Women Playwright's Circle Application Deadline: June 15, 2023
Announcing Speranza Theatre Company's Women's Playwrights Circle (September 2023 to August 2024). All women-identified playwrights who reside in the US are welcome to apply. Preference will be given to women playwrights who are in PA, NY, NJ, CT, and DE. To be explicit, BIPOC, trans, cis and gender fluid women and those who identify on the spectrum of woman are welcome and encouraged to apply.
Any questions about the Circle or about this application process should be directed to Pandora Scooter(Founder/Director) at pandorascooter@gmail.com.
Every effort will be made to create as diverse a group of writers (based on race, gender identity, class, ability, background, education, etc) as possible. Please be sure to be particularly specific about all the ways in which you identify, to help us with this very important goal.
This is sponsored by Museum of Jersey City History, The Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs, and is part of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance 2022 Stages Festival, made possible by support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; Bank of America; The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey; OceanFirst Foundation; New Jersey Historical Commission. www.njtheatrealliance.org/stages.
The first 100 applications will be considered for a spot in this year's Circle. Out of those who apply, 8-10 playwrights will be chosen to participate. Participation consists of attending up to 36 mandatory weekly (mostly) meetings (over the course of the year) to share pages, receive feedback and to develop their work. The summer session will focus on readings of full-lengths that may/may not be open to the public, depending on the determination of the playwright and the program's director.
Weekly Meetings will be on Sundays from 2pm to 5pm. Please do not apply if you will not be able to commit to this schedule. This playwrights group will meet on Zoom.
The deadline to apply is June 15, 2023 or when we've received 100 applications. There is no fee to apply and no fee to participate. Successful Applications will be contacted by August 15th.
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Speranza is happy to be working on this project with playwright and teacher, Pandora Scooter, the Founder/Director of the Women's Playwright's Circle.
ABOUT
PANDORA
SCOOTER
Pandora Scooter (Founder/Director, NJ Women's Playwrights Circle) is a playwright, actor, script analyst and instructor. She's taught at Drew, Rider and Rutgers Universities, for the Dramatist's Guild Institute, Manhattan Marymount College and NYU. She founded and runs the ATG PlayLab, a playwright's development group for straight and queer BIPOC playwrights. In 1999, Pandora and NJ playwright Rosemary McLaughlin founded the Hallie Flanagan Women's Play Series at Wings Theatre Company, NYC, which ran for 3 seasons. Pandora has worked in the literary departments of Arena Stage, The Goodman Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company, Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey, George Street Playhouse and New York Theatre Workshop. As a playwright, she's had her work performed on national tours, at NJPAC, George Street Playhouse, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Bowery Poetry Club, New York Theatre Workshop, and at H.E.R.E. Arts Center. Her recent play, Two Peas in a Pod, was adapted to a screenplay by Cedric Hill, To & Fro Productions, and is scheduled for release this summer. She is the winner of the 2018 Fresh Fruit Festival award for Best Musical and has been acknowledged by the Bechdel 2.0 Theatre Festival and the Seoul Players. Pandora holds an MFA in Directing from Mason Gross School of the Arts where she worked with William Esper, Loyd Williamson, Hal Scott, Amy Saltz and Maggie Flanigan. She resides in northern NJ.
2022-2023 Women Playwrights' Circle
Past Events
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Sponsored by:
The Museum of Jersey City History
The Hudson County Office of Cultural Affairs
The Jersey City Arts Trust Fund.
A part of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance 2023 Stages Festival, made possible by support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; Bank of America; The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey; OceanFirst Foundation; New Jersey Historical Commission. www.njtheatrealliance.org/stages
May 19th 6:30pm
Strange Angels
by Kimberly (Kimi) del Busto Ramírez
When junior mechanic Gab García reveals they are liberal, nonbinary, and vegan, their conservative father blows a fuse. A rift between parent and child ruptures traditional cultural values and suspends the family auto-repair business in an uncanny lurch as they struggle to rebalance, reconcile, and re-establish bonds and boundaries. This dark comedy of miracles pays significant homage to Nobel Prize Winning Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez while examining universal conflicts associated with identity formation.
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May 22nd 6:30pm
Something More Than God
by Gabrielle Perez
Orphaned as a baby, Emma Smith has spent her entire life under the watchful eye of Reverend Parson. After a terrible train accident, Theodore, becomes a guest of the Parson’s to heal from his injuries. Through their budding relationship, Emma sees Theodore as a way to break free from the restrictive life laid out in front of her. But Reverend Parson will not let her go easily. After discovering years of secrets, Emma must take control of her life, and realize she is the only one who can save herself.
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Keep It Light
by Toby Inoue
Two sisters, Winnie and Tomi, try to reconnect after an estrangement when their mother becomes seriously ill. Winnie is half African-American and a celebrity stand-up comedian, who has been cancelled. Tomi is half Asian-American and an elementary school art teacher who stayed in her hometown. The sisters clean Mom's house as they also try to accommodate Mom's last wishes, including a comeback show for Winnie and a hospital wedding for Tomi. Painful memories resurface as they sort through familiar objects from the past, and they try to make sense of familial love and its entanglement with racism and favoritism.