ENOUGH! ANNOUNCES SIX WINNING PLAYS BY EMERGING TEEN WRITERS ON ENDING GUN VIOLENCE
Plus, your weekly round-up of theatre news you may have missed!
Welcome to The Scene, your weekly round-up of theatre news you may have missed. In this week’s email:
THE BROADWAY BEAT - Camelot to end Broadway run early | Get a 1st Look at Broadway's The Cottage, Starring Eric McCormack, Lilli Cooper, Laura Bell Bundy, and More | Mandy Patinkin, Bebe Neuwirth, Laurie Metcalf, More Among 2023 Theater Hall of Fame Inductees | New York’s Public Theater Lays Off 19 Percent of Its Staff
HOT TOPICS - It’s Getting Hard to Stage a School Play Without Political Drama | ASCAP Foundation to Launch 1st Musical Theatre Fest With Stephen Schwartz, Pasek & Paul, and More | TV And Radio Actors Union Goes On Strike | The Goodman Theatre released a new clip of their production of The Who's Tommy.
FREE READS - Discover 4 Plays you can read for FREE this month!
THE BIG IDEA – ENOUGH! Announces Six Winning Plays by Emerging Teen Writers on Ending Gun Violence
THE SCENE FEEDBACK SURVEY- Help us shape the future of The Scene
The Broadway Beat
CAMELOT TO END BROADWAY RUN EARLY - Originally announced to play a limited run through June 23, the production was later extended to Sept. 3.
GET A 1ST LOOK AT BROADWAY'S THE COTTAGE, STARRING ERIC MCCORMACK, LILLI COOPER, LAURA BELL BUNDY, AND MORE - Jason Alexander makes his Broadway directorial debut with the new comedy from CLUE playwright Sandy Rustin.
MANDY PATINKIN, BEBE NEUWIRTH, LAURIE METCALF, MORE AMONG 2023 THEATER HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES - The 52nd Anniversary induction ceremony will be held in November at the Gershwin Theatre.
NEW YORK’S PUBLIC THEATER LAYS OFF 19 PERCENT OF ITS STAFF - The institution, a titan among nonprofit theaters, is suffering from the combined effects of falling revenue and rising costs plaguing the arts world.
Hot Topics
IT’S GETTING HARD TO STAGE A SCHOOL PLAY WITHOUT POLITICAL DRAMA - At a time when lawmakers and parents are seeking to restrict what can and cannot be taught in classrooms, many teachers are seeing efforts to limit what can be staged in their auditoriums.
ASCAP FOUNDATION TO LAUNCH 1ST MUSICAL THEATRE FEST WITH STEPHEN SCHWARTZ, PASEK & PAUL, AND MORE - The two-week event will offer emerging musical theatre composers an opportunity to learn from industry leaders.
TV AND RADIO ACTORS UNION GOES ON STRIKE - SAG-AFTRA did not reach a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers ahead of the July 13 deadline.
THE GOODMAN THEATRE RELEASED A NEW CLIP OF THEIR PRODUCTION OF THE WHO'S TOMMY.
PLAYSCRIPTS FREE READS | JULY 2023
Playscripts is proud to provide readers of The Scene with a selection of plays to read for free for the month of July. The theme for July is Freedom. So please keep scrolling to see this month’s free read selections.
Click on the title of the play you want to read below. Once you click and have been taken to the play’s main page, click on the title, then on the next page you will see a "READ For FREE" button in red, click the button and enjoy!
Here are this month’s free reads. Click on the title to begin.
The Election by Don Zolidis
About: After an embattled student body president resigns in disgrace, Mark Davenport figures he will cruise to victory in the special election. After all, his only opponent is nerdy Christy Martin, who wants to eliminate football. But when a mysterious Super PAC gives her an unlimited budget, things start to get very ugly. Mark must face total annihilation or accept the services of a slick professional campaign manager with questionable ethics and a million-dollar Super PAC of his own. A hilarious and timely satire on the contemporary political scene.
Comedy | 85 - 95 minutes
7 W, 7 M, 10 Any (19-48 actors possible: 4-43 W, 5-44 M)
Set: Minimal.
Alice in Wonderland adapted by Jason Pizzarello
About: After Alice tumbles down a mysterious rabbit hole, she finds herself in a strange land where everyone is raving mad. With the help of a Cheshire Cat, an astute Caterpillar, and a righteous Humpty Dumpty, Alice must find her way home and discover who she really is. A darker, more faithful version of Lewis Carroll's classic tale that reimagines the experience of Wonderland and ends with an unexpected new twist.
Drama/Comedy|30 - 40 minutes
9 W, 9 M, 12 Any (11-38 actors possible: 5-32 W, 6-33 M)
Set: Minimal.
Content Notes: The length of this play can be cut for time restrictions. Please contact Playscripts for permission.
Booby Trap (Formerly Booby in the Trap) by Ed Monk
About: In the near future, an American soldier sits in a combat zone, trapped by a land mine. As he waits to see what will happen to him, scenes from his past, present, and future unfold around him.
Drama | 30 - 35 minutes
6 W, 5 M, 6 Any (11-17 actors possible: 5-12 W, 5-12 M)
Set: One realistic tree stump and six combat uniforms
Content Notes: Mild adult language
Rue by Mandy Conner
About: Deep in a Louisiana swamp, sixteen-year-old Josephine struggles with intense anxiety following the mysterious disappearance of her parents. She refuses to leave the safety of her home and face the outside world, even as it becomes increasingly dangerous for her to stay in the marshland. Against the wishes of her brother and best friend, Jo turns to the dark inhabitants of the swamp for answers. But is she brave enough to face the truth about her family—and herself?
Comedy | 85 - 95 minutes
7 W, 7 M, 10 Any (19-48 actors possible: 4-43 W, 5-44 M)
Set: Minimal.
The Big Idea
ENOUGH! Announces Six Winning Plays by Emerging Teen Writers on Ending Gun Violence
ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence has announced this year’s winners of its national short play competition. Six impactful plays tackling the subject of gun violence were selected, representing the creative voices of teen playwrights from across the country. The plays and playwrights chosen for this year's competition are:
"The Smiles Behind" by Niarra C. Bell from Virginia
"A Call for Help" by Pepper Fox from Kentucky
"rOunds" by HJ Kennedy from North Carolina
"A Disorderly House" by Sam Lee Victor from New Jersey
"No Prospering Weapons" by Justin Cameron Washington from Michigan
"The Matter at Hand" by Valentine Wulf from Washington
Led by the visionary creator and Joaquin Oliver Artistic Producer Michael Cotey, the ENOUGH! initiative empowers teenagers to confront the issue of gun violence by crafting original theatrical works that foster critical conversations and inspire tangible action within their communities. The winning plays will debut on November 6, 2023, at The Kennedy Center's Theater Lab in Washington, D.C. This highly anticipated event will serve as the cornerstone of a series of readings taking place nationwide on the same evening. The collaborative effort, spearheaded by Event Producer Shanara Gabrielle and supported by the Kennedy Center Social Impact and Kennedy Center Education, will involve renowned professional theaters such as Signature Theatre, Arena Stage, Round House Theatre, Imagination Stage, Olney Theatre Center, 1st Stage, The Theatre Lab, and Mosaic Theater.
"Great art enables us to gain fresh perspectives on the human condition, and these young theater makers are truly inspiring as they employ their unique voices to shed light on the epidemic of gun violence," remarked Marc Bamuthi Joseph, the Kennedy Center Vice President, and Artistic Director of Social Impact.
This year marks the third edition of ENOUGH!, which has received over 500 short play submissions from teenage writers addressing the issue of gun violence. The previous Nationwide Readings organized by ENOUGH! in 2020 and 2022 involved more than 100 organizations and engaged nearly 2,000 artists, ultimately reaching over 10,000 individuals. The initiative has garnered international attention, with coverage by esteemed press outlets including PBS NewsHour, NPR, and the BBC. Furthermore, ENOUGH! has been honored with the prestigious Goldin Foundation Exemplary Project Award.
During the spring, ENOUGH! received an impressive total of 244 submissions from 36 states, inviting teenagers to create 10-minute plays focused on gun violence. Esteemed dramatists Idris Goodwin, Lauren Gunderson, Zora Howard, Samuel D. Hunter, David Henry Hwang, Octavio Solis, and Lloyd Suh, recognized nationally for their contributions to the field, carefully selected this year's winning plays. Each playwright awarded will receive a $500 stipend sponsored by the gun violence prevention organization Change the Ref. Additionally, their plays will be published and licensed through the Broadway Licensing Group’s Playscripts imprint, and they will gain membership in The Dramatists Guild, providing access to valuable training and resources.
David Henry Hwang, a returning panelist judge and acclaimed playwright known for his Tony Award-winning work "M. Butterfly" and the Pulitzer Prize finalist musical "Soft Power," expressed his admiration for the submissions: "The quality of this year's entries was truly remarkable, both in terms of artistic merit and the diverse range of stories and communities represented. These talented and inspiring young dramatists remind us once again that our nation needs their voices to declare 'ENOUGH!' to the scourge of gun violence."
ENOUGH! is committed to making the winning plays accessible and will offer them for free during the Nationwide Reading on November 6. Schools, theaters, and community organizations of all sizes are invited to stage local readings of these powerful works. Producers of these regional readings are encouraged to seize this opportunity to forge meaningful partnerships and incorporate community engagement components that address the specific realities of gun violence in their areas.
"These plays provide a profound glimpse into the perspective of a generation that has grown up with the pervasive threat of gun violence, even within the confines of their educational institutions," highlighted ENOUGH! creator Michael Cotey. "By staging these plays nationwide precisely one year ahead of the next presidential election, we urgently remind everyone that gun violence remains a pressing issue for the young voters who will be coming of age next November."
ENOUGH!'s ultimate goal is to see that every state hosts a reading of the winning plays. Detailed information about the winning playwrights, their plays, and how communities can participate in the Nationwide Reading can be found at the official website enoughplays.com/reading.
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