Deadline: June 4, 2021 11:59pm CDT
The Mu Tang Clan: Asian American Playwrights Incubator Program invites new, emerging, and experienced Asian American playwrights to apply to the 14-session program (convening virtually) where 5 playwrights (in addition to Saymoukda) will be in a peer-to-peer learning model as they write, share, and discuss topics related to the field and the influences that impact their work.
Playwrights will participate in public presentations in August 2021 and January 2022. The public will get to see six new plays as the program will culminate in a public reading of scenes from each playwrights’ script-in-progress (full lengths, one acts, etc).
The incubator is urgent for Asian American playwrights because it’s an intentional program that offers:
The incubator is urgent for Asian American playwrights because it’s an intentional program that offers:
A safer space for Asian American playwrights to be bold, vulnerable, and supported.
A model that is a participant-designed working-collaborative.
Focused time to write and workshop pages.
A public professional staged virtual reading of their work-in-progress.
Visibility and artistic autonomy.
$1,000 stipend to help playwright secure reading materials, software, childcare, snacks, meals, stronger wifi, etc.
This program is made possible through a generous grant from the Science Museum of Minnesota’s 2021 Race Exhibition Mini Grants and through the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
GENERAL INFORMATION
DATES
Playwrights are required to attend orientation, all sessions, and both public presentations. Please inform us if you will be missing one or more sessions. All convenings will be from 5-7pm CDT through Zoom.
Orientation
Monday, June 14
Virtual Convenings
June 28
July 12, 26
August 9, 23
September 6, 20
October 4, 18
November 1, 15
December 6, 20
Public Presentations
August 30: Virtual public presentation and conversation with Mu Tang Clan playwrights.
January 2022: Staged Readings of Works-in-Progress. Specific date and time to be determined.
LOCATION
All convenings will take place over Zoom video conference calls. We will send you the link to access the Zoom.
ELIGIBILITY
Identifies as Asian.
Identifies as a playwright who is either new, emerging, or experienced.
Able to attend all 14 sessions and 2 public presentations.
Legally able to receive a stipend from Theater Mu (we are a 501c3).
APPLICATION TIMELINE
May 17: Application open
June 4, 11:59pm CDT: Application deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted.
June 7 - 11: Panel review
June 14: All applicants will be notified of the panel’s decision.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Please email your completed application packet as a single PDF to Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay at saymoukda@theatermu.org Applications will not be considered if they are late, missing required materials, and do not meet preferred specifications (per document).
If you have questions about the program or these guidelines, please email Saymoukda.
Theater Mu will not be able to provide feedback for your application. We encourage you to give yourself enough time to work on the application packet and to ask for feedback on your application packet from your friends, family, colleagues.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
Cover Page
Please include your name, phone number, email, and address so that we may contact you. Please inform us if you will be missing one or more sessions. Please also include any January 2022 dates that will not work for you (for the staged readings).
Artist Statement (1 page max.)
Please tell us about your artistic background and experience with playwriting. For example, we want to know what inspired you to pursue playwriting, the questions that guide your own work and keep you tethered to playwriting (telling stories), and any past and current plays/projects that have felt transformative.
We also want to know about how you’d like to be impacted artistically and professionally by participating in the incubator program. How would you like to be changed?
The incubator is designed to be a safer space for Asian American playwrights of all stages of experience. Mu Tang Clan is intended to be a community. How do you see yourself contributing to the Mu Tang Clan community of playwrights? What talents, questions, knowledge, and unique perspectives would you like to bring and share with other playwrights in the program?
And finally, will you be working on a new play during the incubator program? If so, do you know what the story is about? If you plan on further developing a script-in-progress, please tell us about it.
Artist Resume (2 pages max.)
Please include all relevant information connected to your experience as a playwright. This includes but not limited to: education and training, production history, commissions, courses taken/taught, professional memberships, projects, publications, press, awards/honors, volunteer work, etc.
Writing Sample (10-15 pages; excerpt from a stage play script)