The Black List, which surveys unproduced Hollywood screenplays, and The Movement Theatre Company have chosen playwright Marco Antonio Rodriguez as the recipient of their joint playwriting commission. Rodriguez will receive $10,000 to work with The Movement on a new theatrical work that reflects the company's commitment to complex stories about communities of color.
Rodriguez was selected on the basis of his two-hander Bloom, which is set in the near future and follows a queer political prisoner who is released by his extremist mother. A bilingual writer from New York, Rodriguez has roots in the Dominican Republic. His plays include Ashes of Light, Barceló on the Rocks, and In the Name of Salomé; he also wrote a stage adaptation of Junot Díaz' Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.
“My spirit is filled with love, gratitude, and excitement over such a great theatre initiative by The Black List,” says Rodriguez in a statement. “As a queer Dominican-American, I am honored to join this adventure with The Movement Theatre Company–a company who aligns with my artistic goals of creating brave spaces for artists of color that unleash our most authentic selves, and whose mission includes the nurturing of rich theatrical dialogue, enlightening communities to the important issues affecting our world, and empowering artists to celebrate the many sides of our unique voices. Here we go, mi gente! WEPAZO CON TO'!"
“When we expanded the Black List website to theatre last year, being able to pair a writer like Marco with a theatre like the Movement was very much our hope,” adds Black List founder Franklin Leonard. “We look forward to many more and to what Marco generates with this support.”
The Black List, which has surveyed Hollywood screenplays since 2005, began expanding into theatre last January and has launched four playwriting commissions. The Movement Theatre Company's producing artistic leadership team is comprised of David Mendizábal, Deadria Harrington, Eric Lockley, and Ryan Dobrin. It focuses on developing and producing new works by artists of color.
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