TEEN WRITERS: YOUR VOICE MATTERS. USE IT.
TEEN WRITERS: YOUR VOICE MATTERS. USE IT.
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:
HOT TOPICS: Why Gen Z Loves RIDE THE CYCLONE; Actor’s Equity Association Celebrates Stage Manager Day; Original RENT Star Fredi Walker-Browne Was Hit by a Car, Now She's Returned to the Stage; Watch Olivia Newton-John's Final Music Video, Duet of 'Jolene' With Dolly Parton
BROADWAY BEAT: 21 Pivotal Moments in Broadway's Black History; Jason Alexander will make Broadway directorial debut with new play THE COTTAGE; Britney Spears musical ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME announces principal cast; THE WANDERERS Starring Katie Holmes Officially Opens Off-Broadway
SHOW’S YOU SHOULD KNOW: Teen Writers: Your Voice Matters. Use It!
Hot Topics
WHY GEN Z LOVES ‘RIDE THE CYCLONE’ - The musical is 15 years old and is about teenagers who are killed on a roller coaster. And it's now gone viral on TikTok.Actors’
ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES STAGE MANAGER DAY - The union intends for this to be the beginning of an annual celebration of Stage Managers!
ORIGINAL ‘RENT’ STAR FREDI WALKER-BROWNE WAS HIT BY A CAR, NOW SHE'S RETURNED TO THE STAGE - Currently starring in the musical Raisin, the actor explains why there needs to be more stories of Black "triumph and resilience."
WATCH OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN'S FINAL MUSIC VIDEO, DUET OF 'JOLENE' WITH DOLLY PARTON - Ms. Newton-John, who passed away last year, will also be remembered in a global live-streamed memorial service February 26.
The Broadway Beat
21 PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN BROADWAY'S BLACK HISTORY - In honor of Black History Month, check out these 21 important moments on Broadway from Black artists.
JASON ALEXANDER WILL MAKE BROADWAY DIRECTORIAL DEBUT WITH NEW PLAY ‘THE COTTAGE’ – The play written by Sandy Rustin will also mark the CLUE playwright’s Broadway debut.
BRITNEY SPEARS MUSICAL ‘ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME’ ANNOUNCES PRINCIPAL CAST - Justin Guarini, Briga Heelan and Aisha Jackson will star in the upcoming musical, reprising the roles they originated in the show’s Washington, D.C., tryout.
‘THE WANDERERS’ STARRING KATIE HOLMES OFFICIALLY OPENS OFF-BROADWAY! - Anna Ziegler's play about two marriages plays Off-Broadway at the Roundabout.
The Big Idea
TEEN WRITERS: YOUR VOICE MATTERS. USE IT.
by Michael Cotey
GUN VIOLENCE has become the leading cause of death among children and teens, surpassing car accidents and cancer. So, what does the generation impacted the most by this uniquely American scourge have to say about it? Now in its third cycle, ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence aims to reveal just that.
ENOUGH! is calling on TEEN WRITERS (ages 13-19) to submit 10-MIN PLAYS confronting the issue of GUN VIOLENCE. Chosen plays will be published by Playscripts, an imprint of Broadway Licensing, and performed nationwide, and the writers will receive $500.
Teen Writers can submit their plays by April 20 at enoughplays.com/writing.
Who will select the six winning plays? A panel of nationally recognized playwrights Lauren Gunderson, Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang, Drama Desk winner Samuel D. Hunter, Pulitzer Prize-finalist Zora Howard, Idris Goodwin, Antoinette Nwandu, Octavio Solis, and Lloyd Suh.
Since 2019, teen writers from 35 states have submitted 333 plays confronting gun violence to ENOUGH!. More than 100 organizations have staged readings of the chosen plays, involving nearly 2,000 artists and reaching more than 10,000 people, sparking critical conversations about gun violence in communities nationwide. Last year’s reading culminated with a flagship performance by Roundabout Theatre Company’s Youth Ensemble at Lincoln Center featured on PBS NewsHour, NPR, and the BBC. Anthologies of the 2020 and 2022 winners are available for purchase and licensing through Playscripts.
Educators, theaters, and organizations looking to bring ENOUGH! to their community should visit enoughplays.com for more information or contact producer Michael Cotey at mcotey@enoughplays.com.
ENOUGH! Resources
About the call for submission: enoughplays.com/writing
Help spread the word: enoughplays.com/amplify
Click on the images below to download ENOUGH!’s toolkits to get started:
