Confessions of a Miami Heat Fan

I'm conflicted. The Miami Heat are up 3 games. One game away from a championship. This is the moment they came together for and things are starting to click. And yet I have trouble watching the games. 


I'm from Miami. Okay technically I'm from Unincorporated Dade County, a nether region of sand dunes and drainage canals. For the sake of proximity we either called our neighborhood Opa Locka or Carol City growing up. But outside of South Florida, it's hard to explain to people the logistics of Florida county law and what the heck Unincorporated Dade County actually looks like. Only a few years ago did my town get an official name in Miami Gardens. It's an odd name since we're not near Miami and they're very few parks or gardens, but it sounds nice. To my mind, though, I still think of my home town as Unincorporated Dade. It's like the orphan of South Florida. When I travel anywhere outside of a 50 mile radius of my home town I just say my birthplace is "Miami.' I don't split hairs and explain that I was actually born on Miami Beach and lived in an existential territory of wandering for 20 years that was a mixture of desert and swamp. It was a place of shifting ethereal mirages and muddy marsh. People don't need to know. Just Miami and people think of palm trees and tans. 


I have been a Heat fan since the franchise began. We 'got the team in the 1980s it was cool to get in on the ground floor of a new thing. Most people in big cities just inherit their teams. But for Miami kids of my generation, it was like we were given a plant to water and grow. And now it's become this huge tree that gives fruit and comfort. So I've stuck with them through great times and awful times when they were just getting mercilessly pounded the first 3 or so years of existence. I stuck with them when they were filled with fat, sloppy, lazy dead-end veterans who could barely jog up the court as various coaches took turns. I stuck with them with Riley came to town and created a great but obviously flawed team around Hardaway and Mourning (always just good enough to compete but also clearly lacking) . I stick with them because I saw the franchise grow and it feels like I was -in some small way- a part of the dialogue, arguments, fighting, celebration, tears, and laughter. 

My conflict is this: I don't like the personality of this team. Individually, the superstars are great, the supporting players are funny, Mike Miller is like some sad uncle who keeps falling down the stairs and injuring himself. But as a team, they are -as Sir Chales put it- a whiny bunch.  I thought maybe it would change after a year. Maybe they would grow into their skin, settle down. And there are times when this is true and I almost forget that nagging feeling. But then it all comes back suddenly in a game or series. The Miami Heat turns back into a frustrating team as far as temperament, hustle, and offensive executive. 


Late in the season, they are in sync and they're great. It's fun to watch. They're hustling, playing it cool, and I wonder 'where was this for most of the year?' As individuals I really like the Heat players, but as a team something is just 'off' about them. Maybe they need a slightly more consistent point guard (although Chalmers can be great and he never lacks confidence) to direct flow or a good center to anchor the middle. Maybe it's Wade growing into a crusty old man before our eyes. 

It's like raising a child and going to see them in their first Little League game and discovering 'oh my god, my son is an ASSHOLE.' You still love him, you still care, but you have a hard time liking him.  Everything he does -from yelling at his teammates, taunting opposing team, arguing with the umpire- makes you ashamed and wonder 'how did I raise such a little asshole?' And then you begin to feel guilty because part of you goes 'that's not right. I should love him anyway' and the egalitarian part of you go 'no, but he's an asshole. If that was someone else's kid I would hate them.'

Some times I rooting for the Heat and in the er, um, heat of the moment I'll be cheering and they'll just do something that will make me say 'jesus, some times these guys are such jerks!!'

So I'm root for the Heat. Bad habits and all. I feel like the team is heavily criticized but it's my son, my tree, whatever mixed metaphor you want throw in.  If they don't win this year, the Hate will go through the roof. But if they do win this year...will they be rewarded for their bad habits?  If they win -whining, slacking off on defense, unable to pass the ball- will they then come back next year and be even more entrenched in these bad habits and foul moods. Both options scare me.

So far we have gotten through these playoffs -we, Heat fans at least- by suppressing our annoyance at  our team by having opponents who were even more annoying. For instance, the Knicks sans Jeremy Lin. That's an annoying, sloppy team. Easy. Indiana Pacers. Seemed wholesome but then we were able to focus on Danny Granger's trash talking and technicals. Boston Celtics? Steam flies out of our ears. We remember how much glee they took in laughing on our home court and taunting/trash talking. Now they're trying to play elder statesmen. Nope. But OKC?

OKC is like Obama 2008 where the most annoying things about the product is that 1) everyone seems to love them a BIT too much 2) uniformity of the dull happiness people have toward them. It's 'okay' to like OKC. They're cool, they're young, they got a guy with a crazy beard! They have saucy veterans, some Europeans, and are set in a wholesome Midwest town. They're America's team. Any time some club is dubbed America's team I feel like running in the other direction. "So you're claiming all of America?' With what, your shiny uniforms? Your winning personality? Or your skilled marketing team which have worked the whole milk, momma, flag pin angle? The fact that Durant's mother kisses him after each game and it's a ritual is ridiculous and feels like they're relationship is being used to play up what a 'gee golly' nice wholesome guy Durant is compared to LeBron. The media narrative is cloying and you almost expect their lineup to be announced by Bob Costas with a sepia-tone light as he narrates a stirring, heartwarming bio for each player coming out to the floor.

For Game 4, I actually didn't intend on watching it. And I don't intend on watching game 5 either. At the last second I decided to go to the gym last night. Why not? I had jogged the past few days so I just wanted to go on the elliptical for an hour. When the machine starts the channel is on the game. At first I want to turn it to my beloved gym standard: Food Channel. But then I think, 'why not? The game is right here.' 

Miami is getting beaten up bad. They're down by 10, then 12, then 15. It's the 1st quarter and I'm shaking my head. Then they call a time out and I check the players. They all seem calm. They had that attitude of 'yeah, yeah, okay. Get your points. We're gonna slow you down.' It's one thing to have the attitude, but another to actually play like it. 

The Big 3 are just hanging around, reading the defense, testing out seams, checking the lanes. They're really playing this thing cool and just reading the situation. And then the 3-pt'ers start raining. Well maybe the attitude can be backed up with play. By the time I get off the machine Miami is down by two at half time and I'm thinking 'how the hell did THAT happen?' And LeBron and Wade barely went off on any scoring binge. Bosh was invisible. OKC comes out with some its best play of the year, Westbrook was unstoppable, Durant was doing his thing...and they're up by only 2. 

I was literally drenched in sweat after an hour of working out. I went to the locker room for shower. When I came out of shower, I dressed and changed, careful not to loiter around the TV and get sucked into the game. As I pass by on my way out I see it's toward the end of the 3rd quarter and Miami is up by 2 and everyone has that feeling. 

In 2006, Miami won their championship. It was in the middle of the season and they were at San Antonio for a big Sunday game. Pat Riley was coaching a team that had fallen short in the Conference Finals last year, just fired its coach, and had two moody superstars in Wade and Shaq. And I'm in the Publix Supermarket in Pembroke Pines, Florida buying oatmeal. I pass by the TV and I see the game is on. I watch a few minutes of it and there's this air of confidence. It's like a strong perfume that transmits itself through the TV or a thin veil of energy that covers a team. The Heat are tied, then they're up by 2, then they're up by 4, down by 1, then they're tied, then they're up by 2. It goes on and on like this for a while. They never get too far ahead or behind. And San Antonio is an old pro team too. They're both taking their shots, pacing themselves, choosing their moments, making little runs. It feels like factory work for a group of veterans. Parts are flying down the assembly line, buzzers are screaming, sparks and mini-fires are bursting up, lights flashing, and things are moving so fast and dangerous. But the workers are carrying on a conversation about what they did over the weekend. To an outsider it looks like chaos but then you observe the workers and it's almost calming. They're settled in themselves at just the right amount, alert to the present moment enough to handle crisis but withdrawn enough to see clearly while carrying out their job. 

At that moment in Publix Supermarket in 2006 with my green shopping cart I said aloud 'they can win it.' I wasn't thinking about the game, which they did eventually go on to win by only a few points. By 'it' I meant the championship. They could win it all. They had that demeanor. 

Throughout the last two years Miami goes on these incredible runs. They have so many highlight reels, dazzling plays, tough victories. But most of the time it felt like they were caught up in the moment. They were so chained in their emotions that it was this mad dash of energy and talent, fluster and sweat. And if they met a calmer team that was equally matched with them then they stood a 50/50 chance of losing. 

It was only halfway through this season that something clicked. It was, in fact, when OKC came to Miami for a big showdown. This was the game of the week. OKC is evenly matched in speed and talent with the Heat. They're flying around the court, dunking, high-fiving. I'm watching the Heat players and they're talking like old factory workers. The lights are flashing, smoke is coming off the basketball rim from all the dunks, people are panicking as OKC goes on a run. But the players are standing around talking, chewing on their mouth guard, pointing out potential cuts to make with and without the ball. And I thought 'they appear to have that look.'

The frustrating thing about this year's Heat team is that they look comes and goes so frequently. One minute they're calm and collected and the next minute they're screaming on the sidelines and walking up-court. This has been one of the most inconsistent years for their level of talent. One minute they're reeling off 10 straight wins on the road, including a back-to-back-to-back games, then they're struggling against the Nets. But when the look comes over this team, it's like a veil. It falls over all their faces giving enough clarity to see but just enough of a filter and screen to play 'within themselves.' 

Who knows how this series is going to turn out. But at least they appear to be playing with the championship veil. I hope they can keep playing this way beyond this year. 

Father's Day and Black Men

This day has always felt incidental. Father's Day was an "Oh, by the way" holiday that involved a quick stop at a tie wrack, cheap wrapping paper, and a firm pat on the back.

Way to go.


Thanks for hanging in there, Dad.


You are not a terrible Dad. Huh, go figure.

In the Black community the celebration of Dads seems heavily weighed against the bad Fathers of the world. Posts are worded to say 'for all the good Dad: thanks for not beating us silly...yet.' That's not exactly a raving compliment but more like a backhanded insult against men in general.

Several years ago I remember listening to 99 Jamz while driving around in Miami. The DJ announced that Angie Stone was going to write and produce a tribute song for Black men. There was a hilariously long silence after the statement. In the room was the DJ, who was a Black man, his sidekick (also a Black man) and the news announcer, who was a Black woman. The DJ was the first one to open his mouth.

Really?


Um...yeah. 


Ohhhkay.

There was an edge of caution in the voice of the Black men. There weren't fast-talking or cracking jokes. Their words were slow, carefully measured, and sparse. They were waiting for the punchline to what must be a joke. There had to be a catch. A Black woman was going to publicly compliment Black men. You could almost feel the arched eyebrows and crossed arm posture in the silence. The pause spoke volumes about the state of Black men and receiving a compliment.

You're going to say something nice? Why? 


What do you want? I didn't do nothing! Leave me alone!!!

And the all-time favorite Black male anthem of my generation: IT WASN'T ME!!!

I remember bursting out laughing at the silence and then feeling really depressed. Wow, the state of relations between men and women in the Black community has gotten to a point where gratitude is met with skepticism.

Tune into afternoon and late-night TV and you see where this skepticism festers. On TV Black men are the biological fathers unwilling to take responsibility, the adulterers, ex-convicts, men on the DL, thieves, jobless, thug-lite, and the physical embodiment of mumbling ignorance. Black women are the 'wronged' victim, loud, demonstrative, wrathful, that gets the audience cheering and hooting. Often the Black woman is the one with the job, expressive, educated, with the car, with the house and with the kids. The Black man is somewhere off to the side, desired by never really attained for most lower-class and working class scenarios that are shown.

Jerry Springer and Maury Povich have made a fortune off this model that is eagerly watched in disproportionate numbers by Black and Latino women. And who could forget the incomparable Miss Cleo. The famed psychic with the exaggerated Jamaican accent and head wrap that seemed like an SNL skit. Miss Cleo's psychic powers seemed particularly honed at finding out if a man was or was not the Baby Daddy.

I remember working as an intern at theatre one summer and running into the painful dynamic of Black fathers and their public perception. I was just a summer intern answering the phones and every so often we would get a call from a woman. She was requesting the phone number of a certain Black male writer. I would write her name down and pass this along to my supervisors.

The calls increased in volume and frequency from this mysterious woman, with each call getting worse. The writer in question had been out of contact with her. They had a child together. He owed child support. He wasn't fulfilling his responsibility.

The allegations flew and I calmly listened while I promised to pass along the basic information (minus the gossip) to my supervisors. The other people in the office got into the drama. It was like a mini-soap opera that happened a few times a week and offered some distraction from the boring office work. She would call and then the gossip would fly shortly after hanging up.

Uh-oh!!! He better handle his business!


Baby Daddy Drama!!

And we laughed while I subtly noted that I was often the only Black man laughing. And while my laughter was coming from a place of discomfort and awkwardness, it seemed (although there's no way to know for sure) that other people were laughing from glee. There was a joy in the cliche misery of a successful Black man who wasn't paying child support, who had an angry ex-girlfriend on the line, who had a child who was being deprived. There was laughter. Even at the level of success he had attained, he was acting just like they expected: like a deadbeat.

Would do any good to note that I was raised by both my mother and father. That my father mentored not only his children but dozens of others while working as a school teacher. Would it amount to anything to record the good Black fathers when the bad ones are more alluring for TV cameras? Does any care to note Jack and Jill, Cooking Gents, and many other organizations that are supported by Black fathers.

When I say "Happy Father's Day" my words are weighed with all of these questions. I have no answers, but only my experiences with other caring fathers and my own family.

I was blessed with strong parents. My Dad is Stanley Squire. He deserves more than a day, more than tie, more than I could ever give back to him. He was rarely thank'ed, often dismissed, ridiculed, presumed unintelligent and liar for being a Black man and a father. He didn't drink, he didn't beat me, and he rarely raised his voice. He helped me with my math homework, taught me how to ride a bike, coached me into a championship child tennis player, drove me to violin practices, and saw me through college, graduate school. He encouraged me to be provocative, ask questions, sit in the front of the class room, the middle of the bus, how to talk to the police without getting beat up, and read like my life depended on it (because it often did).

There aren't enough days in the calendar to honor men like my father. But at least we have this one.

Preparing Mind and Body: Meditation Retreat

I've begun to close some links down, add up finances, see if this is all going to come together either this summer or in the fall. I think I might be able to do a 30-day meditation retreat. It's very difficult to have everything align at the same time.

Phone goes off. Internet stops. No more work. No talk, gossip, or news. Facebook and twitter go to black. This blog will go silent for a month unless I can get a few guest writers to post. I have to get in more flexible shape and do more yoga so my body is limber and capable of sitting for several hours a day.

I'm going to have to find a good meditation cushion, figure out transportation, and pray a lot.

I'm anxious with all the unknown factors and variables. This morning I woke up thinking about it and tension ran through my body. I put on some tea, then I sat down to meditate for an hour. I asked for help and surrendered.

I'll keep praying and opening myself up. Who knows how this will end up going. But I know that it's possible. Thanks to friends and family, I was able to do a meditation retreat last year. I had no idea -when I began planning- all the little details that had to be covered.

By the end of the week I guess I should have a spreadsheet of all the things needed.

This is a trying time which is why a meditation retreat would be best. Tragedy and gossip swirl around in the news. There are massacres in Syria and Buddhist rumors/gossip/news, and so many strange cannibal stories. It feels like there is a strange delight in there air. The delight in watching failure, horror, and death.

On a personal level my Dad has stopped getting up out of bed. I have no idea what it all means. Has he quit? After all this time, is this the decision to throw up his hands and call it a life?

Oddly enough, against this backdrop of chaos and blood, my own life feels stronger. I have finished a few exciting projects and have many more lined up for the rest of the year. I'm entering my last few weeks of the Columbia U. program where I've been working out 4-5 times a week. I feel stronger and healthier than I've been in years. It would be easy for me to just disconnect from the discomfort of others. I could just worry about myself and go into a retreat with the smug satisfaction of 'look at what I'm doing.' But I hope there is another way.

I can acknowledge the good ripening of having the time and good people around me. But spend a month purifying in silence and prayer for all the things which make my heart heavy with grief. Today I'm trying to find that balance. Tomorrow I'm going on a bus to check out the retreat site. I am surrendering to whatever may come.

Wednesday PlayRISE PANEL DISCUSSION

I'm on a panel discussion tomorrow about art, sex, love and race. It should be fun to hang out with a lot of other great writers, including Pulitzer-Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph.

Click here to receive future mailings from: Rising Circle Theater Collective, Inc.

Rajiv Joseph, Dominique Morisseau, Matthew Paul Olmos, Joshua Allen, Raquel Almazan, Sevan K. Greene, Nikkole Salter, Tatiana Suarez-Pico, Nandita Shenoy, Aurin Squire, Kelly Zen Yie-Tsai Kick off Rising Circle's 2012 PlayRISE Festival with SEX, ART, LOVE and RACE secrets revealed, opinions exposed, provocative topics explored Wednesday June 6, 2012 at 7:30p.m. Studio Theatre @ Theatre Row Studios 410 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10036 Free admission but limited seating Click here to reserve your seats today!

GET WHAT YOU WANT: June 2012

1.
Terra Nova Groundbreakers
Deadline: June 12th

Online application: http://www.terranovacollective.org/about2.html

Groundbreakers Playwrights Group is an annual developmental playwriting lab, in which 6 playwrights receive the unique opportunity to work on a play-in-progress with the goal of creating a completed draft. Each playwright will hear their play read around the table by professional actors 3 times over 18 weeks, receiving feedback from the Groundbreakers Playwrights Group, special guests and the artistic staff of terraNOVA Collective.

terraNOVA assembles a diverse group devoted to creating theatrical, original, innovative, socially relevant new work for the stage and welcomes submissions of new plays-in-progress that will benefit from collective feedback and further terraNOVA Collective's artistic mission. We are especially interested in playwrights who, in addition to working on their own play, have an interest in attending weekly workshops to engage in the development of other playwrights' work.

PARTICIPATING PLAYWRIGHTS WILL:

   * Attend a weekly writers group led by terraNOVA’s Artistic Staff.
   * Create a 10-minute play to be showcased in terraNOVA’s Annual Benefit.
   * Receive complimentary tickets to all terraNOVA events in the current season.
   * Receive hands-on artistic support and professional development guidance from terraNOVA's artistic staff.
   * Receive a workshop and reading performance in terraNOVA's annual Groundworks New Play Series.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY:

   * Must be able to attend weekly sessions. Attendance is mandatory.
   * Must live within the tri-state area.

REQUIRED APPLICATION INFORMATION:-Contact Information for Applicant-Contact Information for 2 References (Theatre professionals who are familiar with your work and are willing to discuss it frankly).-Known Scheduling Conflicts from July 23, 2012 - April 29, 2013REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS:1) Proposed Play (Must be attached as a PDF or WORD doc ONLY)2) Resume (Must be attached as a PDF or WORD doc ONLY)
3) One-Page Artistic Statement (12 pt. font; Must be attached as a PDF or WORD doc ONLY) that addresses the following:-How long have you written plays? Why do you write plays?-Describe your play. What is the development history of this play? What elements are you working on in this play? What questions do you currently have about it?-What is your experience with writers' groups? How do you feel participating in a writers' group will help you develop this particular play?

2.
MARIN THEATRE COMPANY
Deadline: Between July 1st and August 31st

Marin Theatre Company is entering its 6th year of offering to original play prizes: Sky Cooper New American Play Prize and the David Callichio Emerging Playwright Prize

The Sky Cooper New American Play Prize is awarded to an emerging or established playwright for an outstanding new work, and is given a $10,000 cash prize and option for production on MTC's main stage. The David Calicchio Emerging American Playwright Prize is awarded to a professionally unproduced playwright for a new work that shows outstanding promise and a distinctive new voice, and is given a $2500 cash prize and a workshop as part of MTC's New Works Series. These prizes serve to further MTC’s commitment to the development of new plays as a central component of its artistic programs.

 Submissions are closed for the 2012 Sky Cooper New American Play Prize and the 2012 David Calicchio Emerging American Playwright Prize. We will announce the winners of the 2012 play prizes in May 2012. Please check back for details.

Submissions for the 2013 Sky Cooper New American Play Prize and the 2013 David Calicchio Emerging American Playwright Prize will be accepted between July 1 and August 31, 2012.

More information about the prizes, guidelines and FAQ's are below. The online submission form is available for your reference and will be active once submissions are open. Download hard copies of the guidelines and submission forms on the right.

• Submissions must be unpublished, original full-length plays in any genre.
• Musicals, translations, individual one-acts, and any play previously submitted for the Sky Cooper or David Calicchio Prizes are not eligible.
• Plays may not have received a full-scale, professional production prior to submission (plays that have had a workshop, reading, or non-professional production are eligible).
• Playwrights must be citizens of the United States.
• Only one submission per playwright is allowed each year; you may submit the same play for both prizes.


3.
Amsterdam Residency
Deadline: Rolling

Website:
http://www.writerinresidence.nl/index.php?mwid=23&sid=354

The "Residency for Writers" project is a joint initiative by the Dutch Foundation for Literature and theFoundation for the Production and Translation of Dutch Literature. Together, the foundations have made living space available for a foreign writer in the heart of the old city. The writers in residence will find lodgings not only in the historic and literary heart of Amsterdam, but also at its academic centre, with access to the University of Amsterdam library and the Dutch capital's literary activities.

The guest writers use their time in Amsterdam for their own work and research, but they will also be involved in the city's literary and cultural life. All candidates may be asked to give guest lectures or readings for students and to write articles for newspapers or magazines. The residency period is expected to last around two to three months

If you are a foreign author interested in the Amsterdam Residency Programme please read the conditions carefully. If you think you meet the programme's requirements, write us an e-mail with a short biography and explain us what project you would like to work on while in Amsterdam. We would also like to know if there is a specific reason why you want to come to the Netherlands. And don't forget to mention the Dutch publishing house that has published your work. If we think you are a suitable candidate we will respond to your e-mail and encourage you to apply formally. This means that participation in the programme is only at the invitation of the boards of the foundations.

If you represent a (foreign) organization (e.g. publishing house or cultural institute) it is also possible to recommend an author to our programme. Please write us an e-mail explaining why you think the author is a suitable candidate and we will respond in due time.
E-mail us: f.van.koppen@letterenfonds.nl 

4.
Firehouse Theatre Project 10th Annual New Play Festival
Deadline: June 30th postmarked

Firehouse Theatre Project is look for new full-length scripts.

• Plays must not have been previously produced. Readings are acceptable if no admission was charged and actors read from the script.
• Submissions should be made in standard manuscript form and with no fancy binding. This means no discs, no e-mails. Please just use a binder clip to secure the script pages, no folders, no plastic covers, etc. All author information must be on a title page separate from the body of the manuscript and no reference to the author is permitted in the body of the script.

• Scripts must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from a theater company or individual familiar with your work. Letters of recommendation do not need to be specific to the play submitted; they may be general recommendations of the playwrights work. All letters must be received with the script, not under separate cover. Scripts received without a letter will not be considered.

• Entries must be postmarked no later than June 30, 2011.
• Due to volume of mail, manuscripts cannot be returned.
• Send submissions to:

Firehouse Theatre Project Festival of New American Plays

1609 W. Broad St. Richmond, VA 23220
• Two winners receive staged readings and prizes of $1,000 and $500. In the case of a tie, each winner will receive $750.
• Winners will be announced March 1, 2013.

5.
Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Play Contest 2013
Deadline: October 1st

The Castillo Theatre sponsors the Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Play Contest annually. In its sixth year, the political play contest is intended to encourage the writing of scripts for the stage that engage the political/social/cultural questions affecting the world today and/or historical events and issues that impact on our political/cultural heritage.

While Castillo recognizes that in the broadest sense all theatre is political, the contest is seeking politically progressive plays that: look at social and/or economic problems and challenges; explore possibilities of social transformation; and reflect the concerns and interests of communities and/or which explore the importance of community. The contest also welcomes scripts that experiment with form and seek new ways of seeing and new ways of experiencing theatrical performance.

The plays submitted to the Fratti-Newman Contest may be written in any style, set in any historical time, geographic or imaginary location, contain any number of characters and be of any length. The plays must be in English and cannot be musicals or adaptations. No scripts will be considered that have previously been submitted to this contest, have received a production or won other contests. Only one script per playwright will be accepted.

The contest is judged by a team of distinguished theatre artists. The winning script(s) will receive a reading and/or a production at the Castillo Theatre in New York City during the theatre’s 2013 summer season.

All scripts should be submitted in hard copy and must be accompanied by:

   * A statement of the political/social/cultural questions the script engages (Scripts without a statement will not be considered.)
   * A brief synopsis
   * A character breakdown, including gender, age and ethnic requirements, if any
   * A 100-word biography of the playwright
   * A current email address

Please note:

   * Receipt of script will be acknowledged by email.
   * Scripts will not be returned.
   * Castillo will not give critical feedback to playwrights/contestants.
   * Contest winners are required to sign a letter of agreement, which will include but not be limited to granting the right for Castillo to produce one or more readings and/or a full production of the winning play.
   * Contest winners are responsible for travel expenses or any other expenses incurred as a result of participating in the development of the play with Castillo, or as a result of attending the reading and/or full production.

All scripts must be postmarked by October 1, 2012.

The winner(s) will be publicly announced at the Otto René Castillo Awards for Political Theatre in New York City in May of 2013.

Send all submissions to:

Castillo Theatre
543 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
Attn: Fratti-Newman Political Play Contest

6.

NHMC Latino TV Writers Program
Deadline: August 13th.

The National Latino Media Council (NLMC)/National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) Television Writers Program is for those writers who can write at least one half-hour comedy or one-hour dramatic television script in English within a five-week period of time. The program will take place in Burbank, CA from October 12, 2012 to November 16, 2012. Each selected participant is expected to complete at least one script by the end of the five-week session, which will then be read by network executives. Those writers whose scripts show promise will be interviewed and mentored by the network executives with the objective of placing them on a show. A stipend of $250 per week will be given to each participant. Flight, housing, and meals will be provided.

The NLMC/NHMC Television Writers Program is an intensive scriptwriters workshop to prepare and place Latinos in writing jobs for the major television networks. This project is modeled after the previously successful Hispanic Film Project. The television scriptwriters workshop is designed to familiarize participants with the format, characters and storyline structure of specific shows that are currently on the air. This five-week, total immersion workshop is mentored and guided by former NBC V.P of Script Development, Geoff Harris. The workshop is conducted in Burbank, CA and a total of 10 writers are recruited nationwide from established network of NHMC chapters, other non-profit agencies, schools, universities, guilds and media organizations. The goal is that the writers garner the skills necessary to obtain employment in the industry. The NLMC/NHMC Writers Program was created in accordance to NHMC's mission to improve the image of American Latinos as portrayed by the media and increase the number of American Latinos employed in all facets of the media industry. The program directly responds to the lack of diverse writers in primetime network TV with the idea that if there are more diverse writers present at the writer's table, more diversity will be reflected on TV.

Application packages must be submitted by August 13, 2012 and selected program participants will be announced September 17, 2012. Writing samples must be in English and television scripts are preferred. We accept any type of writing sample including books, plays, pilots, specs, etc. Please note that writing teams are ineligible. The deadline for submissions is August 13, 2012. Scripts will be evaluated and program participants announced on September 17, 2012.

For submissions to be considered, the following materials must be submitted:

   * Program Application (2 copies)
   * Resume/Bio (2 copies)
   * Writing Sample (2 hard copies and 2 CD* copies each with the writing sample saved in PDF format)*Instead of CD copies, applicants can submit 2 USB flash drives each with the writing sample saved in PDF format.
   * Statement of Interest:Why you want to write for television (2 copies)
   * Writer's Agreement (2 copies)
   * Waiver of Liability (2 copies)
   * Medical Form (2 copies)
   * ABC Notarized Release Form (The original notarized form and a copy)
   * NBC Release Form (2 copies)
   * Checklist

Submissions must be post marked by August 13 and sent to:

Nilda Muhr
National Latino Media Council
55 S. Grand Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91105

 *All materials must be submitted together and at the same time. Any application packet with missing materials will automatically be disqualified.

*Unfortunately due to a small number of judges and lack of resources, NHMC will not be able to provide feedback on any writing samples that are submitted and not accepted into the program.

7.

LOAF THEATRE
Deadline: unclear but probably before mid June.

Loaf Theatre Company seeks 60-90 minute scripts for its first annual 'Fresh Out of the Oven' Reading Series to be presented in early/mid July of 2012.

Each play will receive one staged reading presentation in a Manhattan venue followed by an intensive talk-back session with actors, audience, and Loaf Theatre members. Loaf Theatre will provide the space and will assist in finding actors, directors, and moderate publicity if needed. No pay provided, but selected plays will be considered for future development and production with Loaf Theatre Company.

Interested playwrights should email writing resume, synopsis, and complete script to: loafsubmissions@gmail.com

For more information about Loaf Theatre, please visit: www.loaftheatrecompany.com

8.
NYC PLAY OF THE WEEK

Deadline: June 10th

Beginning in June 2012, NYCPlaywrights will embark on a new project - The Play of the Week.NYCPlaywrights has been running its Play of the Month project since April 2011, and it's been tough to only pick one script per month from all the good scripts submitted. The Play of the Week project will give many more writers a chance to get a public reading of their work.

Four plays will be selected during each submission period, and then video-recorded readings of the plays will be posted online, one week at a time, during the following month.

The first submission period is Monday, June 4, 2012 @12:00 AM to Sunday, June 10, 2012 @11:59 AM

The mission of NYCPlaywrights, from the beginning, has been to provide script-in-hand readings as a good way for playwrights to get a sense of whether their play is working or not. The ultimate goal of any play, of course, is a full production. Playwrights should think of Play of the Week as a learning tool.

Originally plays were read in a room to a limited number of NYCPlaywrights meeting attendees. Thanks to the Internet, the plays will be available to a world-wide audience.

In addition to watching a script-in-hand reading, many playwrights feel it is beneficial to get verbal feedback on their work. Playwrights have an opportunity to allow visitors to the Play of the Week web site to comment on their play readings.

For more information see the Play of the Week web site.

9.

Urban Stages Emerging Playwright Award

Deadline: unclear but probably mid-summer (b/c they are looking for stuff for the fall)

Established in 1986, Urban Stages' EMERGING PLAYWRIGHT AWARD has been presented to the best of new, innovative playwrights whose works speak to the whole of our society. Winners receive a cash prize of $500 (in lieu of royalties) and receive a staged production of their play after the process of staged readinds and workshops. To be consider for this award, please submit your full length play on any topic (however special attention is again given to innovative plays that touch on social issues). 7 characters or less.

IMPORTANT!!!! 

All Plays must include a biography and/or author's history of the play, character breakdown, and brief description or synopsis of the play. 

All Plays may have been developed elsewhere, but never produced in New York City. There is no limit to submission. Subject matter and character variations are open.

All submissions must be sent via mail (ABSOLUTELY NO EMAILS!):
Urban Stages
555 Eighth Avenue, RM 1800
New York, NY 10018

Include a SASE (a small one for a response letter or a large one with appropriate postage if you would like us to return your play – otherwise scripts will be recycled.)

There is no submission fee.

All scripts must be firmly bound. No changes or revisions accepted after submission. No double-sided pages.

It usually takes two to six months for us to read and process your script. We ask that you do not call or email our offices to inquire on the status of your play.

10.

Studio Roanoke Theatre
Deadline: rolling

Studio Roanoke, a small theatre dedicated to new plays and the people who create them, is committed to making Roanoke, VA, a nationally recognized ignition point for new play development. We accept independent and agency-represented submissions year round for consideration in our regular season of new works and two reading series, the Workshop Reading Series and Guerrilla Playhouse. We proudly abide by the Dramatists Guild of America's Bill of Rights.

As a separate document accompanying your script, please include a cover letter with a brief playwright bio and brief synopsis of your play (each 100 words or less), and a concise description of the play’s prior production history (if applicable).  Save this file with your last name and the word “cover” (e.g. ShakespeareCover.pdf).

Include these two separate documents as attachments in your email.  Send Main Stage and Workshop Reading Series submissions toliterary@studioroanoke.org; your Guerrilla Playhouse submissions should be sent togeneralmanager@studioroanoke.org.  In the subject line or body of the e-mail, please indicate for which series you wish to be considered (Main Stage, Workshop, or Guerrilla). 

The literary staff will respond as quickly as possible to confirm receipt of your submission, and then again once we’ve had a chance to review your material.  Like most literary departments at American theatres, however, we’re understaffed and over-worked, so please allow at least eight to 12 weeks before expecting a response to your submission.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

We’re interested in full-length and one-act plays of any style or genre except musicals or works targeted primarily toward children. Any adaptations must be from work in the public domain or be accompanied by proof that the playwright has secured the rights to the source material. Since our focus is on developing new work, we tend to shy away from scripts that have been published and/or received multiple previous productions...though this isn’t an ironclad rule. We’re particularly interested in works with a strong narrative through-line and compelling characters, yet we encourage innovative, non-traditional plot structures, new approaches to characterization and theatrical use of the space.

While the playwright is welcome in rehearsals and performance, we are typically unable to provide accommodations or to reimburse travel expenses. If the playwright is unable to be in attendance, we will communicate via email and phone to the extent practicable to allow the writer to have approval of production elements and creative communication with the director and design teams.

Main Stage: Full-length plays or a full evening’s worth of related one-acts. Playwrights whose plays we select for production as part of our Main Stage season are granted a 12-performance run and paid royalties.

Workshop Reading Series: This new series, which replaces our former Lunchbox Series, provides an opportunity for playwrights of new scripts to hear their work performed aloud before an audience and to receive developmental feedback from audiences and artists. Works developed in this series will be given strong consideration for inclusion in our Main Stage at a later stage in their development. These seated readings are offered to our audiences on the fourth Sundays of alternate months, beginning in January 2011. Plays should be complete full-length works or a full evening's worth of related one-acts. Playwrights are offered a $25 royalty for the performance.

Guerrilla Playhouse: This series often presents more experimental short pieces (30-60 minutes) ranging from solo performances, darker material, works involving audience interaction and/or participation, and plays with a rock-n-roll sensibility. Guerrilla Playhouse runs on the second Sunday nights every month, and the theatrical performances are paired with a live set from an invited musical artist or group. Playwrights are offered a royalty of 20 percent of the door for a one-night performance. To see Director of Guerrilla Programming Ben R. Williams' specific guidelines, please click here.

Shows in our Main Stage and Workshop Reading series receive a post-show talkback moderated by a member of our resident artistic staff. The Studio’s resident dramaturg and/or literary manager provide dramaturgical notes in the program for Main Stage productions to spur deeper consideration of the script by the audience. Playwrights who are able to attend the production are invited on stage following the performance to join the discussion and ask or answer any questions that arise. Playwrights have found our moderated post-show discussions particularly valuable as they further develop the script.

Studio Roanoke designates its productions as developmental workshops, allowing playwrights to offer their works as “world premieres” to other theatres after their appearance at the Studio. We place no future financial obligations on playwrights whose work is developed on our stage, though, of course, we certainly welcome contributions from playwrights whose experiences at Studio Roanoke have contributed to any fame or fortune they achieve afterwards. We do request, however, that playwrights premiering works on our stage require that the Studio is credited as a contributor to the development of the script in publications and/or program text associated with subsequent productions.

11.

Heiress Production Playwriting Contest

Deadline: August 1st

Heiress Productions is now accepting submissions for its 2012 Playwriting Competition

Here’s how to enter:

Scripts should be full-length and mostly comedic in nature (or with major comedic elements).  In addition, the plays should be unpublished and should not have been produced in NYC.

Submissions will be accepted through August 1, 2012.  

The prize for the winning play(s) will be a complete  reading in NYC produced by Heiress Productions with the potential of being fully produced at a later date.

For consideration, please send the following materials to scripts@heiressproductions.org -

1. Cover Letter
2. Synopsis
3. Ten (10) representative pages. These will be the basis for the first round of consideration. Scripts selected to continue will be read in their entirety by the judging panel.
4. Resume of the playwright(s)

We look forward to reading your work!

12.

CREATOrS Malawi Project

Deadline: June 30th

CREATOrS, Inc. announces Accepting Inquiries for Script Commission

CREATOrS, Inc. is accepting inquiries for a playwriting commission.  The project will be collaborative with a composer to create script and lyrics for a full-length musical drama based on the true African story of Malawi, and a courageous leader who helped to organize the rejection of that country’s brutal dictator in the early 1990s.  The final project will include scoring for symphony orchestra, singers, dancers, and multimedia. Project details, story profile, a brief documentary and composer background are available at www.creatorsinc.org.

African-born writers are strongly encouraged to apply.

The successful applicant would:

• receive a commission for the project
• collaborate with the composer
• travel to Malawi, Africa with the composer and stage director to conduct research
• target for completion is 2013

CREATOrS, Inc. (creatorsinc.org) is a non-profit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, whose mission is to facilitate the creation of new works based on contemporary stories and issues.

Writers interested in being considered for this project should send their inquiries to creatorsinc@me.com.  Please include reference materials and writing samples.

13.

Theatre Three One-Act Festival

Deadline: Sept 30th
16th ANNUAL Festival of One-Act Plays
to be held on its Second Stage, the Ronald F. Peierls Theatre, during March 2012.
Submission Guidelines
* Only unproduced works will be accepted.
* Plays that have had staged readings are eligible.
* No adaptations, musicals, or children's plays.
* Cast size maximum: 8.
* Length: 40 minutes maximum, no minimum.
* Settings should be simple or suggested.
* Playwrights may make multiple submissions. They need not be made under separate cover.
* Please do not submit works that have been previously submitted.
* Scripts must be postmarked by September 30, 2011.
Please submit a cover letter, a synopsis, and a resume along with one copy of the play. Cover sheet of play should have title, author, author's address, author's telephone number, and author's email address (if available). Plays should be neatly bound or stapled on the left-hand corner (no loose pages and no binders, please). All submissions must include a standard SASE for correspondence. Or, if playwrights wish to have their works returned, an appropriate SASE must also be included.
Selected plays will be presented for 10 performances. Playwrights will receive a small stipend.
Plays should be submitted to The 15th Annual Festival of One-Act Plays, Attn: Jeffrey Sanzel, Artistic Director, THEATRE THREE, P.O. Box 512, Port Jefferson, NY 11777-0512. We do not accept electronic (email) submissions. Please do not call or stop by the theatre.

Porn on the Subway

Three black boys were sitting on the subway watching porn on their phones when I walked in. The car was mostly silent except for the porn noise from the phone and their laughter and commentary.

THAT'S HOW ALL MY BITCHES DO ME!

SHE MAKES HER BOOTY CLAP, HAHAHAHA!!!

The loud color commentary continued as I sat down. The participants were probably no older than 13 and 14th and watching videos on two cell phones. One had saggy jeans to reveal dingy, stained four-leaf clover boxers. The one kid without a cell phone was obese, with rolls of fat falling down his sides. It was one of those 'I'm embarrassed for my race and for human kind in general' moments that happens on the subway.

A few adults stared at the floor. It would be within my chivalrous code to remind them that they're on the subway, shouting back at them, and getting the people on my side. It was also something I've never encountered. I could also just move to another car, ignore them. Instead I decided to sit and observe.

The way the boys were talking was to draw attention to themselves or without care or regard to other people's audio-privacy in a public space. They shouted, screamed at camera, commented on the male porn actor's squirming faces, and repeatedly called their dream girlfriends 'bitches' who they got to act like porn stars.

When I drew my eyes up and focus on them, they seem to get quieter. I know what I look like when I want to: I'm a big, African-American male with muscles who is often mistaken for a cop or security guard. I can -when I want to- shift my presence and facial expression to look like a stern authority figure or their Dad (or what they would think their Dad might look like). The boys pretended not to notice me but I can feel the glances out of the side of their eyes. I soften my look to be less accusatory or enraged. I just want to look at this and see. This was a time for equanimity practice.

I have been on subways where guys are watching cell porn. Mostly they're doing it by themselves, or in a corner. I catch the reflection of flesh on their glasses or in the windows of the subway. I politely distance myself from their experience. The watchers are always by themselves and are not talking, whooping, laughing, or offering commentary. And still they are watching porn in a public space: New York City's most public space. We all pretend to ignore each other, old women hedge away from these watchers. I wonder what was the impetus for cell porn on a subway?

There are other private things to do that people enact on the subway. For instance, eating food, especially smelly food. Last week I ate dinner on the subway. I was coming back from the gym and extremely hungry. I popped open my raw vegetables and marinated mushrooms and began eating them. I had weighed the options in my head. The meal wasn't that smelly, it wouldn't be that much of an imposition on people's senses, I was sitting in a corner. My body language shifted as I curved my back and hid the plastic box. I wasn't smacking, licking my lips and saying 'DAMN, THESE ARE SOME TASTY DELIGHTS IM EATING, MUTHAFUCKA!'

Two French gay tourists were sitting near me. They looked out of the side of their eyes. I felt bad but then I rationalized 'it's only vegetables and some lentils.' I judged that they felt this was fair too as they resumed their conversation.

Women reading erotic literature on the subway is another thing my roommate cited. I had never thought about it but she said reading erotica is a very private thing for women. And to do so on the subway robs the experience of its erotic thrill. It has to be a little less enjoyable when reading erotica or watching porn in public with others and you can't achieve the material's intended purpose in public: which is to get off. It's both gross and confusing.

I have seen people work out on the subway, break up relationships, do push-ups and pilates, file through their mail, urinate in a bottle, sleep, passionately make-out, reveal personal gynecological details in loud conversation. I suppose there has been a breakdown in what is not supposed to be done in public spaces. I guess it was inevitable when I walked in at the Union Square stop one day and caught the dancing reflection of porn in a man's glasses. He was seated in the corner of the subway. There was an empty seat across from him. I sat down and noticed that his glasses were lit up with the fleshy reflections of breasts and bush. I did a double take. And the reflections were images from a movie he was watching on his phone. I furrowed my eyebrows at him and then quickly looked away. I felt embarrassed and imposed upon.  The watcher's eyes shot up for a second to look at me and then -noticing that I had looked away- slipped back down into his porn. He held the phone even tighter and closer to his body. In a few other instances, I have caught solitary watchers crouched over their phones in guilt.

Yesterday was the first time when a group of kids loudly celebrated their accomplishments of porn watching on the subway. There was no protocol for how to chastise or react. Could the conductor be called, should parents be notified, should social services be called? Two of the kids got off a few stops into my ride. The only one left was the boy in dirty boxers. Now that he was by himself, he became very quiet and quickly switched off the porn and put in his headphones. He was now listening to music. Oddly enough he had the courtesy to put in headphones so as not to disturb other passengers. So was the porn watching just a communal buddy act they did together? A dare? A bonding moment?

I watched his behavior as he switched to music listening. He crouched over his phone and his head bent down. He would not look up for the rest of the ride. Did he have some sense of shame over the previous incident or was he oblivious and just wanted to listen to his music. At that moment I wish I had a boombox so that I could sit next to him and begin blasting my favorite dharma lectures. I would, of course, offer a loud color commentary to interrupt his music-listening:

DAY-UM, THIS IS SOME DEEP BUDDHIST STUFF!!!

AWWW MAN, DALAI LAMA KICKING OL' SCHOOL!

How would he react? Would he shoot me a look, get up and leave? Perhaps he would take off his headphones and say in his finest British accent, "excuse me dear sir, but I'm trying to listen to my music.'