Derek McPhatter's BRING THE BEAT BACK opens Freedom Train's Fire Fest 8/5 (Brooklyn)

Hey everybody. I want you all to save the dates!

My residency with Freedom Train Productions continues, and next month, Freedom Train’s Fire! Festival of new plays in development begins.

My project – Bring the Beat Back – opens the festival, followed by two other exciting projects from Freedom Train’s resident playwrights. More info is available here. http://www.freedomtrainproductions.org/

Here are some upcoming dates:
July 22, 2009 – 6:30 P.M. Offstage Forum: Freedom Train

will host an open discussion

exploring the relationship between the concept of the

Apocalypse and progressive social movements.
August 5th, 2009 – 7 P.M. – Performance
August 6th, 2009 – 7 P.M. – Performance

More on the Project: Bring the Beat Back: an Apocalyptist Episode

Tru Believers know the Musicship Megarhythmic is on its way to save them from the End of the World, but you can’t get on if you can’t get down, and somebody done stole the beat. Trudy thinks her boy-crazed brother may be the troublemaker in question. And unless she can literally “straighten things out” between her brother and his latest love, the Musicship may just groove on by without them. Reaching into a transcendental realm of underground dance music, Bring the Beat Back is an experimental work of music-drama.

This is shaping up to be a very exciting project. Christopher Burris has joined the project as my collaborating director, and I really appreciate his perspective as we are moving towards the staged reading events.

Freedom Train gives its resident playwrights so much support to help bring the work to life. From the play development workshops, to assistance with casting, to career sessions, to the Train’s great network of backstage and onstage talent, to the other resident playwrights.

It’s great, great, great! I hope you all get a chance to see our work in August.
More soon.

Derek Lee McPhatter.

NEW 2009 RESIDENCY FOR BLACK PLAYWRIGHTS (NYC)

NEW 2009 RESIDENCY FOR BLACK PLAYWRIGHTS (NY)
Deadline: 11-14-08

Material: One-Act and Full Length Plays (with political vision)
We are now accepting applications into our Residency for Black Playwrights. The residency begins in Fall 2008 and lasts through August 2009. It entails:
- A commission to write a new play that features a Black LGBT protagonist.
- Entry into Freedom Trains Play Development Workshop.
- Two (2) staged reading performances of each work at Fire! New Play Festival in August 2009.
- Facilitation of The Open Workshop, a playwright’s salon where writers bring in work to receive feedback from their peers and Resident Playwrights.
- Freedom Train hosting an Offstage Series Discussion around the socio-political issues of each playwrights new work. - An honorarium.

By the end of 2008, our second year, we will have supported the development of eight new plays and political theatre. And in alignment with the Train’s goal to besiege NYC theatre with our distinct worldview, former resident playwrights have gone on to Public Theater’s Emerging Writer’s Program, Emerging Artists Theater’s One Woman Standing Performance Series, and Ensemble Studio Theater’s Youngblood Residency.

The Residency Selection Committee weighs the following key application areas in their judgment: strength of writing and form, the playwright’s vision for political theatre, and prior production experience.

TO APPLY:
- Submit an one-act or full-length play. This should showcase your theatre aesthetic, writing, and vision for political theatre. It does not have to be a work that has a Black LGBT protagonist.
- Submit a play synopsis of the one-act or full-length play (75 word max).
- Submit a resume detailing your playwriting experience. Also, please include any teaching artist experience or background as a playwright within any formal or informal writer’s group or workshop.
- Submit a playwright statement (2 pages max) detailing: (1) your goals for the residency and (2) tell us about the play you plan to write by sharing the central struggle or any dramaturgical research or your impetus/drive behind writing the play. Finally, (3) share how you plan to structure and facilitate a session of The Open Workshop.
- Applicants should send materials via email (.doc files only) by Friday, November 14th, 2008 to: residency@freedomtrainproductions.org.

QUESTIONS: Direct questions to residency@freedomtrainproductions.org or visit our website www.
freedomtrainproductions.org. No phone calls please.
Email: andre@freedomtrainproductions.org.
Web: http://www.freedomtrainproductions.org/.

Source: The Loop

Freedom Train Prods Residency for Black Playwrights (NY)

Deadline: 01-04-08 (Postmarked by)
Material: One-Act or Full-Length Play, Application
Freedom Train Productions is now accepting applications into our Residency for Black Playwrights. We are a theatre project that supports the creation of new plays written by Black playwrights that feature Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender protagonist characters. The residency entails:
- A commission to write a new play that features a Black LGBT protagonist.
- Regular Play Development Workshop meetings starting in February 2008 where Resident Playwrights share their work and offer feedback to each other.
- A $500 stipend for Resident Playwrights (pending funding).
- Two (2) stage reading performances of each work at Freedom Train’s Fire! New Play Festival in August 2008.
- Facilitation of The Open Workshop, a playwright’s salon where writers bring in their work and receive feedback from their peers and Freedom Train Resident Playwrights.
TO APPLY
- Submit a one-act or full-length play. This should be your best work. It does not have to be a work that has a Black LGBT protagonist.
- Submit a play synopsis of the one-act or full-length play (75 word max).
- Submit a resume detailing your playwriting experience. Also, please include any teaching artist experience or background as a playwright within a writer’s group or workshop.
- Submit a statement detailing: (1) your goals for the Residency and (2) how you would structure/facilitate a session of The Open Workshop, Freedom Train’s writer’s salon. Also within this statement (3) tell us about the play you plan to write by sharing its central question, any dramaturgical research, or your impetus/drive behind writing the play (1 pg max).
- Applicants must send materials via email (.doc or .pdf files only) AND postal mail by JANUARY 4TH, 2008 to:
Email: info@freedomtrainproductions.org AND
Postal Mail: Freedom Train Productions, P.O. Box 470905, Brooklyn, NY 11247.
For Postal Mail, include two copies of each submission requirement.
QUESTIONS: Please direct any questions to info@freedomtrainproductions.org. No phone calls please. Also please visit our website: freedomtrainproductions.org.
Thank you and good luck!

Source: The Loop