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Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Articulate Theater seeks 10-minute plays

web site

January 31st, 2019 or 100 submissions, whichever comes first
Location: New York, New York
No Fee
Website: http://www.articulatetheatre.com/ata5-protest-art-images.html

Theme and Submission Guidelines

This installment’s plays for Articulating the Arts will be inspired by protest art. Playwrights are encouraged to compose plays in reaction to the specific images selected and shown on our webpage. Plays can be comedic, dramatic, surreal, historic, political, farce, etc. They can be pro-protest, or against it, or both. They can be contemporary or historic. We encourage you to shy away from the low hanging fruit of pummeling specific politicians. This is more about how artists use their skills to help or hinder issues in our world. Plays do not have to recreate the incident that the artwork is associated with, but there should be creative connective tissue between the artwork and the play. The strength of the connection between the image and the play will be one of the criteria used to select plays for performance.

PLEASE NOTE: Plays MUST be in reaction to one of the images on this PAGE. 

Parameters
New works based on the images listed on this page.  The overarching sentiment behind this production is the art of story-telling through imagery, we are "articulating" the art of protest imagery via the art of theatre. Take the image and be inspired by it, and let it go where it leads you. The production is not about simply bashing one political party or another, it's about how protest imagry helps/hurts/impacts a protest and subsequently, the issue being protested.

Meat, please! We like plays of substance, plays with something to say. Doesn't mean it can't be comedic or silly, but a bit of heart is much appreciated.

Written with the Articulate acting ensemble in mind. The goal is to only cast from our membership, with few, if any, exceptions. This is a guideline, not a hard rule. You can view headshots and bios of the acting company on this page. Please note that writing with an actor in mind will not guarantee casting of that actor.

Play must be no more than 10 minutes long PRODUCED. Playwrights are strongly encouraged to shoot for 8 minutes written to lessen the need for cutting later in the process.
Ideally, plays will have between 2-4 characters, but this is a guideline not a restriction.
Plays should be in English, though submissions from playwrights outside of the U.S., and plays set in other lands are welcome.

Sets and costumes should be minimal.  These are the basic pieces of furniture we will use: bar, tables, chairs, bench. Plays with other furniture needs will be considered, but simple is best for all involved.
Musical scenes are welcome, but note that resources are slim for rehearsal and accompaniment.
Plays with extreme violence and/or nudity will not be considered.

Limited to one submission per playwright. Entries must be "blind" submissions. Send entries to: ArticulatePlays@gmail.com with the subject "AtA Protest Art” in the subject line.

Submissions must be sent as an attachment in PDF format only; no hard copy submissions will be accepted. Submissions must be formatted as follows:

  • Email must contain the play's title, author's name, phone number, email address, and the name of the story you were inspired by.
  • These are blind submissions: the playwright’s name cannot appear anywhere on the attached script, including the title page, header/footer areas, or within the text.
  • The first page of the script must contain the title, list of characters, name of the story you were inspired by, and basic setting information.
  • The second page will be considered the first page of the script. The other pages of the play follow.
  • Include the title and page numbers in the header of each page of the submission. - All submissions must be in a standard professional play format.


Articulate Theatre Company announces its Request for Submissions for the next iteration of its series "Articulating the Arts" (AtA). The AtA series comprises productions of new plays inspired by works from other artistic disciplines. Our first AtA event had playwrights take "one picture" and give us "A Thousand Words." The second AtA took pictures "Off the Wall" and put them on the stage; the third AtA, "Folk City Scenes," let us riff off of music; and the fourth, "Tales in Time," reconceived folk/fairy tales from around the world. You can learn more about these past productions on our website.

Given the atmosphere these days, Articulate thought now would be a good time to address the artist's role in activism with the Art of Protest. So we found some prime examples of protest images from around the world, and are sharing them with playwrights to request that they write short plays inspired by those images.

The connection between artists and social justice is a long and storied one. Artists have frequently been at the forefront of pointing out problems in society, and pushing, prodding, provoking citizens to effect change. The visual artist, whether professional image-maker or passionate protestor, creates images that stick in our collective minds, nag at our souls, and nudge us toward change. Playwrights, inspired by these images, can create plays that further the provocation – perhaps bringing the topic to the scale of the individual; perhaps magnifying it to affect people across the world.

Are you a playwright? Then we invite you to view these images, become inspired, and write the play that will further inspire our audiences. Deadline for submission is January 31st or when we reach 100 submissions - whichever comes first. Tech/Performance dates will be April 1st-April 6th. To learn more, please visit the Art of Protest page on our website at: http://www.articulatetheatre.com/ata5-protest-art-images.html

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