There is a nominal fee, payable monthly in advance. This fee includes the space, the casting, the actors and the feedback for all the readings.
Playwrights are admitted into the group based upon their writing skills and enthusiasm for the process.
Our Playwrights Lab. consists of an exciting group of playwrights who meet for 3 hours a week, Mondays, 7- 10 p.m., to listen to professional actors read their plays. After the readings, there is constructive discussion about how well the play is working, and serving the objective of the playwright.
These are not cold readings; Pulse provides the actors for the scenes, and gets scripts to the actors, so that they can read the scripts before the workshop meets.
The group is currently under the leadership of nationally and internationally produced director and playwright Alexa Kelly, with additional input from guest dramaturgs, directors and producers. It is supervised by Brian Richardson. All playwrights involved are expected to participate in discussion about all the works being read, not only their own plays.
The group is small.
One of the distinguishing features of our Lab, is that the playwrights receive FULL READINGS OF THEIR WORK, as needed in the workshops environment, until it is deemed ready for a full public audience. They are thus able to re-write and hear their changes as often as they wish! A unique and most valuable opportunity and learning experience for the development of the plays!
The Playwrights, under the leadership of Ms. Kelly continue working on the script until they feel it is ready for a public viewing. When the play is deemed ready, it is presented in a full public staged reading. Pulse casts the play, provides the director, and provides the presentation venue.
We select certain scripts from the Lab. for further development, ie, workshop productions, and then to full production, e.g. CHAOS THEORY, by Anuvab Pal.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a beginning level class.
The Playwright must have a work in progress, and be willing to continue working on the script; this is not a workshop for people who consider that their work is already completed.
"Of course, you never forget your first New York production, and that was in a small off-off-Broadway Theatre, then and now helmed by this exceptional theatre artist, Alexa Kelly. ... Those kind of theatres are the heartbeat for young writers, and I'll never forget the love that theatre gave me."--Gary Garrison, Executive Director of Creative Affairs for the Dramatists Guild of America, New York.
It is the playwright’s responsibility to meet the deadlines as set up by Pulse.
TO APPLY, PLEASE SUBMIT A SCENE FROM YOUR WORK IN PROGRESS. PLEASE SEND A 20 - 30 PAGE SAMPLE “, including the title page, the cast breakdown and your bio to:
ATT. PLAYWRIGHTS’ LAB.” Also please complete an application form, and please SUBMIT it with your scene Attn.:
PLAYWRIGHTS’ LAB., Pulse Ensemble Theatre, P.O.BOX 2281, NEW YORK, NY 10108
WE WILL ALSO ACCEPT EMAIL SUBMISSIONS, to
playwrightslab@pulseensembletheatre.org —Thank You
More history on the Lab.