Application Deadline: June 1, 2014
Tennessee Repertory Theatre has been gifted with the funds to support the creation of new works for the theatre, and with this mission Tennessee Rep has created the Ingram New Works Project, which includes the New Works Lab.
The Ingram New Works Lab is intended to be an artistic home for emerging playwrights to share and develop new work, hone craft, receive direction, and springboard themselves into the next phase of their writing career, providing a fertile environment for the emergence of great new plays.
Tennessee Rep seeks committed playwrights for residency in the 2014-2015 Ingram New Works Lab.
Tennessee Rep will serve and support selected playwrights as they work in residence to create new work for the theatre. Tennessee Rep will provide the playwrights-in-residence:
A season-long playwright-run script lab that meets once a month.
Access to professional actors, providing a choice of collaborators amongst theatre artists in Nashville.
Workshop sessions involving professional directors, designers, and dramaturgs.
Access to professional marketing and audience development resources.
A symposium with the Ingram New Works Fellow, a playwright with a national reputation.
Participation in the Ingram New Works Festival, giving the playwrights the opportunity to work with a professional director and actors in rehearsal and hear their script read in front of a live audience.
A supportive environment to foster and support the playwright’s process.
A small stipend to defray expenses.
Monthly Script Lab
The New Works Lab will meet once a month to provide playwrights-in-residence with a supportive but disciplined environment to workshop their scripts. By definition a laboratory is a testing ground inasmuch as it offers opportunities for observation, practice and experimentation. Every playwright will have the opportunity to hear multiple drafts of their script read aloud by actors and receive feedback from their fellow playwrights. The lab will provide the opportunity for playwrights to shape, mold, and develop as many drafts as they feel necessary before festival rehearsals begin.
Lab Meeting dates (a full day commitment on the following dates):
2014: Sept. 5; Oct. 10; Nov. 14; Dec. 12
2015: Jan. 11-17; Feb. 13 and 14; March 13 and 14
Collaboration Opportunities
Tennessee Rep will facilitate for playwrights-in-residence opportunities to work with their choice of collaborators from amongst top theatre artists in Nashville. Playwrights-in-residence will have access to Tennessee Rep’s professional staff throughout the season, and will have ongoing opportunities to meet with a director, costume designer, set designer, and dramaturg to explore what it would take to get their script from page to stage. Each playwright will also have the opportunity to consult with marketing and audience development staff to gather ideas about resources available to best promote their new work.
The New Works Lab will meet once a month to provide playwrights-in-residence with a supportive but disciplined environment to workshop their scripts. By definition a laboratory is a testing ground inasmuch as it offers opportunities for observation, practice and experimentation. Every playwright will have the opportunity to hear multiple drafts of their script read aloud by actors and receive feedback from their fellow playwrights. The lab will provide the opportunity for playwrights to shape, mold, and develop as many drafts as they feel necessary before festival rehearsals begin.
Lab Meeting dates (a full day commitment on the following dates):
2014: Sept. 5; Oct. 10; Nov. 14; Dec. 12
2015: Jan. 11-17; Feb. 13 and 14; March 13 and 14
Collaboration Opportunities
Tennessee Rep will facilitate for playwrights-in-residence opportunities to work with their choice of collaborators from amongst top theatre artists in Nashville. Playwrights-in-residence will have access to Tennessee Rep’s professional staff throughout the season, and will have ongoing opportunities to meet with a director, costume designer, set designer, and dramaturg to explore what it would take to get their script from page to stage. Each playwright will also have the opportunity to consult with marketing and audience development staff to gather ideas about resources available to best promote their new work.
Lab Symposium with Ingram New Works Fellow
Playwrights-in-residence will participate in a week-long New Works Lab symposium with the recipient of the Ingram New Works Fellowship, a nationally recognized playwright. The symposium will take advantage of the New Works Fellow’s experience and skill, focusing on a wide variety of issues related to working as a playwright: everything from how an emerging playwright gets a script produced to how to manage the pitfalls of the development process to specific guidance on the art of playwriting. The New Works Fellow will serve as a mentor to the playwrights-in-residence throughout the season via electronic communication. Lab participants should be prepared to clear their schedule for the entirety of the week-long symposium.
Symposium dates:
January 11-17, 2015
Participation in Ingram New Works Festival
Work in the Lab will be focused on goals established by the Lab Playwrights. However, each playwright will be expected to work toward the creation of a new play that will be presented in a staged reading at the New Works Festival, whether completed or as a work in progress. Please note the following criteria for New Works festival plays being developed in the lab:
Full-length plays (prefer 80-120 mins. running time).
Plays that utilize no more than 8 actors.
Plays that have not previously been produced by any professional company.
Festival dates:
May 6-16, 2015
Application Guidelines for the Ingram New Works Lab
Tennessee Rep will award up to four residencies in the New Works Lab. Each playwright who accepts the residency will commit to participating in the monthly Lab meeting, the New Works symposium, rehearsals for the New Works Festival, and assisting with the New Works Festival in May 2014 as auxiliary artistic staff. Lab Playwrights will also be invited to participate in Tennessee Rep staff and outreach events. All playwrights who accept a residency must commit to be available for all lab, symposium, rehearsal and festival dates. Should a playwright-in-residence miss multiple commitments, they may be asked to forgo their place in the New Works Lab. Tennessee Rep does not provide monetary compensation for playwrights-in-residence and encourages regional playwrights to consider travel commitments before applying.
All applications should include the following material:
Tennessee Rep will award up to four residencies in the New Works Lab. Each playwright who accepts the residency will commit to participating in the monthly Lab meeting, the New Works symposium, rehearsals for the New Works Festival, and assisting with the New Works Festival in May 2014 as auxiliary artistic staff. Lab Playwrights will also be invited to participate in Tennessee Rep staff and outreach events. All playwrights who accept a residency must commit to be available for all lab, symposium, rehearsal and festival dates. Should a playwright-in-residence miss multiple commitments, they may be asked to forgo their place in the New Works Lab. Tennessee Rep does not provide monetary compensation for playwrights-in-residence and encourages regional playwrights to consider travel commitments before applying.
All applications should include the following material:
- A letter stating your objectives for working on a new play in the Ingram New Works Lab at Tennessee Rep. Please include a description of your proposed play.
- One Page Bio with history as a playwright.
- One Page Artistic Statement.
- A play that best represents your writing skill. Full-length is preferred, but a substantial one-act play (minimum of one hour running time) will be acceptable for this application. Author and contact information must appear on the title page. Please do not submit musicals, screenplays, TV scripts, or children’s theatre.
Application Instructions
Please use the online form for your submission. Upload your letter of intent, one page bio, one page artistic statement, and play (4 files) in PDF, doc, or docx format. You will receive a confirmation email shortly to verify your submission. If you have any problems using the form please email Shane Burkeen at shane@tennesseerep.org.