Arts News
Playwrights’ Center Programs Applications Open
PLAYWRIGHTS’ CENTER PROGRAMS
In partnership with the McKnight and Jerome Foundations, the Playwrights’ Center provides more than $400,000 each year to playwrights and theater artists in the United States. In addition, they continue breaking ground with playwright-centric development processes, bold theater partnerships, and online and onsite resources serving 2,300 member playwrights worldwide. Their programs for playwrights and other theater artists, including deadlines are below.
For playwrights:
-The Many Voices Mentorship supports specifically BIPOC artists from Minnesota who are new to playwriting. (deadline December 1)
-The McKnight Fellowship in Playwriting supports mid-career/established Minnesota-based playwrights (deadline December 15)
For other theater artists:
-The McKnight Theater Artist Fellowship supports mid-career Minnesota-based theater artists other than playwrights (while the deadline for this program is March 30, 2023, it is helpful to submit an intent to apply as soon as possible.)
-The Core Writer Program supports professional playwrights from anywhere in the US for three years, including development support and career resources (deadline January 19)
Reach out to Julia Brown (she/her/hers), Artistic Programs Manager, for more information at juliab@pwcenter.org.
Playwrights’ Centerwww.pwcenter.org | 612-332-7481 x.11152301 E. Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406
Area Community Theater of Thief River Falls Announces Season
Thief River Falls Area Community Theater Announces Season
The Area Community Theater of Thief River Falls has announced casts and its schedule of shows for summer 2022. This is the A.C.T.’s 27th continuous season of summer theater on stage at Northland Community and Technical College. According to Executive Director Jane Anderson, “We’ve persevered through the COVID pandemic, keeping our actors and audiences in mind throughout this unusual and difficult time. We’ve continued to produce our weekly radio show on Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. on Pioneer 90.1 FM. We even sneaked in a small-cast comedy last November between waves of COVID. During the summer of 2021, we staged two youth programs with limited audiences, while also streaming those shows online. We are proud of our resistance and the ability to create under the circumstances, but we are beyond delighted to be back on stage in front of full-capacity, live audiences this summer. We’ve selected three blockbuster shows that audiences and actors have been begging for—now is the time!”
The summer season will open on June 14 when Nunsensations! The Vegas Revue by Dan Goggin opens for a four-day run. Directing Nunsensations! is Jane Anderson, with Lisa Swanson, Leah Wattenphul, Rene Mooney, Kristal Kozicki, Ginger Kirkeby and Carl Dahlberg in the cast. Brianna Geer accompanies. Join the Little Sisters of Hoboken as they navigate their way around Sin City with singing, dancing and loads of laughs. Performances run each evening from June 14-17.
Next up in the summer line-up is Annie KIDS. This is an all-children’s version of the class beloved show about America’s favorite orphan. Our cast includes Karmyn Augustine as Annie; Kora Fuhrer, Lilly Bregier, Ophelia Mooney, Janaya Albers, Jaelynn Artmann, Olivia Sterry as the Orphans, Zoey Taggatz as Miss Hannigan, Rhesa Wattenphul as Grace Farrel, Sam Barth as Rooster, Cambry Carr as Lily, Braxton Eidelbes as Daddy Warbucks, Clarice St. Germain as Sandy and an orphan, Chava Wattenphul as Bundles, Lainey Boman as an Apple Seller and Star-to-Be, Zachary Ostercamp at Lt. Ward, Michael Dehaan as President Roosevelt, Isabel Kainz as Usherette and orphan, Joey Michalke and Josie Artmann as members of the ensemble playing multiple parts. There is room for a few more cast members for Annie KIDS. Contact Jane Anderson at trfact56701@gmail for more information.
Annie KIDS will run June 28-30.
The final show of the 2022 summer season is Beauty & the Beast Jr. This features an all-teen cast, which includes Alainna Lunsetter as Belle, Odin Mooney as the Beast, Logan Ballard as Maurice, Levi German as Gaston, Luquis Moser at Lefou, Olivia Wojahn as Lumiere, Liam Stavos as Cogsworth, Javyn Eidelbes as Mrs. Potts, Sadie Johnson at Babette, Andraya Bakken as Madame Wardrobe, and Wyatt Novak as Chip. The ensemble for Beauty & the Beastincludes Emma Westerman, Amellia Ballard, Aiden Eidelbes, Alyssa Foster, Annabelle Simoneau, Madelyn David, Alannah Fitzgerald, Karena Bakken, Riley Poppitz, Akilah Grahn, Hailee Eidelbes, Olivia Mooney, Anita Foster, Amelie Heaton, Madison Poissant and Danielle German.
Beauty & the Beast Jr. will run July 27-29.
All performances begin at 7 p.m. at the NCTC Theater.
Tickets are on sale at Hope Pediatrics in Thief River Falls during business hours. You may also purchase tickets online through www.trfact.org, and at the door on nights of the performances.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council and the Minnesota State Arts Board thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Fast*Fest 20 Minute Plays will be August 19 & 20
Fast*Fest 2022
Minnesota Association of Community Theatre — MACT’s biennial festival of 20-minute plays, Fast*Fest, will be held August 19 (welcome social) and August 20 (workshops, performances and social) in Faribault. Workshops and performances will be at the Paradise Center for the Arts.
Tentative Fast*Fest Schedule:
Fri, Aug 19 Welcome Social at a location TBA
Sat, Aug 20 Workshops at Paradise Center for the Arts
The deadline for registering your theatre to present a show is June 20th. Visit their website for more information and to sign up. https://www.mact.net/?page=MACT-Events/Fast-Fest-2022-1898
Workshops:
Workshops will be live. There will be two workshop sessions, with two concurrent workshops per session.
Theatre performances:
Will be live Saturday afternoon and Evening
Social gathering at end of festival:
At end of the day, after all theatre performances are completed, MACT will host a live after-glow social at a location TBA.
Guidelines for theaters for Fast*Fest:
Who can perform:
The festival is open to Minnesota community theatres, college/university programs, high school theatre programs and ad hoc groups (pretty much anyone EXCEPT groups using any professional actors). Registration for performing companies is free to MACT members. Non-MACT-members will pay a $25 registration fee which includes a MACT membership through December. Registration deadline for performing companies is June 20th by midnight (received, not postmarked). Performance order will be by random drawig from entries received by the deadline, filling the last performance slot first and working backwards. MACT may cancel the festival if at least six productions are not registered. Additional productions may be accepted after the registration if space is available and all other guidelines are met.
Basic guidelines for participating productions:
Please consider the following guidelines and options to participate:
Actors and technicians may not be professionals (not members of Actors Equity or equivelant)
Each production will be briefly introduced by a moderator announcing the show title and possibly author, director, cast, & time/place/setting.
Following each production, a moderated live discussion will take place.
Performance cannot exceed 20 minutes
You will have 5 minutes to setup before your performance and 5 minutes to strike after your performance
Works presented may be original scripts or otherwise licensed materials including author or licensing house approved cuttings. You must have the rights to perform the show as presented.
TRFACT Announces Auditions for Nunsensations!
TRFACT Announces Auditions for Nunsensations!
The Thief River Falls Area Community Theater is back in business announcing: Auditions for Nunsensations!, a wacky musical featuring an all-female cast, with the exception of one other character which can be male or female.
When a parishioner offers to make a $10K donation to Mt. Saint Helen’s School if the Sisters will perform in Las Vegas, the adventure begins. The Sisters don feathers and sequins and head for Sin City. Remember: What happens in Vegas, STAYS in Vegas.
Auditions are Monday, November 15 and Tuesday, November 16 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. at the United Methodist Church (116 North Horace) in Thief River Falls. Come whenever is convenient during those times; each audition will take 30 minutes or less.
Auditionees should be prepared to sing a song of choice and read from the script. There will be an accompanist provided, but you should bring your own sheet music.
Performances are scheduled for February 16-19, 2022 at NCTC. Questions? Email trfact56701@gmail.com.
Applications Open for Fellowship Programs through the Playwrights’ Center
Applications are open for the fellowship programs at Playwrights' Center. This includes the Many Voices Mentorship, McKnight Fellowship and Playwriting, and McKnight Theater Artist Fellowship, which are for specifically Minnesota artists.
-The Jerome Fellowship supports early career writers from anywhere in the country, who spend a year in Minneapolis developing their work and careers (deadline November 4)
-The Many Voices Fellowship supports specifically early career BIPOC writers from around the country coming to Minneapolis to develop new work (deadline November 18)
-The McKnight National Residency and Commission provides resources and a commission to an established non-Minnesota writer to create a new play (deadline December 2)
-The McKnight Fellowship in Playwriting supports mid-career/established Minnesota-based playwrights (deadline December 9)
-The Core Writer Program supports professional playwrights from anywhere in the US for three years, including development support and career resources (deadline January 20)
-The McKnight Theater Artist Fellowship supports theater artists other than playwrights with a $25,000 stipend and career support. (deadline March 31)