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Playwright Residencies

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We Need to Invest in Writers
Essay

We Need to Invest in Writers

Learnings from Administering the National Playwright Residency Program

by Ramona Rose King
29 October 2020
On Radical Imagination and The Black Feminine Divine
Video

On Radical Imagination and The Black Feminine Divine

With Star Finch, Ellen Sebastian Chang, and Lisa Marie Rollins, presented by Crowded Fire and Campo Santo.

Tuesday 27 October 2020
United States
Regina Taylor's VOTE!
Video

Regina Taylor's VOTE!

Presented by The Oaks Collective in collaboration with Regina Taylor. Short plays and conversation exploring the African-American community's relationship with the political process.

Thursday 1 October 2020
USA
six people posing for a photo
We Need to Invest in Writers
Essay

We Need to Invest in Writers

Learnings from Administering the National Playwright Residency Program

29 October 2020

Ramona Rose King shares learnings from five years of working on the National Playwright Residency Program (NPRP) and argues that if we want to reinvigorate our art form and come back from this lull with vibrant, groundbreaking work, we need to invest in the artists who are making it.

Photo of three conversation participants, with the event title and producers listed.
On Radical Imagination and The Black Feminine Divine
letters C F T scribbled in orange
Crowded Fire
drawings of faces with text CAMPO SANTO
Campo Santo
Video

On Radical Imagination and The Black Feminine Divine

With Star Finch, Ellen Sebastian Chang, and Lisa Marie Rollins, presented by Crowded Fire and Campo Santo.

Tuesday 27 October 2020
United States

Crowded Fire and Campo Santo presented the conversation On Radical Imagination & The Black Feminine Divine livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 27 October 2020 at 2 p.m. HST (UTC -9) / 5 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 7 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 8 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

A Black person holding a Vote sign in front of a US flag.
Regina Taylor's VOTE!
Video

Regina Taylor's VOTE!

Presented by The Oaks Collective in collaboration with Regina Taylor. Short plays and conversation exploring the African-American community's relationship with the political process.

Thursday 1 October 2020
USA

The Oaks Collective presented the livestreamed of Regina Taylor's VOTE! event — which included short plays and conversation exploring the African-American community's relationship with the political process.

artist headshots
Psalm's Salons at Studio
black text studio theatre
Studio Theatre
Video

Psalm's Salons at Studio

A virtual dance party with conversation in collaboration with theatre-maker and emcee Psalmayene 24

Friday 18 September
United States

Studio Theatre presented Psalm's Salons at Studio livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Friday 18 September at 2 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 4 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 5 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

actors on stage with text PLAYS TO PROGRESS
Plays to Progress with Cori Thomas
blue text Eugene O'Neill Theater Center
The O'Neill
Video

Plays to Progress with Cori Thomas

A brief performance followed by a conversation about the resonance of Lockdown, a work by Cori Thomas launched at the O’Neill

Wednesday 9 September 2020
United States

Eugene O'Neill Theater Center presented Plays to Progress with Cori Thomas livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 9 September at 3 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 5 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 6 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

field of sunflowers.
a farm for meme (ASL-interpreted)
cara mia logo.
Cara Mía Theatre
text: allgo in an orange font.
allgo
isdp's logo, made up of the letters i s d and p.
Innovations in Socially Distant Performance
Video

a farm for meme (ASL-interpreted)

A Zoom performance written by Virginia Grise

1 - 2 August 2020
Dallas, TX United States

allgo and Cara Mía Theatre presented a farm for meme livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Saturday 1 August and Sunday 2 August 2020, in collaboration with a todo dar productions and Innovations in Socially Distant Performance, an initiative of Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts.

Betty Shamieh.
SEGAL TALKS: Betty Shamieh
Segal_Centre_Logo
Segal
Center
Video

SEGAL TALKS: Betty Shamieh

An update on the situation for theatre artists in the United States

Thursday 23 July 2020
United States

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented SEGAL TALKS: Betty Shamieh and Ty Jones livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 23 July 2020 at 9 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 11 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 17:00 BST (London, UTC +1) / 18:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2).

three actors onstage
We’ve Seen White American Theatre
Essay

We’ve Seen White American Theatre

How Can We BIPOC Now See Ourselves?

2 July 2020

Betty Shamieh offers a response to the “We See You, White American Theater” open letter as a non-Black American of color.

Lifting Up What We’re Throwing Down
Essay

Lifting Up What We’re Throwing Down

Company One’s Use of Amplify Language

23 June 2020

Kirsten Greenidge discusses how being the Playwright in Residence at Company One Theatre gave her a stronger appreciation for the work of the staff, particularly around speaking to the social justice goals of all the company’s programming.

actor onstage in front of a pink background
Directors + Playwrights - Lauren talks with Evren Odcikin
Video

Directors + Playwrights - Lauren talks with Evren Odcikin

with playwright Lauren Gunderson

Friday 17 April 2020
United States

Playwright Lauren Gunderson presented a conversation Directors + Playwrights - Lauren talks with Evren Odcikin livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Friday 17 April 2020 at 2 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 4 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 5 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

headshot of diep tran
Theatre Journalist + Playwright - Lauren talks with Diep Tran
Video

Theatre Journalist + Playwright - Lauren talks with Diep Tran

with playwright Lauren Gunderson

Thursday 16 April 2020
United States

Playwright Lauren Gunderson presented a conversation Theatre Journalist + Playwright - Lauren talks with Diep Tran livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 16 April 2020 at 11 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 1 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 2 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

actors in shakespearean garb
Dramaturgs + Playwrights - Lauren and Martine Greene-Rogers talk
Video

Dramaturgs + Playwrights - Lauren and Martine Greene-Rogers talk

with playwright Lauren Gunderson

Tuesday 14 April 2020
United States

Playwright Lauren Gunderson presented a conversation Dramaturgs + Playwrights - Lauren and Martine Greene-Rogers talk livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 14 April 2020 at 12:05 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 2:05 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 3:05 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

actor hugging a child with text Earthrise Kennedy Center
Musical Theatre w/ Lauren, Kait Kerrigan + Brian Lowdermilk
Video

Musical Theatre w/ Lauren, Kait Kerrigan + Brian Lowdermilk

with playwright Lauren Gunderson

Friday 10 April 2020
United States

Playwright Lauren Gunderson presented a conversation Musical Theatre w/ Lauren, Kait Kerrigan + Brian Lowdermilk livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Friday 10 April 2020 at 9:30 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 11:30 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 12:30 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

photo of laptop with notebook, mug, and an image of Shakespeare
A Playwrighting Class
Video

A Playwrighting Class

with playwright Lauren Gunderson

Wednesday 8 April 2020
United States

Playwright Lauren Gunderson presented a free playwrighting class livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 8 April 2020 at 12 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 2 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 3 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

Segal Center logo.
SEGAL TALKS: Taylor Mac & Kristin Marting
Segal_Centre_Logo
Segal
Center
Video

SEGAL TALKS: Taylor Mac & Kristin Marting

Daily Live Online Conversations with US and Global Theatre Artists

Monday 30 March 2020
New York City

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented SEGAL TALKS: Taylor Mac & Kristin Marting livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 30 March 2020 at 9 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 11 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4) / 5 p.m. BST (London, UTC+1).

two actors onstage
Writing Comedy and Wielding Power
Essay

Writing Comedy and Wielding Power

27 January 2020

Madeleine George and Mike Lew talk about writing comedy for theatre, vulnerability as playwrights, working with different aesthetics, and more.

two actors onstage
Playwrights Nurturing Cultural Community
Essay

Playwrights Nurturing Cultural Community

Pearl Cleage and Vera Starbard in Conversation, Part II

15 January 2020

In part two of their conversation, Vera Starbard and Pearl Cleage—playwrights-in-residence at Juneau, Alaska’s Perseverance Theatre and Atlanta, Georgia’s Alliance Theatre, respectively—talk about different cultural practices, the white gaze, moving away from anger, and more.

three actors onstage
Vocalizing Difficult Issues as Playwrights in Residence
Essay

Vocalizing Difficult Issues as Playwrights in Residence

Pearl Cleage and Vera Starbard in Conversation, Part I

14 January 2020

In part one of their conversation, playwrights Vera Starbard and Pearl Cleage talk about their respective residencies—at Juneau, Alaska’s Perseverance Theatre and Atlanta, Georgia’s Alliance Theatre, respectively—race and representation at their institutions, not writing for a white audience, and more.

three actors onstage, one jumping in the air.
On Bicultural Comedy
Essay

On Bicultural Comedy

An Interview with Herbert Sigüenza

5 January 2020

Matthew McMahan talks to playwright Herbert Siguenza about branching out as a solo writer after years as a member of Culture Clash, writing bilingual comedy, and more.

two actors embracing onstage
Connection, Influence, and Impact as a Playwright-In-Residence
Essay

Connection, Influence, and Impact as a Playwright-In-Residence

11 December 2019

Carlos Murillo and Kira Obolensky talk about their National Playwright Residency Program residencies, creating work for a specific theatre’s audience, playwrights not being part of the sea change of artistic director turnover, and more.

three actors onstage
"Dream Bigger"
Essay

"Dream Bigger"

Developing Artistic Ambition as Playwrights in Residence

27 November 2019

Rehana Lew Mirza and Melinda Lopez talk being playwrights as well as actors and teachers, critiquing their own work, their individual work processes, and more.

Cambridge Friends School's logo.
Our Deepest Concerns: A Conversation on Anti-Racism in America
Cambridge Friends School's logo.
Cambridge Friends School
Video

Our Deepest Concerns: A Conversation on Anti-Racism in America

presented by Cambridge Friends School in Cambridge, Massachusetts 

Wednesday 16 October 2019
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge Friends School presented the panel Our Deepest Concerns: A Conversation on Anti-Racism in America livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network on Wednesday 16 October 2019 at 3:30 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 5:30 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 6:30 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

four actors onstage
"We’ve Got to Protect Our Art"
Essay

"We’ve Got to Protect Our Art"

Celebrating the Artistic Journeys of Two Latino Playwrights

18 September 2019

Luis Alfaro and Herbert Sigüenza talk about their experience in the National Playwright Residency Program, learning about the inner workings of theatre companies, portraying Latinx people in a positive light, the importance of comedy, and more.

taylor mac in costume on stage
A Conversation with Taylor Mac
Arts Transcending Borders
Video

A Conversation with Taylor Mac

at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts

Sunday 15 September 2019
Worcester, Massachusetts

Arts Transcending Borders at the College of the Holy Cross presented “A Conversation with Taylor Mac,” moderated by Scott Malia, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Theatre and Dance, livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network on Sunday 15 September 2019 at 5 p.m. EDT (New York) / 4 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 2 p.m. PDT (Los Angeles). 

four actors onstage
Bringing the Playwright's Perspective to the Table
Essay

Bringing the Playwright's Perspective to the Table

3 September 2019

Playwrights Kirsten Greenidge and Peter Nachtrieb talk about what it means to be an artist in residence, how theatres constantly work on their mission, connecting with the community, and more.