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katoagogo
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Posted: Mon Jun 16th, 2008 12:28 am |
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During today's Green Room there was a question about plays from unrepreseted playwrights that go into a 'slush pile' that contains material from said playwrights that is neglected -- and therefore goes mostly unread. The O'Neill was used as an example of a theater using a process like this. I wish to address this, because I have worked at the O'Neill in the past, and am currently very impressed and excited about the work being done at the O'Neill Theater Center and by the team of people currently running the conference.
For the record -- if you send a play to the O'Neill National Playwrights' Conference your play will be read by at least 2 people and considered for the handful of spots available. In this initial round of reading your submission is considered without your name, resume, or level of representation attached to the play.
If your play goes on into the semi-final round, then your play is read by a different bunch of readers and a new selection process.
Some of the slots at the conference are dedicated to development partnerships with theaters in the United States and other parts of the world (in recent years playwrights and production teams from Ireland, England, Crotia, Australia, Russia have been in summer residence). These plays do not go in to the larger pool of open-submission plays, but are considered seperately and have various slots dedicated to this type of project. Originally (in the 1960's) all of the slots were invitation only. People forget this part of the history of the coference, but there it is. It was a few years in before some plays were considered thru an pen submission process. Since that time there have been a few slots each year dedicated to the open submission pool.
While the number of available slots for playwrights included in the open submission pool may number as few as two or three, please remember that the size of the conference has been reduced from its heyday of 12-14 participants down to 7 or 8.
I am basing this information on the way things have been run for the past two conferences as described to me by the NPC's literary manager. Everyone that I have met from the current literary team at the O'Neill is loves new plays and are extremely excited about working with playwrights. And -- there are plays included each year that have come out of the open submission process.
The O'Neill NPC experience has always been about the mix of playwrights involved. There have always been experienced playwrights in-house alongside emerging writers. Because the playwrights are in-house for the entire 4+ weeks of the conference, they form friendships and working collobarations that are important facets of the experience. That's why mixing the playwrights at diverse points in their carreers is essential.
I think this year they have a really great line-up -- you can check it out on their website.
http://www.oneilltheatercenter.org/
--Kato
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Paddy
Moderator
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Posted: Mon Jun 16th, 2008 02:38 am |
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Thanks, Kato.
As a producer, and reader of many many --- many plays, I don't care how new the playwright is to the business....or really, what the bio they send says.
I just want good plays.
Because I get so many submissions...sometimes, 250, I don't read all of them all the way through. If I already know it's not site-specific, or it's set in a place that won't work, I have to carry on.
The ones that make the first cut, are all possible, and they are read by six directors.
I really would love an agent for my children's literature. You need one. Playwriting is the one field I don't think it's necessary, but for those few theatres that only take agented scripts. Some, will take a letter ffrom a theatre professional in leu of that.
My two cents.
Paddy
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HarveyRabbit
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Posted: Mon Jun 16th, 2008 05:16 am |
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How I long for the day that a professional organization will consider scripts based solely on their merit – not on who wrote them, or what your resume looks like, or whatever space they need to fill because they HAVE to have a couple of plays by unknowns in order to keep their grant money coming in…but plays they admire and respect.
An ever longing…
Harvey
Last edited on Mon Jun 16th, 2008 05:17 am by HarveyRabbit
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Basso
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Posted: Mon Jun 16th, 2008 02:31 pm |
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Well, those well-known writers had to begin the same as everyone else. We must be just as determined as they were to be heard, and in-spite of any inequities go forward like warriors. Indeed, if everything were fair and above-board, perhaps it would mean less, and create in us a terrible complacency. Theatres have mandates that include certain content, whether that be Canadian (in my country), sexual-orientation, gender oriented, the Iraq or Afghanistan conflicts, global warming, etc. Far out, I'm sure there is lots of great stuff being written that addresses these mandates. The stories I write don't seem to fall inside any such parameters, and I can't make myself write about something I feel little passion for. Nevertheless, there is still a niche out there for me, and if I am intrepid, fearless, and love what I'm doing then I need not fear even the most austere and unfair mandate.
Yes, it is a shame that we can not be given a fair reading, regardless of our tenure in the business. But, does it deny the world great theatre? No, because the writers who really who want to be heard, and whose writing resonates with a certain public, will be.
Kato posted, on this forum, the last lecture of a professor who was dying of cancer, and he was only in his forties. He told the audience, and I paraphrase from memory..."the stumbling blocks are put there to see if we want it badly enough.." If we feel we have a worthy voice then that is all the impetus we should need. It wasn't meant to be easy. The viscera were meant to knot, and the eyes to dance with delight...all at the same time.
Basso
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katoagogo
Member
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Posted: Mon Jun 16th, 2008 04:15 pm |
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I just want to be clear -- everyone who submits a play to the O'Neill is considered for inclusion in the first round of selection.
About 140 plays make it into the semi-final round. About 50 plays make it to the next to the last round.
About 2 to 4 of these plays make it to the conference.
As far as partnerships go -- they are wonderful things. More theaters should do them. Many are, as they are the new model for making it economically viable to mount risky or new work. When theaters share the cost they can afford to take a chance on something or someone unproven.
And Basso absolutely correct that all playwrights have had to work hard and not give up.
Every succesful playwright I have ever heard speak about their early days (except for Albee) talks about how in the beggining they got together with a group of friends and self-produced because no one else was interested in their work. O'Neill, Shepard, Vogel, Gurney, Bullins, Redwood, Blessing -- you name 'em -- hey have produced their early work themselves.
Honestly, it is because of the mix of playwrights that come to the O'Neill each summer that I want to be a participant. That mix -- that playwright community -- that's the prize -- more so than the reading itself.
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katoagogo
Member
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Posted: Mon Jun 16th, 2008 04:21 pm |
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Basso --
I wasn't sure if anyone even checked out that post. I'm glad you did. I found his lecture so inspiring.
Here's the link to that thread, if anyone else would like to view the lecture:
http://www.stageplays-forum.com/forum3/2128.html
Basso wrote:
Kato posted, on this forum, the last lecture of a professor who was dying of cancer, and he was only in his forties. He told the audience, and I paraphrase from memory..."the stumbling blocks are put there to see if we want it badly enough.." If we feel we have a worthy voice then that is all the impetus we should need. It wasn't meant to be easy. The viscera were meant to knot, and the eyes to dance with delight...all at the same time.
Basso
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