Tag Archives: Theatre

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Don’t Forget to Submit!

The deadline for LADIES FIRST ISSUE #4, FEBRUARY is coming up! Remember to submit the information about your new plays to natalie.noplays@gmail.com before the end of January. Send us your name, the name of your play, the name of the theatre producing your work, a sentence or two about the play, the where and when, and an image. We’ll put the information into our monthly newsletter and send in out to our networks!

NOplays is a monthly newsletter of new productions, workshops, readings, and publications by female playwrights. Our goal is to create greater gender parity in the theatre by highlighting the works of female writers and the organizations that promote and produce their works.

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An Interview with Catherine Weingarten (Reposted)

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We’re very excited to have the opportunity to develop 365 Women a Year, The Bennington plays, further with Hubbard Hall as part of their Winter Carnival.

In preparation for the performance, we’re reposting this interview with Catherine Weingarten regarding her play Feelin’ Lonely. This interview was originally published on the site in 2015.

You can see Feelin’ Lonely, and the other 365 Women a Year plays, on Friday, January 29th and Saturday, January 30th at 8pm. You can purchase tickets here.

Interviewer: Natalie Osborne

Q: How did you hear about 365 Women a Year? 

A: Last year I got in touch with Jesslynn Chamblee because we both were selected for a few of the same short play festivals. She was super fun to talk to and we ended up commiserating about grad school, being a female playwright and submission opportunities. Then she told me about her awesome project “365 Women” and I decided to join the Facebook group and give it a go!

Q: Why did you choose Elizabeth Bishop as your historical woman? What drew you to her?

A: At Bennington College I took a poetry class my freshman year about intense friendships between poets; and we studied Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell. Ever since then she has stuck in my head. I love how observant, crisp and surprisingly funny her poetry is. Also she was a lesbian and so edgy and strong! Can I be her now!

Q: Can you walk me through the process of adapting a persons life for the stage? What were some of the challenges? What parts really clicked together? 

A: I knew that I didn’t want to be too literal when it came to adaptation. I wanted to take details from her life that did it for me; and then give myself the freedom to imagine my own version of how things could have played out. The challenge is the pressure of being historically accurate/depicting things as they probably occurred; but to tell you the truth that sounds supa boring, so I tried to avoid that and let myself have weird Elizabeth Bishop odd fantasy sequences.

I had a lot of fun creating Elizabeth Bishop as a character because she is so spunky and smart and repressed; what cool qualities for a woman!

Q: The play takes place during Bishop’s time at Vassar College, what inspired you to focus on this part of her life? 

A: Ever since I have been writing plays I have been obsessed with stories about younger people trying to figure out adulthood. The idea of writing about Elizabeth Bishop still trying to figure out her voice and her swag, really did it for me. Also I was a playwriting apprentice at Vassar’s Summer Theater in 2012, so I had a clear image in my mind about the buildings she probably studied in.

Q: What are you most excited about for the reading on the 27th? What are you most nervous about?

A: I am such a Bennington chick, so I am thrilled whenever my alma mater decides to put up my work! I am nervous that people will throw hipster vegan drinks at the stage and cry and say that my play is not historically accurate(which it probs is not).

Q: Are there any playwrights that inspired you while you were working on this piece, or who inspire you in general? 

A: Things that inspire me: coconut cake, Sherry Kramer, Sam Hunter, pink cupcakes.

Q: What has been your favorite aspect of working with 365 Women a Year? 

A: I am a big proponent of female playwrights and minority playwrights having more of a voice on the American stage; so this project is right up my alley. I love feeling like I’m apart of this sketchy secret Facebook group mission that involves a ton of female playwrights.

Q: Do you have any advice for the playwrights joining 365 Women a Year in 2015? 

Don’t worry too much about getting every detail of the person’s life correct. Just try to take what’s interesting to you and then give yourself room to be crae and have fun!

Catherine Weingarten is a recent Bennington College graduate in Vermont and an incoming playwriting MFA candidate at Ohio University. Her short works have been done at such theaters as Ugly Rhino Productions, Fresh Ground Pepper, and Nylon Fusion Collective. Her full length plays include: Are you ready to get PAMPERED!?, Recycling Sexy, A Roller Rink Temptation and Pineapple Upside Down Cake: a virgin play. She is the Playwright in Residence for “Realize your Beauty inc” which promotes positive body image for kids by way of theater arts. She was previously a member of Abingdon Theater’s playwrights group and New Perspective “women’s work” short play lab 2014.

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A Year in NOplays

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2015 was a huge year for NOplays!

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365 Women a Year at Bennington College, our first production, happened this March. We had an excellent turnout both locally with audience members who attended the event live, and an international audience who tuned into the live-stream. We introduced four new works by female playwrights Shellen Lubin, Maia Villa, Catherine Weingarten, and Natalie Osborne. Their plays celebrate the achievements of extraordinary women such as Mary Shelley, Elizabeth Bishop, Stella Adler, Slyvia Gassel, and Gloria Anzaldua.

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LADIES FIRST, a newsletter for new productions, workshops, readings, and publications by female playwrights, launched it’s first two issues this November and December. The goals of LADIES FIRST are to create greater gender parity in theatre by highlighting the works of female writers and the organizations that promote and produce their works.

None of this would be possible without support from our communities, from the many theatre-makers who have given their time and talents to our projects, and from our followers. Thank you for an amazing year, and we hope 2016 will be an even bigger one!

So What’s Next for 2016?

365 Woman a Year is Back!

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NOplays, in collaboration with Hubbard Hall, will be presenting another production of the 365 Women a Year, Bennington plays. The production will be part of Hubbard Hall’s Winter Carnival this January.

Featuring three returning plays; Making Frankenstein by Natalie Osborne, Feelin’ Lonely by Catherine Weingarten, and After the Thin Man by Shellen Lubin.

The production will also feature one world premiere, Pina by Emma Plotkin.

En El Medio, by Maia Villa, one of the four original 365 Women a Year plays, is currently being workshopped by Chicanas Cholas y Chisme in Los Angeles, and will have a production in March 2016.

The 365 Women a Year performances will take place the evenings of Friday, January 29th and Saturday, January 30th.

Hope to see you there, and have a safe and happy New Year!

 

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LADIES FIRST ISSUE #1: NOVEMBER 2015 UPDATE

This is a list of new productions, workshops, readings, and publications by female playwrights. Our goal is to create greater gender parity in theatre by highlighting the works of female writers and the organizations that promote and produce their works.

PRODUCTIONS:

A Box of Yellow Stars by Natalie Parker-Lawrence.

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Based on true events from World War II, a Christian man travels to Europe 15 times during the Holocaust, marries fifteen women destined for the concentration camps and divorces them in America, thereby saving them and their families. The play opens at his funeral in the 1990’s where a few of the ex-wives show up. Tragic, poignant, and sometimes funny.

Produced by the Women’s Theatre Festival of Memphis at Theatreworks in Memphis, TN, November 13-22. 

Hope Throws Her Heart Away by Susan Goodell.

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Hope has spent her life pleasing everyone else, attempting to be all things to all people … except herself. But in this show — which is equal parts absurd, quirky comedy and dramatic, poetic realism — Hope’s life is about to change. Directed by Elayne LeTraunik and featuring Katie Binger, Lily Sauvage and Tricia Rogers.

Produced by Genesis Theatrical Productions at The Alley Stage, The Alley Stage, 4127 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL, November 27-December 20. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3pm.
For tickets go to: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1900048.
A limited number of discount tickets are available on Gold Star.

SAFE by Donna Hoke.

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In 2011, a young gay teen hangs himself after being bullied–but the events leading to the suicide began decades before. In 1986, Nancy is a sheltered high school girl who swallows her guilt over her best friend’s torment. Twenty-five years later, married to the controlling Kirk, Nancy is confronted by another bully–her son.

Produced by Saginaw Valley State University Theatre Department, 7400 Bay Rd, University Center, MI 48710, November 18-22.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015 @ 7:30pm
Thursday, November 19, 2015 @ 7:30pm
Friday, November 20, 2015 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, November 21, 2015 @ 7:30pm
Sunday, November 22, 2015 @ 3:00pm
Performance location: Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts.

Ticket Information:
$13.00 – General Admission
$10.00 – Senior Citizens (60+)
$10.00 – Students
For more information or to order tickets, please contact the Box Office at (989) 964-4261.

What Will Happen to Daisy? by Patti Cassidy.

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Directed by Megan Smith and starring Valentine Aprile. Zelda Fitzgerald finally reveals the Great Gatsby’s true story- but is it too late?

Produced by Midtown International Theatre Festival, Short Play Lab, Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, November 7 – 7PM
Nov 8- 4PM.

Don’t Shoot the Messenger Pigeon by Allie Costa.

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This dark comedy was originally developed at PlayGround-LA and had a staged reading at the Zephyr Theatre in Hollywood last year.

Traveling through Florida this November and December as part of Gypsy Stage Rep’s short play series.

http://www.gypsystage.com/
http://www.alliecosta.com/

Plays by Hillary DePiano. 

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The Love of Three Oranges.

A modern adaptation of Carlo Gozzi’s commedia classic! A comedic slapstick fairy tale for all ages!

Produced by Dickinson High School Drama Department, Dickinson ND, November 19-21; Whatcom Community College, Bellingham, WA, November 19-21; Charles County Public Schools, Waldorf, MD, November 19-21; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Tory, NY, November 13-21; EAV Guerrilla Theatre, Atlanta GA, November 13-21; Wichita High School East, Wichita, KS, November 12-14; Juanita High School, Woodinville, WA, November 12-21; La Salle High School, Pasadena, CA, November 7-21; Anselmian Abbey Players, Manchester, NH, November 5-7; Baines Middle School, Missouri City, TX, November 5-15; Scribner- Snyder Community School, Scribner, NE, November 18-December 5.

The Green Bird.

New this fall, this modern adaptation of Carlo Gozzi’s commedia classic gets a new twist in this slapstick comedy about families and fairy tales.

Produced by Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield CT, November 12-21; Norton Community School, Norton Kansas, November 14-15; Phoenixville Area High School, Phoenixville, PA, November 13-22.

Daddy Issues and Three Padded Walls.

Amelia’s been looking for love in all the wrong faces. But when she meets a strangely familiar man in the subway, she’ll finally have to confront the ghost of her past; They’re ready to lock Jenny away for good. But how can she be crazy when she’s the only one who knows what’s really going on?

Produced by EF Academy, Thornwood, NY, November 20.

READINGS:

La Cancion de Los Pajaritos by Mercy Vasquez.

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The Song of the Little Birds – A story about mothers, daughters, sisters and secrets. Sometimes the choices we make to protect, can also destroy.

Produced by Company of Angels Theater (Downtown LA), 206 W 6th Street, Los Angeles, Ca 90013, Sunday, November 22nd, 7pm.

Weak Days by Hillary DePiano

Weak Days zooms out and looks at our daily routines from a new perspective as all five weekdays play out at simultaneously across the stage in a comic ballet where timing is everything because it’s all we have. Follow a three week journey to shake up the daily routine and figure out what it means to live a little.

Produced by The Chameleon Theatre Circle, Burnsville, MO, November 7.

PUBLICATIONS:

We Are Theatre by the Guerrilla Girls on Tour! 

27 short plays by women on gender parity.  Originally a speak out at the Cherry Lane Theatre produced by Guerrilla Girls on Tour! in 2012. Available for $10 at http://guerrillagirlsontour.com/we-are-theatre/.

To submit to the December issue of LADIES FIRST, email natalie.noplays@gmail.com before the end of the month. Send us your name, the name of your play, the name of the theatre producing your work, a sentence or two about the play, the where and when, and an image. Thank you to everyone who participated in the first LADIES FIRST newsletter.

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LADIES FIRST Deadline Approaches

The deadline for the first LADIES FIRST newsletter is this Sunday!

If you’re a theatre or female playwright who has a reading, production, or workshop coming up this November, remember to submit your event to the LADIES FIRST newsletter.

LADIES FIRST is a monthly newsletter of world premiere productions and readings of plays by female authors.

The goals of LADIES FIRST are to:

A.) Promote woman writers and the theaters that produce their works.

B.) Create a wider network of female playwrights.

C.) Provide a platform for producers, artistic directors, and other theatre-makers to find new works by female authors.

The first LADIES FIRST newsletter will be published this November on the NOplays blog.

What we want from YOU:

Your name, the name of your play, 1-2 sentences about your play, the name of the theatre putting your play up, the where and when, and an image of some sort.

Email the info before November 1st to natalie.noplays@gmail.com to be considered for the November newsletter. Only productions and readings happening in November will be a part of the November newsletter.

And a huge shout-out to the Dramatist for this months amazing issue on The Count! We’ve got a lot a work ahead of us in order to create gender parity in theatre, so let’s get to it!

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The Cross Roads of Gender Parity

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That’s the amount of female playwrights who are produced each year according to American Theatre Magazine. Broken down, the numbers are 14% for white American women, 3.4% for American women of color, 2.4% for white foreign women, and .4% for foreign women of color. The numbers are going up, but there’s still work to be done.

In this historic time for women in theatre, NOplays is proud to announce LADIES FIRST!

LADIES FIRST is a monthly newsletter of world premiere productions and readings of plays by female authors.

The goals of LADIES FIRST are to:

Promote woman writers and the theaters that produce their works.

Create a wider network of female playwrights.

Provide a platform for producers, artistic directors, and other theatre-makers to find new works by female authors.

The first LADIES FIRST newsletter will be published this November on the NOplays blog.

What we want from YOU:

Your name, the name of your play, 1-2 sentences about your play, the name of the theatre putting your play up, the where and when, and an image of some sort.

Email the info before November 1st to natalie.noplays@gmail.com to be considered for the November newsletter. Only productions and readings happening in November will be a part of the November newsletter.

We’re at 24/76, but we won’t stop until we reach 50/50!

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Awkward at Casa de Beverley

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AWKWARD will be kicking off One Acts and Snacks second season this Saturday, September 19th, at 6pm! AWKWARD is part of a double feature of new works being present at Casa de Beverley in Brookyln. You don’t want to miss out!

For more information on One Acts and Snacks, click here.

Synopsis: Suzy is dying to ask out her crush, Kate, an intense bookworm whose mission in life is to learn everything about the universe, to the school dance. Although Suzy’s origami skills are legendary, her social skills are lacking. When the out-going and oblivious Janis also makes Kate the apple of her eye, Suzy will have to find her voice, or risk losing Kate for good.

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Fractured Fairytales Video

If you missed out on the live performance of Theatre@First Festival@First 8, you still have a chance to watch the plays! My Monster and Me, as well as several other plays from the festival, are now on youtube.

A major shout out to everyone involved in the festival! Especially, director Mike Haddad and the fabulous cast of My Monster and Me (Anna Muench, Rose Martin, Brian Edgar, and Richie DeJesus), Caitlin Mason for producing the festival, and Joev Dubach for filming the performances. Thank you for creating a wonderful evening of theatre and for bringing Lila and her monster’s story to life.

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Fractured Fairytales Closing Weekend

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It’s your last chance to see Theatre@First’s Festival@First 8: Fractured Fairytales! Head up to Unity Somerville, 6 William Street, Somerville, MA on Friday or Saturday at 8pm for the last two nights of witches, princess, and one hungry monster in the closet!

This series features original one-acts by a number of emerging playwrights, including the world premiere of My Monster and Me by yours truly.