The Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Project

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The Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Project is currently accepting proposals and scripts for its 2012-2013 season.



The submission deadline is November 1st, 2011.



The EST/Sloan Project commissions, develops and presents new works delving into how we view and are affected by the scientific world. These plays examine the struggles and challenges scientists and engineers face from moral issues to the consequences of their discoveries.



The Project is designed to stimulate artists to create credible and compelling work exploring the worlds of science and technology and to challenge existing stereotypes of scientists and engineers in the popular imagination. The Project commissions and develops new works throughout EST’s developmental season, including one Mainstage Production, as well as workshops and readings in an annual festival called FIRST LIGHT.



Now in its 12th year, the EST/Sloan Project has awarded commissions totaling more than $450,000 to more than 140 artists. Previous commissionees include: Billy Aronson, Mike Daisey, Jason Grote, Ann Marie Healy, Michael Hollinger, Israel Horovitz, Tina Howe, Shirley Lauro, Emily Levine, Romulus Linney, Quincy Long, Cassandra Medley, Dan O’Brien, Carey Perloff, Bill Pullman, Jaquelyn Reingold, Tommy Smith, Caridad Svich, Vern Thiessen, Alex Timbers, Bridgette Wimberly, David Zellnik, Stillpoint Productions, and The Royal Shakespeare Company.

Commission Awards



Commissions will be awarded to individuals, groups and creative teams for full-length and one-act plays and musicals. Commissions range from $1000 to $10,000. Commission amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis, as are deadlines for drafts, finished work, and research support (if appropriate). Extant, full-length works may be submitted and are judged on a script-by-script basis by the EST/Sloan Project staff. Rewrite commissions for existing scripts range from $1,000 to $5,000.

Submission Guidelines



The EST/Sloan Project is open to a broad range of topics related to the issues, people, ideas, processes, leading-edge discoveries, inventions, and/or history of the “hard” sciences and technology.

Hard sciences include the following areas:



Mathematics

Physics (geological, nuclear, theoretical, etc.)

Biology (evolution, zoology, animal behavior, ecology, molecular, genetics, etc.)

Chemistry (industrial, biochemistry, etc.)

Neuroscience

Anthropology and Archaeology



Technology includes:



Computer Science

Software Development, Computer Development

Engineering (civil, chemical, mechanical, electrical, aerospace, vehicle design)

Space Research



Areas not considered for commissions include:



Science Fiction

Medical Conditions and/or Victims of Disease

Psychology and Human Behavior





Individuals, creative teams and theatre companies interested in receiving an EST/Sloan Project commission should submit the following as their application for a grant:



A one- or two-page description or a simple outline/synopsis of the project. This document should describe the actual story being explored, the source of inspiration behind the idea, and how the science being portrayed would be inherently dramatic in the piece.



A resume or biography of each collaborator involved.



Rewrite Commissions



Individuals, creative teams and theatre companies interested in receiving an EST/Sloan Project rewrite grant should submit the following as their application:



A draft of the script.

A one- or two-page cover letter detailing the development history of the play, your goals for a rewrite commission, and any questions you have about the current draft.

A resume or biography of each collaborator involved.





A selection committee evaluates the proposals and makes the final decisions. Candidates may be asked to revise aspects of their proposals, provide writing samples, and/or arrange a meeting to discuss their project as part of the selection process.



The submission deadline for all 2012-2013 EST/Sloan Project commission proposals is November 1st, 2011. Final decisions will be announced in late Spring 2012.

Delivering Your Submission



We accept scripts in the following manner…

Email (preferred):



sloanproject@ensemblestudiotheatre.org



Via regular mail:



The Ensemble Studio Theatre

Attn: EST/Sloan Project

549 West 52nd St.

New York, NY 10019

Phone: 212-247-4982



Please contact us with any questions.