Application Deadline: Midnight CST June 21
The Ingram New Works Project was launched by Nashville Repertory Theatre in 2009 thanks to the generous support of Martha Ingram. With the mission to support the creation of new works for the theatre, Nashville Rep created a project that 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.
Nashville Rep seeks committed playwrights for residency in the 2015-2016 Ingram New Works Lab.
THE INGRAM NEW WORKS LAB
The Ingram New Works Lab is a generative residency in which selected playwrights will create a new work for the theatre. Nashville Rep will serve and support selected playwrights as they work to develop their play from the idea stage to a muscular full draft. Nashville 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.
- Housing during residency dates in Nashville.
- Travel reimbursement up to $375.00 for each trip to Nashville.
- A small stipend to defray additional expenses.
PARTICIPATION IN 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):
2015: Sept. 11; Oct. 16, 17; Nov. 6, 7; Dec. 11, 12
2016: Jan. 9-15 Feb. 19, 20; March 25, 26; April TBA
SYMPOSIUM WEEK WITH 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 9-15, 2016
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 4-14, 2016
APPLICATION GUIDELINES FOR THE INGRAM NEW WORKS LAB
Nashville 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 2016 as auxiliary artistic staff. 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. Nashville Rep provides limited travel reimbursement for playwrights-in-residence and encourages regional playwrights to consider travel costs and commitments before applying.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
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 Nashville Rep. You must 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.
Please use the form below 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.
Additional questions can be sent to: Nate Eppler, Ingram New Works Lab Director nate@nashvillerep.org.