Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Thoughts on the Sterling Scandal and the NBA

Donald Sterling is banned for life. The NBA has taken a stand. Everybody cheers and goes back to business as usual. I have conflicting feelings about this news.

First, I don't really think the NBA is concerned about social justice or civil rights. If they were half the owners in the league would be banned (hello Cavs owner who ripped off middle-class families with mortgages and the Nets owner who is a Russian oligarch involved in all sorts of atrocities). Furthermore Sterling's racism and sexism have been known for decades including actual housing discrimination which directly hurt black and Latino families. The NBA was silent throughout all this court evidence and documentation.

I think the lifetime ban was for business purposes. The threats of a player boycotting of just one playoff day would have cost the NBA ridiculously large amounts of millions (TV, ticket reimbursement, paying players, suing them, lawyers). All teams would be hurt and could spin off into NBA players blackballing the Clippers and refusing to play for them, thereby making a billion dollar property worthless due to the personality of one guy. This probably pissed off the owners more than anything else: one person's stupid comments costing everyone money. Given Sterling's history if the league would have let him off easy, he would probably do or say something else that would harm them again in the future.

Furthermore I do believe that the class of billionaires who own sports franchises are probably not the most socially liberal and enlightened. There's probably as much hatred spewed every day in many sports front offices as was on that TMZ-leaked tape. Even though there is no tape to prove this (yet), we can deduce this theory by simply examining the actions of the many owners involved in lying to local governments, tricking cash-starved counties into forking over billions for new stadiums, and hold entire regions hostage with incessant demands that harm many others for the sake of their exclusive benefit. Yes, it is safe to say that the 'average' sports franchise billionaire will not be chaining themselves to a tree any time soon, much less concern themselves with most social inequalities.

Second, you can't tape record people without their permission or a warrant. That's illegal in almost all states. Yes, it's a minor point in the context of this story but a pretty significant one when it comes to human rights and the protection of privacy. In 2005 a Miami Herald reporter tape recorded the conversation of corrupt politician, Art Teele. Jim DeFede's recordings are salacious and scandalous. But when the Herald found out about it, they immediately fired him and cleared out his desk. Since it's highly illegal, you can't submit this information to a court. But who needs a court when you have public opinion. The tape was skillfully leaked and caused exponentially more damage than any law could do in only a few days. I do wonder if this is justice? And in this day in age are we still trying to stick by the ethical principle that everyone deserves some form of impartial justice, even despicable racists and misogynists. Is this a principle that we're willing to abandon? It wasn't too long ago that we were having this argument about a much more serious problem: Al Qaeda and terrorism. We have apparently answered the first part of this moral dilemma with the Patriot Act and rolling back the rights for all Americans.

Finally, there is a difference between legal theories and everyday realities. Something needed to be done. Despite the NBA's craven motivations, it would have been even more intolerable for the league to hide behind Sterling's civil rights, however valid they may be in the court of law. Sports depends upon mob thinking and a certain tribal mentality. The NBA tribe, village, livestock, pets, and bloggers had turned against Sterling. Once animosity reaches a certain tipping points, then all constitutions and ruling documents have one basic tenet that supersedes all others: keep order. Emergency powers exist in all governments for the practical purposes of maintaining stability during a crisis. Some times laws must be ignored for set periods of time just to keep a community going. Only a legal purist would try to refute the need for exceptions and the leeway for extreme measures to be taken under certain situations. In the past, these exceptions were used for threats of civil war and acts of God. I do wonder if our mediated age has made it necessary to add a third category for exceptional powers: extreme and prolonged public outrage that spreads through social media. And if the offending party can be removed by the ruling powers with minimal risk, then do despicable people like Donald Sterling become the exceptional case in the 21st century? Can someone be such an unrepentant and odious person that their actions endanger others.

A few years ago, a Florida pastor threatened to burn a copy of the Koran.  The man sounded hateful, anti-Muslim, and extremely unpleasant. In short he sounded like millions of other bigots in this country. But his vow to do it on camera set off a social media storm. People said his actions could put US troops at risk around the world, terrorist might attack soft targets, the president condemned his planned action, and everyone agreed that this would be a terrible, awful thing. State and federal government officials searched for any loophole in the law that could stop this man. This was his way of exercising freedom of expression and speech in the same way that people burned the American flag in anti-war protests. Yet this one man seemed to hold the nation hostage. Eventually he backed away from burning the Koran, or at least doing so in public. This was acceptable. I found this highly amusing and strange. This pastor might have gone ahead and burned the Koran in his bathtub. Who knows, he might still be burning holy books right now. But the issue was his publicizing, Instagramming, Facebooking, Tweeting, and taking camera videos of it. But then again, I suppose someone like that would never burn a Koran unless there was someone there to record it. It would be pointless without the outrage. So if another person came forward wanting to burn the Koran, would it be all right to stop him for the sake of societal preservation?

Bringing this back down to entertainment, politics, and millionaire athletes, I wonder if this Sterling scandal will be a learning experience for others. Major League baseball banned Cincinnatti Reds owner Marge Schott because her racism and anti-semitism reached a certain decibel level that threatened to drown out the very thing she was a part of: sports. There is no power to make bigots like Schott or Sterling learn to accept others or -at least- to be sensible enough to fake acceptance in front of cameras and tape recorders.   The learning has to happen in quiet moments away from social judgment and it must be among the outraged, offended, and incensed. The lessons that can be learned from the Sterling scandal aren't for the man himself, who may be too far gone in delusion and hatred. The lessons are for us.


Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Theatre People Who Hate Theatre

After the first 10 minutes of "Bullets Over Broadway" my heart was filled with dread. The jokes were stale, the timing was slow, the joints of the play creaked. I started plotting my intermission escape. And then something miraculous happened: this broadway musical became fun. The actors picked up the pace, the jokes started landing, the choreography began flowing. By the time Olive sings a hilariously on-the-nose sexual bit about wanting a big hot (in a joke that gets bigger and raunchier at every chorus refrain), everything had changed. The audience was won over, I was won over. This was funny, silly.

At the end of the show I looked back on my initial escape and how quickly my mind switched into 'mission abort' mode. It made me wonder if I have become so jaded about theatre that if the first 10 minutes aren't a smash then I'm already planning my 'intermission migraine?'

When I first came to NYC I saw so many bad plays, SO many awful heinous pieces of dreck that were offered for free, that my friends were in (sorry, but it's true), so many pieces I was invited to at schools, under staircases, in art galleries, and even in people's apartments. I reveled in these misshapen scattered works, learned from them, found joy in the art of live performance, debated what wasn't working, problem-solved in my head, and was astounded that there's still this thing people feel compelled to do 4,000 years later out of some primal instinct of theatrical sharing and storytelling. The first thing art every human learns is how to act. The second art form all humans learn is how to put on a show around our acting. We grab props, we pretend, wear costumes of paper hats, build castles from sticks.

This season I have seen 8 shows on Broadway. Usually I'm lucky if I get to see one show the entire year. I have sat through dozens of off-broadway musicals, dramas, and comedies. I need to keep finding the joy and gratitude so I don't become another theatre person who detests seeing theatre. It's a slippery slope. 

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Easter Reflections on Broadway


It's Easter: I'm at The Cripple of Inishmaan. 1st row. Broadway premiere. In a moment of reflection I laughed: I'm not supposed to be here!!

I grew up in South Florida, no theatre ed, nobody in the arts, no summer camps, no artist mentors or examples. I read and re-read encyclopedia volumes for fun on the weekend, used my teddy bears to stage political debates on my bedroom floor, and only watched 2 plays until I was freshman at Northwestern: a community college production of "Dreamgirls" my parents took me to when I was 6, and a traveling show of "Midsummer Night's Dream" our school drove my 3rd grade class to one afternoon.

I was forced to write fiction to pass a radio production class. It was a joke to me. I penned the script in studio, played most of the voices, edited it together, grabbed my Outkast "Aquemini" CD and slapped in some music. I amused  myself in blending hip hop with a comedic soap opera, along with a faux radio commercial where two angels in heaven have a conversation about erectile dysfunction (a year before Viagra hit the market).

Over a decade later I'm here in the NYC theatre community, watching Broadway premieres, working as a paid writer/producer for web videos, blessed with many brilliant friends, getting shows put up, and having a chance to see the best. History and logic would indicate that I'm not supposed to be here. But the long unwinding path of proof some times contradicts what is and isn't supposed to be. To misquote The Last Poets, 'the resurrection will not be televised.' It will be lived and made evident to misbelievers like me. I'm grateful for being doubtful. It makes the joy that much sweeter. After all these Easters in the arts, I'm glad to see something else besides what the world supposed for me and my kind. 

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Falling Sky

"Oh look, it must be somebody's birthday party.'

A black SUV hummed at a red light on Amsterdam Avenue. A swaddled net of a dozen white and blue helium balloons was strung to the back of vehicle, along with several other metallic ones with cartoon faces that pullulated the dark tint windows. I had no comment so my friend continued.

"I remember when I was a child my parents put some balloons in the car on the way back from a birthday party. When we got home from the party, they opened the door and the balloons flew out and up into the sky. I was so mad. But as a child I was always scared of the sky.'

"Wait, you were scared of the sky?"

"Well, maybe not scared but unnerved."

"Why?"

"Cause the sky is so huge and endless. And I always thought I was going to fall into it. And when my balloons flew up into it, it was like they were swallowed up by this abyss. That's why I never liked high altitude, because there's so much sky.'

We wandered left at 134th Street and Amsterdam and walked down a hill toward the subway station.  My friend continued on about the terrifying sky. His divagation rattled around in my head.

Suddenly I glanced up at the net of blue and white balloons floating up the hill and cresting at the fourth floor of a line of apartments. I looked down and saw the Black SUV parked by a hydrant. Passengers stared helplessly at the escaped bandits. The balloons dipped a bit in the window, teasing them. An older man began running up the hill. A few pedestrians shouted at the unruly bubbles which didn't descend lower than 30 feet before rapidly escalating upward.

I tracked the balloons ascension into the hieratic ebony ink. The white/blue globule cleared the buildings, the clouds of steam pumping out of City College, and the skyline. In a few seconds the balloons were sucked up into the adumbrated midnight.  When we reached the bottom of the hill we turned up Broadway toward the station.

"That was well-timed. I see your point."

"About what?"

"The sky."

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

GET WHAT YOU WANT: April 2014

***NOTE: This is still a work-in-progress list, but I didn't want to delay things so I'm putting it up here while I continue to add on to it.***


1.Shakespeare’s Sister 


Deadline: July 1st

The Shakespeare’s Sister Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for a female playwright to be supported by three extraordinary institutions over the course of a year while she writes and develops a new play.
In addition to a cash prize of $10,000, the playwright will receive residencies at three geographically distinct institutions—AROHO,Hedgebrook, and the Lark Play Development Center—each one providing a different kind of support at successive stages in the playwright’s process. The fellowship seeks to make possible for the playwright a breakthrough into the kind of new work she would not have had the freedom or the resources to create otherwise.
  • In order to be eligible, the applicant must be a woman playwright (no age limit) who has written at least one full-length play.  (A first round-applicant will submit 30 pages of a play that she will then submit in its entirety if she makes it into the second round.)
  • Applicants must be able to commit wholeheartedly to each stage of the fellowship, entailing four weeks of dedicated time over the course of the year, and must be willing to write an entirely new play. (This fellowship isn’t designed to refine existing work. The playwright must be open to what the process brings.)
View the Shakespeare’s Sister Showcase to see announcements about the fellowship.





2.
Falmouth University has announced that the Nick Darke Award 2014
Deadline: 4/14/14


Falmouth University has announced that the Nick Darke Award 2014 is now open for submissions to its £6000 prize.
Funded by Falmouth University, the Nick Darke Award commemorates the playwright Nick Darke, and was conceived following his death by his wife, the artist and film-maker Jane Darke, with the support of his family. Nick Darke wrote in many forms but earned his living in the world of theatre, screen and radio. The award is therefore presented each year to a writer for work that peruses an environmental theme within one of the following disciplines:
  - Stage play
  - Radio play
  - Screenplay
The £6000 prize money is intended to help provide the time for writers to be able to write that financial support facilitates.


Further information: the first submission stage involves outlining the idea in the form of a 25 word or less pitch, followed by an outline for the story idea in 750 words, suggesting character, plot and structure. Applicants are asked to also submit 20 pages that represent their writing, either in the form of a new or existing piece.


The eight shortlisted writers will be announced in October 2014 and will be invited to an Awards Ceremony held at Falmouth University. The deadline for submissions is 14 April 2014.
The competition is open to all writers aged 16 and over and the application must be made in English. The writer must be the sole original author. The competition is not open to collaborations.


How to submit:  please email your submission in two PDF documents, one containing a short CV and the other containing the outline, pitch and 20 sample pages. State clearly which category your submission falls into (Stage, Screen, Radio) and email to: nickdarkeaward@falmouth.ac.uk. Full guidelines can be downloaded: http://www.falmouth.ac.uk/nickdarkeaward



3.
The Burbage New Writing Prize competition
Deadline: April 7th
The Burbage new writing prize is an open competition where the winning script will receive a full production by Burbage Productions. There are no rules on content or style aside from that the play must be complete and be in the English language. The aim of the prize is for us as a fledgling company to build our network of writers who may work with us on future collaborations, and to allow writers the platform in which to explore and develop their work with theatre practitioners.


Submission Guidelines
  - The competition is open to anyone.
  - The piece can be about anything! Play, musical, adaptation, you name it! As a company our main ethos is on Story telling, it is as broad as that, and can be interepated in any way.
  - There is no age limit.
  - The play must have a playing time of at least sixty minutes, no shorter please.
  - We can only accept one entry per person.
 -  The play must be an original, unproduced piece of work. It cannot have received a professional production. Amateur productions do not apply. Any scripts that have been professionally produced or published will be automatically disqualified.
 -  The entrant must exclusively own and control all copyright and all other related rights to the Submitted script. It must be available for production and unattached to any other organisation or individual. If it is an adaptation you must own all rights. We cannot accept scripts which infringe on the copyright of others.
  - The terms for any Subsequent production mounted by Burbage will be negotiated after the closing of the competition.
  - We can offer feedback on scripts to those who seek it. We aim to be as constructive and direct in our approach, allowing both parties to benefit. All details as to how to obtain such feedback will be announced after the competition closes.
  - We are only able to accept entries submitted by email in Word or PDF format. Entries must be entirely complete and in one document only.
  - All entries should be emailed to admin@burbageproductions.com, along with a short synopsis of the piece.
  - All scripts must include a contact name, phone number and contact email address on the front page of the script.
   -All entries should include page numbers on every page.
   The deadline for entry is midnight on 7 April 2014. Any entries received after this time will not be read, and no extension is possible due to time restraints.
   The winning play will be announced by Monday 14 April. 2014.
Submitting a script constitutes your acknowledgment and acceptance of these terms and conditions.



4.
I AM SOUL

Deadline: May 1st


I AM SOUL recognizes one black playwright annually whose work demonstrates exceptional artistic merit and excellence in the field. Alongside NBT’s Theatre Arts Director, the selected playwright will develop a new play during the twelve (12) month residency. The program will provide the playwright with a stipend [pending funding], administrative and dramaturgical support, in-house readings, one 29-hour workshop and a workshop production in NBT’s 2015-16 season.
With I AM SOUL, NBT seeks to deepen the artistic relationship between black theatrical institutions and black playwrights, and to begin to re-establish black theatrical institutions as the foremost supporters and producers of new works created by black playwrights.


To get application:
I AM SOUL – Important Dates:
Applications must be received by: May 1, 2014 at 11:59 pm Finalists will be notified in: May 26, 2014
Recipient will be notified in: June 30, 2014

The residency year is: September 1, 2014 - August 31, 2015


5.
VICTORY GARDENS IGNITION FESTIVAL

Deadline: 5/15/14


Victory Gardens Theater Artistic Director Chay Yew announces a call for submissions of new, challenging, and innovative plays to be a part of the 2014 IGNITION Festival of New Plays, which will take place July 21-27, 2014. The fourth IGNITION festival will create a productive environment for both emerging and established playwrights to explore and develop their new work. The deadline for submission is Thursday, May 15, 2014.


INGITION’s six selected plays will be presented in a festival of readings scheduled for summer 2014 and will be directed by leading artists from Chicago and around the country. Following the readings, two of the plays will be selected for intensive workshops during Victory Gardens 2014/15 season, and Victory Gardens will produce one of these final scripts in an upcoming season.


For More Information and Submissions Submission can be mailed to:
IGNITION, Victory Gardens Theater
2433 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60614.

Work can also be submitted electronically to ignition@victorygardens.org

All submissions must be received by May 15, 2014. For more information about IGNITION Festival of New Plays, visit www.victorygardens.org.


6.
2014 TEXAS STATE BLACK AND LATINO PLAYWRIGHTS CONFERENCE

Deadline: 4/14/14


Texas State is accepting plays for its 2014 Black and Latino Playwrights Conference.
The Texas State Black and Latino Playwrights Conference Deadline: April 15 each year for the following September conference.
The mission of the Black and Latino Playwrights Conference is to provide Texas State University students majoring in theatre with the opportunity to work with professionals for a hands-on week-long lab that includes the collaborative process of ―finding a play in rehearsals, culminating with a public staged reading.
To annually lend an ear to new voices and help writers, in collaboration with directors, actors, and dramaturgs, shape their stories and hone their craft in an environment that allows the writer to explore and grow and learn fearlessly.
To share the play with the campus and community in a staged reading for audiences followed by discussion and/or questions and answers.
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION OF SCRIPTS
• Only unproduced and unpublished scripts are eligible for consideration.
• The scripts should be written by a Black or Latino/Latina playwright.
• The scripts should include a synopsis and character list.
• The playwrights are expected to attend the rehearsals and at least one of the performances.
• Only scripts submitted prior to the deadline will be considered.
• Playwrights from across the country may submit scripts.
• Manuscripts should be typed in the standard play format and must include contact information.
• Include a stamped self-addressed envelope if you wish your manuscript returned.
DEADLINE FOR THE SUBMISSION OF SCRIPTS
The deadline for submission of scripts is on April 15th. A script postmarked by the deadline date is acceptable. Play scripts may be delivered by regular mail, in person, or e-mail. By June 15th, notification is sent to the author of the selected work and to all who submitted scripts.
GUEST ARTISTS
1. Housing: The university provides for all guest artists and directors from out of town.
2. Stipends: The selected playwrights receive a $1000 stipend.
3. Travel Expenses: Airfare or mileage is covered by the university.
Send Manuscripts To:
Department of Theatre & Dance
Texas State University-San Marcos
601 University Drive
San Marcos, TX 78666
Attn: Black & Latino Playwrights
or e-mail to Eugene Lee: el18@txstate.edu or mreugenelee.el@gmail.com
The url for the conference keeps changing so I don’t recommend that be included but for your information, as of today it is http://www.theatreanddance.txstate.edu/Productions/blackandlatino.html


7.
BALTIMORE PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL
Deadline: May 31st

Unproduced plays of any length are eligible. Playwrights must live or work in Maryland or the District of Columbia or have done so in the past. Application and full submission requirements at http://www.baltplayfest.org/. Submissions close May 31, 2014 OR when 75 scripts have been received.



8.
BLUEGRASS NEW PLAY CONTEST
Deadline: August 31st

Kentucky Theatre Association Roots of the Bluegrass New Play Contest
Rules for this year's Roots of the Bluegrass New Play Contest sponsored by the Kentucky Theatre Association are below:
1) Entries accepted JUNE 1 through AUGUST 31, 2014
2) Any Kentucky playwright, of any age,-- whether currently living in Kentucky or not-- may enter the contest one or more times. However, entries must be the original work of the playwright, submitted separately to ky.playwright@yahoo.com and not have been previously been produced.
3) Entries will be judged blind. For EACH play submitted please submit a title page with name and contact information in one attachment and in a second attachment submit the complete script without the name of the playwright anywhere within it. Failure to abide by this rule will result in the disqualification of the script.
4) Plays of any length (full-length, one act or 10-minute) may be submitted. Likewise, they may be either comedy or drama, on any topic. Plays for children and musicals are NOT accepted.
5) Plays must be written in a standard format in 12 font and in either Times New Roman or Courier.
6) Neither an entry fee nor form is required.
7) Plays will undergo two rounds of judging. Semi-finalists will be announced in late September, finalists in late October. The winner will be announced at the Kentucky Theatre Association Conference in November at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY.
8) The winner will receive $250 and a plaque. The runners-up will receive plaques recognizing their achievements. Cuttings from each of the three finalist plays will be given readings at the KTA conference.
9) Judges may accept or reject any script for any reason.
10) Decisions of the judges are final.
11) Everyone who submits a script, by virtue of doing so, agrees to accept and abide by these rules.



9.
THE PUZZLE NEW PLAY FESTIVAL
Deadline: April 14th

The Puzzle New Play Festival is in its 4th year, and is currently seeking 10-minute plays! Selected plays will receive staged readings or full productions during the festival week ofMonday, June 23 - Saturday, June 28, 2014. Each piece will be assigned a director and cast with professional actors in the NYC area.
If you are interested in submitting for “The Puzzle,” download the application located atwww.marblechurch.org, and send it with your 10-minute play to:
The Puzzle New Play Festival
Marble Collegiate Church
1 West 29th Street
New York, NY 10001
Submissions must be postmarked by April 14, 2014


10.
VARIATIONS THEATRE GROUP’S  “UNCHAINED THEATRE” FESTIVAL
Deadline: April 15th

Variations Theatre Group invites submission of one act plays  until April 15, 2014 for its Second Annual Unchained Theatre Festival at the classy Chain Theatre in Long Island City, to be held between June 9-28, 2014.
Guidelines:
- Plays should not have a running time longer than 60 minutes.
- Each play should have its own  production team.
- Deadline for  submission is April 15, 2014.
- Application forms may be downloaded from our website: http://variationstheatregroup.com/newsite/unchained-theatre-festival-2014/
-Applications must be emailed to Submissions@variationstheatregroup.com.
-Notification of acceptance status will be sent by email on or about April 30, 2014.
-A participation fee (which will be applied to the costs of running the festival, technical expenses and publicity)in the form of a certified check, cashiers check, or money order should be made out to Variations Theatre Group. Please see our website for details.
If you have questions, please email us at info@variationstheatregroup.com.



11.
CARL DJERASSI FELLOWSHIP
DEADLINE EXTENDED: APRIL 20

Please spread the word! The Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing has extended the deadline for its $27,000 Carl Djerassi Fellowship in Playwriting. We will accept applications postmarked as late as April 20.

The Carl Djerassi Fellowship in Playwriting was established by scientist and author Carl Djerassi to encourage beginning-to-mid-career playwrights whose work is not only performed, but also has intrinsic literary value. To realize Dr. Djerassi's vision, the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Program in Creative Writing annually awards a fellowship to a playwright whose plays can be read and discussed as works on the page as well as performed on the stage. Playwrights whose works have been published as well as performed are especially of interest. Past Djerassi fellows include Dan O'Brien, Michael Weller, Len Jenkin, Sarah Gubbins, Martín Zimmerman, and Elaine Romero.

Applicants to the fellowship must have completed or be scheduled to complete an MFA or PhD in Creative Writing or Playwriting by August 15, 2013. For details regarding the responsibilities and privileges of our fellows, please visit the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing website. All applications must be postmarked by April 20, 2013 and should indicate "Djerassi Playwriting Fellowship" clearly on the envelope. There is no application form or entry fee, though applications must include the following materials: (1) a cover sheet listing your name, address, phone number, email address and the title of your writing sample. (2) a resume or curriculum vitae. (3) two letters of recommendation. (4) a single writing sample (i.e. one published play or one unpublished manuscript). Your name must not appear anywhere on your manuscript.

Applications should be sent to the following address:
Sean Bishop, Coordinator
Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing
Program in Creative Writing
University of Wisconsin
600 N. Park St., H.C. White Rm 6195A
Madison, WI 53706


12.
THE ARCH AND BRUCE BROWN FOUNDATION
Deadline: June 30th

The Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation will accept submissions for its 2013 Playwriting Competition between March 1 and June 30, 2013. Electronic submissions must be received by midnight on June 30, and mailed manuscripts must be postmarked by the deadline.
All works submitted (full–length dramas, comedies, musicals) must be original and in English. All works must present lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender life in a positive manner and be based on, or directly inspired by, a historical person, culture, work of art or event.

There is no entry fee. Prizes are as follows: First Prize, $3,000; Second Prize, $1,500; Honorable Mentions, $500. Prizewinners will be announced before the end of the year.

For complete submission guidelines, visit the foundation’s website: aabbfoundation.org, or write to Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation, P.O. Box 26124, Brooklyn, NY 11202.

Production Grants

The foundation also offers grants to production companies to offset expenses in producing theatrical works (plays, musicals, operas, choral works, orchestral works with text) and film or video. All works must be based on, or inspired by, history and present LGBT life in a positive manner.

Proposals may be submitted throughout the year. For complete details and proposal submission guidelines, visit the foundation’s website: aabbfoundation.org, or write to Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation, P.O. Box 26124, Brooklyn, NY 11202.


13.
Stage Left Theatre (looking for plays to fill their season)
Deadline: April 15th

Zev Valancy, the Literary Manager of Stage Left Theatre in Chicago, is looking to develop and produce plays that raise debate on social and political issues. As part of the "develop" portion of that mission, 2013-14 Playwright Residency has been created. We will be accepting applications through April 15th.

We're looking for two scripts that fit our mission--plays that raise debate on social and political issues. We'll being developing one in the fall and one in the spring with ensemble directors and our literary staff. Both will be eligible for inclusion in LeapFest 11, our developmental workshop festival, in summer 2014. The scripts don't need to be complete to be submitted--we encourage scripts anywhere in the process. Our goal is for them to reach the production-ready phase, using a combination of dramaturgical feedback, table reads, workshopping, invited reads, and other tools, as determined by the needs of the play and playwright. Playwrights from anywhere in the country are eligible, but we're unable to help with transportation expenses.

More information and the application are available here at our website:

Any other questions can be addressed to me at scripts@stagelefttheatre.com.
Please do not contact me here, as this is my personal address.


14.
Fable Theatre
Deadline: mid-April

Fable Theatre is the story-telling branch of Fable Farm, a community supported agriculture collective. In addition to growing fresh vegeta! bles, flowers and herbs for upwards of 100 families a week, we produce plays. We are looking for a full-length play to produce as the 2013 summer main stage production.
Would like to premiere your work on an outdoor summer stage on a farm? After hundreds of guests have finished their meals made from the food harvested from the land, they will take their seats on burlap covered hay bales under bright stars on a warm summer night and the play will begin...
We are searching for 'homespun' material, not necessarily related to agriculture or with an outdoor setting. We are NOT interested in children's theatre, but need to steer clear of excessive profanity. We are looking for a small cast and high drama. (think Chekhov with a cast of four) : )
We hire New York based actors, directors, and designers and house them on the farm as artists-in-residence.
Submissions are currently open to find the writer of this year's play. If you are a writer interested in submitting! , respond to this Mandy ad or email TheatreOnAFarm@gmail.com t! he following:
  • A Summary Of Your Play
  • A Character List And Short Character Descriptions
  • Your Bio
If we are interested we will contact you to discuss this opportunity further!
(i.e. financials, castings, a play reading, etc...)
Thank you for your time and we look forward to reading your work!
Fable Theatre
-
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT PLAYS: MID APRIL
Although we recommend submitting ASAP as we will MOVE if we fall in love with a piece!
- .
If you were eligible to this vacancy, please email us your resume, with salary requirements and a resume to Fable Theatre.

If you interested on this vacancy just click on the Apply button, you will be redirected to theofficial website



Deadline: May 1st


Each year, Page 73 offers the following three development programs to early-career playwrights:  The P73 Playwriting Fellowship, a nationally recognized fellowship program that supports one playwright for a full year with financial, production and career resources. Interstate 73, a writing group consisting six to eight emerging playwrights who are given the resources to develop new plays with a group of their peers. The Page 73 Summer Residency at Yale, a one-week summer residency on the Yale University campus for three to four early-career playwrights. These programs serve as many as fifteen playwrights per year.
DETAILS

The deadline for the 2013 Page 73 Development Programs Application is May 1st, 2013

Eligibility Requirements for Page 73′s Development Programs:

The applicant must be a US resident at the time of participation.

The applicant must have completed at least 2 full-length plays or at least 3 one-act plays.

The applicant must have made a commitment to playwriting as a professional goal.

The applicant must have never received a production of his/her work in New York City that was larger than an Actors’ Equity Showcase Code presentation.

The applicant must not be enrolled in a degree/certificate program at the time of participation.

Page 73 only accepts submissions via this online form.

If for some reason you are unable to submit via this form, or have questions about these programs or this application process, please contact Associate Director Michael Walkup at michael@page73.org.


16.
Rockefeller Foundation: Bellagio Grant (yes, playwrights are included)
Deadline: May 1st

The Bellagio Residency program offers scholars, artists, thought leaders, policymakers and practitioners a serene setting conducive to focused, goal-oriented work, and the unparalleled opportunity to establish new connections with fellow residents, across a stimulating array of disciplines and geographies. The Bellagio Center community generates new knowledge to solve some of the most complex problems facing our world and creates art that inspires reflection, understanding, and imagination.

The Center sponsors three kinds of residencies—for scholars, creative artists and practitioners. Creative Artist Residencies last four weeks. We are especially interested in applicants whose work connects in some way with the Rockefeller Foundation’s issue areas, and we also select each cohort for diversity to ensure that interdisciplinary and international connections remain an integral part of the Bellagio experience. In addition, the Center offers collaborative residencies for two to four people working on the same project.
Collegial interaction with other residents is an essential dimension of the Bellagio experience. Meals and informal presentations of residents' work afford an opportunity for dynamic discussion and engagement within and across disciplines. During special dinners, residents often interact with participants in international conferences hosted in other buildings on the Center's grounds.


17.
Undiscovered Voices Scholarship
Deadline: June 7th

The Writer’s Center seeks promising writers in the Washington area earning less than $25,000 annually to apply. This scholarship program will provide complimentary writing workshops to the selected applicant for a period of one year, but not to exceed 8 workshops in that year (and not to include independent studies). We expect the recipient will use the year to make progress toward a completed manuscript of publishable work.
Previous winners include Nicole Idar (2012), Gimbiya Kettering (2011), Lee Kaplan (2010), and Susan Bucci Mockler (2009).
The Writer’s Center believes writers of all backgrounds and experiences should have an opportunity to devote time and energy toward the perfection of their craft.
The recipient will be able to attend writing workshops offered by The Writer’s Center free of charge. In addition, he or she will give a reading from his or her work after the close of the scholarship period (June 2013) and will be invited to speak with local high school students on the craft of writing.
To apply, candidates should submit
a)  a cover letter signed by the candidate that contains the statement: “I understand and confirm I meet all eligibility requirements of the Undiscovered Voices Scholarship.” The cover letter should include information on the impact this scholarship would have on the candidate.
b) contact information for two references who can speak to the candidate’s creative work and promise
c) a work sample in a single genre:
  • 8 pages of poetry, no more than one poem per page
  • 10 pages of fiction, double-spaced, no more than one work or excerpt
  • 10 pages of nonfiction (essay, memoir, etc), double-spaced, no more than one work or excerpt
  • 15 pages of a script or screenplay
These items should be sent in hard copy to

The Writer’s Center
Attn: Laura Spencer
Re: Undiscovered Voices Scholarship
4508 Walsh St
Bethesda MD 20815


18.
Don & Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting
Deadline: April 10th

Screenwriters who have not earned more than $5,000 writing fictional work for film or television are eligible for this fellowship. Entry scripts must be the original work of one writer, or the collaborative work of two writers, and must be written originally in English. Adaptations and translated scripts are not eligible. Up to five $30,000 fellowships are awarded each year to promising new screenwriters. From the program’s inception in 1986 through 2010, over $3 million have been awarded to 126 writers.
The online application must be completed and script uploaded by April 10th. All entrants will receive notification of their status by e-mail sent no later than August 1 of each year. Quarterfinalist letters are e-mailed by August 1;fellowship recipients are announced in October.  For application materials and information, visit http://www.oscars.org/awards/nicholl/index.html

Biden's "Ok Boomer" Moment

  Disclaimer: I am NOT thrilled about a 2020 election rematch. However, having said that ("Curb Your Enthusiasm" reference) Republ...