New Play Development Project
In 1996, the Texas Nonprofit Theatres Board of Governors adopted a resolution stating:
We, the members of the Board of Texas Nonprofit Theatres, Inc. agree that a goal of our member theatres is to promote and improve live theatre.
In order to achieve this goal, we recognize the value of showcasing new plays. Playwrights provide the heart of the creative dramatic process, but most do not have a theatre available to them to see their works come to life.
We hereby recognize that local playwrights, as much as other local theatre professionals, need a place to develop and use their talents. We believe the theatre will gain prestige, expanded audiences, and extra publicity by presenting premiere productions of new plays by local authors.
In support of this resolution, TNT Board members will encourage TNT member organizations to nurture this playwriting talent at their own theatres.
Encouragement developed into an actual pilot project in the Houston area, where former TNT Board member Diana Weeks began the process of matching playwrights with theatres. Eventually, twenty-one theatres participated. Some of those were:
- Gypsy Productions - Rosemary Poole-Carter, Resident Playwright
- Harbour Playhouse - Matt Carlin, Resident Playwright
- Express Theater - Kate Paxton, Resident Playwright
- Rice University Drama Dept. - Bren Dubey, Resident Playwright
- Prairie View A & M Drama Dept. - Je' Caryons Johnson,
Resident Playwright
- The Ensemble Theatre - Celeste Bedford Walker, Resident
Playwright
- Company on Stage - Fredrick Keyser, Resident Playwright
- Country Playhouse - Diana Howie, Resident Playwright
- Renaissance Performing Arts Center - Tyrone Dargins,
Resident Playwright
- Unicorn School of Acting - Hope Shiver (musicals),
Robyn Drake (adult), and Kati Lamkin (children's), Resident Playwrights
- Pasadena Little Theatre - Pat Morgan, Resident Playwright
And, outside the Houston area:
- S.T.A.G.E., Inc., Bulverde - Tim Hess,
Resident Playwright
- Angelo Civic Theatre, San Angelo - Chris Ellery,
Resident Playwright
This initial program accomplished many things, but basically the program sought
to connect a theatre with a local playwright, creating the connection between the people who write for the stage
and the professionals who bring the words to life.
Please note that the program was not about money, but rather "encouraging
new works to preserve live theatre for our grandchildren's children, luring
the eighteen to thirty year old movie market into theatres, generating more
publicity for local theatres, and capturing a greater share of the tourist
market and grant monies for all theatres."
For those wishing to connect with a theatre, sample guidelines for your negotiations are below.
In 2002 the TNT Board embarked on a new program dubbed the New Play Development Project, with a pilot project that took place at the TNT Annual Conference in Arlington. New play submissions from Texas playwrights were solicited, four were chosen for staged readings during the conference. This project became a biennial favorite.
In 2008, the New Play Development Project was expanded to included full length submissions and adding productions by TNT member theatres. For 2010, the program is being tweaked with lessons learned from that experience.
Guidelines for relationships between Theatre & Local
Resident Playwright
Advantages for Theatre
- Development of new audiences interested in seeing new works.
- Increased creative activity for resident Actors and Director.
- Chance to discover "hot" new plays for world premieres.
- Enhance eligibility for funding by philanthropic community.
- additional publicity in the media.
Theatre Provides
- Public announcements of selection of Resident Playwright.
- Inclusion of Playwright's name in public listings of Artistic Staff.
- Rehearsed public readings of Playwright's new work.
- Stipend for Playwright (Optional).
Playwright Provides
- Right of first refusal for Theatre to produce any new plays written
during residency.
- Right of first refusal for area production of any plays written prior
to residency.
- Percentage of future royalties from plays Theatre premieres.
- Mention of Theatre's name in media interviews and biographies.
- Introduction of Theatre to potential sources of funding.
- Evaluation of unsolicited scripts submitted to Theatre (Optional).
- Coordination of public series of rehearsed readings of new plays (Optional).
Please refer all inquiries to TNT at (817) 731-2238 or E-mail tnt@texastheatres.org.
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