Industry NewsThe Sappho Project Launches The W*rk Lab for Women and TGNC Musical Theatre CreatorsThree musicals will be selected to receive financial support and development opportunities.
By
Dan Meyer
August 06, 2020
The Sappho Project has launched a new musical theatre development prize, The W*rk Lab, specifically for emerging women and trans or gender non-conforming book writers, composers, and lyricists. Three musicals will be selected for a seven-month development workshop that includes a $1,500 project stipend and a $500 prize.
The program aims to provide resources and visibility for the next generation of underrepresented musical theatre creators and position them for future success. In addition to a personalized plan for each project’s development, artists will be given full access to masterclasses, group feedback sessions, and a grants and residencies resource databases.
For the first five months, artists will work via Zoom or FaceTime. Workshops will then be held in April 2021, either virtually or in-person, depending on health and safety guidelines at the time.
Applications are open August 7 at TheSapphoProject.com. Artists of all ethnicities and ages, as well as artists with any accessibility needs, are encouraged to apply. All submitted pitches and proposals will be reviewed with the help of a volunteer reader group, and non-selected participants who meet all submission requirements will be offered a Zoom meeting to receive development feedback.
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14 Playwrights/Directors Tell Us Why Women’s Contributions to Theatre Are Vital
14 Playwrights/Directors Tell Us Why Women’s Contributions to Theatre Are Vital
The 2018 Women’s Voices Theater Festival runs January 15–February 15, with programming at 24 theatres in Washington, D.C.
Saviana Stanescu: “The fact that we need to ask this question in 2018 is an answer in itself... Women's voices have been silenced and ignored for centuries in our shared HIStory. Women's stories and perspectives need to be heard, valued, and cherished because they represent a significant part of who we are as artists, global citizens, people, HUMANS.”
Natsu Onoda Power: “Because we live in a world where a question like this would even come up.”
Charlie Marie McGrath: “Women’s contributions to theatre are vital because women are vital, and—at 51 percent of the population—the majority. For a few weeks, this festival realizes a world in which this statistic becomes institutionalized—a transformed world where female-identifying leaders are the norm, not the exception; where people don’t refer to me as a ‘female director’ but a ‘director’; where the national dialogue is composed of a more diverse range of voices and ideas.”
Laura Schellhardt: “Over half the population of the United States is female or female identifying. At least half of the world's population is female or female identifying. The numbers alone answer the question "why are women's contributions to the theatre vital?" They're vital for the same reason that men's contributions are vital—because our individual threads of experience comprise more than half the world's tapestry.”
Audrey Cefaly: “Women carry wounds and scars only known to them. Their struggles are monumental and their wisdom layered and deep. The world is in a lot of pain and so it is important to understand how nurturers see the world. We should invite their intricate stories of the joy and suffering that connect us all.”
Consisting of four distinct programs dedicated to supporting early career playwrights, the festival has formalized Second Stage Theater’s artistic pipeline.
The program awards three early-career playwrights with professional mentorship, a $7,500 stipend, a public reading, and additional networking opportunities.
