Baltimore Center State Trans History Project commission

Website

Deadline: May 11, at 11:59PM EST 

SUBMISSION FORM

The Trans History Project is a revolutionary national initiative. Created by Bo Frazier, Baltimore Center Stage’s Artist-in-Residence, and led by Baltimore Center Stage and Breaking the Binary Theatre, this project aims to commission, develop, and publish 10 new plays about the real history of gender non-conformity which has existed across all cultures since the beginning of time. 

There will be 10 Trans and Gender Nonconforming playwrights (TGNC) commissioned by BCS who will subsequently be placed into 2-year development residencies at theaters across the country in 2 cohorts. Cohort 1 will begin Fall 2025 and Cohort 2 will begin Fall 2026. 

MISSION: 

• Tell the history of Transgender and Gender Nonconforming people across all cultures who have existed since the beginning of time 
• Commission and pay 10 TGNC playwrights/creators/writers
• Create a cohort of theaters to develop and program TGNC stories in their seasons 
• We hope to publish a TGNC canon/anthology of the 10 plays
• Enable Regional Theaters to engage, uplift and empower their local TGNC Communities

SUMMARY:

In an effort to teach the world our TGNC history and build a “Trans Canon,” Baltimore Center Stage is partnering with other forward-thinking theatrical institutions across the country to commission, workshop (and hopefully publish and produce) 10 new plays by 10 TGNC writers of differing cultures, allowing them to tell stories of TGNC folks from history/folklore and how it relates to the aggressive legislative attacks seeking to “eradicate” our community from society. 

Cohort 1 will begin a 2-year residency at a major theatre in the 2025/26 season with Cohort 2 beginning the following 2026/27 season. Starting in 2026, the writers, dramaturgs and artists will come together for an Annual Summer Convening hosted by Baltimore Center Stage.


COHORT 1 RESIDENCY THEATER PARTNERS : 

• Rattlestick Theater – New York City, NY 
• Diversionary Theatre – San Diego, CA 
• Round House Theatre – Bethesda, MD
• Baltimore Center Stage – Baltimore, MD

APPLICATION INFORMATION:
Applications are due Sunday, May 11, at 11:59PM EST

Project Eligibility:

• Must be an original story or adaptation about the history of transgender or gender non-conforming people/culture before our timeCan take place in modern times but must be about history i.e. Great Privation by Nia Akilah Robinson, or Arcadia by Tom Stoppard. 
• Can be a play with music, choreo-poem, realism, magic realism, expressionism, docu-drama, but we are not accepting full musicals at this time
• Can be from one writer, a devising team, or writing team, but please know that the commission fee is per project, not per artist. 
• Can be a completely brand new idea or a script that has a full draft but cannot be a piece that has been previously produced
• We are open to writers of all disciplines who want to write for theatre

Applications must include:

• Project Pitch or Full Draft
• Artist Statement Video or Essay
• Resume/CV 
• Long Writing Sample 
• Statement of Connection to the Material
• Statement of Style/Form and how it utilizes history
• Contact Info & Headshot

For full transparency, here is some insight on process and selection:70% of stories chosen will be from the Global Majority/BIPOC experience

We are seeking diverse cultural representation and forms of storytelling within the cohort of 10 plays

Each theatre may have different preferences like cast size, or interest in only local playwrights etc. 

Each theater is not required to produce the play they develop, but has agreed to seriously consider it in their 2027/28 season selection 

Our Reading Committee will evaluate each submission and each writer will be chosen by BCS and BTB staffs in conjunction with each regional partner

Each Selected writer will receive: $10,000 Commission Fee
Dramaturgical/Research Support
A 2-year residency at a theatre that will include:1 Reading in the 2025/26 Season
1 Workshop in the 2026/27 Season
Travel/Housing to our Annual Summer Convening beginning Summer 2026
Regular Share-Out/Support Zoom Meetings with fellow cohort members throughout 2-year residency

Stories can be (but not limited to): a retelling of folklore from your culture, a factual/fictional story about real historic people, or a brand new story about an existing trans or gender nonconforming culture/identity below 

• Two Spirit (Native American)
• Hijra (India)
• Sulawesi (Indonesia)
• Kucek (Ottoman Empire)
• Bakla (Filipino)
• Muxes (Mexico)
• Dagaba Tribe (Ghana)
• Public Universal Friend (USA)
• Amun (Egyptian)
• Okule and agule (Congo & Uganda) Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Stormé De Larverie (USA)
• Amelio Robles Ávila (Mexico)
• Dionysus (Greece)
• Nommo intersex teachers (Mali, Africa)
• Joan of Arc (France)

And there are endless more examples from history that we were never taught…

Looking for inspiration? Check out: Eli Erzel’s Coloring The Past
Our Glossary of Articles about TGNC Identities throughout History
Free Trans Library TransReads