517 Playwrights

Next meeting of Kentucky Playwrights

2012-01-05T12:20:00.000-08:00

The new year is here. So resolve to join us this year in supporting new works for the stage. Kentucky Playwrights Workshop's first meeting of 2012 will be held this Sunday-- January 8, 2012-- from 2-5 pm at Common Grounds in Lexington. If you have questions or concerns please email us at ky.playwright@yahoo.com See you on Sunday!

Frog’s Milk/Pump Works: An evening of …amphibians and septic tanks, stalled lives and jump starts…

2011-12-16T09:36:00.000-08:00

Louisville) – The shadow of the frog that needs to be milked appeared in Nova Scotia and is about to appear at the Rudyard Kipling. A new theatre group, Frog Pump Productions, heads to the stage with an evening of amphibians and septic tanks, stalled lives and jump starts.

Performances of Rebecca Henderson and Heidi Saunders’ original contemporary play, FROG'S MILK/PUMP WORKS, are January 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m., and a 2:30 p.m. matinee on January 22, at The Rudyard Kipling Theater, 422 West Oak Street, Louisville 40203. Ticket prices are $15. Directed by Keith McGill, Frog’s Milk/Pump Works showcases actors Rebecca Henderson, Pattie Crawford, Jeremy Sapp, Tom Dunbar, and composer and keyboardist Frank Richmond. For tickets call 502-267-6915 or contact frogpumpproductions@gmail.com. To reserve dinner before the show, call The Rudyard Kipling at 502-636-1311.

You do not need to be a frog-loving plumber to enjoy the show. Through the use of comedy, the play explores timeless themes of loss, grief, and the poignancy of hope. Three people meet over a septic tank and wind up filling more than the hole in the ground. “We meet these people at the point where their lives are about to change forever,” says director Keith McGill.

Playwright Heidi Saunders' win 2010 Kentucky Theatre Association was recognized as one of Kentucky's best playwrights that year; she has had staged readings at the South-eastern Theatre Association's annual meeting and at Alice Lloyd College. Rebecca Henderson’s work has been workshopped at Natasha's Theatre in Lexington to great acclaim. Both playwrights are members of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop.

Frogs’ Milk/Pump Works by Rebecca Henderson and Heidi Saunders: January 20, 21, 26, 27, 28 at 7:30 PM, matinee January 22 at 2:30 PM. All performances will be presented at: The Rudyard Kipling Theatre, 422 West Oak St. Louisville, KY 40203

Admission $15

For tickets only contact frogpumpproductions@gmail.com or 502-267-6915

For dinner before the show and tickets call 502-636-1311

KPW's on FACE BOOK and other announcements

2011-12-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

We're on Face Book now. Just search for Kentucky Playwrights Workshop (KPW) and check us out!

Have news of interest to Kentucky playwrigts? Post it on our Face Book page.

The next meeting of KPW will be Sunday January 8th from 2-5 pm at Common Grounds in Lexington.

Want to join KPW? Send a check for $10 made out to KPW to PO Box 55222 Lexington, KY 40555

KPW New Play Contest Announced

2011-11-15T06:37:00.000-08:00

The Kentucky Playwrights Workshop is holding a KPW New Play Contest. Deadline for submissions is midnight February 15, 2012. Up to seven new plays will be selected for a community reading in June of 2012 as a part of the Second Friday program at Berea Arts Council. In September 2012 a staged reading of the winning plays will be produced at Berea Arena Theater.

Any Kentucky Playwright Workshop(KPW) member is eligible to submit one ten-minute play. Any Kentucky resident or student attending a Kentucky college may become a member by including a $10 check, made out to KPW, with their submission.

According to contest coordinator, Trish Ayers, "One of the primary reasons for holding the contest is so that we can attract new members. Consequently, we are seeking outside judges and have arranged for public readings of the winning plays."

KPW New Play Contest Rules, 2012

1. Each member may submit one new ten-minute play with two to four characters which has not been published or fully staged. The entry should be emailed or postmarked by February 15, 2012. Each submission should include:
a. A cover page attached with a paper clip to the script which includes title of play, playwright name and contact information. Electronic submissions include this as a separate attachment.
b. One page with character descriptions
c. Maximum of ten pages of dialogue in standard play submission format (12 pt. Courier) the title of the play included on each page.
d. The title of the play included on each page of dialogue
e. Page numbers on each page of dialogue with the exception of the first page.
f. Only include name and contact information on cover page
2. Electronic or postal submissions will be accepted
a. Please submit electronic submissions in PDF or Microsoft Word to: ky.playwright@yahoo.com
b. Please submit postal submissions to: KPW, PO Box 5522, Lexington, KY 4055
3. Scripts will not be returned
4. Submissions that do not follow these rules will not be considered.
5. Decisions of the judges are final.

Louisville Review Seeks 10-Minute Plays

2011-10-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

The Louisville Review, a literary magazine published by faculty of Spalding University, is currently accepting playwriting submissions for a special Kentucky Writers edition. Please send your ten-minute plays or short one-acts to Amy Attaway, guest editor, at amyattaway@gmail.com. You may also submit online at http://www2.spalding.edu/louisvillereview/submissions/.

Writers must currently reside in Kentucky, or be from Kentucky, but the plays needn’t be about Kentucky. Plays must be previously unpublished, but it’s fine if they have been produced.

The submission deadline is November 1. Payment is in copies of the publication. The Kentucky-only edition will be published in winter 2012.

Kentucky Theatre Association Semi-Finalists Announced

2011-09-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

The Kentucky Theatre Association has announced the semi-finalists in its annual play contest:

And I Love You Richard by Osunnike Robin Scott
SUMBAHDEE by Donna Phillips
Taking Stock by Trish Ayers
View From the Pews by Clara Harris
The Mantau Maker by Elizabeth Orendorf
Feral Cats by Heidi Saunders
Crossing the Line by Toni Wiley
The Pictures by Gary Eldridge
Jonah the Reluctant Prophet by Richard Neumayer
Soldier's Christmas by Philip Paradis

Donna Phillips, Heidi Saunders and Trish Ayers are all members of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop.

Agenda for Annual Meeting, September 11

2011-09-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

As of now the AGENDA for Kentucky Playwrights Workshop annual meeting of members to be held on Sunday September 11th, from 2-5 pm at Common Grounds in Lexington, KY is as follows:

I. Call to Order

II. Reading of Minutes of the Prior Meeting

III Treasurer's Report

IV. Determination of eligibility to vote

V. Election of Board members
Nominees to serve on the Board for the coming year are:
Trish Ayers
James Brown
Bill McCann
Heidi Saunders

VI. Schedule of Meetings

VII. Meeting Dates

VIII. Dues for 2011-2012

IX Report of the President

X Other Business

XI Adjournment

Crimes of the Heart to Open Georgetown Season

2011-08-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

Beth Henley's CRIMES OF THE HEART, will open the 2011- 2012 season at Georgetown College Theatre. The play will run October 21-23, 27-29. Performances are at 8pm in the Ruth Pearce Wilson Lab Theatre on the campus of Georgetown College, Georgetown, Kentucky. Tickets are $3 for Students $3 and $5 for Adults For more information call 502 863-8162.

Berea Theatre to have World Premiere this Season

2011-08-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

Berea College Theatre has announced its schedule for the 2011- 2012 season including the world premiere of a new play by Silas House:

Turandot, by Carlo Gozzi, October 28,29, November 2-5 2011

This is My Heart For You, by Silas House, February 22-16, 2012 (World Premiere production)

Cabaret, by Joe Masteroff, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, April 13, 14, 18-21, 2012

All productions will be on the campus of Berea College, Berea, Kentucky.

Ten-Tucky Festival Opens August 17th

2011-08-11T13:51:00.001-07:00

The Bards Town's Ten-Tucky Festival of Ten-Minute plays is a showcase and celebration of Kentucky artistry. The festival features eight (8) plays by eight (8) Kentucky playwrights. The plays feature Kentucky directors and actors...all in the only Kentucky theatre dedicated to the production of new work.

Festival show dates are August 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26 and 27; all shows begin at 7:30 PM.

The Bards Town is loctated at 1801 Bardstown Road in the heart of Louisville, KY's Highlands neighborhood.

In Brian Walker's Neighborly Do's and Don'ts, a woman is more than a little upset about the constant disappearance of her Girl Scout Cookies.

In Nancy Gall-Clayton's Encounter at the Ink Spot, a guy walks into a bar. He's a writer. She's a bartender. Let the pursuit begin.

Over, by Alex Lee Morse, brings together two childhood friends who have completely lost touch.

Disappearances, or The Groom's Shoes, by Nadeem Zaman, finds a wedding party with no groom. Only his shoes remain. Is this cold feet, or something more?

In Patrick Wensink's The Internet President, two bitter rivals debate as they strive to be elected president of the Internet. The fate of the Internet hangs in the balance.

Tom Kerrigan's The Intruder sees a young husband out looking for a lost pet, his wife making it painfully clear that he will not return until the pet is found. This young husband, though, finds a way to remain comfortable in this search.

In Andrew Epstein's Wedding for Godot, Didi and Gogo have found themselves as invited guests to Godot's wedding...if he ever shows up.

And rounding out the festival is Doug Schutte's Love Religiously, where Adam and Eve seek marriage counseling, much to Adam's dismay.

Announcements!

2011-08-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

Saw CIVILIAN last night at the University of Kentucky's Guignol Theatre. Final dress was awesome! If you care going to be in New York for the NYC Fringe Festival then you absolutely have to go see CIVILIAN, it will absolutely blow you away.

The next meeting of KPW will be this Sunday, August 14th at Common Grounds in Lexington. The meeting will be from 2-4. Afterwards we'll go get some dinner.

The Kentucky Theatre Association's play contest closes August 31, 2011. Don't let the deadline slip up on you, Submit today.

CAGE to be given staged reading in NYC

2011-08-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

Brian Walker's full length play Cage (or the other side of tomorrow)
was selected for a staged reading as part of Truffle Theatre Company's
1st Annual Truffle Hunt August 30th-September 4th, 61 Local, 61 Bergen

CAGE is a full-length paly, set in a Midwest city which does things exactly like
every other city in the United States does in the future and is
controlled by an organization called the Continental Operative Warrant
who have been responsible for lobbying the government and changing the
laws and running the new farms. All cows and pigs and chickens have
become extinct and the human race has turned to cannibalism in order
to satiate their need for meat. Laws have been enacted and prisons
transformed into new farms and anyone who breaks the law becomes food.

Wlaker is a member of the Dramatist Guild and the Kentucky Playwright Workshop. He lives and works in Louisville, KY.

Roots of the Bluegrass Contest opens August 7th

2011-08-04T16:21:00.001-07:00

Kentucky Theatre Association opens its 3rd annual ROOTS OF THE BLUEGRASS playwright’s contest on August 7th. The contest is free to former and current Kentucky residents. All genres, including musicals (script and lyrics only), will be considered. Finalists will have their plays presented as staged readings during the KTA convention in November. The winner will receive a $250 prize. Last year’s winner was C.T. Hettinger of Louisville. Further information and guidelines can be found at our website: http://theatreky.org or by e-mail at: bill.forsyth@att.net .

Congratulations to Shan Ayres

2011-08-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

Shan Ayres, a founding member of KPW and its first Board Secretary, has been appointed Director of Theatre and Program Coordinator for the Berea College Theatre. So, in addition to teaching and designing he will also be Berea's production manager and department chair. Consequently, while Shan intends to remain a member of KPW he has said that he would not be able to serve another term as Secretary. Best wishes and Congratulations Shan!

Len Cuthbert to have plays published

2011-07-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

Len Cuthbert, the Canadian playwright who wrote Enigmatic Lucidity that was staged in Midway, KY as part of KPW's Midway Festival of New Plays in 2009, was staged along with two other “Bob & Angelina” plays-- at the London Fringe Festival in June 2011. The collection of three ten-minute plays has since been accepted for publishing and marketing by Big Dog Publishing in Florida. ,

Congratulations to Lawrence DuKore!

2011-07-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

Lawrence DuKore's 20 minute one-act play, Stained Glass, ran in repertory at the off-Broadway Metropolitan Playhouse during June 2011. STAINED GLASS is the story of a disabled African American combat veteran and his lady friend, a white artist who works in stained glass. They live on the Lower East Side and have divergent attitudes about dealing with a destructive black teenager who continuously throws rocks at the artist’s stained glass windows. The problem solver turns out to be an unlikely third party with a practical, realistic solution to the problem: inclusion rather than exclusion.

Mr. DuKore's play The Day that Brando Died was produced by Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. as part of it's 2009 Midway Festival of New Plays.

AUGUST Meeting of KPW; Civilian TIX on Sale

2011-07-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

The August meeting of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. will be held Sunday August 14, 2011 at Common Grounds Coffee House, Lexington, from 2-5 pm. Anyone interested in the development of new work for the stage is invited to attend.

Tickets for CIVILIAN, which will be presented as part of the New York International Fringe Festival 2011-- at The Bleecker Theatre 45 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012-- went on sale July 22, 2011. Get your tickets today! Don't miss this opportunity to see University of Kentucky students perform OFF BROADWAY!

Performances are: SUN, August 14 @ 7:30p; WED, August 17 @ 5:15p; SAT, August 20 @ 2:00p; TUE, August 23 @ 9:00p; SUN, August 28 @ 4:00p

Civilian to be in NY Fringe Festival

2011-07-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

Civilian A compelling documentary drama, Civilian, based on the riveting oral history interviews of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will premiere at the 15th New York International Fringe Festival. The play, by the noted playwright Herman Daniel Farrell III, tells the story of the tough transition from soldier to civilian.Farrell, co-writer of the Peabody Award winning HBO Film "Boycott" that featured Jeffrey Wright as Martin Luther King Jr. returns to the Fringe for the third time with this docudrama. Farrell’s play about George W. Bush, "ROME," premiered at the 2004 FringeNYC and his play "Portrait of a President" concerning Bill Clinton’s legacy won an Excellence in Playwriting Award at the 2002 FringeNYC.

In January of 2010 at the University of Kentucky, Doug Boyd, director of the Nunn Center for Oral History, working with veteran and alumnus Tyler Gayheart and Tony Dotson, director of the Veterans Resource Center, launched the oral history project "From Combat to Kentucky" in order to chronicle the stories of student veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Subsequently, Farrell, an assistant professor of theatre at the University of Kentucky, and students in his "Staging History" Theatre Department course, devised a verbatim theatre piece drawn from the oral history transcripts. The play Bringing It Home: Voices of Student Veterans premiered in April 2010 in the Armory on the University of Kentucky campus and was subsequently produced in November 2010 at Eastern Kentucky University and again at the UK Armory as part of the Veterans Day commemorations.

The play Civilian, by Farrell, incorporates additional interviews by student veterans and dares to address a current brewing problem in America. "Recently, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates expressed his concern that there is a growing divide between those who have served in the armed forces and the civilian populace,” notes Farrell. “This play closely examines the current fraught relationship between civilians and veterans while also conveying the heart-wrenching stories of men and women who served in the military in Iraq and Afghanistan, returned home and have struggled to make the transition back to civilian life.”

The cast, crew and writer/dramaturgs of Bringing it Home: Voices of Student Veterans included: Kendrel Dickerson, Joe Fields-Elswick, Michael Fischer, Tanner Gray, Callie Hanks, Andrew Hill, Kara Strait, Maggie Howell, Alex Koehl, Natalie Nicole, Max Baron Reid, Brian Sprague, Kevin Sullivan, Emmanuel Thurman and Lindsay Warnick. Fischer, one of the eight actors featured in the production, is not only a theatre major but is a veteran of the war in Iraq.

The veterans depicted in the production are UK students Ian Abney, Jonathan Herst, Stephanie Murphy, Andrew Napier and Nathan Noble.
The FringeNYC production of civilian is being produced by the UK Department of Theatre Chair, Nancy Jones, in association with the Veterans Resource Center Director, Anthony Dotson, the Nunn Center for Oral History Director, Doug Boyd, and the College of Fine Arts Dean, Michael Tick.

Tickets go on sale July 22, 2011:

New York International Fringe Festival 2011
The Bleecker Theatre
45 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012

At Lafayette Street. One block north of Houston Street and one block east of Broadway.

SUN, August 14 @ 7:30p; WED, August 17 @ 5:15p; SAT, August 20 @ 2:00p; TUE, August 23 @ 9:00p; SUN, August 28 @ 4:00p

KTA's 3rd Annual Roots of the Bluegrass Playwriting Contest

2011-06-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

The Kentucky Theatre Association's (KTA’s) 2011 ROOTS OF THE BLUEGRASS playwright’s competition starts July 1. In addition to KTA's annual contest which is open to all Kentucky playwrights, the expanded version includes a new 10 minute play category for Kentucky high school and college students 22 years of age and under. The contest is free to all Kentuckians, including out-of-state residents, who resided in Commonwealth for a minimum of three years.

For the general competition, single or multi-act full length scripts are preferred. All genres will be considered (libretto, book or text only for musicals). Scripts should not exceed 120 pages. Plays that have had a fully staged production will not be considered.

The student category is limited to ten minute plays only, but students with full length scripts may compete in the general contest open to all age groups.

A cover or contact sheet with title, name and address must be included. The script itself should not include the name of the playwright, but it is helpful if the title is listed on each page.

Electronic submissions are encouraged in either a PDF or MS Word format. US mail delivered scripts must have a SASE if you wish it returned.

Semi-finalists will be announced in October. The three finalists in the general admission contest will receive staged readings and awards at the KTA convention in November. The winner will receive $150, 1st Runner-up $75 and 2nd Runner-up $50. Student finalists will receive plaques at the student awards ceremony that concludes the competition. The student winner will receive $100, 1st Runner-up $50 and 2nd Runner-up $25.

Electronic scripts and inquiries should be sent to bill.forsyth@att.net. Mail submissions should be sent to: Bill Forsyth, PO Box 24081, Lexington, Ky. 40524.

Final submissions date – August 31, 2011. Rules and guidelines can be found at: www.theatreky.com.

No July Meeting

2011-06-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

There is no July meeting of Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. Have a good summer; see you in August.

EstroGenius-In-Progress to Feature Play by Trish Ayers

2011-06-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

Trish Ayers' short play, "Painting the Egress," (written as part of a KFW (Kentucky Foundation for Women ) grant) has been selected to be read as part of EstroGenius-In-Progress in NYC on July 9th. If it is voted an audience favorite, the play will have a full performance in the fifth week of the EstroGenius Festival.

The Estrogenius Festival is an annual celebration of female voices, and is one of New York City’s largest women’s arts festivals. Estrogenius takes open submissions from around the world and is committed to providing opportunities to female artists in a variety of disciplines. For more information about the festival see http://www.estrogenius.org.

Trish Ayers is a member of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop.

Next Meeting of KPW

2011-06-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

The next meeting of Kentucky Playwrights Workshop will be Sunday June 12th at the Highlands Kroger on Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY. The meeting will be from 2-5 pm in the public meeting room, 2nd floor, of the Kroger store. Please join us. All meetings are open to the public and anyone in attendance, member or not, may have a 10-minute or shorter work and critiqued. Meetings are open to anyone interested in the development of new works for the stage.

Membership in KPW is open to any Kentuckian, or any student of a Kentucky college or university. Dues are $10 per year for the program year September 1 - August 31. Join now-- just $10-- and get additional months of membership; join now and your membership will expire August 31, 2012!

For more information about KPW email us at ky.playwright@yahoo.com

If you would like to join send your check (or money order) to:
KPW
PO Box 55222
Lexington, KY 40555

Fusion Theatre's Interview with Brian Walker

2011-06-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

The following interview was posted by Fusion Theatre on it's web site. It has been posted here because Brian Walker is a member of Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc.

How did you hear about “The Seven”?

I heard about The Seven through my Dramatist Guild Resource Directory and it was also listed on The Playwrights' Center's website.

What was the impetus/basis/inspiration for writing the piece?

The inspiration for the piece is pretty straightforward: it came when I realized that I had not received my girl scout cookies from the little girl I had ordered them from three houses down and started seeing them being sold at the entrances of local grocery stores. I was convinced that someone in my neighborhood must have stolen mine as I told her she could just leave them in my door if I wasn't home. Days past but instead of going door to door to interrogate my neighbors, I wrote the play and my cookies arrived the next week; the little girl had the flu and was late getting them out, which, by that time, was fine by me because I had gotten a play out of it.

Is this play representational of your writing style? Is it similar to or different from your other plays?

This play is very representational of my writing style. I like writing plays where the audience doesn't know exactly where they should be laughing; or if what they're watching is even supposed to be funny, or maybe half the audience thinks it's funny and the other half of the audience is mortified. I like writing characters that are flawed in some way?and that really need something (whatever it?is...cookies even...) in order to get out of bed in the morning to face the world.

What is the role of the short work in your playwriting career?

The short play has been so instrumental to my writing career as it has given me the opportunity to really hone my craft while getting my work out there into the world. I love that short play festivals are so popular because for me there are so many moments, so many instances or people or situations that I think, 'that would make a good play' but there would never be enough time to write them all down into full length scripts. So I'm always writing short plays and I'm always sending them out. The ten minute play allows me the opportunity to get those impulses out there; even when simultaneously working on a larger project I may be blocked with or just need a break from.

What is your favorite play? Who is your favorite playwright?

My favorite play is A Bright Room Called Day by Tony Kushner because it makes me weep every time I read it and my favorite playwright would have to be Christopher Durang who just inspires me and his plays makes me laugh and think and want to have fun with my own truths.

What is your next playwriting venture?

In the last week I have just completed a full length play, CAGE (or the other side of tomorrow) which is about a society which eats its criminals instead of incarcerating them. Plus it's a love story. And there are dancing cows. I'm hoping to begin submitting it this summer.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Thank you so much to FUSION Theatre Company for producing my play and sharing my voice with this community; it is such an honor to be included with the other six playwrights and have my work brought to life by this group of artists.

Wordsmyth Theater is Accepting Scripts for 2012 Reading Series

2011-06-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

Wordsmyth Theater is now accepting One Act or Two Act plays for a New Play Reading Series for 2012. Six plays will be selected, with one slot reserved for a Houston, TX playwright and another slot reserved for a Spanish/English bilingual play. Each selected playwright will be paired with a director and cast. The play will then be read in front of an audience and the audience will be invited to stay after for a moderated discussion of the play.

Submissions must meet the following criteria:

1. Play must not have been produced.
2. Play must not have had a public reading in the Houston area.
3. Submission must be received on or before July 31, 2011.
4. Submission must be a minimum of 40 pages long and have a minimum run time of 40 minutes.
5. Submission must be in .doc, .pdf or .rtf format.
6. There should be no playwright identifiers anywhere on the script.
7. Only one play per playwright per submission period.
8. No musicals, children's plays, or one-person plays.

Please go to our website at www.wordsmyththeater.org, and then click on the play submissions tab.

Thank you!

Wordsmyth Theater Company is a Houston-based playwright’s theater dedicated to the development of new theatrical works from formative stages through full production. Through workshops and readings of plays with directors, dramaturgy and performers at various stages, as well as through lectures, seminars, classes and web resources, Wordsmyth aims to provide playwrights with a wide range of assistance in realizing their artistic vision.

Fusion Theatre's Bio of Brian Walker

2011-06-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

Our own Brian Walker is one of seven playwrights to win Fusion Theatre's The Seven 10-minute Play Contest for his play Neighborly Do's and Don'ts. Below is the biography currently running on the New Mexico' theatre's web site. Congratulation's Brian!

Brian Walker (Neighborly Do's and Don'ts) is the artistic director of Louisville, Kentucky based Finnigan Productions. He has written and produced several full length plays in the Louisville area, including: Smoke this Play, Great American Sex Play, dirty sexy derby play and ZOMBIE!. He is the creator and co-producer of Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun, an annual 10-minute play festival celebrating independent theatre artists in the Louisville area. His short play, Paradiso Airlines, was part of 2009’s Actors Theatre of Louisville Apprentice Program’s 24-Hour 10-Minute Play Festival. His short play, Purple Cool-Aide Cult from Purpletown, was an official Play-Lab selection at 2009’s Great Plains Theatre Conference in Omaha, NE. His full length play, The Kings, was part of the Juneteenth Legacy Theatre’s 2009 Juneteenth Jamboree at Actors Theatre of Louisville and part of the 18th Annual R. Joyce Whitley ARENAfest Festival of new plays in Cleveland, OH in May 2010. His short play, Jupiter’s Moons won the jury prize and the audience favorite award in March 2010 at Bellarmine University’s Anything Galileo 10-Minute Play Festival. His short play Linda & Kirk & the Mouse Incident was selected for Theatre Southwest’s 5th Annual Reader’s Theatre Festival in Houston, TX in March 2010, Appetite Theatre’s Bruschetta Festival of short plays in Chicago, IL, Actors Theatre of Louisville’s The Late Seating; both in October 2010, The Kentucky Playwrights Workshop New Play Festival in Lexington, KY in November 2010 and Louisiana State University’s Out-fest 2011 in Baton Rouge, LA in March 2011. His short play Latch/Gem was a semi-finalist in KNOCK magazine’s 2010 International Play Contest. His short play I had to meet you like this (here) (one more time) was selected for Stage-Q’s Queer Shorts 6 in Madison, WI and The Ringwald Theatre’s Gay Play Series both in June 2011. Brian was awarded the Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship Emerging Artist Award for playwrights by the Kentucky Arts Council in July 2010. He is a member of The Dramatists Guild, The Playwrights’ Center, The Kentucky Theatre Association, The Kentucky Playwrights Workshop and the Theatre Alliance of Louisville

Ten-Tucky 10-Minute Play Festival

2011-06-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

The Bard's Town Theatre is seeking submissions for both it's Ten-Tucky Ten-Minute Play Festival and it's 2012 Mainstage season. While it embraces comedies and dramatic pieces, they look in either case for plays that focus on engaging characters, honesty, and a love of words. Their space is intimate, and thus necessitates plays with which the audience will "connect."

• Plays should not have received more than 1 professional production in the Louisville, KY area.
• Playwrights may submit up to 3 scripts.
• Submission period ends June 15 annually.
• Plays should be properly formatted, and should be no more than 10 minutes long. (If the play has had at least a reading, the playwright should know).
• All genres accepted; however, plays with advanced technical requirements and/or intricate musical needs will have a lesser chance of being selected.

• Questions should be directed to Doug Schutte, doug@thebardstown.com.

Ooops! (Wrong Date)

2011-05-30T17:08:00.001-07:00

Ooops! I didn't notice until today but I posted the wrong day for our next meeting. The next meeting of Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. will be held on Sunday June 12th in Louisville, KY, from 2-5 pm at the Highlands Kroger on Bardstown Road. Hope to see you there!

Update About KPW

2011-05-29T04:25:00.000-07:00

Despite-- or perhaps because of-- a lack of posting on this blog Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. is busy. The meeting last week in Berea, at the Tourism Commission office, involved reading and discussing two short plays and a short scene from a third. Additionally, we gained yet another member which brings us, I believe, to 17 members.

Upcoming meetings will be in Louisville on June 10th and in Lexington August 14th and September 11th. The Louisville meetings will be held at the Highland Krogers on Bardstown Road. The Lexington meetings will be held at Common Grounds Coffee House. All meetings begin at 2:00 pm and are open to the public.

The September meeting will be the organization's Annual Membership meeting when members of the Board of Directors are selected and we will discuss a meeting locations and schedule for the coming programmatic year (September 1 through August 31).

Beginning next fall KPW hopes to begin sponsoring or co-sponsoring classes in playwriting. First up will likely be a course on writing either the solo performance piece or the one minute play. As more information becomes available it will be posted here on the blog and/or discussed at meetings. Suggestions of other playwriting topics may be sent to ky.playwright@yahoo.com

What Happens When Macbeth Comes to Josephine? Auditions for Site-Specific Production this June

2011-04-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

April 11, 2011. For Immediate Release -- Josephine Sculpture Park, Melanie Van Houten Executive Director, and independent theatre director Kathi E.B. Ellis announce auditions for their collaborative production of Macbeth centered around “The Crucible” sculpture in the Park located in Frankfort.
Auditions will be held on Saturday, April 23 (Shakespeare’s birthday!):
 1:00p.m. at the Kentucky History Center, downtown Frankfort
 4:00p.m. at the Alley Theater, 1205 Washington Street (The Pointe), Louisville.

This production seeks women to perform all the roles. Actors should prepare a Shakespearean monologue; there will also be cold readings from the text of Macbeth. Headshot and resume preferred. To schedule an audition slot contact jspmacbeth@gmail.com.

The production opens at Josephine Sculpture Park, 3355 Old Harrodsburg Road, Frankfort on Friday, June 3 and runs six performances, closing on Sunday, June 12. Company members will receive a stipend.

Information about JSP is at www.josephinesculpturepark.org and about Kathi E.B. Ellis is at http://web.me.com/harryjb/ShoeStringProductions/. The production is funded in part by the Kentucky Foundation for Women, Kentucky Employees Credit Union, and individual contributions.

Theatre Alliance of Louisville to Hold 2011 Unified Auditions

2011-04-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

Louisville, KY, April 18, 2011 – The Theatre Alliance of Louisville will hold its fifth annual unified auditions on May 14th, 2011 at the Hartford Building of the Jefferson Community College Campus on the southeast corner of First and Gray streets.

The unified auditions offer local actors a unique opportunity to audition for 16 theatres and organizations casting for multiple shows on the same day.

This years participating companies include (in alphabetical order, to date) Actors Theatre of Louisville Apprentice/Intern Company, The Alley Theater, The Alley Theater for Young Audiences, The Bard’s Town, Bunbury Theatre, Center Stage, Kathi E. B. Ellis, Emerging Artists Group, Julie Hamberg, Little Colonel Playhouse, Looking for Lilith Theatre Company, Louisville Repertory Company, Pandora Productions, Savage Rose Classical Theatre Company,Theatre 502, and Whodunnit Mystery Theatre.

The day’s schedule will run as follows:

8:15AM: Actor Registration opens in the main lobby of The Hartford Building
9:00AM: Monologue and Song (optional) Session begins
(Actors are presented to a room of representatives from each theater. Actor must perform either two 60 second contrasting monologues or one 60 second monologue and 16 measures of a song; accompanist will be provided) *
10:00AM: Actor Registration ends
1:00PM: Monologue and Song Session ends
1:30PM -2:00 Movement Session (movement for non-dancers)
2:15PM- 2:45:Dance Session begins
(For actors who dance with representatives of theatres which produce musicals)
3:00PM: Individual Company Meetings/Call back Session begins
(Some companies will post a call back sheet after the Monologue session requesting an additional meeting/audition with specific actors)
5:00PM: Individual Company Meetings/Call back Session ends

*Actors will be given a number and presented to room of representatives in groups of 10.

All actors are encouraged but not required to participate in each Session (Monologue and Song; Movement; Dance) of the day. Actors participating in any session throughout the day must register from 8:15-10:00AM and registration is on a first come first served basis.

All actors should bring 16 copies of their photograph (8X10 preferred) and resume.

Parking - big flat lot at Broadway and Second (student lot not faculty lot). Park on 1st Street side, and Hartford Building is directly opposite.

For more information, please email questions to theatreallianceoflouisville@gmail.com

The Theatre Alliance of Louisville’s mission is to unite and strengthen the local theatre community. TAL is a member of the Arts and Cultural Attractions Council of Louisville and Arts Kentucky.

NORTH opens tonight

2011-04-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

NORTH opens tonight at the Downtown Arts Center, Lexington, KY. Tickets are available at the box office. The show, featuring Christina Ritter as Anne Morrow Lindberg, begins at 7:30. Pictured is Christina Ritter in the Chicago production of NORTH.

Bards Town's Theatre to Open May 11, 2011

2011-04-05T06:02:00.000-07:00

Final preparations are underway, and the The Bard's Town new theatre will open on May 11, 2011, with it's inaugural show: Doug Schutte's new comedy CHASING OPHELIA, directed by Scot Atkinson. The Bards Town is located at 1801 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY 40205...on the corner of Bardstown Rd. and Speed Ave. in the Louisville Highlands.

CHASING OPHELIA charts the course of a ne-formed character named Ned, who finds love, loses love, and chases after love--wreaking havoc as he does.

The show features Ryan Watson, Beth Tantanella, Nadeem Ziman, Jason Cooper, ...Tad Timberlake, and Doug Schutte

Advance ticket sales will be available on our website (thebardstown.com) in mid-April. Tickets are $12-14 in advance, and $13-15 day of show. Seating for the show will be limited, so purchase early for your desired date.

Tickets can also be reserved by calling 749-5275.

ADDED BONUS: Each ticket purchased for the show will include a 10% off coupon to dine at The Bard's Town either before or after the show. A wonderful selection of "beverages" will be available DURING the performance.

SHOW DATES

Wed, May 11. 7:30 PM
Fri, May 13. 7:30 PM
Sat, May 14. 7:30 PM
Sun, May 15. 7:30 PM
Wed, May 18. 7:30 PM
Thu, May 19. 7:30 PM
Fri, May 20. 7:30 PM
Sat, May 21. 7:30 PM

Questions? Email Doug Schutte at doug@thebardstown.com

NORTH is now playing the South!

2011-04-04T05:28:00.000-07:00

NORTH, a new play by the for/ward company opens at the Downtown Arts Center in Lexington, Kentucky on Thursday April 7th for five performances. The play is about a charged meeting between writer Anne Morrow Lindbergh and French pilot and author Antoine de Saint Exupery.

Called "wistful, poetic, and wise" by the Chicago Tribune and given four stars by Chicago Time Out, NORTH is constructed entirely from the writings of Anne and Charles Lindbergh and Saint Exupery.\

NORTH runs April 7, 8, & 9 at 7:30pm and April 9 & 10 at 2:00pm.

For more information and for tickets visit www.for-word-company.net

Festival of Funky Fresh Fun Opens April 14th

2011-04-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

Finnigan Productions presents its fourth annual festival of new plays by local playwrights, Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun, running April 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, & 23 at 7:30pm at The Rudyard Kipling, located at 422 W. Oak Street. Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun is the second production in Finnigan’s seventh season in Louisville.

Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun is a celebration of local theatre artists in the disciplines of playwriting, acting and directing, with scripts from ten local writers, directed by ten local directors and performed by sixteen local actors. The plays were selected by a committee of theatre artists who regularly contribute to Finnigan shows.

Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun’s plays include a man who swears he sees and hears a singing frog in Looney Tunes by Ben Unwin; a third wheel gets more than he’s bargained for in Roommates by Carlos Manuel; an appliance whisperer set on helping home appliances evolve in Home School by Carolyn Biggs; in the future sex is outlawed but people still want to learn about it in The Librarian by Nancy Gall-Clayton; if you think your job is hard try choir directing in The Da-da, da-da, da-da, da song by Mitch Fields; monkeys explore their humanity in Double Helix by Tad Chitwood; quality family time takes on new meaning in Home Movies by Kevin Gibson; Brittany the transvestite chicken is back in the third installment of the zany adventures of a slightly touched family from London, KY in The Wettest Beak by Sherry R. Deatrick; gypsies, collectors and assholes vie for the object of their affections in Slut for Kush-Balls by Brian Walker; and speed dating hits new…speeds…in Water, water, everywhere… by Bryce Woodard.

Directing credits for Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun are being shared by several local directors, including, Necessary Theatre’s artistic director Tad Chitwood; Pandora Productions’ artistic director Michael Drury; Louisville Repertory Company’s Amy Lewis; StageLab’s founding co-principal and a member of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc., Kathi E. B. Ellis; first time director Amelia Pantalos; returning festival director (and winner of last year’s audience favorite play) Becky LeCron; returning director and regular contributing artist George R. Bailey; local actor Jeremy Sapp; local playwright Ben Unwin; and Finnigan’s Brian Walker

Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun is being produced by Louisville native and artistic director of Finnigan Productions, Brian Walker and longtime collaborator Kelly Kapp. Walker’s previous writing/producing credits include The Time I was Kidnapped by the Church, Smoke This Play, Great American Sex Play, my daddy’s name is Big Oil, Shot Me Down, dirty sexy derby play and ZOMBIE!. Walker is a member of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. Kapp has been a member of Finnigan’s acting company since its first season and serves as drama director at Mercy Academy.

Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun’s cast includes local talents George R. Bailey, Sarah East, Laura Ellis, Natalie Fields, Joe Hatfield, Kelly Kapp, Shaun Kenney, Becky LeCron, Corey Long, Taylor Milks, Kimberly Peterson, Leah Roberts, Michael Roberts, Neill Robertson, Jenn Starr Tennant, Eric Welch and Bryce Woodard.

Reservations for dinner and the show may be made by calling The Rudyard Kipling at 502.636.1311. Tickets are only $12.

Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun was written and conceived by adults for adults and due to adult language and situations, it is not recommended for anyone under the age of seventeen.

Finnigan Productions is a member of the Theatre Alliance of Louisville and the Kentucky Theatre Association.

April Meeting

2011-03-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

The April meeting of Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. will be held on Sunday April 10, 2011 at Common Grounds Coffee House, Lexington, KY. The meeting will run from 2-5 pm and consist of readings of members one act or full-length plays. As time allows 10-minute or shorter works by members or guests will be read and discussed. Additionally, Herman Farrell, Dramatists Guild regional representative will attend and speak briefly about the Guild. Members and non-members of KPA are welcome to attend the meeting. Membership in KPA is open to any Kentuckian who is interested in the development of new works for the stage.

We are Now IRS Approved!

2011-03-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

The Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. is now approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)3 nonprofit with all the obligations and opportunities that that entails.

For you, the lover of new works of theatre now reading this, that means that you can now donate some of your hard earned lucre to support our organization that gives opportunities to aspiring playwrights. If you would like to donate, contributions in any amount (now tax deductible! yeah.) may be sent to:

KPW Donation
PO Box 55222
Lexington, KY 40555.

Membership in KPW is open to any Kentuckian who wishes to join. Membership is $10 per year. If you would like to join KPW you may send your dues (which are not generally tax deductible) to:

KPW Dues
PO Box 55222
Lexington, KY 40555

NOTE: Individual circumstances may vary so please consult your tax professional about the tax implications of membership in or donations to the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc.

Finnigan Productions Presents its fourth Festival of Funky Fresh Fun

2011-03-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

Louisville, KY, March 14, 2011 – Finnigan Productions presents its fourth annual festival of new plays by local playwrights, Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun, running April 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, & 23 at 7:30pm at The Rudyard Kipling, located at 422 W. Oak Street. Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun is the second production in Finnigan’s seventh season in Louisville.

Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun is a celebration of local theatre artists in the disciplines of playwriting, acting and directing, with scripts from ten local writers, directed by ten local directors and performed by sixteen local actors. The plays were selected by a committee of theatre artists who regularly contribute to Finnigan shows.

Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun’s plays include a man who swears he sees and hears a singing frog in Looney Tunes by Ben Unwin; a third wheel gets more than he’s bargained for in Roommates by Carlos Manuel; an appliance whisperer set on helping home appliances evolve in Home School by Carolyn Biggs; in the future sex is outlawed but people still want to learn about it in The Librarian by Nancy Gall-Clayton; if you think your job is hard try choir directing in The Da-da, da-da, da-da, da song by Mitch Fields; monkeys explore their humanity in Double Helix by Tad Chitwood; quality family time takes on new meaning in Home Movies by Kevin Gibson; Brittany the transvestite chicken is back in the third installment of the zany adventures of a slightly touched family from London, KY in The Wettest Beak by Sherry R. Deatrick; gypsies, collectors and assholes vie for the object of their affections in Slut for Kush-Balls by Brian Walker; and speed dating hits new…speeds…in Water, water, everywhere… by Bryce Woodard.

Directing credits for Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun are being shared by several local directors, including, Necessary Theatre’s artistic director Tad Chitwood, Pandora Productions’ artistic director Michael Drury, Louisville Repertory Company’s Amy Lewis, StageLab’s founding co-principal Kathi E. B. Ellis, first time director Amelia Pantalos, returning festival director (and winner of last year’s audience favorite play) Becky LeCron, returning director and regular contributing artist George R. Bailey, local actor Jeremy Sapp, playwright Ben Unwin and Finnigan’s Brian Walker.

Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun is being produced by Louisville native and artistic director of Finnigan Productions, Brian Walker and longtime collaborator Kelly Kapp. Walker’s previous writing/producing credits include The Time I was Kidnapped by the Church, Smoke This Play, Great American Sex Play, my daddy’s name is Big Oil, Shot me Down, dirty sexy derby play and ZOMBIE!. Kapp has been a member of Finnigan’s acting company since its first season and serves as drama director at Mercy Academy.

Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun’s cast includes local talents George R. Bailey, Sarah East, Laura Ellis, Natalie Fields, Joe Hatfield, Kelly Kapp, Shaun Kenney, Becky LeCron, Corey Long, Taylor Milks, Kimberly Peterson, Leah Roberts, Michael Roberts, Neill Robertson, Jenn Starr Tennant, Eric Welch and Bryce Woodard.

Reservations for dinner and the show may be made by calling The Rudyard Kipling at 502.636.1311. Tickets are only $12.

Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun was written and conceived by adults for adults and due to adult language and situations, it is not recommended for anyone under the age of seventeen.

Finnigan Productions is a member of the Theatre Alliance of Louisville and the Kentucky Theatre Association.

Looking for Lilith, Looking for Help

2011-03-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

Above and below are pictures from the premiere of "Fabric, Fire and Fervor: Women of the Triangle" March 25, 2009 - the 98th anniversary of the fire.
Looking for Lilith, a Louisville-based professional theatre, will perform in NYC on the 100th anniversary of the fire. A benefit performance of the show, to help pay to take the show to New York, is being done Wednesday March 16, 2011 at Natasha's Cafe in Lexington. Tickets are still available.

A Reminder: Natasha's Next Wednesday-- Be There!

2011-03-09T05:40:00.000-08:00

The New York-bound "Fabric, Flames, and Fervor: Girls of the Triangle" is heading to Natasha's Cafe, courtesy of Balagula Theatre this month, Wednesday, March 16. This benefit performance will help Looking for Lilith raise funds to take their original production to the Manhattan Theatre Source, just two blocks away from the original Triangle Factory. Looking for Lilith will perform there the week of March 20, including on the 100th anniversary of the fire, Friday, March 25, 2011. Come to Natasha's and see a little glimpse of New York glamour on Lexington's Esplanade next week!

A review of Fabric, Flames and Fervor can be found at: http://theartslouisville.com/Reviews_2011/kw_fabricflames.php

Next Meeting to be in Louisville

2011-03-02T06:16:00.000-08:00

The next meeting of Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. will be Sunday March 13, 2011at the Highlands Kroger 2440 Bardstown Road, Louisville from 2-5 pm in the second floor community room. There is plenty of free parking. If you have trouble finding it directions can be obtained on line or by calling the store at 502-459-9805.

Wrigley Field Moves to Minneapolis!

2011-03-01T11:31:00.000-08:00

Bill McCann's 10-minute play THERE IS NO WRIGLEY FIELD will be given a staged reading at the Mid-America Theatre Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Friday March 5, 2011 as part of the conference's Playwriting Symposium. The play will be directed by Phylis Ravel, Marquette University with Martine Kei Green, University of Wisconsin-Madison, serving as dramaturg.

The play takes place in the minutes between the time "David" gets home-- and announces that he wants to leave and consider whether or not he wants to leave his 20 year marriage to "Rita"-- and when Rita pulls rolls for dinner out of the oven. David is to be played by Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson, University of Illinois-Springfield. Rita will be performed by Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson, University of Illinois-Springfield.

Bill McCann is a member of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. He is a co-founder with Greta Fields, of 517 Playwrights and a member of Dramatist's Guild. Currently, he is working on a MA in Theatre at the University of Kentucky and working at Bluegrass Community and Technical College, both in Lexington, KY.

Money Blues Come to Berea

2011-02-09T05:09:00.000-08:00

Money Blue$: A Collection of Ten Minute Plays by Carrider M. Jones, Toby Sturgeon Wilcher, Melissa Lamb-Rue and Trish Ayers run Thursday February 10 through Saturday February 12, 2011 at Berea Arena Theatre. The plays are directed by
Glenda Dent White.

Trish Ayers and Glenda Dent White are both members of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. and 517 Playwrights.

Admission is $5.00 and 1 Food Item for the Food Pantry. Tickets are available at the door, from cast members or, for more information,
Email Mail4trish@earthlink.net

Six New Plays to be Read on Sunday

2011-02-08T10:58:00.000-08:00

Six new plays will be given first readings at the next meeting of 517 Playwrights on Sunday February 13, 2011. The readings of new scripts, all by Kentucky playwrights-- will take place from 2-5 pm at Common Grounds Coffee House in Lexington. Among the plays are two short one acts by Heidi Saunders, a 30 minute one act by Bill McCann and three related 10-minute plays by George McGee. The meeting is open to both the members and the public. If you have an interest in the development of new works for the stage, please join us.

The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World Opens February 18th

2011-02-07T09:45:00.000-08:00

The 2010-11 Berea College Theatre season continues with The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World by Suzan Lori-Parks. Performances are 8pm February 18, 19 and 23-26 in the McGaw Theatre in the Jelkyl Drama Center. There will be a sign interpreted performance Friday, February 25th.

Considered to be Suzan Lori-Parks’ masterpiece says Director Adanma Barton The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World, is a piece that is rarely performed due of the nature of its absent discernable plot; “ [Death] is a non-linear play…I love that.” Says Barton. The play also delves into the African American stereotype; “The figures themselves, these African American stereotypes… how do you stay true to the script and make it … relatable?” While Death is a show that is engaging, it can be a hard show to produce; although Barton says she likes a challenge. “I have always wanted to tackle directing this play. I love the way Parks uses repetition and revision, and how she explores the rhythm of language.”
One of the biggest things you can hear in the show is its ties to African American music, which has greatly influenced Parks’ work, according to Barton. Berea College theatre alum Thomas Usher will be involved in bringing music to the production. “What we are doing is keeping with Susan Lori-Parks' evocation of jazz with her words through hinting at various American genres like jazz and blues, all at the same time blending Afro-influenced percussion styles from several areas like Haiti, Ghana, Senegal and a few others,” says Usher.

Parks was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky, and began creative writing at a very young age, though she began exploring writing for the stage during her time at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. Parks wrote The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World in 1992 and it premiered at the Brooklyn Arts and Culture Association. She has written nineteen full length plays including In the Blood, Topdog/Underdog, and the screen play Their Eyes Were Watching God. She has won several awards including the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play Topdog/Underdog, and the 2008 NAACP Theatre Award for Ray Charles Live! as well as receiving the MacArthur Fellows Genius Grant.

Berea College has produced Parks’ Topdog/Underdog as well as participating in the year-long premiere of 365 Days/365 Plays.

Tickets for The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World are on sale now. Performances are 8pm February 18, 19 and 23-26. Convocation performances are February 23 and 25.

Call the Berea College Theatre box office at (859) 985-3300 Monday through Friday, from 1-5pm and one hour prior to all performances. Tickets range in price from $5 to $10.

Balagula Theatre to Host New Play

2011-02-03T07:55:00.000-08:00

The Balagula Theatre, Lexington, KY, will help honor the lives of 146 workers killed in an industrial fire with the presentation of Fabric, Flames and Fervor: Girls of the Triangle and to support the Looking for Lilith Theatre Compamy's effort to bring a work by Kentucky artists to the national attention.

Fabric, Flames, and Fervor: Girls of the Triangle was created by Lauren Argo, Kathi E.B. Ellis, Trina Fischer, Kelby McIntyre, Kelly McNerney, Laura Morton, Jill Schierbaum, Jennifer Thalman Kepler and Shannon Woolley. The play stars Lauren Argo, Trina Fischer, Carolyn Purcell(NY)/Jennifer Thalman Kepler(KY), Dawn Elizabeth Schulz, Karole Spangler, and Shannon Woolley.

The play has been evolving since 2006 when director Kathi E.B. Ellis first brought the idea of this project to Trina Fischer and Shannon Woolley of “Looking For Lilith”, who themselves had been interested for years in the topic and hoped to one day create such a play. Finding this synchronicity of interests, they began working together on other projects until the time was right to begin "The Triangle Project." Most of 2008 was spent creating this new play and it premiered on the 98th anniversary of the fire, March 25, 2009.

Kathi E.B. Ellis directs; Casey Clark did the lighting design; Lindsay Chamberlin designed the costumes; Jill Marie Schierbaum did the set design; Nathan Roberts did sound design; and Robert Quinlan served as dialect coach.

In 2006 This production was made possible in part through grants from the Kentucky Foundation for Women, sponsorship by the KY AFL-CIO, and generous contributions from many individuals in the Kentuckiana area. Efforts to take the show to New York City for a brief run are being underwitten in part by proceeds from benefit performances being put on in both Lexington and Shelbyville, KY.

The benefit performance at Natasha’s Bistro and Bar, 112 Esplanade, Lexington will be held on Wednesday March 16, 2011. Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for students. Dining seating is available from 5:30- 7:30 pm. Theatre seating begins at 8:15 with the curtain rising at 8:30. For reservations call 859-259-2754 or visit beetnik.com.

Three by George to be Read February 13

2011-02-02T05:05:00.000-08:00

THREE BY GEORGE! a group of three related 10-minute plays written by George McGee will be informally read at the next meeting of 517 Playwrights on February 13, 2011 at Common Grounds Coffee House in Lexington from 2-5 pm. The meeting is open to the public.

The three plays are all set in the a large upscale hotel restaurant in a large city. Each play is summarized below:

AT IT AGAIN! - Margaret returns from the restroom to find Nelson sitting alone at the table. Nelson tells Margaret that her husband and his wife are dancing…somewhere. Margaret sits down in shock and tells Nelson that her husband is, “At it again”.

SHALL WE DANCE ? - Dan and his fiancé, Gillian are having dinner with Dan’s recently widowed father, Mike. Dan is called away leaving Gillian and Mike to…”Make nice”…it’s not going very well.

JUST DESSERTS - Two college students, (Patrick and Leslie) have been ordered by their respective Greek organizations to meet in a ‘fancy’ restaurant for a blind date…the only problem is each has to dress as the opposite sex…and they aren’t fooling anybody.

Mr. McGee is an actor and playwright who directs the theatre department at Georgetown College, Georgetown, KY. He is probably best known for his portrayal of Kentucky statesman Henry Clay for the Kentucky Humanities Council's Kentucky Chatauqua program.

Balagula Will Host a Louisville Theatre On Its Way to New York

2011-02-01T06:09:00.000-08:00

The Balagula Theatre, Lexington Kentucky, will host a Benefit Performance of Fabric, Flames, and Fervor: Girls of the Triangle, an original play created and produced by “Looking For Lilith”, a Louisville based ensemble theatre.

The play was inspired by the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911 in New York City, and explores the lives of women and girls who were tragically killed in that garment factory fire, the ensuing trial against the owners, its effect on the labor rights movement and a drastic change of the US labor laws that it inspired.

The March 16 Benefit Performance in Lexington, as well as a number of performances in Shelbyville (Feb 24-26, Mar 3-5), aims to commemorate the 100th anniversary of this important event in the American History as well as to raise funds for this Kentucky theatre to present their powerful original work at the Manhattan Theatre Source (March 24-27) as a part of the national centennial remembrance event in New York.

February Meeting

2011-01-26T05:38:00.000-08:00

The February meeting will be held at Common Grounds Coffee House on Sunday February 13, 2011 from 2-5 pm. Members with one-act or full-length plays that they would like to have read should let Bill McCann know in advance of their interest in having a play read. Members or visitors with 10-minute or shorter works may simply bring those to the meeting and they will be read and commented on as time allows.

The public reading of plays tenatively scheduled for February 2 and 3 at the Lexington Public Library Theatre has been cancelled. Our apologies for any inconvenience this may create.

Please join us for the February 13 regular meeting at Common Grounds. Hope to see you there.

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T08:39:00.000-08:00

Here's wishing one and all a Happy New Year.

The year just ending has been a good one for Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. We have done the heavy lifting of preparing bylaws, preparing a policy manual and otherwise doing the paperwork to become a 501(c)3 nonprofit recognized by the IRS. We elected our first Board of Directors: Bill McCann, Jr. president, James Brown, treasurer and Shan Ayers, secretary. We've held meetings in both Lexingtona and Louisville. We've grown to 14 members. And we held our second international 10-minute play contest.

There have been some disappointments as well, most notably that we had to postpone the Kentucky Festival of New Plays because, unfortunately, the facility we were to have held the festival was not yet ready.

On the plus side 2011 is already shaping up to be a good year: at some point the IRS will-- after working with us to make sure everything is good to go-- approve our application for nonprofit status. We will have our first public staged reading of member plays on February 2-3 2011 at the Lexington Public Library's theatre. We will continue to grow our membership. And hopefully the Bards Town's theatre will be up and running in time for us to produce the festival in April.

Our next meeting will be January 23, 2011 at Common Grounds Coffee House in Lexington from 2-5 pm. Please join us. Meetings are open to the public. We will read the one act and full-length plays of members. Anyone who attends may bring a 10-minute or shorter work that we may read as time allows.

Membership in KPW is open to any Kentuckian interested in the deveklopment of new works for the stage. Dues are $10 per year.

2011 Events and Meetings

2010-12-23T16:24:00.000-08:00

The new year will start with a flurry of activities.

Our first meetings will be held on January 23 and February 13th at Common Grounds Coffee House in Lexington, KY. As usual the meeting will be held from 2-5 pm for the purpose of reading the full-length or one act plays of members. Additionally, anyone who wishes to may bring a 10-minute or shorter work and those will be read as time allows.

Meetings and memebership is open to anyone who is a resident of Kentucky and wishes to belong. The only requirement for membership is a desire to encourage the development of new works for the stage; dues are $10 per year (Sep- Aug). Member playwrights are given opportunities to have their full-length and one act plays read aloud and such other benefits of membership as may develop as the organization grows.

The first public reading of new works by member playwrights will be held on February 2 and 3, 2011, from 6:30-8:45 pm, at the Lexington Public Library (main branch) Theatre. The reading is FREE and open to the public.

Kentucky Playwright to be produced in New York

2010-12-12T11:38:00.000-08:00

Kentucky(she's moved to Indiana recently, but we still claim her as a Kentuckian!)playwright NANCY GALL-CLAYTON's short play about capital punishment, "Juice," will be produced as part of Looking Glass Theatre's Winter Forum, 422 West 57th Street, New York City, December 2-19. The forum is a semi-annual festival of new works featuring emerging women playwrights and directors. Tickets are $18. Call 212-352-3101, or visit http://thelookingglasstheatre.homestead.com/ForW10.html.

Pictures from Readings at the Bards Town

2010-12-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

Bill Forsyth, a member of KPW, took pictures of the reading held at the Bards Town on November 14th. Bill reported taking more pictures but for now the only ones available are above. Left to right (in the left most picture) are Kay Chambers (standing) Bruce McCann (face in the cutout), Bill McCann and Gail Johnson. Kay and Gail both read parts in one or more of the plays.

In the second photo (left to right) are Doug Schutte, one of the owners of the Bards Town, playwright James Hamblin (DIGGING for DIAMONDS) and actor Adam Luckey.

Meeting Schedule for the first Quarter of 2011

2010-11-29T11:41:00.000-08:00

There will be no meeting in December 2010.

Instead our first meeting of the new year will be Sunday January 23, 2011 at Common Grounds Coffee House in Lexington. The second meeting will be Sunday February 13th, also at Common Grounds. For March it would be good to get out of Lexington and hold a meeting elsewhere; city and location to be determined.

The January meeting will involve readings of members' plays in progress. If you have either a one act or full-length play that is ready (or will be ready) for reading please send a note to ky.playwright@yahoo.com so that your play reading can be scheduled. If you have a 10-minute or shorter play that you would like to have read, simply bring it to a meeting and it will be read as time allows.

In either February or March of 2011 we will schedule a public (music stand) reading of members' works at the Lexington Public Library Theatre. Watch the blog for more details.

News Update

2010-11-24T10:03:00.000-08:00

November has been an exciting and busy month for the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. We held our first meeting/reading in Louisville at the Bards Town, 1801 Bardstown on November 14th from 4:30 to 7:00 pm. About thirty people were in attendance to hear readings of the plays selected as part of the Kentucky Festival of New Plays. Though the festival has been postponed in part because the theatre at the Bards Town is not yet ready, the reading was a great success. Audience members did readings of the 10-minute plays that will be performed at the Bards Town when it is ready, probably in spring 2011. Meantime playwrights and others in attendnace were able to hear some wonderful new scripts and eat some of the Bards' great food.

Upcoming in December is an event you will want to put on your calendar. Btuce Williams-- one of the founders of 517 Playwrights-- is directing the second production of his full-length play TIM: A CHRISTMAS STORY. TIM, an update of Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL, will be produced by the Georgetown Community Theatre at the Thoroughbred Theatre in Midway.

The performance dates and times are Friday and Saturday night the 17th and 18th of December at 7:30 and Sunday the 19th at 2:00. Tickets should become available soon at the ThroughbredTheatre.com website. They are $12 for adults ($ 15 at the door).

More About Playwrights Whose Works Will be Read at The Bards Town

2010-11-11T07:32:00.000-08:00

The rest of the playwrights whose plays will be read on Sunday November 14, 2010 at the Bards Town, 1801 Bardstown Road in Louisville, Ky are listed below:

Sara Ilyse Jacobson author of Nephrology is from Baltimore, MD. Other plays include Have Your Cake, The Heart is Hollow and Past Shadows Dark and Deep, which was selected as first runner-up in the 1999 Agnes Nixon Playwriting Competition. Her plays have been produced in Baltimore, Washington, DC and in New York City.

Bill McCann the author of There is No Wrigley Field is a graduate student in Theatre at the University of Kentucky, a founding member of the Kentucky Playwrights’ Workshop, Inc. and a co-founder of 517 Playwrights. Bill is also an actor who most recently appeared as Charlie Martin in On Golden Pond for Little Colonel Playhouse in Pewee Valley, KY

George J. McGee, co-author of Digging for Diamonds, is from Georgetown, Kentucky. He holds a B.F.A from Illinois Wesleyan University, in Drama, and a M.F.A. from Florida Atlantic University, in Acting and Directing. He is a Professor and Director of Theatre at Georgetown College, Georgetown, Kentucky.

McGee was a member of the Chicago based sketch comedy group, ‘The American Dream’, and was the Artistic Director of the Palm Beach Children’s Theatre. He has appeared in film, network television, commercials and industrials. McGee is also an actor, performing as ‘Kentucky’s Greatest Statesman, Henry Clay’, for the Kentucky Humanities Council’s, Chautauqua program.

Louise Penberthy, the author of No More Than Reason, isan actor, playwright, and director. Recent productions include “Miss Hannah Comes Back” at Pierce College in Tacoma, Washington, and her short play “The Cougar in the Coffeehouse” in the Erotic Shorts Festival at the Little Red Studio in Seattle. Louise lives in Seattle with her husband and two cats. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Brian Walker a Louisville based playwright,is the author of Linda and Kirk and the Mouse Incident. Brian is the artistic director of Louisville, Kentucky based Finnigan Productions and has written and produced several full length plays in the Louisville area, including: Smoke this Play, Great American Sex Play, dirty sexy derby play and ZOMBIE!. Walker is the creator and co-producer of Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun, an annual 10-minute play festival celebrating independent theatre artists in the Louisville area.

Brian was awarded the Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship Emerging Artist Award for playwriting by the Kentucky Arts Council in July 2010. He is a member of The Dramatists Guild, The Playwrights’ Center, The Kentucky Theatre Association The Kentucky Playwrights Workshop and the Theatre Alliance of Louisville.

About Our Playwrights

2010-11-08T10:59:00.000-08:00

The playwrights whose plays will be read on Sunday November 14, 2010 at the Bards Town, a restaurant and entertainment complex on Bardstown Road in Louisville, Kentucky are listed below. The second half of the list of playwrights will go up later in the week. Please come out and support these playwrights whose work the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. would like to produce as part of the Kentucky Festival of New Plays in the spring of 2011, at the Bards Town.

Shan R. Ayers, author of the play Draped in Honor, holds an MFA and is a Professor of Theatre at Berea College. He teaches courses in design, script analysis, theatre history and playwriting. Twice he has taught playwriting for the Kentucky Institute for International Studies summer program in Japan and will be again in the 2011 summer program in Italy.

Trish Ayers, author of the 10-minute play Judging Quilts in this year's festival is co-artistic director and resident playwright of Mountain Spirit Puppets with her husband Shan Ayers. Her plays have toured the United States and Japan. She has been a guest artist at Iowa State and Western Illinois University and has won numerous playwriting awards from the Appalachian Writers Association. Ms. Ayers originated the Kentucky Women Playwrights’ Seminar, which has twice been funded by the Kentucky Foundation for Women (KFW). Currently she is editing the full-length play, “Taking Stock” with funding from the KFW Artist Enrichment Grant. She is a member of The Dramatists Guild.

James Hamblin, co author of Digging for Diamonds is an actor, writer and director from Georgetown, Kentucky. He has a BA in Communications from Georgetown College, and spent 2 years in the MFA Acting program at the University of Florida. James has performed off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and throughout New England. He has worked in independent film and television, and works as a writer, director, actor and teacher all over the country; regionally, James has worked with Lexington Children’s Theatre.

Rose-Mary Harrington, author of There is No Dash, is from Ashland, Oregon. She holds a B.A. from New College of Speech and Drama, England and an M.A. from the University of Arizona in Theatre/Playwrighting. Ms. Harrington's efforts have been generously rewarded, they run the gamut from Pulse Ensemble in New York to the Kennedy Center and to being awarded honors by the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. Rose-Mary was the 2009 recipient of the Oregon Literary Fellowship in Drama. Rose-Mary is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

2010-11-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

The next regular meeting of 517 Playwrights will be held in Louisville, KY at The Bards Town on Sunday November 14th, beginning at 4:30 pm, for the purpose of doing a reading of new 10-minute plays:

Draped in Honor, by Shan Ayers, Berea, KY
Judging Quilts, by Trish Ayers, Berea, KY
There is No Dash, by Rose Mary Harrington, Ashland, OR
Nephrology, by Sara Ilyse Jacobson, Baltimore MD
There is no Wrigley Field, by Bill McCann, Jr., Lexington, KY
Digging for Diamonds,by George McGee and James Hamblin, Georgetown, KY
No More Than Reason by Louise Penberthy, Seattle, WA

The Bards Town is a theatre, music venue and restaurant located in the Highlands neighborhood of Louisville at 1801 Bardstown Road (502) 749-5275. Come early and stay late to enjoy good food and fine short plays by Kentucky and other playwrights.

Taking Stock to be Read in Berea

2010-10-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

Award winning playwright Trish Ayers’ most recent full-length play Taking Stock will have the first public reading as the featured November 5th Berea Arts Council literary program. Ayers was awarded a 2009 Kentucky Foundation for Women (KFW) Individual Artist grant to edit Taking Stock, a play that explores the issue of horse slaughter and the impact of hurt turned inward.

The reading will be an opportunity for community members to be a part of hearing for the first time these new characters come to life. Audience members who volunteer will read different character parts and a short question and answer session will take place following the reading.

Ayers originated the Kentucky Women Playwrights’ Seminar, which has twice been funded by the KFW. She is the co-artistic director and resident playwright of Mountain Spirit Puppets with her husband Shan Ayers. Her plays have toured the United States and Japan. She has been a guest artist at Iowa State and Western Illinois University. Her plays have won numerous awards from the Appalachian Writers Association and were a finalist in the 2009 Heartland Ten-Minute and One-Act Play Festival. Judging Quilts, one of her ten-minute plays was recently selected to be a part of the Kentucky New Play Festival to be held in Bardstown in November. She is a member of Dramatists Guild and 517 Playwrights, and the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. a non-profit supported in part by the Kentucky Arts Council.

Next Meeting of 517 Playwrights

2010-10-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

The next meeting of 517 Playwrights will be Sunday October 10, 2010 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Common Grounds Coffee House, Lexington, KY. Please join us to hear new plays read.

Join us... become a Founding Member

2010-09-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. is open to any Kentuckian interested in writing or producing new works for the stage. Any Kentuckian interested in supporting our work, or who is a playwright may join and become a Founding Member of the group by sending a check for $10 made out to Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. (or simply KPW)toPO Box 55222 Lexington, KY 40555. Founding Membership is only available until October 1, 2010-- after that regular memberships are available for that same $10. No special honor goes to those who are Founding Members. On the other hand, how many times do you expect to be a Founding Member of an organization? Get your check in the mail today-- October 1, 2010 will be here before you know it and this once in a lifetime opportunity will be lost forever.

Berea College Season Announced

2010-09-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Berea College Theatre Department will be presenting the following shows this season:

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, by Tennessee Williams
October 8,9,13-16, 2010

An Evening of Clay, by Clay Chapman
November 12,13,17-20, 2010

The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World, by Suzan-Lori Parks
February 18,19,23-26, 2011

The Children’s Hour, by Lillian Hellman
April 8,9,13-16, 2011

All tickets are $10.00. Box Office number is 859-985-3300.

517 Playwrights to meet September 19

2010-09-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

The regular meeting of 517 Playwrights-- the new works development committee of Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc.-- will be Sunday September 19, 2010 at Common Grounds Coffee House on High Street in Lexington. The meeting will focus on reading works by Steve Taylor, Shan Ayers, and Trish Ayers. Shorter works may be brought by members or interested people and read and discussed as time allows. The meeting will begin at 2pm and last until 5pm, as interest and circumstances dictate. Please join us. We are always interested in finding new members.

Berea Arts Council to have a reading of plays written by Bill McCann, Jr.

2010-09-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

The Berea Arts Council recently announced an evening of short play readings by Lexington playwright Bill McCann, Jr. The monthly Second Friday Reading, Friday, September 10 will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Berea Arts Council’s ArtSpace, 116 N. Main Street, Berea, Ky.

Bill is a graduate student in Theatre at the University of Kentucky, a founding member of the Kentucky Playwrights’ Workshop, Inc. and a co-founder (with Greta Fields) of 517 Playwrights. Bill is executive producing this year’s Kentucky Festival of New Plays, which will be held November 19th and 20th at The Bard’s Town, 1801 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY. The event will be sponsored by the KPW and The Bards Town.

The dramatic and entertaining short plays to be read contain adult language and content. In Barn Yard Conversation a cow falls for a pig. Before the dinner rolls rise in There Is No Wrigley Field a marriage falls apart. And we’ll hear about a Christmas party that turns out badly for the ‘host’ family in Christmas Party.

There is no admission charged for this event, but a donation of $5 is encouraged to help support the work of the BAC. For additional information on the Second Friday program please contact the Berea Arts Council at (859) 985-9317.

The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, supports the Berea Arts Council with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Louise Penberthy Play to be Produced

2010-08-24T05:59:00.000-07:00

Louise Penberthy, the author of No More Than Reason, is an actor, playwright, and director. Recent productions include “Miss Hannah Comes Back” at Pierce College in Tacoma, Washington, and her short play “The Cougar in the Coffeehouse” in the Erotic Shorts Festival at the Little Red Studio in Seattle. Louise lives in Seattle with her husband and two cats. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

No More Than Reason , a winner of 517 Playwrights 2nd Annual 10-Minute Play Contest, will be produced November 19 and 20 as part of the Kentucky Festival of New Plays at the Bards Town, 1801 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY. The festival is sponsored by the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. and the Bards Town Theatre.

Organizational Meeting Held

2010-08-21T21:36:00.000-07:00

A meeting to formally organize the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. was held on the afternoon of August 15, 2010 at Common Grounds Coffee House in Lexington, KY. At that meeting the KPW adopted Bylaws, a policy manual and the membership elected a Board of Directors and approved dues for 2010 - 2011 of $10. Members who pay their dues on or before September 30, 2010 will be recognized as KPW's "Founding Members."

Individuals elected to the first Board of Directors are: Shan Ayers, Berea (Secretary); James Brown, Lexington (Treasurer) and Bill McCann, Jr., Lexington (President). The Board members will serve until the Annual Meeting of Active Members in September 2011, or until their successors are elected or appointed.

Membership in the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. is open to any Kentuckian interested in the production of new works for the stage.

KPW is organized as a non-profit corporation under the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Membership and Board Meetings are open to the general public. Copies of the Bylaws as amended and approved at the Organizational meeting on August 15th are available upon request by sending a request to ky.playwright@yahoo.com

Advertising Rates for Program Announced

2010-08-21T02:23:00.000-07:00

Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. announced advertsing rates for this year's Kentucky Festival of New Plays that will be held November 19 and 20 at The Bards Town, 1801 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY:

business card: $35

1/4 page ad: $60

1/2 page ad: $100

full-page ad: $175

To advertise or for more information write ky.playwright@yahoo.com

This year's Kentucky Festival of New Plays features eight 10-minute plays by five Kentucky playwrights as well as three plays by playwrights from across America.

Brian Walker to Participate in Kentucky Festival of New Plays

2010-08-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

Brian Walker a Louisville based playwright,is the author of Linda and Kirk and the Mouse Incident a 10-minute play, that will be featured in this year's Kentucky Festival of New Plays. Brian is the artistic director of Louisville, Kentucky based Finnigan Productions and has written and produced several full length plays in the Louisville area, including: Smoke this Play, Great American Sex Play, dirty sexy derby play and ZOMBIE!. Walker is the creator and co-producer of Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun, an annual 10-minute play festival celebrating independent theatre artists in the Louisville area.

Among his other plays Brian Walker's short play,Purple Cool-Aide Cult from Purpletown, was an official Play-Lab selection at 2009’s Great Plains Theatre Conference in Omaha, NE. and his full length play, The Kings, was part of the Juneteenth Legacy Theatre’s 2009 Juneteenth Jamboree at Actors Theatre of Louisville; and it waS also part of the 18th Annual R. Joyce Whitley ARENAfest Festival of new plays in Cleveland, OH in May 2010.

Brian was awarded the Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship Emerging Artist Award for playwriting by the Kentucky Arts Council in July 2010. He is a member of The Dramatists Guild, The Playwrights’ Center, The Kentucky Theatre Association The Kentucky Playwrights Workshop and the Theatre Alliance of Louisville.

Linda and Kirk and the Mouse Incident will be one of the eight 10-minute plays performed as part of the Kentucky Festival of New Plays to be held November 18-21 at The Bards Town Theatre, 1801 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY. sponsored by the theatre and the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc.

Couple to Headline New Plays Festival

2010-08-11T14:08:00.000-07:00

Berea residents and playwrights Shan and Trish Ayers, are headlining this year's Kentucky Festival of New Plays November 18-21, 2010 at The Bardstown Theatre, 1801 Bardstown Road in Louisville, KY.

Trish Ayers, author of the 10-minute play JUDGING QUILTS in this year's festival is co-artistic director and resident playwright of Mountain Spirit Puppets with her husband Shan Ayers. Her plays have toured the United States and Japan. She has been a guest artist at Iowa State and Western Illinois University and has won numerous playwriting awards from the Appalachian Writers Association and was a finalist in the 2009 Heartland Ten-Minute and One-Act Play Festival.

Ms. Ayers originated the Kentucky Women Playwrights’ Seminar, which has twice been funded by the Kentucky Foundation for Women (KFW). Currently she is editing the full-length play, “Taking Stock” with funding from the KFW Individual Artist Grant. She is a member of The Dramatists Guild.

Shan R. Ayers, author of the play DRAPED IN HONOR, holds an MFA and is a Professor of Theatre at Berea College. He teaches courses in design, script analysis, theatre history and playwriting. Twice he has taught playwriting for the Kentucky Institute for International Studies summer program in Japan and will be again in the 2011 summer program in Italy.

The Kentucky Festivla of New Plays is in its second year; in 2009 the festival was known as the Midway Festival of Plays and was produced at the Thoroughbred Communuity Theatre, Midway, KY.

James Hamblin: Digging for Diamonds

2010-08-10T06:16:00.001-07:00

James Hamblin, co author of DIGGING FOR DIAMONDS’ is an actor, writer and director from Georgetown, Kentucky. He has a BA in Communications from Georgetown College, and spent 2 years in the MFA Acting program at the University of Florida.

James has performed off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and throughout New England. He has worked in independent film and television, and works as a writer, director, actor and teacher all over the country. Locally, James is very proud of his work with Lexington Children’s Theatre.

DIGGING FOR DIAMONDS, by George Mcgee and James Hamblin, will be presented November 18-21, 2010 at the Bards Town Theatre, 1801 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY as part of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc’s Kentucky Festival of New Plays.

George J. McGee: DIGGING FOR DIAMONDS

2010-08-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

George J. McGee, co-author of ‘DIGGING FOR DIAMONDS’ is from Georgetown, Kentucky. He holds a B.F.A from Illinois Wesleyan University, in Drama, and a M.F.A. from Florida Atlantic University, in Acting and Directing. He is a Professor and Director of Theatre at Georgetown College, Georgetown, Kentucky.

McGee was a member of the Chicago based sketch comedy group, ‘The American Dream’, and was the Artistic Director of the Palm Beach Children’s Theatre. He has appeared in film, network television, commercials and industrials. He has recently appeared in Ed Smith’s film, ‘Surviving Guthrie’, and his short film, ‘doc doc’, has been selected for screening at Ireland’s 2010 International Film Festival. His 2008 play, ‘A Fence for Martin Maher’, written with award winning Irish playwright, John Mc Ardle, toured Kentucky and the Republic of Ireland. McGee is also an actor, performing as ‘Kentucky’s Greatest Statesman, Henry Clay’, for the Kentucky Humanities Council’s, Chautauqua program.

McGee is married to Cathy Gorman McGee they are both originally from the Chicago land area, but now live in Georgetown, Kentucky.

DIGGING FOR DIAMONDS, by George McGee and James Hamblin, will be presented November 18-21, 2010 at the Bards Town Theatre, 1801 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY as part of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc’s Kentucky Festival of New Plays.

Candidates for the KPW Board of Directors

2010-08-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

The following individuals-- listed alphabetically-- are candidates for election to the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. at the meeting to be held on Sunday August 15, 2010 at Common Grounds Coffee House, begining at 2:00 pm.

Board members elected at this Sunday's meeting will be responisble for the financial and administrative management of the KPW until thier successors are elected or appointed. Term of office is one year. From among themselves the Board will elect a president, secretary and treasurer to serve until the Annual Meeting 0f Active Members in September 2011.

Candidates for the Board are:

Shan R. Ayers, a Professor of Theatre at Berea College, holds an MFA in Theatre Design. He has been on the faculty at Berea College since 1984. He joined 517Playwrights this past Spring. Shan currently teaches playwriting courses at Berea and has twice taught playwriting while abroad with the Kentucky Institute for International Studies. He has also served as the playwriting judge for the Appalachian Writers Association and as a judge for the Berea Arts Council's Ten Minute Play Festival during their Quilt Extravaganza. He is currently reformatting and editing a collection of short plays written by Kentucky women playwrights. Shan's play, DRAPED IN HONOR, was selected for this year's Kentucky Festival of New Plays.

James Brown joinied KPW in February 2010. He will be producer of this year's festival of new plays. In addition to KPW James is a playwright and actor who is also working on an MFA in creative writing. James' play HIGHER EDUCATION was produced this past winter at the Lexington Public Library Theatre. Most recently, ames was in BCTC's play A FEW GOOD MEN in which he played Major Markinson.

Bill McCann, Jr. is co-founder (with Greta Fields) of 517 Playwrights and a Founding Member of Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. In addition to doing much of the work necessary to beocome an IRS sanctioned non-profit Bill has served as Contest Coordinator for both of the 517 Playwrights 10-minute play contests. This year Bill is also serving as Executive Producer (chief fundraiser) for the Kentucky Festival of New Plays. Beginning on August 16th Bill is going to be starting work on a MA in Theatre at the University of Kentucky. Bill is a playwright and actor. Most recently Bill played Charlie Martin in ON GOLDEN POND with the Little Colonel Playhouse in Pewee Valley, KY. His play, THERE IS NO WRIGLEY FIELD, will be in the Kentucky Festival of New Plays.

Steve Taylor attended the very first meeting of 517 Playwrights in 2008 and has been an active and enthusiastic member since writing the initial draft of the organization's Bylaws and helping KPW become incorporated as a non-profit. For both play contests Steve has been a judge; this year he also submitted two scripts for consideration. In addition to his work with KPW Steve is a playwright, a lawyer and, with a partner, an owner of a small press that specializes in publishing poetry.

Additional nominees will be accepted from the floor the day of the election.

KPW Founders Meeting: August 15, 2010

2010-08-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

We will officially "Found" (establish) Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. at our meeting on August 15, 2010 at Common Grounds Coffee House, Lexington, KY. beginning at 2:00 pm. If you have an interest in writing or developing new plays for the stage (and live in Kentucky) then Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. needs you!

At our August 15th meeting we will be doing the arcane but oh so necessary work of formally establishing KPW as a viable on-going organization; we will adopt Bylaws, establish dues for the coming year ($10 is the recommendation), adopt a policy manual and elect Board members. Currently the organization has 12 members who reside in Berea, Georgetown, Lexington, Louisville, and Whitesburg. Based upon the procedure that is to be recommended to those who attend the meeting we need a quorum of six (6) of the current members to be present in order for us to do business. So-- please attend the meeting.

If you have an interest in joining us, please do so. But if you have never been to a meeting before then PLEASE contact us at ky.playwright@yahoo.com and request the materials to be discussed and voted on at the August 15th meeting. Only individuals who have received the materials AT LEAST 72 hours in advance of the meeting may be allowed to vote; anyone wishing to attend the meeting however may do so.

Well, it is hard to believe but KPW is about to burst into bloom-- join us!

Rose-Mary Harrington

2010-08-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

Rose-Mary Harrington, author of THERE IS NO DASH, is from Ashland, Oregon. She holds a B.A. from New College of Speech and Drama, England and an M.A. from the University of Arizona in Theatre/Playwrighting.

Ms. Harrington's efforts have been generously rewarded, they run the gamut from Pulse Ensemble in New York to the Kennedy Center and to being awarded honors by the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. Rose-Mary was the 2009 recipient of the Oregon Literary Fellowship in Drama.

Rose-Mary is the mother of five muses, she has seven grand children. She is now able to field her very own soccer team, having played and coached soccer. She reluctantly admits to being an armchair soccer hooligan.

Rose-Mary is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

THERE IS NO DASH, by Rose-Mary Harrington, will be presented November 18- 21, 2010 at The Bards Town Theatre, 1801 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY as part of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc.'s Kentucky Festival of New Plays.

And the Winners are...

2010-08-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

The winners of this year's 2nd Annual 517 Playwrights 10-Minute Play Contest are:

Draped in Honor -- Shan Ayres-- Berea, KY
Judging Quilts -- Trish Ayres -- Berea, KY
There is No Dash -- Rose-Mary Harrington-- Ashland, OR
Nephrology -- Sara Ilyse Jacobson -- Baltimore, MD
There is No Wrigley Field -- Bill McCann, Jr. -- Lexington, KY
Digging for Diamonds -- George McGee and James Hamblin, Georgetown, KY
No More Than Reason -- Louise Penberthy -- Seattle, WA
Linda and Kirk -- Brian Walker -- Louisville, KY

The winners will be produced November 18 -21, 2010 at The Bards Town Theatre, 1801 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY as part of the Kentucky Festival of New Plays sponsored by the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc.

Contest Winners Selected

2010-08-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

Winning plays have been selected from the more than 180 submissions in this year's 2nd Annual 517 Playwrights 10-Minute Play Contest. Five Kentucky and three non-Kentucky playwrights have had scripts selected for production as part of this year's Festival of New Kentucky Plays that will be presented November 18- 21, 2010 at The Bards Town Theatre in Louisville, KY. The winning scripts will be announced once each of the winning playwrights has agreed to participate in this year's Festival.

SETC Announces Play Contest for High School Students

2010-07-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

The Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) Playwriting Committee has created a playwriting contest just for high school students. The winning playwright receives a $250 prize and a subsidy to attend the annual SETC convention in March with an adult chaperone. At the convention, the play will be given a staged reading followed by a talkback.

High school student playwrights who currently reside in one of the 10 states in the SETC region are eligible. These states include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Submissions will be accepted from October 1 through December 1, 2010.

The script should be a one-act play that has not been published or professionally produced. Each applicant may submit one play only. Plays must be written by a single playwright – no collaborations.

To enter: FIRST) Send a $10 check payable to SETC and a completed Application Form (available at http://www.setc.org/scholarship/hsnewplay.php) to Nancy Gall-Clayton, HS Playwriting Contest Chair, 1818 Utica Pike, Jeffersonville, IN 47130. The entry fee subsidizes the prize and related activities of SETC. SECOND) Email your script as a PDF to nancygallclayton@earthlink.net. Scripts will not be distributed for review to the reading panel until the entry fee check is received.

If you have questions, please email Nancy Gall-Clayton at nancygallclayton@earthlink.net.

The Dillenger Dilimma

2010-07-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

The world premiere run of THE DILLINGER DILIMMA at Pioneer Playhouse in Danville, KY is about to come to an end. There are only two performances left-- tonight's, which is sold out, and tomorrows, for which only a few seats remain-- so contact the theatre immediately by phone or web and reserve your seats. This is a play not to be missed.

Written by Danville playwright Elizabeth Orndorff, THE DILLINGER DILEMMA is a comic farce, a case of mistaken identity that is truly side-splitting sometimes, and funny the rest. The play is a "what if" premised play based on a single line reported in the local newpaper-- the notorious gangster John Dillenger had been seen in town. From that brief line Ms. Orndorff has constructed a play that may well become a staple of local theatres (and theatres in towns named Danville, everywhere) for years to come.

Though the first act seemed over-long and a bit over-acted things really took off after intermission when John Dillinger (Cris Kateff) took the stage and much of the focus. Yet there were many other fine performances too, particularly both Daniel Hall Kuhn (Jimmy Lawrence) and Katie Sawhill (Ethelene) who both have great comic timing. Still, these were not the only good performances, director Robby Henson has assembled a nice set and fine ensemble of actors to bring this play to life; they do a nice job with Orndorff's fun, well written script.

Try to get to Danville to see Elizabeth Orndorff''s DILLINGER'S DILEMMA for Saturday July 24'ths final world premier performance. But if you don't make it know that this is a play that is likely to be performed by high schools and community theatres for years to come. And who knows, maybe it will achieve more than that-- it's that good!

To make reservations contact Pioneer Playhouse at http://www.pioneerplayhouse.com/ or call them at
859 236-2747. Tickets cost $12- $27.

Kentucky Theatre Association Announces Contest

2010-07-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

The Kentucky Theatre Association has announced that its 2nd Annual ROOTS OF THE BLUEGRASS PLAYWRITING CONTEST will accept scripts of all lengths between August 1 and September 1, 2010. The contest is free and open to all Kentuckians, including out-of-state residents, who resided in the Commonwealth for a minimum of three years.

Brief plays are acceptable, but full length plays (single or multi-act) are preferred. Except for musicals, all genres will be considered. Scripts should not exceed 120 pages. Plays that have had a full stage production will not be considered.

A cover or contact sheet with title, name, address and phone, must be included. The script itself should not include the name of the playwright, but it is helpful if the title is listed on each page.

Electronic submissions are encouraged in either a PDF or MS Word format. US mail delivered scripts must have a SASE if you wish it returned.

Six semi-finalists will be announced by October 1, and the three finalists on October 15.

The finalists will receive staged readings and awards presentations at the Danville KTA Convention in November. The winner will also receive a $250 cash prize.

Electronic scripts and inquiries should be sent to Bill Forsyth at bill.forsyth@att.net. US mail should be sent to: Bill Forsyth, PO Box 24081, Lexington, Ky. 40524.

Walker Receives Emerging Artist Award

2010-07-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

Recently the Kentucky Arts Council (KAC) announced its selection of six artists as recipients of its Emerging Artist Awards: Daniel Cherry, literary –fiction, Pulaski County; Amelia Martens, literary – fiction, McCracken County; Britton Shurley, literary – poetry, McCracken County; Eric Stem, musical composition, Jefferson County; Brian Walker, literary – playwriting, Jefferson County; and Mariam Williams, literary – creative nonfiction, Jefferson County.

Of the six recipients, Brian Walker of Louisville is a member of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc and a judge of this year's non-Kentucky entries in the 2nd Annual 517 Playwrights 10-Minute Play Contest.

To read the copmplete announcement go to:
http://migration.kentucky.gov/Newsroom/kyarts/Fellowship_Announce_071510.htm

The Bards Town to Host the Kentucky Festival of New Plays

2010-07-14T11:18:00.001-07:00

This year's Kentucky Festival of New Plays will be November 18- 21st at The Bard's Town Theatre at the corner of Bardstown Road and Speed Ave. in Louisville, KY. Featuring 10-minute plays by primarily Kentucky playwrights this year's Kentucky Festival of New Plays promises to be an outstanding festival hosted by one of the state's most unique theatres: The Bards Town.

Located in Louisville's arts oriented Highlands neighborhood The Bard's Town, at 1801 Bardstown Road, is a truly unique concept: the ground floor consists of a 60-seat restaurant and 30-seat lounge, that each serve the Bard's delectable Bites and Beverages. But what really sets The Bard's Town apart, is the second floor--home to The Bard's Town Theatre. This 70-seat theatre comes equipped with 70 chairs (with tables!), food and drink service, and some of the finest entertainment in Louisville including a resident troupe.The restaurant, bar and lounge will open in late July. The theatre will open in the fall. And the Festival will be November 18-21. If you're in the neighborhood, stop in and say hi! For more information about The Bards Town check out their web site at http://www.thebardstown.com/

Festival Producer to be James Brown

2010-07-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

The Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. 2010 Kentucky Festival of New Plays to be held November 18- 21st at The Bards Town Theatre, 1801 Bardstown Road, in Louisville, KY, will be produced by James Brown. Mr. Brown is a playwright and actor who lives in Lexington. As this year's festival producer Mr. Brown will be responsible for finding directors and actors for the plays that will be featured in the festival. Additionally, Mr. Brown will coordinate what will truly be a "state-wide" festival of plays, playwrights and theatrical efforts to make certain that the event can move plays that are performance-ready to go when they reach The Bards Town Theatre's stage.

James Brown will be seeking directors and actors in both Lexington and Louisville-- and elsewhere in Kentucky as well-- to help make this event happen. Directors are responsible for bringing the plays to Louisville ready to go; directors are to hold auditions, block and rehearse the play, find appropriate costumes, props and set pieces, and do any lighting and sound design required. Mr. Brown, his directors and actors have a huge task in front of them; but he and they are up to it.

As an actor James Brown most recently has appeared in Bluegrass Community and Technical College's (BCTC) A FEW GOOD MEN as Major Markinson; James is also in an upcoming play being directed by another KPW member Kathi E. B. Ellis. More about this production will appear on the blog when the details are available. As a playwright James had a performance of his play HIGHER EDUCATION at the downtown branch of the Lexington Public Library in February of 2010. Mr. Brown is a member of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc.

The plays for this year's Festival have not yet been selected however it is never too soon for directors, actors and technicians to say they are interested in helping. If you would like to participate in this year's Festival-- whether as an actor, director or back stage please contact James Brown at ky.playwright@yahoo.com

Important Meeting July 11, 2010

2010-07-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

The next meeting of 517 Playwrights is important: we will be choosing the winning Kentucky scripts that will be produced this October as part of our Festival of Plays. We will read and discuss the best plays submitted during the recent contest and try to agree which four to six scripts stand heads above all the rest. Also, we will be discussing which of two possible venues might work best AND discuss a proposed set of bylaws. It will be an important meeting, please join us.

There's Still Time to See a Modern Classic.

2010-07-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

The final two performances of Shoestring Productions' Glass Menagerie are over the Fourth of July weekend. Performances are Friday July 2nd and Monday July 5th at the Water Tower in Louisville. If you haven't seen this American classic of the stage by playwright Tennessee Williams in awhile get out and see Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. member's Kathi E. B. Ellis' version of Glass Menagerie which has won plaudits for brilliance and ingenuity. Featuring Megan Burnett (Amanda), Lee Look (Tom), Laura Ellis (Laura) and Doug Sumay (The Gentleman Caller) this wonderful play has struck all the right tones with critics; it will with you, too.

Produced in partnership with the Louisville Visual Art Association, in conjunction with their Ne10: Louisville exhibit, part of the National Glass Art Society conference in Louisville at the Water Tower, the show goes up for its last two perfomances on July 2nd and 5th at 7:30 pm.

For more information about the production go to http://web.me.com/harryjb/ShoeStringProductions/. Tickets are $15; $12 for seniors and students with valid id.

For reservations at 502-741-8392 or shoestringproductionsky@gmail.com

Glass Menagerie is being produced by special arrangement with Dramatist’s Play Service

The Contest is Closed

2010-06-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

The Second Annual 517 Playwrights 10-Minute Play Contest is now closed. Our thanks to all those who entered this year's contest. It is our hope to be able to announce the winner's of this year's contest by mid-August and to produce the winners at the end of October or the first of November. Watch our blog for further developments. Again, our thanks to those who entered this year's contest.

One Day Left

2010-06-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

There is only a little more than one day left to enter this year's 2nd Annual 517 Playwrights 10-Minute Play Contest; send in your entry today. The contest closes at midnight 30 June 2010 so don't delay in sending in your submission. The rules were posted on this blog on May 2, 2010. The email address for submissions is ky.playwright@yahoo.com

Liz Fentress to Consult with KPW

2010-06-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

Liz Fentress, a theatre consultant based in Louisville, Ky. has agreed to work with members of Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. as we work towards applying for public charity status with the Internal Revenue Service. Best known as 501(c)3 status, the IRS requires that all non-profits wishing to obtain recognition as "public charity" apply by filing the appropriate application and supporting documents including bylaws and a mission statement. What Ms. Fentress will help KPW do is improve on drafts of the bylaws and mission statement and prepare a draft of the application. With much of this paperwork already drafted it is hoped that the application for 501(c)3 status can be submitted before September 30, 2010.

According to her biography on the Kentucky Arts Council web site, "Liz Fentress has extensive experience in professional, community and educational theatre as a producer, administrator, director, actor and teacher. Liz was the Associate Producer of Kentucky Repertory Theatre (formerly Horse Cave Theatre) for eight years, where she served on both the management and artistic teams. This included supervising fundraising and grant writing, coordinating the new play development and education programs, and directing and acting each season. Liz also served as the Executive Director of the Playhouse in the Park, the community theatre in Murray, KY. While there, she oversaw Board development, financial management, marketing, fundraising, volunteer coordination and programming of a nine-play production season, a new play festival and educational opportunities for all ages. Prior to moving to Kentucky, Liz toured extensively throughout the Midwest with the Guthrie Theatre and the Franzen Brothers Circus. She was a founding member of the Irondale Ensemble in New York."

Ms. Fentress' services are being provided to KPW by the Kentucky Arts Council (KAC) which seeks to encourage and develop the arts in Kentucky. The KAC is an agency of state government which provides resources to individual artists and arts groups throughout the state. More information about the KAC and its programs can be found by visiting http://artscouncil.ky.gov/

Play Contest: One Week to Go!

2010-06-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

You've put it off long enough. You know you have. That 10-minute play that has been parked in the back of your mind for months just waiting to burst out of you and onto paper needs to be written. So write it and submit it to this years 2nd Annual 517 Playwrights 10-Minute Play Contest. The dead line is 11:59:59 on June 30th so you have one week to finish your script and get it submitted for this year's contest. Submissions should be sent to ky.playwright@yahoo.com

Complete rules can be found on this blog under the May 2, 2010 posting.

Winers will be announced later this year. Selected plays will likely be produced in October/November of this year.

A Better Picture

2010-06-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

Another picture from the June 13th meeting of
517 Playwrights. Left to Right are: James Brown,
Bill McCann, Jr., Steve Taylor, and Kathi E. B.
Ellis. Bill Forsyth was the photographer. (An un-
known coffee drinker/blogger is in the background.) Please come join us for our next meeting on July 11th, 2:00 pm at Common
Grounds Coffee House.

The Trilogy of Bob and Angelina

2010-06-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

The first of six performances of Len Cuthbert's THE TRILOGY of BOB & ANGELINA took to the stage on Saturady June 19 at the London Fringe Festival.

Playwright: Len Cuthbert
Featuring: Sarah Elisabeth Abbott, Ray Wiersma
Comedy Drama
General Entertainment

A marriage proposal gone wrong (The Maladroit Romeo). A nightmare that won’t end (Enigmatic Lucidity). The art of communication (One Year One Day). Three plays for the price of one (Two award winning & one premier). A stimulus package everyone can enjoy. Up to date information @ http://www.3bna.info/

Length: 45 min
Price: $10.00

Enigmatic Lucidity was presented in 2009 as part of the Midway Festival of New Plays at the Thoroughbred Community Theatre in MIdway, KY. The London Fringe is the first time that all three plays in the trilogy have been presented on the same stage, at the same time. This is an event not to be missed!

Information about the entire London (Ontario) Fringe Festival-- which runs through June 27th -- is available at http://www.londonfringe.ca/

Picture Us: 517 Playwrights

2010-06-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

Members of 517 Playwrights gathered at Common Grounds Coffee House on Sunday June 13th included: (l to r) Bill McCann, Jr, Steve Taylor, Kathi E. B. Ellis, and James Brown. The photo was taken by yet another member, Bill Forsyth. Missing are Shan and Trish Ayres and Jim Betts. New members are always welcome. The next meeting will be Sunday July 11th at Common Grounds at 2:00 pm. Anyone who has an interest in encouraging the development of new works for the stage is welcome to join us.

"Saving Grace" Selected for LYTE Program

2010-06-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

London Community Players, London, Ontario, Canada have selected Len Cuthbert's play Saving Grace as part of its 2010 LYTE (London Youth Theatre Education) program. LYTE "is designed to introduce youth to the magic of theatre, offering them an opportunity to expand their creativity while cultivating self-esteem and performance skills in a stimulating, enjoyable environment." Each year playwrights are encouraged to submit one-act plays suitable for performance by young people. LCP then selects three plays which are developed during two weeks of rehearsals before being performed for family and friends.

For more information visit:
http://londoncommunityplayers.com/LCP-Events-YouthTheatreProgramme.htm

Fridge Door Live Theatre Camp Still Has Openings

2010-06-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

Len Cuthbert's theatre company for youth and children, Fridge Door Live, is running four weeks of camp in London Ontario, Canada this summer. Weeks two and three (July 5-16) are full. Weeks one and four still have some vacancies. http://www.fridgedoorlive.com/

In 2006, Len Cuthbert created a Summer Theatre Camp designed for kids with an interest in the performing arts. Children and youth with an interest in the performing arts are involved in a variety of theatre activity while working together as a team to prepare a final production that will be presented before a live audience of family and friends.

SUMMER CAMPS 2010
Hillside Church, 250 Commissioners E. London
July 5-9 - Grade 3-6
July 12-16 - Grade 5-8
July 19-23 - Grade 7-10

Summerside Church, 1447 Commissioners E. London
August 9-13 - Grade 4-8

For more information visit the Fridge Door Live Theatre Company web site, via the link above.

In 2009, Len Cuthbert's 10-minute play Enigmatic Lucidity was presented as part of the Midway Festival of Plays at the Thoroughbred Community Theatre by Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc.

A Few Good Men Stars a Playwright!

2010-06-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

KPW's very own James Brown is featured as Major Markinson in Bluegrass Community and Technical College's production of A FEW GOOD MEN June 24-26th at 7:30 and June 27th at 2:00 pm. All perfomances are at the Downtown Arts Center in Lexington.

Aaron Sorkin's A FEW GOOD MEN is the story of military lawyers at a court-martial who uncover a high-level conspiracy in the course of defending their clients, United States Marines accused of murder. The play is co-directed by Tim X. Davis and Jared K. Sloan. Tickets are $12.00. All performances will be at the Downtown Arts Center, 141 E. Main Street, Lexington , KY 40507. For reservations call 859 225-0370.

Glass Menagerie Revealed in a 'Brilliant New Light'

2010-06-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

KPW, Inc. member and director Kathi E. B. Ellis' version of Tennessee Williams' play Glass Mengerie recently opened to critical acclaim: theatrelouisville.org said "ShoeString Productions and Ellis deserve thanks for bringing us this production that joins fine performances with one of America’s greatest dramatic works, and for revealing all in a brilliant new light.”

Don’t miss The Glass Menagerie! – four more performances at the historic Water Tower: June 20 and 29 and July 2 and 5. Performances at 8:30p.m. Gallery with Ne10: Louisville, illuminated glass art, exhibit open at 7:30p.m. Reservations at 502-741-8392 or shoestringproductionsky@gmail.com.

“Director Kathi E.B. Ellis casts four strong and accomplished performers — Megan Burnett (Amanda), Laura Ellis (Laura), Lee Look (Tom) and Doug Sumey (the Gentleman Caller) — to carry out her vision. All four give honor to their roles, illuminating and interpreting without resorting to type. New facets emerge throughout the evening, and none will disappoint; but to say more would be to rob you of the pleasure of uncovering the subtleties for yourself.” Lighting design by John Newman and sound design by Laura Ellis.

Check out the full review at http://theatre-louisville.blogspot.com/2010/06/review-shoestring-productions-glass.html

Kentucky Arts Council Grant Approved

2010-06-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

Recently the Kentucky Arts Council (KAC) approved the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop Inc.'s application for assistance in applying for 501(c)3 recognition from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a charitable organization. With the help of a "peer advisor" (arts consultant) KPW will receive advice about how to organize its business affairs in order to receive IRS recognition as an approved charity.

The KAC's KPAN (Kentucky Peer Advisory Network) program is intended, according to the KAC website, as "a flexible, user-friendly program that has been designed to give arts organizations, community groups, schools, and eligible individual artists, professional assistance in a timely manner at minimal cost."

"KPAN is a program of the Kentucky Arts Council, a state agency in the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet that creates opportunities for Kentuckians through the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts."

"Organizations or eligible individual artists can apply to have a Peer Advisor assist them with specific issues such as: Board Development, Grantwriting, Marketing & Promotion, Strategic Planning, Festival Planning and More," year around. There is no application deadline or fee.

The KAC will pay the consultant's consulting fee; travel and incidental expenses will be the responsibility of the KPW. 517 Playwrights is the New Play Development Committee of KPW.

For more information about KAC or its programs, including KPAN, visit its website: http://artscouncil.ky.gov/

A potential KPAN consultant has been contacted to assist KPW. When an individual agrees to work with KPW the name and background of the consultant will be discussed in a future article.

Next Meeting

2010-06-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

The next meeting of 517 Playwrights will be Sunday July 11th beginning at 2:00 pm at Common Grounds Coffee House in Lexington. The meeting will last until 5:00. The focus of this meeting will be to decide on the winning KENTUCKY plays for this year's 10-minute play contest as well as to read and discuss member plays.

Please not that we have changed the meeting time back to 2:00 from 1:30 in order to allow members who are travelling from out in the state-- we now have members from both Louisville and Berea-- to have time to make it to Lexington after attending church or other Sunday morning activites.

Membership Approved KAC Application

2010-06-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

At the membership meeting on Sunday June 13th the membership of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. (KPW) approved submission of an application to the Kentucky Arts Council, Frankfort, requesting assistance in seeking approval of 501(c)3 status as a charitable organization from the Internal Revenue Service. The KPW was incorporated as a non-profit with the Kentucky Secretary of State's Office, Frankfort, in September 2009; In the months since then the organization has drafted a mission statement and a set of bylaws, but has not submitted those and such other paperwork as may be required to obtain charitable organization status from the IRS. It is hoped that with help from a KAC peer consultant that the basic requirements for 501(c)3 status can be met prior to year's end.

The KPW is the producing arm of 517 Playwrights; according to the draft KPW bylaws 517 Playwrights is the "New Play Development Committee" of KPW.

Contest Statistics

2010-06-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

517 Playwrights Second Annual 10-Minute Play Contest closes in just 18 days. As of today we have received 143 submissions from 26 US states, 3 Canadian provinces and Australia. Of those 143 entries 34 (@25%) were authored by women.

Leading in submissions are Kentucky, with 22 scripts; California, 21; New York, 16; Illinois 7; Ohio 5; and with four each Iowa, Maryland, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

Canadian provinces from which entries have come are Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec.

The play contest closes at midnight on June 30, 2010-- still two and a half weeks away-- so it is not too late to submit a script. Complete rules can be found on this blog, May 2, 2010. Entries should be sent to ky.playwright@yahoo.com Late entries will not be read; so, enter today!

Williams' Glass Menagerie Opens June 10th

2010-06-07T07:12:00.001-07:00

Louisville's Shoestring Productions presents the immortal Tennessee Williams play The Glass Menagerie for seven performances beginning June 10, 2010; performances are June 10, 16, 17, 20, 29, July 2 and 5 at 8:30p.m. at the Water Tower, Louisville, KY.

“This is a memory play” Tom Wingfield informs the audience at the beginning of our time with him, as he reconstructs for us a particularly painful sequence of events in his family life.

St. Louis: the late 1930’s. The Wingfield family lives in a shabby tenement, a far cry from Amanda’s (Megan Burnett) girlhood memory of her Blue Mountain mansion when Gentleman Callers flooded her home. Now she peddles ladies magazines over the phone to help make ends meet for her, her son and her daughter: Tom (Lee Look) who barely holds down a low-level job at a shoe warehouse, while writing poetry, going to the movies and, possibly, drinking too much like the absent father; and Laura (Laura Ellis), the terribly shy daughter, who spends most of her days tending to her collection of glass animals. What, indeed, as Amanda says, is “to become of us”? We’re about to find out when Tom defensively invites Jim O’Connor (Doug Sumey) to dinner with the family. How volatile will it be to introduce a gentleman caller into these lives in this small apartment?

“I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion,” Tom also promises. The Glass Menagerie, like so many of Williams’ plays, draws on his family’s personalities and experiences. Memory, being mutable, is always a balance of truth and illusion; as is theatre…and here Williams explores truth and illusion refracted through light, memory, and reflections of glass.

This production of The Glass Menagerie, directed by Kathi E.B. Ellis, is produced in partnership with the Louisville Visual Art Association, in conjunction with their Ne10: Louisville exhibit, part of the National Glass Art Society conference in Louisville. The exhibit gallery will be open prior to each performance of The Glass Menagerie.

In addition to her work with Shoestring Productions Ms. Ellis is a member of 517 Playwrights and the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc., the Kentucky Theatre Association, Lincoln Center and Chicago Directors' Labs and is an Associate Member, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

For more information about the production go to http://web.me.com/harryjb/ShoeStringProductions/. Tickets are $15; $12 for seniors and students with valid id. For reservations at 502-741-8392 or shoestringproductionsky@gmail.com

Produced by special arrangement with Dramatist’s Play Service.