The Playwrights' Center
Encyclopedia
The Playwrights' Center is a theater organization established in 1971 in Minneapolis, Minnesota
with the aim of furthering the careers of both new and established individuals in the field. Five playwrights formed the organization in the hopes of providing/obtaining support for new play development. The work of playwrights associated with the organization has won every major award in the field, including two Pulitzers and a Tony. The work of the Center is directed by a Board of Directors made up of eighteen members. Day-to-day operations are run by Dr. Polly Carl (who became Producing Artistic Director in 2002), and Dr. Craig Harris (who became Managing Director in 2007).
/Met Life Aha! ‘Think It / Do It’” grant program, and a recent $1 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Part of the project was the installation of a lighting upgrade, microphones, digital mixing equipment and software, increased server speed and space.
Many Voices Fellowships: PWC awards (2)-$1250 ‘Beginning’ Playwright fellowships and (3)-$4500 ‘Emerging’ fellowships for writers of color. The Many Voices program also includes a structured curriculum of playwriting instruction and dramaturgical support.
National Residency and Commission: One playwright selected annually from a national pool to develop a new work. S/he receives A $12,500 commission, housing during the agreed upon residency, and $5,000 to a director of the playwrights’ choice to participate in both the development and production of the play.
The McKnight Advancement Grants recognize two Minnesota-based playwrights whose work demonstrates exceptional artistic merit and potential. Two grants of $25,000 each are awarded each year. The grants are intended to advance recipients' art and careers, and additional funds of $2,000 can be used to support a wide variety of expenses, including but not limited to artistic costs of residency at a theater or arts organization, travel, study, production, or presentation.
An international project organized by the Playwrights' Center and the U.S./Japan Cultural Trade Network, Inc., in association with the Saison Foundation, with funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Saison Foundation, and the Japan Foundation through the Performing Arts JAPAN program. The purpose is to annually exchange a new play between Japan and America by providing a space in which a new play can be workshopped and read, in addition to its playwright being transported and housed. As of 2009, the exchange/translation part of this project is over, but work is in progress to develop a book bringing together the plays that were translated in previous seasons.
PlayLabs was an annual showcase of new plays that used to occur during a two-week span in July. As of 2009, it is currently being substituted by a regular (September-May) season in the Waring Jones theater, which is designed to better showcase the new play development occurring year-round.
The Playwrights' Center ’s annual budget is approximately $1.4 million, and receive financial support from: the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Ruth Easton Fund of the Edelstein Family Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Minnesota State Arts Board, and the Bush Foundation.
The Playwrights’ Center has a staff of ten full-time, and five part-time employees. The work of Center playwrights are supported by a Board of Directors consisting of eighteen members, and a national Advisory Board of theater professionals.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
with the aim of furthering the careers of both new and established individuals in the field. Five playwrights formed the organization in the hopes of providing/obtaining support for new play development. The work of playwrights associated with the organization has won every major award in the field, including two Pulitzers and a Tony. The work of the Center is directed by a Board of Directors made up of eighteen members. Day-to-day operations are run by Dr. Polly Carl (who became Producing Artistic Director in 2002), and Dr. Craig Harris (who became Managing Director in 2007).
Artistic Director Move
The Producing Artistic Director of the Playwrights’ Center, Dr. Polly Carl, will be joining the staff of the Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre in September 2009. The PWC has retained Connecticut-based Management Consultants for the Arts, Inc. to assist the Board of Directors in a national search for a replacement.Trailers
The PWC has recently begun producing video “trailers” of new plays. The trailers are available primarily on the Center’s web site. The project is funded by the new “TCGTCG
TCG may stand for:* Geocentric Coordinate Time* Test Call Generator, piece of equipment used for testing in the telecommunications industry* TCG , the official debut studio album released in 2007 by The Cheetah Girls...
/Met Life Aha! ‘Think It / Do It’” grant program, and a recent $1 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Part of the project was the installation of a lighting upgrade, microphones, digital mixing equipment and software, increased server speed and space.
Website
The Playwrights’ Center launched a new website in September 2008. For the first time, the website utilizes flash multimedia and increased capacity for video quality. It includes news and information about the organization and its work, as well as a private area for current members. The members-only area includes advice, job posting boards, and opportunities for playwrights to share their work directly with each other.2008-09 Season
- Summer PlayLabs (2008)
- Forgetting by Trista Baldwin
- Slasher by Allison Moore
- Notari, Notari by Shigefumi Fukatsu
- Mother Earth by Andy Bragen
- The Secret Lives of Coats by Stephanie Fleischmann
- Fall & Winter Season (2008-09)
- Dog and Wolf by Catherine Filloux
- Raskol by Kira Obolensky
- A Map of Doubt and Rescue by Susan Miller
- Down in Mississippi by Carlyle Brown
- Agnes Under the Big Top by Aditi Brennan Kapil
- The Three Christs of Ypsilanti by Dan O’Brien
- Hawking by Lonnie Carter
- T or C by Vincent Delaney
Programs
The Playwrights’ Center’s Mission Statement is: “The Playwrights’ Center champions playwrights and plays to build upon a living theater that demands new and innovative works.”The Ruth Easton Lab
The Ruth Easton Lab brings the Playwrights’ Center’s Core Writers and playwriting fellows to Minneapolis for 10- to 20-hour play development workshops with professional actors and prominent directors, dramaturgs, and designers from across the country. At the playwright’s discretion, the workshop may or may not culminate in a public reading. The PWC develops about 50 plays in the Ruth Easton Lab each year. Lab writers are also promoted through the Center’s website and are provided opportunities by transporting literary managers (and other representatives of prominent organizations) to Minneapolis to see their new work.Core Writers
The Playwrights’ Center’s Core Writers are a group of 25-30 leading playwrights from across the country. Approximately 7 playwrights per year are given “Core Writer” status. Core writers are then given three years of access to the PWC’s Ruth Easton Lab.Core Apprentices
Five student playwrights are selected each year to be “Core Apprentices”. These writers come from partnerships with the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival and the Alliance Theater in Atlanta, GA, in addition to applications from New Plays on Campus schools. Each Core Apprentice receives a fully funded workshop that includes travel, housing and pay for actors, directors, dramaturgs and designers. Student writers are paired with a Core Writer as a mentor for the full year of their apprenticeship.Fellowships
The Playwrights’ Center offers year-long fellowships funded by the Jerome and McKnight foundations. More than $200,000 in annual support is provided to playwrights and actors through the Playwrights’ Center.Jerome Fellowships
Playwright Fellowships: PWC awards $10,000 Jerome fellowships to five emerging American playwrights per year.Many Voices Fellowships: PWC awards (2)-$1250 ‘Beginning’ Playwright fellowships and (3)-$4500 ‘Emerging’ fellowships for writers of color. The Many Voices program also includes a structured curriculum of playwriting instruction and dramaturgical support.
McKnight Fellowships
Theater Artist Fellowships: Three professional artists whose skill and talent contribute to theatrical productions are awarded $25,000 grants to significantly advance recipients’ art and careers.National Residency and Commission: One playwright selected annually from a national pool to develop a new work. S/he receives A $12,500 commission, housing during the agreed upon residency, and $5,000 to a director of the playwrights’ choice to participate in both the development and production of the play.
The McKnight Advancement Grants recognize two Minnesota-based playwrights whose work demonstrates exceptional artistic merit and potential. Two grants of $25,000 each are awarded each year. The grants are intended to advance recipients' art and careers, and additional funds of $2,000 can be used to support a wide variety of expenses, including but not limited to artistic costs of residency at a theater or arts organization, travel, study, production, or presentation.
Private Membership
Private membership to the organization is offered at $50 per year, per person. Membership gives individuals access to services such as: (private or public) roundtable readings, one-on-one dramaturgy consultations, and access to a members-only website. Membership is nationwide—the majority of members reside in states other than Minnesota.New Plays on Campus
Institutional membership is $275 for an educational institution to have regular access to new plays, plus the aforementioned benefits of private membership.Classes
The Playwrights' Center offers various classes taught by theatre professionals. Playwrights' Center members receive discounts on tuition.Workhaus Collective
The Playwrights’ Center’s company in residence, who produce fully staged works at the Playwright Center’s Waring Jones Theatre. Workhaus is an independent collaboration of PWC writers, and is not managed by the Playwrights’ Center.Recent productions
- 800 Words: The Transmigration of Philip K. Dick by Victoria Stewart
- Planting Shelly Anne by Jeannine Coulombe
- Forgetting by Trista Baldwin
- SadGrrl13 by Cory Hinkle
Japan exchange
The U.S.-Japan Contemporary Plays and Playwrights Exchange Project (defunct)An international project organized by the Playwrights' Center and the U.S./Japan Cultural Trade Network, Inc., in association with the Saison Foundation, with funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Saison Foundation, and the Japan Foundation through the Performing Arts JAPAN program. The purpose is to annually exchange a new play between Japan and America by providing a space in which a new play can be workshopped and read, in addition to its playwright being transported and housed. As of 2009, the exchange/translation part of this project is over, but work is in progress to develop a book bringing together the plays that were translated in previous seasons.
PlayLabs
(on hiatus)PlayLabs was an annual showcase of new plays that used to occur during a two-week span in July. As of 2009, it is currently being substituted by a regular (September-May) season in the Waring Jones theater, which is designed to better showcase the new play development occurring year-round.
Space, staff and funding
The Playwrights’ Center is housed in a Victorian era church on the corner of 23rd and Franklin in Minneapolis, MN. In 2001, they concluded a $1.1 million construction project. Included in the restoration was the Waring Jones theater, which seats 120.The Playwrights' Center ’s annual budget is approximately $1.4 million, and receive financial support from: the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Ruth Easton Fund of the Edelstein Family Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Minnesota State Arts Board, and the Bush Foundation.
The Playwrights’ Center has a staff of ten full-time, and five part-time employees. The work of Center playwrights are supported by a Board of Directors consisting of eighteen members, and a national Advisory Board of theater professionals.
Prominent affiliated members
These prominent artists are, or have been, affiliated with the Playwrights’ Center.- Lee BlessingLee Blessing-Biography:Blessing's best-known play is A Walk in the Woods, which depicts the developing relationship between two arms limitation negotiators, one Russian and one American, over years of negotiation...
- Ping ChongPing ChongPing Chong is an American contemporary theater director, choreographer, video and installation artist. He was born in Toronto and raised in the Chinatown section of New York City...
- Barbara FieldBarbara FieldBarbara Field is a playwright whose work has been seen at theaters across North America and Europe. Currently a resident of Minneapolis, Ms. Field is a co-founder of The Playwrights' Center, and served as playwright-in-residence at the Guthrie Theater for eight years...
- Endesha Ida Mae Holland
- Kevin KlingKevin KlingKevin Kling is an American commentator for National Public Radio and acclaimed storyteller.Kevin Kling grew up in Osseo, Minnesota and graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1979 with a B. A. in Theatre...
- Emily MannEmily Mann (director)Emily Mann, born April 12, 1952, is the multi-award–winning Artistic Director and Resident Playwright of McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey, where she has overseen over 85 productions....
- Eric OvermyerEric OvermyerEric Overmyer is a writer and producer. He has written and/or produced numerous TV shows, including St. Elsewhere, Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order, The Wire, New Amsterdam, and Treme.-Biography:...
- Paula VogelPaula VogelPaula Vogel is an American playwright and university professor. She received the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, How I Learned to Drive.-Early years:...
- August WilsonAugust WilsonAugust Wilson was an American playwright whose work included a series of ten plays, The Pittsburgh Cycle, for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama...
- Catherine FillouxCatherine FillouxCatherine Filloux is a French-Algerian-American playwright. She has received awards from the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays, the O'Neill, the Rockefeller MAP Fund, and the Asian Cultural Council. In 2003 she was a Fullbright Senior Specialist in playwriting in Cambodia.Filloux's plays...
- Jeffrey HatcherJeffrey HatcherJeffrey Hatcher is a playwright and screenwriter. He wrote the stage play Compleat Female Stage Beauty, which he later adapted into a screenplay, shortened to just Stage Beauty...
- Sherry KramerSherry KramerSherry Kramer is an American playwright, born in Springfield, Missouri. Kramer attended Wellesley College, as an undergraduate, and earned two masters degrees from the University of Iowa.-Career:Kramer's plays include:...
- Susan Miller (playwright)Susan Miller (playwright)Susan Miller, two time OBIE winner and recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in Playwriting, is perhaps best known as the author/performer of the critically acclaimed one woman play, My Left Breast and a producer and writer for the web series Anyone But Me.-Life:Miller served for three years as the...
- Dan O'Brien (playwright)Dan O'Brien (playwright)Dan O’Brien is an American playwright whose plays include The Body of an American, The Three Christs of Ypsilanti, The Cherry Sisters Revisited, The Voyage of the Carcass, The Dear Boy, The House in Hydesville, Moving Picture, Key West, "Will You Please Shut Up?", and The Disappearance of Daniel Hand...
- Naomi Iizuka
- Kira Obolensky
- Lisa D'Amour
- Carlyle Brown