New Play Blog

Announcing the New Play Development Program Selections!

Here you go! The selections have finally been made public. I should give you a couple of pieces of context for what's listed below. First, you recall that there were two panels, one for each category. And readers of this blog know that the conversations were rich and rigorous.  It was pretty inspiring to witness the panelists in action.  More on them in another post. 

Both panels separately came to the conclusion that they needed a mechanism for singling out more projects than just the ones selected for the money.  Each panel decided to name a group of 9 Finalists, and from that list name the actual winners.  So, you'll find all 18 projects listed here.  We are now working on ways to fold the Finalists into more of the activities of the program going forward.  I'll say more on that when there's something definitive to be said.

You'll also read here (soon) more about exceptional projects in the pool that haven't yet been recognized.  I've asked each panelist to write a post about applications that stuck out to them for particular elements of their proposals.  And I've arranged for one panelist for each category to do a longer piece about each pool.  Next I'm working on a full white paper on the whole applicant/participant pool and what it reveals about New Play Development in America at the end of 2008.

But let's start here.  The winners are:

NEA OUTSTANDING NEW AMERICAN PLAY -- SELECTIONS

Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Rajiv Joseph
Center Theatre Group (Los Angeles, CA)

The Brother/Sister Plays by Tarell Alvin McCraney
McCarter Theatre Center (Princeton, NJ)


NEA DISTINGUISHED NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS -- SELECTIONS

John Steinbeck's The Pastures of Heaven by Octavio Solis
California Shakespeare Theater (Berkeley, CA)

Happy End to Everything by Lloyd Suh
The Children’s Theatre Company (Minneapolis, MN)

Detour/South Bronx by Claudia Rankine
The Foundry Theatre (New York, NY)

Agnes Under the Big Top, A Fairy Tale by Aditi Brennan Kapil
Lark Play Development Center (New York, NY)

I’ve Never Been So Happy by Kirk Lynn
Rude Mechanicals (Austin, TX)


NEA OUTSTANDING NEW AMERICAN PLAY -- FINALISTS

The Hard Weather Boating Party by Naomi Wallace
Actors Theatre of Louisville (Louisville, KY)

26 Miles by Quiara Alegraia Hudes
Alliance Theatre (Atlanta, GA)

Concerning Western Devices from the Distant West by Naomi Iizuka
Berkeley Repertory Company (Berkeley, CA)

Sons by Oni Faida Lampley
The Children's Theatre Company (Minneapolis, MN)
Developed in collaboration with New Dramatists (NY)

Inked Baby by Christina Anderson
Playwrights Horizons (New York, NY)

The Wrestling Patient
Inspired by the letters and diaries of Etty Hillesum
written by Kirk Lynn in collaboration with Anne Gottlieb and Katie Pearl
Produced by SpeakEasy Stage Company (Boston, MA)
with Boston Playwrights' Theatre and FortyMagnolias Productions

Looking for the Pony by Andrea Lepcio
Vital Theatre Company (New York, NY)
Produced as part of a rolling premiere with Synchronicity Performance Group (GA)


NEA DISTINGUISHED NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT -- FINALISTS

Dartmoor Prison by Carlisle Brown
Goodman Theatre (Chicago, IL)

Justice Cycle Bridge Show by Naomi Izuka
Cornerstone Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)

Kingdom by Aaron Jefferis
The Old Globe (San Diego, CA)

Victoria's Sarah by Lydia Diamond
Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago, IL)

Project descriptions of the Selections can be found here:
http://www.nea.gov/news/news08/NPDP2.html

Mellon comes in large

by David Dower

On the continuing theme of 'abundance', there's the news today of the $10 million investment from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation into the new play sector nationwide.  Of particular note is the move to support four of the leading new play development centers at levels typically reserved for large producing theaters.  Each of these grants seems to be aimed at advancing the practice and understanding of different approaches to supporting plays and playwrights.  Can't wait to see how it all turns out!

October 27th will be the official announcement

By David Dower

I know people are getting anxious to hear the outcome of the panels.  The news will officially break on October 27th.

I can tell you that each panel recommended nine finalists in each category, from which the official selections for OUTSTANDING NEW AMERICAN PLAY and DISTINGUISHED NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT were chosen.  The panels felt strongly that they needed to shine a spotlight on more than the designated number if they were to truly reflect the quality, diversity, and depth of the applicant pools.  The finalists will be announced as well as the winners.  We're going to be looking at ways to include the finalists in the ongoing documentation of the program, as well. 

We are also working on a 'white paper' commissioned for each panel, to be written by one of the panelists in each category.  This will further illuminate the range, depth, and diversity of what's happening with new play development nationally.  We expect these 'white papers' to be finished and available by the end of the year.

There are also some exceptional stories that individual panelists felt needed to be told.  I will be contacting the applicants in those cases to get permission for the panelists to blog about why the application stood out in their minds though it might not have landed in the tiny group that will be publicly commended in the press release.

Sorry to keep you waiting.  It won't be long now...

Inside the Panel: A Fly on the Wall Part Two

By Amrita Mangus, 2008/09 Allen Lee Hughes Fellow

Another weekend, Another Panel!

A new group of panelists arrived last Friday and set to work selecting the recipients for the Distinguished New Play Development Project. With approximately 55 finalists to review, the panelists effectively and efficiently paged through a slew of projects over the course of three days. I noted a unique observation from this panel process that differentiated from last week's panel. The panelists received only the applications before their arrival, and did not obtain any work samples, such as script excerpts and DVDs for the theatre companies. The panelists reviewed the work samples on the second day of review, and the work samples proved to be a huge component in determining the quality of development and artistry of the proposed project.

Luckily, I was thrilled to see that many elements from the previous panel stayed the same. An abundance of enthusiasm and fervor filled the room as panelists conversed about individual projects. Panelists commended theatres and playwrights for actively taking bold risks and utilizing innovative aesthetics in their work. Diversity in the projects, playwrights, and institutions emerged organically from the selection process, showcasing the mass amount of artistic excellence occurring throughout the nation. 

As I reflect on the NEA program as a whole,  it amazes and inspires me to acknowledge the appreciation for the development and creation of new work by all of the panelists. Ultimately, the program concluded as a celebration of new work, rather than a rigid selection of it. For those of you who applied, thank you for sharing your work and know that we enjoyed the journey.   

On Pins and Needles?

by David Dower

Karen's comment and question reminded me that I should let everyone know what the timeline is at this point for announcing the outcomes of the whole selection process.

As you've read, the Outstanding New American Play panel met last weekend here in DC.  The Distinguished New Play Development Projects panel is meeting right now.  There will be some process to go through to get the results finalized with the National Endowment for the Arts, so it is likely we'll be announcing in a couple of weeks.

The project period will still begin 10/1, even though we're a few weeks behind.  The main delay is a result of the need to add a second panel-- there were so many applications we split them into two panels, one for each category.

I cannot wait to get to that point.  It will be exciting to see what these panels have done.  And we can start to talk publicly about the pool, the deliberations, the trends and noteworthy approaches that have surfaced here.  I'll also be able to publicly acknowledge the people who have worked so hard to deliver this set of recommendations.  It's a tough, tough job and I'm so impressed with the caliber of the contributions these people are making to the overall goals and progress of the program.

So, there will be a flurry of information coming out of here over the next four weeks.  And I hope you will join this discussion whenever you can.

Inside the Panel: From the sidelines

by Ronee Penoi

As an Allen Lee Hughes Fellow working on panel logistics for Arena Stage, I had the pleasure of sitting in this weekend as our panelists came together to make their final selections in the category of Outstanding New American Play… and beyond the impression that the amount of paper in the room must have at one time made up a small forest, I’m surprised at what I came away with.

With over 70 applications to wade through, I didn’t expect the vibe in the room to resemble the fuzzy feeling you get from rainbows and sunshine. Instead, as I sat at the table, these panelists conjured images of cheerleaders at a Superbowl. Passionate, hopeful, and optimistic, the panelists cheered on what they found to be exciting, diverse, new, powerful, and challenging. These three days suddenly became about asking the best questions, not deciding the best answers. What new models of development are here that we need to cheer on and say, “pay attention!”? What range and diversity of playwrights can we highlight on a larger scale? What theatres and institutions, large and small, can we point to as being examples of great partnerships, artistic support, and imaginative thinking? With this program, what stories do we want to tell, and how? And moreover, how can we encourage and inspire more stories? The key question among all of these seemed to be: what do we want to celebrate in the creation of new work in the American Theatre?

The answer was long and multifaceted, of course, but with a clear through line- the door is open wide to new work. A lot wider than I think most people, especially young people, believe. These panelists are looking for plays, playwrights, processes and theatres to celebrate, to root for – and as someone early in their career, it was a reassuring sentiment to hear. So whomever you may be, and whatever story you want to tell, go forth and prosper (here, here!). Here’s one group cheering you on.