Sunday, May 30, 2010

Support the artist, not just the arts

Leon H. Kalayjian, who writes plays under the name Leon Kaye, is an owner in the Kalayjian, Oaks & Associates Insurance Agency. They specialize in wholesalers insurance, restaurants, and high end homes insurance. They can write all lines of insurance including; life, and health and are licensed in many states including; NY, NJ, CT, NC, VA, GA, IL, CA, MI, SC and FL.

Leon Kaye's 10-minute play MORE PASTA was produced by the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. as part of the Midway Festival of Plays in October 2009; the plays were produced at the Thoroughbred Community Theatre in Midway, Kentucky.

If you have insurance needs contact Kalayian, Oaks & Associates at 10 New King St., White Plains NY 10604. Leon Kaye may also be contacted by phone at 914-428-3200 or by e-mail at lhk@koa1.com Help the arts, support the artist!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

10 MINUTE PLAY CONTEST = 10 PAGES

Okay. I thought this would have been obvious, it's in the title of the contest, but we are seeking 10 minute plays. A ten minute play runs 10 minutes, not three, or four, or five minutes. Please submit plays that are 10 pages long, or close to that length (8 or 9 pages, at least). Plays that are too short are not considered for production; Neither are plays that too long-- in excess of 10 pages of dialogue. Common sense is the factor that should be your guide: 11 pages is too long, seven pages is too short.

Use a 12 font sized font such as Courier or Times New Roman and make certain that your play has 10 pages of dialogue. Last year we produced seven scripts: 6 of the 7 scripts were between about 9 minutes 50 seconds and 10 minutes 15 seconds; the seventh script, which ran about 8 minutes, was about 8 1/2 pages long. Please do not submit short scripts, they may be read; they will not be chosen for production.

As a reminder: this is a 10-minute play contest, submit a 10-minute play script.

Friday, May 21, 2010

517: On the Radio!

News about this year's play contest is starting to get around. On Sunday May 30, 2010 Bill McCann, Jr., contest coordinator for the 2nd Annual 517 Playwrights 10-Minute Play Contest will be on "Key Conversations" on Groovin' 1580AM radio to discuss this year's play contest. Key Conversations, sponsored by Key Newsjournal and Clear Channel Radio, Lexington, KY, airs at 10 am each Sunday morning. For more information about the program you may go to the link www.groovin1580.com Happy listening!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

June Meeting

The June meeting of 517 Playwrights will be Sunday June 13th, from 1:30 to 4:30 pm, at Common Grounds Coffee House, Lexington. Bring scripts if you've got 'em and want 'em read and discussed. Please remember to bring one copy per character (max. 5 copies) to make reading and sharing easier. Keep in mind that our July and August meetings will likely be focused on reading and discussing contest entries so bring your script to the June meeting. See you then.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Kentucky Playwrights

Slow off the starting line, Kentucky playwrights are catching up to those from elsewhere who have submitted plays to this year's 2nd Annual 517 Playwrights 10-Minute Play Contest. Currently a total of 35 plays have been submitted, eight are from Kentuckians. Plays by six Kentuckians have come in from Berea, Georgetown, Lexington and Louisville. This year's contest is intended to put a spotlight on Kentucky playwrights who are allowed to submit two scripts and as many as six of the selected plays will be by Kentuckians. So, if you reside in Kentucky and have written a 10-minute play... submit today.

Rules for this year's contest were posted on this site, on May 2, 2010. If, after reading the rules, you still have questions please send them to ky.playwright@yahoo.com.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Liability Insurance Needed!

Help! We need to find liability insurance, a $1,000,000 policy, to cover the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. at any venue for this year's festival of new plays. If you are an insurance agent, or if you know an insurance agent who might be able to connect us up with a company that could provide us with the necessary insurance coverage please contact me at ky.playwright@yahoo.com I'd like to talk with you. Thanks.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Scripts are Coming in. Have You Submitted Yet?

Since May 2nd more than two dozen playwrights from sixteen states, including Kentucky, and two Canadian provinces have submitted scripts to this year's 10-Minute Play Contest. Among the contestants this year. so far, have been six women and 20 men.

Characters include a juggler, two clowns (in different scripts!) a newscaster, people of Middle Eastern and British extraction, a realtor, housewives and husbands, friends and lovers, and college students. The ages of this diverse group of characters range from 12 to 70+.

Settings include not only the expected living rooms and apartments but also a beach, the front seat of a car, a coffee house, a library, and a "tv writer's room."

What is missing from this diverse mix of characters and locales? Your script with your characters and settings. We are accepting entries through June 30, 2010. Please submit today.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Production Venues Needed

The venue for November 2010's 2nd Annual Festival of New Plays is yet to be determined. It is my understanding that last year's venue in Midway is unavailable, so we are looking for other possible theatres in both Lexington and Georgetown, Kentucky. If you have ideas for production venues within 20 miles of Lexington, KY please leave a comment. Thanks.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Entries Coming In

Since May 2nd, the first day we accepted submissions for the 2nd Annual 517 Playwrights 10-Minute Play Contest, we have received 24 submissions. Included among those received are submissions from Canada (3), California (2), Iowa (2), Missouri, Maryland, and New York. We will stop accepting submissions on June 30th, but it is not too soon to submit.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Next Meeting of 517 Playwrights

The next meeting of 517 Playwrights will be held on Sunday May 16th from 1:30 to 4:30 at Common Grounds Coffee House, High Street in Lexington. In addition to reading and discussing new scripts written by members we will also discuss the proposed mission statement and bylaws for Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. Both current and potential members are welcome to attend the meeting. If you have questions write to ky.playwright@yahoo.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Len Cuthbert to Direct at London Fringe Festival

Len Cuthbert, whose play Enigmatic Lucidity was performed as part of the Midway Festival of New Plays in October 2009, is now in rehearsals for the London (Ontario) Fringe Festival, that will take place, June 17 - 27, 2010. Len is directing, The Trilogy of Bob and Angelina which is composed of his three short plays, Enigmatic Lucidity,The Maladroit Romeo, and One Year One Day.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

2nd Annual 10-Minute Play Contest

The Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. (KPW) announces that it is sponsoring its second annual 517 Playwrights 10-Minute Play Contest. This year’s contest, open to any playwright who wishes to enter, will give a preference to Kentucky playwrights in terms of both submissions and judging: Kentucky playwrights may enter two scripts and up to six of the winning scripts will be selected from among the Kentucky entries. As was the case in 2009 winning entries will again be performed as a festival of new plays; this year the festival will be held in November 2010.

1) Preference this year will be given to Kentucky playwrights and members of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop and 517 Playwrights. However, we will accept plays from anywhere in the world as long as the plays are written in English.
2) Plays should run no more than 10 minutes, and be no more than 10 pages long.
3) Submissions will be accepted from May 1, 2010 through June 30, 2010, ONLY. Send submissions to ky.playwright@yahoo.com
4) All playwrights should write “Contest Submission” on the subject line; Kentucky playwrights should write “Kentucky Contest Submission” in the subject line.
5) Plays may be written on any topic and be either comedies or dramas; no musicals, plays for children, or adaptations, please.
6) Plays should have a single setting, no more than four (4) characters, and simple technical requirements.
7) All Kentucky playwrights may enter up to two (2) scripts in this year’s contest.
8) Playwrights residing outside Kentucky may enter one (1) script in this year’s contest.
9) Up to eight (8) scripts will be selected as winners of the contest and given a full production as part of a new works festival of 10-minute plays during November 2010.
10) A maximum of six (6) winning scripts will be selected from among those entered by Kentucky playwrights; a minimum of two (2) winning scripts will be selected from those submitted by playwrights residing outside Kentucky.
11) For purpose of this contest a Kentucky playwright is a playwright who is a resident of Kentucky as indicated on his/her drivers license or state issued identity card.
12) There is no entry fee for submitting a script.
13) Playwrights will be paid, in lieu of royalties, an amount not to exceed $ 25 for the rights to publically perform his or her play/s for the run of the show, estimated at three performances.
14) Winning playwrights are encouraged to attend one or more performances of their play/s and will be given two (2) complimentary tickets to the performance of his/her choice in addition to the payment listed in #12, above.
15) Playwrights who submit one or more scripts agree to abide by the contest’s rules and agree to its terms and conditions as outlined above.
16) Decisions of the judges shall be final.

Ooops! It was Derby Day Yesterday.

I'm sorry. When I was making plans to post the rules for this year's 2nd Annual 517 Playwrights 10-Minute Play Contest I neglected to keep in mind that May 1st was Derby Day, a holiday that does not allow for work (ie posting contest rules). So yesterday was spent reading morning lines and watching coverage of race day from Churchill Downs and otherwise celebrating the greatest two minutes in sports. Yet again Calvin "Bo-rail" has again slipped a three year-old throughhbred, Super Saver, between rail and fellow competitors to race off with his third victory in four attempts. Only now can I too get back to work.