For Immediate Release
April 20, 2015
IRT HOSTS NATIONAL WRITE NOW CONFERENCE, HONORS FOUR PLAYWRIGHTS
Indianapolis—Over 150 playwrights submitted scripts for the Write Now conference that takes place at the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) from May 3 through May 6. Write Now is a national youth symposium that advocates for playwrights in the Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) field by engaging ongoing conversations about emerging content for young audiences.
Of the applicants, four finalists have been invited to spend a week in residency at IRT and present their work at the national convening. The playwrights in development are supported by professional directors, actors and dramaturgs. In addition, the Finalists will receive $1,000 honorarium.
The four finalists are: Eric Appleton, Three Excellent Cows; Kristen D. Boers, Había Una Vez: Once Upon a Time; Mark Costello, Kid Turboni Brings the Rain and Reina Hardy, Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven.
Known formerly as the Waldo M. & Grace C. Bonderman Playwriting for Youth Symposium, Write Now is collaboration between the IRT and Childsplay Theatre in Tempe, AZ. Historically held exclusively at the IRT, Write Now is now held at one of the two theatres biennially. Write Now will be held at Childsplay Theatre in 2017.
Write Now is funded in part by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
The community is invited to attend the conference and can register online at www.irtlive.com. Registration is $175 for general public, $160 for TYA One Theatre World participants and $100 for students and Write Now readers.
Registration fee includes a dessert reception on Sunday, and awards reception and breakfast. Complimentary beverages available during the conference.
Additionally, special guest and renowned choreographer, educator and writer Liz Lerman will present Creative Research: What happens when we cross Borders, Disciplines and Domains on May 5.
WRITE NOW CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
SUNDAY, MAY 3RD
Time
3:30PM to 5:30PM—Registration
5:30PM to 7:30PM—Welcome and Discussion
7:30PM to 9:30PM—Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven Reading
9:30PM to 11:00PM—Dessert Reception
MONDAY, MAY 4th
Time
9:00AM to 11:00AM—Three Excellent Cows Reading
11:00AM to 11:15 AM—Break
11:15AM to 12:15PM—Semi-Finalist Showcase Reading
12:15PM to 1:45PM—Lunch on your own
1:45PM to 3:00PM—Town Hall #1: Micro-Festivus: A How-To Guide
3:00PM to 5:00PM— Había Una Vez: Once Upon a Time Reading
5:00PM to 7:00PM—Dinner on your own
7:00PM to 9:00PM—Playwright’s Slam
TUESDAY, MAY 5TH
Time
9:00AM to 10:15AM—Town Hall #2: TYA and LORT
10:15AM to 10:30AM—Break
10:30AM to 12:00PM—Liz Lerman: Creative Research
12:00PM to 1:30PM—Lunch on your own
1:30PM to 2:45PM—Town Hall #3: This Is Our Youth
2:45PM to 3:00PM—Break
3:00PM to 5:00PM—Kid Turboni Brings the Rain Reading
5:00PM to 6:30PM—Dinner on your own
6:30PM to 8:30PM—Awards Reception
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6TH
Time
8:30AM to 9:00AM—Conference Breakfast
9:00AM to 11:00AM—Finalist Response Session
11:00AM to 12:30PM—Creative Team Feedback
For more information concerning the conference, please contact Courtney Sale at csale@irtlive.com or Jenny Millinger at jmillinger@childsplayaz.org.
ABOUT THE FINALISTS’ WORK
Three Excellent Cows
by Eric Appleton
Felix, Rupert, and Daisy are curious, intelligent, and fearless young cows. At least they think they are. They’re pretty sure they are. But when you’re told over and over that getting to the moon or being President are things that a cow should never expect to do, it’s hard to stay curious, or be fearless, or feel you’re at all intelligent. Three Excellent Cows is the story of three friends who, with the help of a good narrator and the power of frozen yogurt, take on every disappointment, discouragement, and disaster the barnyard throws at them, and learn that making a dream come true takes a little more work than sitting on a fence and wishing for your fairy godchicken to arrive.
Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven
by Reina Hardy
Annie Jump is a teenage science genius living in a small town. As if that’s not dorky enough, her dad is obsessed with aliens. One night, a meteor falls and Annie meets Althea. Althea seems like your everyday mean girl, but she's actually an intergalactic supercomputer, here to help Annie take humanity from the earth to the stars. But being the Chosen One isn't all glory. What is Althea hiding? And what will Annie have to sacrifice to fulfill her destiny?
Kid Turboni Brings the Rain
by Mark Costello
It’s 104 degrees in the shade in an Albuquerque housing project, and Kid Turboni, his best friend Billy, and eventual love-interest Kelly have had enough of the heat’s foolishness. They tell stories of Smack Turkenson, a fabled ex-resident of the housing project who bathed his beloved people in precious H2O by stealing it from Mother Nature, moonwalked down the street and then flew away in a rush of red, white, and blue because—y’know, America?
The kids have bigger problems than the heat, though. Kid has experienced devastating loss. Billy's mom Lydia works long, hard hours and Billy feels neglected, and Kelly’s rising dyslexia is making things difficult for her at school. Everything smashes together as the question gets asked: can Kid Turboni bring the rain?
Había Una Vez: Once Upon a Time
by Kristen D. Boers
Once upon a time, Había Una Vez, Mari had a mom and a dad. But that was before. Now all Mari and her Dad have are sad memories. When he decides to move them away from the city to a new home in the suburbs, Mari makes revisions to her story. Soon Mari and her parents are the heroes of their own fairytale. Each time she weaves her fable, Mari rewrites her own ending. As her tale grows and grows, Mari feels farther and farther from her heartbreak. And her storytelling gains her something she never imagined: friends. But when a secret threatens to ruin everything she’s created, Mari must learn that sometimes the difference between real life and fairytales is the truth.
Founded in 1972, the IRT is the largest and fully professional not-for-profit theatre in the state and has grown into one of the leading regional theatres in the country. The mission of IRT is to produce top-quality, professional theatre and related activities, providing experiences that will engage, surprise, challenge and entertain people throughout their lifetimes, helping us build a vital and vibrant community.
###
