Taking Stock to be Read in Berea

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.

Walker Receives Emerging Artist Award

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

Liz Fentress to Consult with KPW

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/

Kentucky Arts Council Grant Approved

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.

Membership Approved KAC Application

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.