NEWSLETTER
February 2010 20.1
WELCOME! FORUM MEMBERS - SPRING SESSION 2010!
Forum 1 continuing members include Molly Schuchat, Barry Weinberg, Marilyn Millstone, Adrian Verkouteren, Ted Groll, Leon Levenson, James Beller, Paula Stone, Patricia Wolf, Steve Schulze, Paul Handy, Jack Foley, Larry Sifford, Patricia Fitzgerald, Michael Oliver, John Carter, Anne Stingle, Julee Newberger, Lisa Alapick, Mary Morrow-Bax, Libby Heily, Thomas Mason, Jr., James Del Fiore, Robin Cuddy, Maureen Leak, Elizabeth Bruce, Brigid Haragan, Bob Griffin, Kristy Simmons, Mark Hartzman, Elaine Hutchinson, Janice Samuels, and Clay Teunis.
Returning members are Margaret Van Sant, Claire Frankel, and Robert Walsh.
Welcome to new members Karin Ringheim, Karen Deans, Lynn Aylward, Caitlin DeMarlis, and Marmie Edwards.
Active in Forum 2 this session are Diane Ney, Art Luby, Sidra Rausch, Jane Ross, Michael Stang, Tom Stephens, and Paco Madden. Guest: Richard Etchison.
Boot Camp for Playwrights
A Six-Week Intensive Workshop from the Playwrights' Gymnasium
with Delores Gregory
Recharge your writing and kick-start a new one-act play in just six 2 ½ hour sessions! Boot Camp for Playwrights is a back-to-basics inter-active experience that uses written exercises and improvisations to help you refocus your ideas. In a small group setting you'll discover the story within as you learn to develop a new character, create a vivid environment, and shape an effective scene. Whether you've written one play or a dozen, these methods will help you find new inspiration as you sharpen the skills you've developed. Bring pen, paper and enthusiasm. Come prepared to write - both in class and out.
Conducted by the founder of The Playwrights' Gymnasium, a process-oriented playwrights' workshop now in its fifth year. Participants will have written at least one play of any length. Must know basic formatting.
During the Spring-Summer Session Break
When: April 17th to May 22nd. Saturday mornings.
Where: St. Mary's Armenian Church, D.C.
Fee: $120
Please try to register before April 12th.
Name ______________________________
E-mail ______________________________
Address
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I’ve enclosed a pre-payment of _____$120 _____ $60
Send check and hard-copy of form to: PF, P O Box 5322, Rockville, MD 20848.
CONGRATULATIONS! FORUM MEMBERS 2009!
A play for younger audiences by Harry Bagdasian and Ernie Joselovitz, Journey to the World’s Edge, just published by Dramatics Publishers, enjoyed productions at schools in Vermont, Connecticut, Nebraska and Texas. Sidra Rausch was artist-in-residence at Georgia College and State University. Her new play, Long Beach ‘44 had a staged reading and was part of the New York Jewish Play Festival. Her Stella Adler was part of the Washington Women in Theatre’s Festival at Flashpoint. Sally Kinka had an interactive version of her musical Knights Of Glory with music by Daniel Villar, presented by ArtStream, Inc. as part of their Deborah Jean Arts in Hospitals and Hospices Program. Margherita by Anthony Gallo was presented at the Dramatists Guild of America in NY and was given a public presentation by the Italian Center of New York City/Boston Office at the Harvard Club. His play The Last Days of King Solomon was presented at the National Press Club, DC. Alexis Clements' play The Typewriter Girls given reading at the Women's Project in NYC. She performed her performance piece (in progress) Spitting Against The Wind at Dixon Place (NY). Her Three Choices is being published in KNOCK Magazine. Andy Dodds was commissioned to write lyrics for a show at Imagination Stage with composer Debbie LaPuma. Paul Handy’s one act farce Preaching To The Choir had a full production as Sandy Spring Theatre Group’s entry in the Maryland Community Theatre Festival. His Full Truth was presented as a staged reading at Georgetown Law Center. Pat Davis’ Alternative Methods was selected for a staged reading at Urban Stages in NY. Heidi, book by Martha King deSilva, music and lyrics by Joan Cushing, premiered at Imagination Stage. Joan Cushing’s new play Lizzie Bright & the Buckminster Boy (based on a book by Gary D. Schmidt) received a workshop at First Stage Milwaukee’s New Play Series. Her Tussaud was performed at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. And her Petite Rouge (adapted from a book by Mike Artell) was produced in London. She also completed a commission for Imagination Stage for a musical version of the James Marshall book, George & Martha, Tons of Fun. And was commissioned by a Portland children’s theatre to write a musical play based on the book Diary of a Worm. Legacy of Light, by Karen Zacarias, opened at Arena Stage. She was later named Arena Stage’s first Resident Playwright. Michael Stang had his play, Dreams of Women Dancing given public staged reading by Spooky Action Theatre Co. at Montgomery College/Takoma Park. He had six of his short plays given staged reading at Fells Point Corner Theatre in Baltimore. More of his short plays were presented at Creative Alliance and at Spotlighters Theatre, both in Baltimore. The In-Series commissioned Bari Biern to write English lyrics for several of the songs in their production Berliner Kabarett. Round House Theatre’s Education & Outreach Department’s Heyday Players toured a one-act version of her adaption of E.F. Benson’s Mapp & Lucia. She was also commissioned to write “a Zarzuela piece” for the InSeries, here locally. Clay Teunis was commissioned by the Portrait Gallery to write a play about Andy Warhol. He was also commissioned to write a biographical piece about Harry Truman called The Bomb Stops Here for the National Portrait Gallery’s Culture in Motions Series. Paco Madden’s The Fifth Musketeer was a semi-finalist for Reverie’s Inaugural Next Generation Playwrights Contest. Allyson Currin’s comedy, The Colony, premiered at Charter Theatre. The Capital Fringe saw her play, Late Bloomers and Glory Days produced at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. She was been commissioned to write a play about playwright Sophie Treadwell for American Century Theatre. She was also commissioned to write a Lincolnesque biographical piece (about Elizabeth Kirkley) for Ford’s Theatre. Allyson Currin, along with Kristin deWulf, Paco Madden, and Ernie Joselovitz had public readings of their plays as part of The Page-to-Stage Festival at the Kennedy Center. Kristin deWulf’s new play Foolish Fire was given a public reading by a joint Active Cultures Theatre-College Park Arts Exchange festival, “Diving Boards”. Rachael Bail’s play, Immoral Combat, was presented at her Alden Theatre in McLean, and as part of the Capital Fringe Festival. The Royal Norwegian Embassy commissioned Alex Fraser to adapt a short version of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler. Dolores Gregory’s 10-minute play, So Tell Me About This Guy was included in “Match Games”, an evening of short works about romance, in a month-long run at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Her much-produced Radium Girls continued with fifteen productions, including Chicago and New Zealand. Her ten-minute comedy, Beauty’s Fool, received a staged reading as part of SWAN Day, D.C. Her new play, Salvation Road opened at The Walnut Street Theatre’s Independent Studio 3 as part of Philadelphia’s Fringe Festival. Paula Stone’s evening of short plays, Freshly Squeezed, was selected to be part of the Boca Raton Theatre Guild’s 9th Annual Spring Playreading. Her short piece, Scrambled, was chosen for inclusion in the forthcoming edition of “Theatre Audition Book”, published by Meriwether Publishing. Scrambled was also chosen for inclusion in the 7th Annual North Park Playwrights’ Festival in San Diego. Kitchen Sink also won the 6th Annual New Play Competition, one-act category, at the Brevard Little Theatre, North Carolina, and was selected to be part of 2009’s Baltimore Playwrights Festival. Two of her playlets, Do It, Dwayne and 36-C were chosen to be included in the 2009 NFA Play Festival in Newburgh, NY. Scot Walker’s Screeches from the Zoo was a finalist in Turtle Shell Productions, NYC competition. His play Molasses Toast and French Fried Eels was produced by the Embassy Theatre in Cumberland, MD. The Capital Fringe Festival produced his 2 Shorts in Black and White. Catherine O’Connor’s 10-minute play Manifesto was part of Journeyman Theatre’s “It’s Not Easy Being Green” at the Capital Fringe Festival. She also wrote a monologue in the voice of 17th century poet Sarah Egerton for “Voices of Liberty: Women Poets...” part of the Washington Shakespeare Company’s Sort-of-JaneAusten Play Reading Festival. Missing Pages by Susan Austin Roth was in the Capital Fringe Festival. John Morogiello’s Irish Authors Held Hostage was presented at the Fringe by J.T. Burian Theatricals. And the Georgetown Theatre Company premiered his Jack the Ticket Ripper. Bill Costanza’s short play The Bar Bet produced at the Summer Sampler Festival at Cedar Lane Theatre, and went on to represent the theatre at the Maryland One-Act Playwrights Festival. It was also produced at the North Park Festival in San Diego. Herman Weisman saw his one-act play, A Lullaby in Antwerp, performed at that same Summer Sampler Festival at Cedar Lane Theatre. Kristy Simmons presented a reading of her play, Greg’s Anatomy, with the help of Leon Levenson’s Calliope Productions, in Silver Spring. Allyson Pruitt wrote scripts for a series of educational children’s DVD’s published by Footsteps to Brilliance, LLC. Don Connelly’s play Trophy was given a public reading as part of a series at the Colony Theatre Company in Burbank, CA. Denise Hart wrote and directed her 15th annual play for children’s theatre, A Marvelous Celebration of Sound, at Howard University. Elaine Hutchinson’s play, The Home-Coming Queen produced at a local church. Ray Melton had his play Just For You: A Matter of Life and Death presented at The Matinee Playhouse in Urbana, MD. It was also performed at Tenafly High School. Laura Zam’s one-person play Collaterally Damaged was filmed at the DC Arts Center. Margaret Van Sant was hired to write a short play for the Tennessee Williams Festival in Provincetown, MA on the theme “War for Life”, with partner Priscilla Sample. Her play Portraiture was part of the Provincetown Playwrights Festival. Emily Solomon, graduating from Catholic University of America, had her thesis play produced there: Ngala Muti. Jackie Thomas had her musical play The Eagle Stirs Her Nest, produced in Lanham, MD, D.C., along with shows in Atlanta and the Eastern Shore. Anne Stingle received a public reading of her play, A Soldier’s Story, at the Arts Club of Washington. Joe Palka finds himself the winner of Alleyway Theatre’s Playwriting Competition with his new full-length play, Mookie Cranks a Tater.
WORTH NOTING
Forum 2's Paco Madden’s Who Killed Captain Kirk? is having a public reading on Tuesday, February 9, 7 p.m., at Washington Shakespeare Company (601 S. Clark St., Arlington, VA 22202). Pay-What-You-Can.
Forum 1's Marian Licha’s one-person play about Frida Kahlo, Frida Vice-Versa, co-written by Dennis Green, directed by Jessica Lefkow, performed by Marian herself. Round House Theatre in Silver Spring, Women’s Theatre Showcase: Saturday, Feb 6 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Feb 7, at 2 p.m. Info, tix: 240-644-1100.
Forum 1's John Carter is having his one-person play Lou given a public staged reading at Round House Theatre/Silver Spring (8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring). Directed by Jerry Whiddon, performed by Kathryn Kelley. Monday, February 8, 7:30 p.m. Free.
Pat Lin’s play Zelda At The Oasis will premier at Venus Theatre, directed by Lynn Sharp Spears. March 4-March 28. Info at www.venustheatre.org or 866-811-4111.
The Dancing Princesses by Allyson Currin (originally on a grant from Playwrights Forum) premiers at Imagination Stage in April.
Playwrights Forum will be attending the Equity Auditions in February, and the League of Washington Theatre’s auditions in March, so that our directors will have better information and access to area actors. Representing us will be director Gillian Drake and Mary Suib.
READINGS SCHEDULE
February 8 The Misfortune of Kings by Thomas Mason, Jr. Directed by Catherine Aselford. 7 p.m. Monday. St. Mary’s Armenian Church.
February 22 The Memory of a Dream by James Beller. Directed by Gillian Drake. 7 p.m. Monday. St. John’s Episcopal Church/Norwood Parish, Chevy Chase.
March 1 The Redcoats are Coming! by Jane Ross. Directed by Harry Bagdasian. 7 p.m. Monday. Imagination Stage, Bethesda. (Limited seating)
March 22 Woo Is Me by Paula Stone. Directed by Mary Suib. 7 p.m. Monday. St. John’s Episcopal Church/Norwood Parish, Chevy Chase.
In-House:
February 24 G-14 by Jason Ford. Directed by Nicole Jost. 7 p.m. Wednesday. St. Mary’s Armenian Church. Forum 2.
March 8 Train Tracks by James Del Fiore. Directed by Laura Gianarelli. 7 p.m. Monday. Twinbrook Recreation Center, Rockville.
April 19 Solitaire by Barry Weinberg. Great Lakes by Jason Ford. The Harold Blomfield Game by Julee Newberger. Directed by Sonya Hoffman. 7 p.m. Monday. St. Mary’s Armenian Church.
FORUM 2 SCHEDULE
February 10 Round Table Discussions
*February 24 Reading: G-14 by Jason Ford
March 10 Round Table Discussions
*March 24 Reading: Nature Abhors A Vacuum by Richard Etchison
April 7 Round Table Discussions* All active Forum members and Associate members are welcome to attend these readings, which begin at 7 p.m., Wednesday, at the St. Mary’s Armenian Church (corner of 42nd & Fessenden Sts NW, D.C., rear entrance)
KVELLING pronounced exactly as it's spelled. Yiddish: to gush, to swell. Here is where you will find tidbits about Forum members and Associate members. Good things that have happened to our colleagues inside and outside the Playwrights Forum neighborhood. Send it all <sheilah.kleiman3@verizon.net>.
Forum 1's Larry Sifford has won the Eileen Heckert Drama-for-Seniors National Competition with his play Murder In a Nursing Home, which includes a cash prize and presentation at Ohio State University.
Karen Zacarias’s Legacy of Light, premiered at Arena Stage last year, had another production at TheatreWorks, Phoenix, AZ.
Ernie Joselovitz’s adaptation for youngsters of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, Kidnapped, is scheduled for production early next year at Peoples’ Light and Theatre Company, PA.
Forum 1's Michael Oliver’s play The Greatest Generation, just given a public reading by us, has made the Semi-Finals of the Eugene O’Neill Center’s National Playwrights Conference.
Jamaican Patwa No Problem: A Tourist’s Guide to Jamaican Language and Culture by Forum 1's Janice Samuels has been published by JustUWaitAndSee Productions, and available at www.patwanoproblem.com . Includes an audio CD, booklet, map.
Congratulations to Forum 2's Martha King deSilva and a Forum songwriter, Joan Cushing, for the nomination of their play adaptation of Heidi at Imagination Stage, nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Best Play for Young People.
SPOTLIGHT ON....
Libby Heily
by Robert Griffin
Originally a local lass (born in Maryland, raised in Virginia and a graduate of Longwood University) Libby studied at the Seattle Film Institute. Married and proud owner of a dog, she has written several plays - including an adaptation of the Second Shepherd’s Play for children, commissioned by Longwood University - and screenplays, one of which (Church of the Glowing Starfish) reached the top 15% in the Nicholl Fellowship contest.
Besides experience as an actress - we’ll get to that in a moment - Libby has had many jobs and experiences that make for an exceptional background and groundwork for play-wrighting: interning at a theater, which involved reading many plays and doing work as a stage manager; crew work on independent films; making her own films; and, as mentioned, writing screenplays. Libby’s conversion from actor to playwright began early. In college, when she was learning lines her thoughts automatically went to alternative ways in which the play could be structured and written. Moreover, she brought from acting to playwrighting two qualities essential to each (perhaps explaining why actors often make the best playwrights): (1) the willingness and ability to delve into/create the emotional life of the character, the motivation beyond the formal structure and language of the text; and (2) the ability to identify the language, attitude and other characteristics that make for characters that actors like portray and that therefore are more likely to be characters that entertain audiences. She reports that writing her first play was very difficult but when she came to the end of it she knew she loved playwrighting.
Though she is quite young, her discussion for this note displays a firm grasp on a truth that without which playwrighting is mere propaganda: complexity, complexity of both situation and character. People, though basically good, are capable of serious errors and even misdeeds. And even the most happy outcome has its shade of gray, and vice versa.
Finally, in recalling her first exposure to “serious” plays, Libby makes the kind of comment that we all want our plays to evoke and we wish her for all her plays: “the world had been changed somehow.”
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