For the fifth Biennial Commission we’d like you to consider Robert Altman’s movie Nashville.
No, we aren’t looking for a cast of thousands, a 2 1/2 hour opus, a dissection of country music or of red state culture. But we love the way Altman’s movies move from the ridiculous to the heart-breaking, we love the combo of the highly auteured and the DIY, the obliqueness, the leitmotifs and the red herrings, the imperfection of the characters and of the movie itself, the excruciating humanity that is never ever mawkish, and the monumental and surprising accrual. So watch the amazing Nashville and if you like, other Altmans, and let ‘em inspire you in whatever way that happens for you.
Please explore the following possibilities:
- What if you created a cast with no dominant racial or cultural group, or/and in which more than one significant character was from a racial or cultural background different than your own?
- What if your play started just as something BIG has just ended OR the moment after someone has been terribly hurt?
- What if temperature is a factor?
- What if there is at least one scene where there is a difficulty with a light source?
- What if “close ups” are a factor in your play? Yes, we are referring to cinematic-style close ups, but how might that translate in world of your play?
- BONUS (just for fun): What is the theatrical equivalent of an Altman-style epic tracking shot?
Please submit the following (BLIND submission, see notes below):
- Completed info form (s)
- 10 exploratory pages from the proposed project (either contiguous or from different sections of your play – your choice)
- one page telling us about that project
- a completed play
- a resume
IMPORTANT NOTES
No names please, on 10 page samples or complete plays. The panel reads all submissions BLIND — the only place your name should appear is on the INFO FORM AND YOUR RESUME.
This year, in addition to submitting a letter of intent and ten pages and a resume, we are asking for writers to upload a completed play, along with a brief statement to help us understand its relationship to the proposed project, and recommending ten pages to look at for reference. We are only requesting the completed script so that our committee members can get a greater sense of the writer’s voice, if they feel they need to.
The statement of intent should briefly map out the proposed piece and if need be, orient the reader to the excerpt’s relationship to the whole. You needn’t explain or repeat anything that your 10 page sample makes clear. Then give us an idea of where the piece is coming from and where you think you want to go with it.
One last thing: this is a commission for Clubbed Thumb. So scoot around our website take a look at our general submission policy and history for reference, if they are not familiar to you.
****
DEADLINE: Sunday, September 22nd, 4:44 EST. The Autumnal Equinox, at least according to the internet.
The proposals will be read and adjudicated over the course of the fall, and the commission(s) awarded by Thanksgiving.
The $15,000 commission — which might be split between writers if the panel so elects — will be paid out in three installments every six months, with the first installment following the signing of a contract. Send questions to info[at]clubbedthumb.org
Click HERE to fill out an application.
GENERAL SUBMISSION POLICY
Clubbed Thumb will accept submissions that fall within the following guidelines:
- Unproduced in New York City
- Running time: 90 min or under.
- Intermissionless
- Must feature substantial and challenging roles for both men and women
- At least a 3 character cast
Clubbed Thumb produces plays that are funny, strange, and provocative. Please check out our history area to get a feeling for our sensibility and a selected chronology.
Please do not send scripts that fall outside these guidelines.
For general submissions, please send scripts to:
Clubbed Thumb 195 Chrystie Street, #401A New York, NY 10002
Please do not bind scripts; pages should be loose or clipped with a binder clip.
Clubbed Thumb does read and respond to every play submitted. However, with a staff of two, this may take many months. Please be patient and do not follow up on the status of your submission. Please wait for a response to one play before sending another.
Scripts will not be returned. Sorry, electronic submissions are not accepted.