Call for new Unproduced Full-Length Plays (Deadline: 9/17/08)

The Essential Theatre is currently seeking submissions of new full-length plays for consideration to include for development in its New Play Reading Series. Plays submitted for consideration must be new and never read or produced in workshop or performance for the general public’s consumption independently or under the auspices of an organization. Plays submitted and accepted into the process will be developed for a three-year period and scheduled for a world premiere production pending the level of artistic merit upon completion. Each accepted submission is given six scheduled readings over the three year development process. Three of the readings will be open to the public and three will be closed and limited to actors, the Playwright and artistic personnel. Each reading concludes with a discussion with the Playwright about the work. Playwrights unable to commit to a structured three year process with hard deadlines are discouraged from submitting. All workshop readings will be held in, Washington, DC and writers must be present for each reading. Partial transportation assistance may be available upon the completion of the accepted Playwright’s second year. Submitted scripts must be new, full-length or have the desire to achieve full length. Each submission must contain under one cover script with numbered pages and cover page, contact information , short play synopsis: not to exceed one paragraph, a list of characters, and Playwright’s bio; outlines, resumes or links to personal web sites are not acceptable and will be deemed an incomplete submission. In an effort to go green, submissions may be submitted electronically as a MS word attachment to theessentialtheatre @hotmail. com, or mailed on standard CD in MS word format along with a SASP to acknowledge receipt of your materials. Entries that are incomplete or do not conform to the requested format will not receive consideration. RTF and Zip files will be qualified as an incomplete submission. Please do not send these types of attachments as the issues these types of files pose vary according to equipment. The Deadline for receipt of submissions is, Wednesday, September 17, 2008. All topics will be considered and all submissions received by deadline date acknowledged.

The Essential Theatre is a non-profit professional theatre dedicated, but not limited to, producing theatre that is reflective of the African-American experience, which speaks distinctly from an African-American voice. It is also an objective of the theatre to produce programs for youth in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area that promotes interdisciplinary education and positive levels of self-esteem.Initiated during spring of 1992, The New Play Reading Series was created to give voice to the work of new and established playwrights. It is in substance an incubator that serves to nurture the work for a three-year period in a supportive and collaborative environment with other artisans, actors and directors. Further, it is a forum where audience members are welcomed to engage in an open, frank dialogue with the playwright and director about the issues presented in the material as well as techniques used to present them. Please note that no submissions will be accepted after the deadline date of, Wednesday, September 17, 2008.

Persons wishing to mail submissions may do so by sending to:
The Essential Theatre
Attn: New Play Reading Series
1112 11th Street, NW
Suite 100
Washington, DC 20001

Final decisions on submissions accepted will be made by, Friday, October 17, 2008. For more information contact (202) 328-0569 or E-mail, theessentialtheatre @hotmail. com while web site is under re-construction.

Please REMEMBER! All submissions must be sent in MS word format. Submissions can be E-mailed as an MS word attachment or mailed on standard CD in MS word in an effort to preserve trees. All submissions must include under one (1) cover: The submitted play with cover page, contact information and numbered pages. A list of characters. A brief synopsis of the play. A Playwright’s biographical statement. (Resumes, outlines and links to personal web sites will be deemed an incomplete submission). Please Do Not send RTF and zipped files.The essential Theatre is an Equal Opportunity Organization and champions workplace diversity.

The 3rd Annual Shades of Black Theatre Festival kicks off in August

NASHVILLE (July 25, 2008) SistaStyle Productions, Dream 7 Theatre Productions and The Destiny Theatre Experience are re-teaming for the 3rd annual Shades of Black Theatre Festival at Nashville’s Darkhorse Theater. Film/television/stage actress Phyllis Yvonne Stickney (Malcolm X, What’s Love Got to Do With It) will serve as the festival’s special guest. On September, 20th, Stickney will facilitate an acting workshop and present her one-woman show, P.S. I’m Still Standing. The festival will officially kick off with an opening mixer on August 11. The Destiny Theatre Experience will kick off the shows with My Lover, My Best Friend & My Roommate, written by Shawn Whitsell and Melissa Hughley. The company will also close out the festival with Whitsell’s original piece Never Been Home. SistaStyle Productions will present 70% More, Mary McCallum’s highly-anticipated sequel to her run-away-hit, The 70% Club. Dream 7 will present Michael L. Walker’s gritty Smokin’ Room. Guest theatre companies, Geo Soul Theatre and Griot Theatre Ensemble will present George Darden’s Pieces of a Dream and Jacqueline Springfield’s Goin’ Back to Where I’ve Never Been, respectively.

“All of our main stage shows are original works by local playwrights that have never been produced before,” says Whitsell, one of the festival’s organizers. “That’s pretty exciting. We’re giving theatre-goers all new works this year. We’re also very excited about Phyllis Yvonne Stickney’s participation this year. She’s a very talented and versatile actress.”

Other events include, The Emerging Playwright Reading, a poetry jam, a night of locally produced short films and a number of workshops. The purpose of Shades of Black Theatre Festival is to provide an outlet for showcasing quality black theatre in the Nashville area. The festival will also serve as a platform for actors, directors, producers, writers, and theatre enthusiasts to learn, network and enjoy quality theatre. Tickets for all shows may be purchased for $15. All Shades of Black events will be held at the Darkhorse Theater, 4610 Charlotte Ave., Nashville, TN 37209. For a full listing of events, visit shadesofblackfestival.com. To reserve tickets, contact (615) 781-3904 or shadesofblackfestival@yahoo.com.

Theodore Ward Prize/Call for African-American Playwrights

Deadline: December 1, 2008. The annual playwriting contest sponsored by Columbia College Chicago Theater Center. Nationally acclaimed for recognizing the outstanding individual accomplishments of African-American playwrights, along with their growing importance to the shape and direction of American drama in our time. The goals of the contest are as follows: To uncover and identify new African-American plays addressing the African-American experience that are promising and producible; To encourage and aid playwrights in the development of promising scripts; To offer an opportunity for emerging and established playwrights of African-American descent to be exposed to Chicago's professional theater community through staged readings and/or fully mounted productions. For more information on the submission process, and prizes, please contact contest facilitator, Chuck Smith at 312.344.6136. Visit http://www2.colum.edu/undergraduate/theater/workshops.php.

AAPEX Writer Nathan Ross Freeman's Feature Film MR. BONES Screened By New Filmmakers (NYC)

(Click Image to Enlarge)

(NYC) AAPEX writer Nathan Ross Freeman's award-winning film MR. BONES screened at New Filmmakers July 29th at 8:20PM. Reception starts at 7:30PM. Admission: $5.00.

Congratulations, Nathan!

www.mrbonesfilms.com

AAPEX Writer Yvette Heyliger's HILLARY & MONICA Opens July 24th (NYC)

Following, Barack Obama’s lead, we are showing Hillary some love by helping her to pay down her campaign debt resulting from one of the hardest-fought primary races in history! The Midtown International Theatre Festival in association with Twinbiz presents Hillary and Monica: The Winter of Her Discontent beginning July 24, 2008. If a patron wishes, after each performance the hat will be passed or a ticket can be purchased online at http://www.ticketcentral.com/ with the following promotional code: HILSBILL. A dollar of each ticket purchased with this code will go towards paying down Hill’s bills! Giving is totally optional, of course!

Hillary and Monica: The Winter of Her Discontent is a one-act play which explores what would have happened if the former first lady and the infamous intern had a chance meeting before the scandal broke? Find out in this all-American uproar about women, power and politics which takes a look at the evolution of the role of First Lady, as well as the age old problem of infidelity which affects first ladies from all walks of life.

Written and directed by Yvette Heyliger, the one-act play stars Clinton look-a-like Heidi Dallin, Jacqueline Kristel as Monica Lewinsky, Vanessa Shaw as Betty Curry and Jeff Pierce as Bill Clinton. Hillary and Monica: The Winter of Her Discontent will be playing at Workshop Theatre Main Stage, 312 West 36th Street, 4th floor on July 24th at 8:30pm, July 25th at 6:30pm, July 26th at 9:00pm, July 29 at 6:30pm, August 2nd at 5:00pm and August 2nd at 2:30pm. Tickets can be purchased for $18, $15 for seniors and students at http://www.ticketcentral.com/ or 212-279-4200.

People are often surprised when they discover Heyliger is African-American. To this she says, “I write about women’s issues which transcend race and I have always been patriotic; with this play I had a chance to explore both. This is a play about infidelity, a universal subject most people unfortunately know something about. However, the play is bigger than the scandal which is only used as a jumping off point for larger issues regarding women and politics. Women seeking office have to walk a tight rope between toughness and humanity that men do not, and the play explores that. It is interesting that the themes I wrote about in 2001—a presidential hopeful juggling power, politics and perfidiousness—have come to pass in 2008.”

Hillary and Monica: The Winter of Her Discontent was produced in a limited engagement last summer at Gloucester Stage Company in Massachusetts and was well received by audiences. Interestingly the play attracted Hillary supporters and detractors alike! Following are a few additional quotes by critics: "A witty take on recent history." Daily Item; "Hil-arious production!" North Shore Sunday; Complex: ‘Hillary and Monica’ delivers more than laughs." Winston-Salem Journal.

AAPEX Writer Valetta Anderson gets produced in Atlanta

Decatur, GA Working Title Playwrights (WTP), Atlanta's leading play-development organization, is thrilled to congratulate WTP Affiliate playwright Valetta Anderson on her knockout production of Hallelujah Street Blues at Horizon Theatre in Atlanta, GA. Hallelujah Street Blues was developed through WTP workshops as Blue Water Fishing, culminating in a concert reading as part of WTP's 2006 Work-In-Progress reading series. Working Title Playwrights is proud to have been a part of the evolution of this play and encourages everyone to see its jubilant production at Horizon Theatre through August 24, 2008. For more information on Hallelujah Street Blues or for reservations, please visit Horizon's website at http://horizontheat re.com/ or call 404.584.7450.

Working Title Playwrights, Inc., is a professional theatre company dedicated to the development and promotion of playwrights and new plays. Its goal is to provide all playwrights with the chance to excel -- by helping them tell their stories for stage; fostering the development of well-crafted plays; and increasing the visibility of theatre in Atlanta and beyond. Incorporated in 2003 as a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) statue, WTP serves its mission by featuring workshops and education seminars; public and private readings; and collaborative programs with other recognized local, regional and national artists and cultural arts groups.

Jill Patrick
Managing Artistic Director
Working Title Playwrights
404.441.2716

AAPEX Writer Henry Meyerson's JUMP JIM CROW July 17th thru August 2nd (NYC)

Jump Jim Crow
Written by
Henry Meyerson
Directed by
Tom Thornton
Will Be Produced at this Year’s
Midtown International Theatre Festival
Where Eagles Dare Theatre

347 West 36th Street
Cast: Lawrence Floyd * Michael Gnat * Tom Thornton
*Appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association
Performances:
Thursday, July 17th
6:15 PM
Saturday, July 26th
6:15 PM
Sunday, July 20th
7:00 PM
Tuesday, July 29th
8:30 PM
Friday, July 25th
8:30 PM
Saturday, August 2nd
8:00 PM

For Tickets: 212-279-4200 or http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30899002&msgid=356437&act=6SHU&c=284881&admin=0&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ticketcentral.com
For Information: http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30899002&msgid=356437&act=6SHU&c=284881&admin=0&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.midtownfestival.org

Jump Jim Crow tells the story of Tom Rice, a white performer in black face, and his black friend and writer, Jack Washington, who develop a successful blackface act in the mid-19th Century. Strom Thurmond joins Tom’s act and encourages Tom to develop material that become the springboard, and justification, for Jim Crow laws.

Tennesee State University Presents Romeo & Juliet

ROMEO & JULIET
by William Shakespeare · Directed by Barry Scott

The Montague's are "the Crips", the Capulet's are "the Bloods" as the words of Shakespeare collide with the world of African American street gangs.

Tennessee State University Summer Stock Theatre will present William Shakespeare's ROMEO & JULIET at the TSU Performing Arts Center Cox/Lewis Theater from July 24th through August 10th.

A long, hot summer in the housing projects of Nashville enflames the old feud between the Montague's and the Capulet's leading to public brawls. As the tension builds in the streets, two teenagers fall in love at first sight. Married in secret, they hope for reconciliation between the two rival gangs. When short tempers lead to deadly consequences, the young lovers find themselves alone and on the run, facing impossible odds and making desperate decisions.

What starts as a bawdy teenage comedy transforms into a heart-stirring romance for the ages, and features the shining lyricism of Shakespeare's extraordinary poetry.

Director Barry Scott says, "This particular approach has an important social relevance for urban America today. This treatment fits like a glove."

Romeo and Juliet is slated for a three week run at the TSU Performing Arts Center Cox/Lewis Theater. Performances are scheduled Thursday through Saturday nights at 7:00pm and Sunday afternoons at 3:00 pm, July 24 through August 10, 2008. Tickets are $10. Discounts are available for students, seniors, and groups.*

To purchase tickets or for more information, call Barry Scott: 615-963-5742 · fax: 615-963-5742.

Showtimes: Week One:

Thursday, July 24, through Saturday July 26, at 7:00 p.m. & Sunday's, July 27, at 3:00 p.m. ·

Week Two:

Thursday, July 31, through Saturday, August 2, at 7:00 p.m. & Sunday, August 3, at 3:00 p.m.·

Week Three:

Thursday, August 7, through Saturday, August 9, at 7:00 p.m.& Sunday, August 10, at 3:00 p.m.

The Tennessee State University Performing Arts Center Cox/Lewis Theater is located on Albion Street. From I-40 West, Exit 28th Avenue Go straight through traffic Light onto Albion Street. Turn Right at 2nd Stop sign (35th Avenue North). Turn Left into Lot H. The Performing Arts Center is the building with the white fins.

For more information, please call: Barry Scott 615-963-5742 or email him at: wbscott@Tnstate.edu

*$7 for TSU Faculty & Staff and $3 for students with I.D.

Orisha Tales Repertory Radio Theatre Company New Show July 17th (NYC)

We Are Creative People
Orisha Tales Repertory Radio Theatre Company

Invites you to the event

ORUNMILA (THE ADVENTURES OF THE FATHER OF IFA DIVINATION)

on We Are Creative People!

Time: July 17th thru August 10, 2008 from 8pm to 10pm

Location: THE NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE

Organized By: Orisha Tales Repertory Radio Theatre Company

Event Description:

ORUNMILA (THE ADVENTURES OF THE FATHER OF IFA DIVINATION),

A YORUBA DANCE DRAMA,

COMES TO THE NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE.

What do you get when you’ve had twenty-two years as a retired NYPD police officer and sixteen years as a initiated Yoruba priest, who happens to be a radio dramatist, composer, sound designer and playwright, with a story to tell? The must see dance drama, a spectacular mixture of music, song, dance, lights, puppetry and costumes, explores the finite but myriad possibilities of the human condition, regarding the never ending question of fate versus one’s will as it is tested time and time again by Orunmila in his arrogance, ego, self deception and his defiance of Olodumare’s (God) wisdom. This must see production is written by the multiple award winning David D. Wright, directed and choreographed by the AUDELCO AWARD winning, Baraka de Soleil, with the creative input and consultation of The National Black Theatre, Founder, Dr Barbara Ann Teer. This is the THIRD collaboration of David D. Wright, Orisha Tales, and The National Black Theatre, which includes the multiple Audelco Award winning OYA, and Sango (Lord of Thunder).

Contact: 212.722.4881
See more details and RSVP on We Are Creative People here.

About We Are Creative People...
ENTER and WIN the WACP Most Positive Video Contest 6.20.08 - 8.20.08.

Valuable Growing list of Prizes. See "Groups"... Let's Get Busy!
150 members
795 photos
111 music tracks
194 videos
25 discussions
18 events

Call For Plays 6/30 Deadline

Bowie State University

Bowie, Maryland

Playwrights are invited to submit their full-length plays to the University's annual New Play Festival.

We enjoy plays that experiment with structure and language and address race, class, and power in America.

Submission guidelines:

1. Plays must be received by June 30, 2008

2. Plays must feature diverse casts for three to five college-aged performers.

3. Submissions cannot have received a professional production.

4. The selected play will receive a reading at The Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival over Labor Day Weekend and on the campus of Bowie State University this fall.

5. Musicals are not accepted at this time.

6. Plays must be submitted via e-mail to newplayfestival@bowiestate.edu in pdf format.

7. Submissions should include a brief author bio.

8. $500 prize to the selected script.

Feel free to visit our website at www.bowiestate.edu