Deadline: April 30, 2021
Storyworks and InvestigateWest are soliciting pitches for a new audio play. StoryWorks is a groundbreaking documentary theater company that creates plays based on investigative reporting which are produced in communities across the country.
StoryWorks has commissioned and produced 14 plays and one audio play . We are currently accepting pitches from playwrights for an upcoming large-scale audio play exploring the pathways to Decarbonizing Cascadia (ending the use of carbon based energy models to improve climate in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia), based on reporting fromcInvestigateWest.
StoryWorks is a collaborative endeavor that engages artists with journalists throughout the process to create original plays that reveal the emotional , as well as factual, truths behind the reporting. We are eager to support the work of experienced writers who explore bold and challenging new forms in their writing. This is a call for pitches. Commission fees are competitive with industry standards and timeline.
The following links are reporting examples that will serve as a foundation for the play. InvestigateWest reporters are continuing to report on the issues and new stories are published daily. StoryWorks is an immediate artistic response to the news as it is being reported so these examples should serve as examples of the reporting, not the final source material. Once a playwright is selected, the artist will be given full access to all published and unpublished reporting as needed.
How Climate Action Fizzled in Cascadia
Climate Protection Drift and Despair
A Thin Green Line
Fighting British Columbia Pipelines to the Last Mile
Visualizing Climate Vulnerable Communities
Will Race and Income Inequalities Trip Up Cascadia’s Fight Against Climate Change
Tree Justice? Lawmakers Look to Revive Forests in Washington’s Cities
Pitch guidelines
Pitches will be accepted Friday, March 19, 2021 - Sunday April 30, 2021
Email your submission to: jenna@storyworkstheater.org
Subject line: StoryWorks Playwright Submission
1. StoryWorks pitch guidelines:
a. No longer than one page.
b. Identify important scenes and circumstances from the reporting that will create the foundation of your script.
c. Include the core ideas or themes that you are interested in exploring.
d. Identify sources in the reporting that you are interested in developing as characters in your script.
e. Highlight the emotional arc of the story including elements missing in the reporting that illuminate the humanity of your characters.
f. Explain your stylistic approach to the material and how it will transform the reporting.
*StoryWorks is not looking for a playwright to recreate the reporting on stage. We are looking for a collaborative playwright with a strong artistic vision to transform the reporting into a theatrical work of art. StoryWorks is committed to assembling an excellent team of designers and actors to ensure the best possible artistic standards for this production.
2. Please submit a one-page artist statement.
3. All scripts/work samples must be submitted digitally. Submissions should be attached to the email as a
Word document (.doc or .docx) or PDF.
4. Work sample: Please submit a copy of a previously produced script.
5. We are looking for playwrights whose work employs:
a. strong personal or biographical element.
b. dynamic and imaginative language.
c. innovative structures.
d. strong audio potential.
6. A one-page résumé of the playwright.
7. Playwright finalists will be interviewed by members of the selection committee.
Important information:
Projected Launch Date: December 2021
We understand this process will generate questions. Please feel free to email anytime throughout the add
application process.
Questions regarding the project can be sent to jenna@storyworkstheater.org.
Some travel is required (COVID permitting) and costs will be covered by StoryWorks.
The following links are reporting examples that will serve as a foundation for the play. InvestigateWest reporters are continuing to report on the issues and new stories are published daily. StoryWorks is an immediate artistic response to the news as it is being reported so these examples should serve as examples of the reporting, not the final source material. Once a playwright is selected, the artist will be given full access to all published and unpublished reporting as needed.
How Climate Action Fizzled in Cascadia
Climate Protection Drift and Despair
A Thin Green Line
Fighting British Columbia Pipelines to the Last Mile
Visualizing Climate Vulnerable Communities
Will Race and Income Inequalities Trip Up Cascadia’s Fight Against Climate Change
Tree Justice? Lawmakers Look to Revive Forests in Washington’s Cities
Pitch guidelines
Pitches will be accepted Friday, March 19, 2021 - Sunday April 30, 2021
Email your submission to: jenna@storyworkstheater.org
Subject line: StoryWorks Playwright Submission
1. StoryWorks pitch guidelines:
a. No longer than one page.
b. Identify important scenes and circumstances from the reporting that will create the foundation of your script.
c. Include the core ideas or themes that you are interested in exploring.
d. Identify sources in the reporting that you are interested in developing as characters in your script.
e. Highlight the emotional arc of the story including elements missing in the reporting that illuminate the humanity of your characters.
f. Explain your stylistic approach to the material and how it will transform the reporting.
*StoryWorks is not looking for a playwright to recreate the reporting on stage. We are looking for a collaborative playwright with a strong artistic vision to transform the reporting into a theatrical work of art. StoryWorks is committed to assembling an excellent team of designers and actors to ensure the best possible artistic standards for this production.
2. Please submit a one-page artist statement.
3. All scripts/work samples must be submitted digitally. Submissions should be attached to the email as a
Word document (.doc or .docx) or PDF.
4. Work sample: Please submit a copy of a previously produced script.
5. We are looking for playwrights whose work employs:
a. strong personal or biographical element.
b. dynamic and imaginative language.
c. innovative structures.
d. strong audio potential.
6. A one-page résumé of the playwright.
7. Playwright finalists will be interviewed by members of the selection committee.
Important information:
Projected Launch Date: December 2021
We understand this process will generate questions. Please feel free to email anytime throughout the add
application process.
Questions regarding the project can be sent to jenna@storyworkstheater.org.
Some travel is required (COVID permitting) and costs will be covered by StoryWorks.