WHAT IS THE UMASS NEW PLAY LAB?
The Play Lab is a UMass Department of Theater mainstage production, running from March 23 – April 4, 2015. Two playwrights will be chosen for concurrent 10-day residencies during this period. These residencies are structured around a series of public staged readings directed and dramaturged by UMass graduate students and performed by undergraduate actors. The 10-day workshop term allows time for exploration in rehearsal and the generation of new material.
WHAT IS THE UMASS NEW PLAY LAB’S MISSION?
Our mission is to develop two exceptional new plays per year in cooperation with visionary playwrights. The Play Lab, is, in essence, a writer's playground: a stimulating and constructive artistic environment founded on three guiding principles of engagement, collaboration, and discovery. The UMass Amherst Department of Theater's commitment to new play development is internationally recognized, from our groundbreaking work with New WORLD Theater to our recent collaborations with artists like Will Power, Marcus Gardley, and Constance Congdon. We approach new play development with rigor, focus, and sensitivity—and we're seeking playwrights who are as passionate about this process as we are.
DOES THE UMASS NEW PLAY LAB PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT?
Yes. We offer a $750 honorarium per playwright. Accommodations will be provided. Playwrights are responsible for booking their own travel arrangements, and will be reimbursed for a portion of the cost.
WHAT KINDS OF PLAYS CAN I SUBMIT?
Plays must be full-length. Musicals are not accepted. Submissions may have had a previous reading, workshop, or production; as a rule, though, the Play Lab exists to develop relatively new work, so unproduced material will be given priority in our selection. The UMass New Play Lab seeks to develop plays that tell compelling stories about our world in bold and innovative ways. We encourage submissions from a broad spectrum of writers, from emerging to widely produced, and are particularly interested in works by underrepresented voices in American theater (e.g. women, LGBTQ, and playwrights of color).
HOW DO I SUBMIT MY PLAY(S)?
Submit manuscripts to umassplaylab@gmail.com. All documents must be submitted in .pdf format; plays formatted otherwise will be disqualified. Please include a concise playwright’s bio and a short (max. 50 word) summary of how you think your play might benefit from a developmental reading.
Submissions will be capped at 500 plays.
WHAT IS THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE?
The deadline is Friday, August 1, 2014.
“I discovered ideas about potential staging and design; how it could work visually and spatially. I got to make some useful cuts and tweaks and rearrange a couple of scenes which made it work much better. I discovered that the characters have life outside of my head.” – Liz Duffy Adams, 2014 Play Lab resident playwright
“Everything about the experience was about helping me to see my play in a new way, to understand what was at work in my play, and bring that to life.” – Tira Palmquist, 2014 Play Lab resident playwright