by a strong record of achievement or extraordinary promise. We seek diversity along every dimension, including geography, ethnicity and race, stage in career, and ideological perspective.

Each application is reviewed in a two-tiered process–first by experts in the relevant field, then by a multidisciplinary committee charged with selecting a diverse class of fellows of the highest achievement and potential. As a uniquely multidisciplinary community, we highly value collegiality and openness to cross-disciplinary conversation. Evidence of collaborative and/or multidisciplinary work is a valued addition to the application. 

Applicants will be notified of the results of the selection process by the end of March 2023. 

14. PRINCETON ARTS FELLOWSHIPS

DEADLINE:September 13th

WEBSITE: https://arts.princeton.edu/fellowships/princeton-arts-fellowship/

Princeton Arts Fellowships, funded in part by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, David E. Kelley Society of Fellows in the Arts, and the Maurice R. Greenberg Scholarship Fund, will be awarded to artists whose achievements have been recognized as demonstrating extraordinary promise in any area of artistic practice and teaching. Applicants should be early career composers, conductors, musicians, choreographers, visual artists, filmmakers, poets, novelists, playwrights, designers, directors and performance artists–this list is not meant to be exhaustive–who would find it beneficial to spend two years teaching and working in an artistically vibrant university community.

Princeton Arts Fellows spend two consecutive academic years (September 1-July 1) at Princeton University and formal teaching is expected. The normal work assignment will be to teach one course each semester subject to approval by the Dean of the Faculty, but fellows may be asked to take on an artistic assignment in lieu of a class, such as directing a play or creating a dance with students. Although the teaching load is light, our expectation is that Fellows will be full and active members of our community, committed to frequent and engaged interactions with students during the academic year.

An $88,000 a year stipend is provided. Fellowships are not intended to fund work leading to an advanced degree. One need not be a U.S. citizen to apply. Holders of Ph.D. degrees from Princeton are not eligible to apply.

To apply, please submit a curriculum vitae, contact information for three references (should the search committee choose to contact references, please do not request letters or have letters sent in advance of a request from the search committee), and work samples (i.e., a writing sample, images of your work, video links to performances, etc.). Please also submit a 750-word proposal that includes how you would hope to use the two years of the fellowship to develop your work, how you would contribute to Princeton’s arts community through teaching and/or production, and how you have encouraged diversity and inclusion in your artistic practice, teaching, and/or research.

Submit your Application for the Princeton Arts Fellowship online.

Applicants can only apply for the Princeton Arts Fellowship twice in a lifetime.

For more information, please review our Frequently Asked Questions.

Questions? Email lca-fellowships@princeton.edu.

15. JENTEL ARTS RESIDENCY

DEADLINE: September 15th

WEBSITE: http://jentelarts.org/apply/

Experience time apart from daily concerns. Experience a place where the time passes in the quiet certitude as it did 50 to 100 years ago. Experience the remarkable landscape and atmosphere of a working cattle ranch in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains. Experience solitude balanced with the opportunity for community. Sitting just eight miles away from UCross is Jentel, which hosts month-long residencies year-round. The program accepts both established and emerging artists, so long as you’re dedicated to your craft and your work has a “personal voice or vision.” Though food isn’t included, they do provide a $400 weekly stipend to help with the costs of your trip. Applicants must be over the age of 25. Deadlines are January and September 15; $23 application fee.

16. THE JEWISH PLAYS PROJECT

DEADLINE: Rolling

WEBSITE: : www.jewishplaysproject.org/guide

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN TO ARTISTS OF ALL 

BACKGROUNDS, DENOMINATIONS, FAITHS, CREEDS, RELIGIONS, and other IDEALS. 

SUBMISSION PROCESS: Fill out the Project Application Form and attach a play to the form as a PDF. You must submit your play with your name and other identifying information removed (we review all plays blind). We will consider submitted plays and musicals:

MUSICALS: Submitted musicals must include links to recordings of at least 3 songs to be reviewed. Please note, we review musicals on a different timeline than our other programming.

ELIGIBILITY: The following must be true of a submitted play or musical:

• It contains significant Jewish themes, characters, content, or points of view.

• It is in English, or primarily in English—we love plays that play with language as a theatrical tool, and plays that explore the differences in language. It just needs to be primarily accessible to an English speaking audience.  (We welcome translations.)

• It is full length, meaning over around 75 minutes in length. (For a guide, that usually means 60 pages or more. We DO NOT review 10 or 20 minute plays.)

• It has not had a full production in the NY Metro region or a major regional theater (LORT C or above).

• It has never been published in any form.
  NOTE: We are most interested in submissions that embrace and depend on Jewish identity at their dramatic core, while avoiding stereotypical forms that rely on cultural or ethnic shorthands in lieu of dramatic development. This holds true whether dealing with the historical gravity of the Holocaust or employing stereotypical tropes for comic effect.

The JPP brings all the tools of new play development to bear on the plays we select: dramaturgical consultation and research; the involvement of collaborating artists - including directors, designers and actors - at all stages as needed; private and public presentations; and industry advocacy. We partner with great writers who not only have a great idea for a play, but have a heartfelt intention to write a Jewish play. To us, this means that during the development process, the writer is committed to making decisions about the progress of the play (or musical) that enhance and deepen the Jewish content, spirit, ideas and values in the work.

17. NATIVE VOICES PRODUCTION SUBMISSIONS 

DEADLINE: Rolling

WEBSITE: theautry.org/events/signature-programs/native-voices-annual-call-for-scripts

We accept scripts all year long. Do you have a full-length script that has been developed and produced that you would like us to consider for a future Native Voices production in Los Angeles? Please follow the Checklist for All Submissions below and in the Native Voices Script Submission form check the box for 2023 General Production Consideration.

Checklist for Call for Scripts

• Please label script attachment as follows: PlayTitle_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: MyNewPlay_Doe, J.doc).

• All submissions must conform to a standard play-script format (one-inch margins, #12 Times or Courier font, all pages numbered).

• Include a title page with full contact information (mailing address, phone numbers, e-mail address) and a draft or revision date.

• Include a character breakdown at the beginning of your script.

• Provide a biography of 75–100 words. Please label attachment as follows: Bio_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: Bio_Doe, J.doc).

• Provide a press ready photo of at least 300dpi. Please label attachment as follows: Photo_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: Photo_Doe, J.doc).

• Provide development history for the play. Label attachment as follows: DevHistory_PlayTitle_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: DevHistory_MyNewPlay_Doe, J.doc).

• To submit, fill out our online form and upload your submission materials here: Native Voices Script Submission Form

Please do not send treatments or outlines. Previously produced plays should be submitted under the 2023 General Submission for Production Consideration. Playwrights are encouraged to make multiple submissions (up to three per event), but selection will be limited to only one play per playwright, per event.

18. AUDIBLE EMERGING PLAYWRIGHTS FUND

DEADLINE: Rolling

WEBSITE: https://www.audible.com/ep/audible-theater

In 2017, Audible launched a theater initiative, intended to radically increase access to exceptional plays and performances. A core pillar of the initiative is the Emerging Playwrights Fund, a program that invests in and nurtures self-identifying emerging playwrights, some of our most inventive, delightful, and provocative storytellers. Through the Fund, Audible aims to connect extraordinary performers with remarkable original work, amplifying new voices and harnessing the power and potential of audio to reach millions of listeners. 

The Fund specifically supports t he creation of original dramatic work, written with audio in mind, but theatrical in spirit. Audible is dedicated to commissioning, developing, and producing work that reflects the diversity of our members and our world. To accomplish this, Audible is committed to granting at least 50% of emerging playwright commissions to artists of color and women.

To be considered as an applicant for a commission, please submit all of the following to AudibleTheater@audible.com:

1. One full-length script for an original or adapted play (in English language only) that represents your voice ("Script"). The Script can be in any genre and may include one-acts and solo pieces; 

2. A short biography; and 

3. A brief statement about why audio plays appeal to you. 

If you have an idea for an original audio play, you are welcome to include a pitch or summary along with your statement (this is encouraged, but not required).

Any applicant over the age of 18 may submit a Script. Submissions are accepted year-round. Due to the number of Scripts that Audible receives, Audible will only consider one Script at a time from each applicant and will not consider resubmissions, including those that have been significantly revised. The Audible team evaluates submissions on a rolling basis, and applicants will be notified regarding the status of their submissions via email. Thanks in advance for your patience while we process your Script; our typical response time is 6-8 months.

19. THE STOCHASTIC LABS

DEADLINE: Rolling

WEBSITE: https://stochasticlabs.org/residencies/

The Stochastic Labs offers fully-sponsored residencies to engineers, artists, scientists, and entrepreneurs from around the world. Residencies include a private apartment at the mansion, co-working and/or dedicated work space, shop access, a $1,000 monthly stipend and a budget for materials.

20. THE FOUNDATION FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS

DEADLINE: Rolling

WEBSITE: https://www.foundationforcontemporaryarts.org/grants/emergency-grants/

Created in 1993 to further FCA's mission to encourage, sponsor, and promote work of a contemporary, experimental nature, Emergency Grants provide urgent funding for visual and performing artists who:

• Have sudden, unanticipated opportunities to present their work to the public when there is insufficient time to seek other sources of funding

• Incur unexpected or unbudgeted expenses for projects close to completion with committed exhibition or performance dates

Emergency Grants is the only active, multi-disciplinary program that offers immediate assistance of this kind to artists living and working anywhere in the United States, for projects occurring in the U.S. and abroad.VEach month FCA receives an average of 95 Emergency Grant applications and makes approximately 12-15 grants. Grants range in amount from $500 to $3,000, and the average grant is now $1,700. We recommend that artists review all of our eligibility guidelines and FAQs before applying. You may also complete our Eligibility Questionnaire, but please note that the questionnaire is not a substitute for a thorough review of program guidelines.

21. THEATRE ARIEL OPEN SUBMISSIONS
DEADLINE: Open

WEBSITE: http://www.theatreariel.org/opportunities

Theatre Ariel is always seeking the next great Jewish play to present to our audiences. Theatre Ariel is looking for plays that engage with the rich world of Jewish life, thought and practice; plays where Judaism, Jewish identity or Jewish perspectives are significant or driving factors in the story (In other words, not plays where the characters ‘happen’ to be Jewish or that have a few yiddishisms or “Jewish jokes” in them, but plays where Jewish life/thought/history is integral or particularly relevant to the story.). Theatre Ariel seeks plays with casts of five actors or less.

You do not have to be Jewish to have your work considered by Theatre Ariel. 

All our performances are presented as salon-style theatre readings in people’s homes, following a long tradition of Jewish theatre. For the foreseeable future, we will be presenting in a hybrid model of both in-person and virtual performances. To have your script considered, please email the following to submissions@theatreariel.org: 

Brief cover letter introducing yourself and your play, as well as a short plot summary and character breakdown (indicating doubling, if any)

Ten minute excerpt from the script (if these are not the first ten pages, then please supply a brief explanation of where we are in the story when your sample picks up)

Theatre Ariel is committed to reading and responding to every submission we receive. Please allow three to six months for a response. Please forward any questions you may have to the same email address listed above.

22. DRAMATISTS GUILD FOUNDATION EMERGENCY GRANTS

DEADLINE: Rolling

WEBSITE: https://dgf.org/programs/grants/grants-for-writers/

It is vital to support writers in times of need so that they can get back to doing what they do best. DGF provides emergency financial assistance to individual playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists in dire need of funds due to severe hardship or unexpected illness. If you are a writer in need, we can help.

23. THE DOROTHY ROSS FRIEDMAN RESIDENCE

DEADLINE: Rolling 

WEBSITE:  https://actorsfund.org/services-and-programs/housing-resource-center?mc_cid=1266183bf9&mc_eid=7436d341a2

and

https://actorsfund.org/sites/default/files/Friedman-Application-Revision-7-21-20.pdf?mc_cid=1266183bf9&mc_eid=7436d341a2

If you think you are eligible, now is a fabulous time to apply to The Dorothy Ross Friedman Residence. The Friedman is a shared housing (roommates) residence that offers affordable housing for working professionals in performing arts and entertainment, persons with HIV/AIDS, and senior citizens (60 years of age or older). Most of the apartments are 2-bedrooms, where you would have one roommate and there are a few 3-bedrooms, where you would have two roommates.  All tenants have a rent stabilized lease. All apartments are complete with dishwasher, washer/dryer, central heating, and AC. Many apartments have terraces with spectacular Manhattan views, and everyone has access to the Colleen Dewhurst Community Room and the newly renovated Bette Midler Rooftop and Garden. On-site social services include a range of community programs and the Waldman Living Room for seniors. The Friedman Residence also features 24-hour security.

Criteria: Income Eligibility: 1-person household: $28,500 - $47,760

 

24. WILD CULTURE PROGRAM @ WILD PROJECT

DEADLINE: Rolling

WEBSITE:  http://thewildproject.com/wild-culture-submit-page/

Wild Project is currently accepting artist submissions for its WILD CULTURE curation program. WILD CULTURE will produce the work of 15-20 artists, prioritizing projects by female, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ artists, across theatre, performance art, music, visual art, and dance later this spring and summer. This program embraces the work of independent performance artists and productions to give these performers free access to valuable resources like wild project’s 89-seat theater and more. Curated artists will also have the option to live stream and/or film their work with our film production equipment and digital distribution platform. Wild Culture is primarily suited for work that is already more developed or previously workshopped. Wild Culture, launched in 2018, gives artists much-needed production support at an important time in their development. It strongly encourages artists whose projects address important issues like social justice, gender identity, equality, mental health, and climate change to submit their work.  

25. LONG WHARF THEATRE LITERARY PROGRAM & NEW WORK DEVELOPMENT

DEADLINE: Year round

WEBSITE: https://longwharf.org/casting-and-literary

Long Wharf Theatre has a proud and rich history of forming meaningful relationships with artists, supporting the development of their work, and moving their projects towards production. We are particularly interested in incubating new pieces that center BIPOC voices, push form, and feature innovative dramaturgy. We are also eager to support projects that originate with artists other than playwrights, such as designers, directors, dramaturgs, and activists. Many of these works have become part of the modern American canon with more than thirty Long Wharf Theatre productions transferred to Broadway or Off-Broadway runs.

We are revitalizing our commitment to playwrights at all stages in their careers, and are now welcoming scripts from unrepresented playwrights as well as agents.

Email scripts to: literary@longwharf.org

Type of Materials: Full-length, One act, 10-minute scripts, musicals, adaptations, translations, virtual/Zoom plays.

26. PURPLE ROSE SUBMISSIONS

DEADLINE: NA

WEBSITE: https://www.purplerosetheatre.org/opportunities/script-submissions/

It is our mission to develop and produce new plays that give voice to a wide and diverse range of playwrights. We are unique in our journey toward quality storytelling, as we accept scripts from playwrights who have agency representation, as well as those who do not. Because of this, we receive a large number of submissions, and while we want to read everything that comes in, we also want to make sure that all who plan to submit understands that the Purple Rose is a professional theatre and only wishes to see the best work in which a playwright is capable. In addition to selecting a play that exemplifies a playwright’s storytelling ability, he/she/they must please adhere to the following guidelines to be accepted or considered.

• Please submit only the first 40 pages; the title page does not count, however the character description/setting page will. Please include a brief synopsis on this page as well.

• The 40 pages must be part of a full-length play. At this time we do not accept One-Acts or monologues.

• Please save the file as monthyear: TITLE OF PLAY_Last Name; ex. 0722: MY PLAY_Playwright

• The file must be in PDF; .doc, .docx, Google Drive files, .fdx or any extension other than .pdf will not be accepted or opened.

• Dramatists Guild Modern Stage Play format is preferred but not required.

• Include a brief synopsis of the play in the body of the email; emails containing scene-by-scene breakdowns will not be read.

• Provide any development histories and production rights including, but not limited to: workshops, readings, former/current/slotted productions, labs, conferences, liens, etc.

• Please notify us of any agency representation and include their contact information.