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“March Madness” Madness coming this Friday!

March 30, 2015
by catherineforever666
· Current Students · Madness · News

The next madness of the semester will be produced by third year playwright, Morgan Patton! Her prompt is “March Madness” Madness! She has asked the playwrights to be inspired by the “March Madness” basketball games and how high stakes they are for both their audience and players!

Show is April 3rd, 11pm, in the Hahne Black Box theater. Admission is free. We recommend you get there 45 to 60 minutes ahead of time to assure yourself a seat.

For more information about Madness the fall semester, check out our Madness page.

More about Morgan

Morgan Patton was born and raised in Newport, Kentucky, just across the river from Cincinnati. In 2011, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Northern Kentucky University as an Honors Scholar with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Playwriting and a Bachelor of Arts in English. Her plays work with themes of love, loss, and family in order to explore the elusive concept of identity and what it means to belong. Recently her ten-minute play YARD SALE, about a mug and a teapot, was a regional finalist for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre festival, and was one of six ten-minute plays staged and developed there. For more information, visit her website at www.playsbymorgan.com.

OU Playwriting Alum, Qui Nguyen, has a play in Oregon Shakespeare Festival next March!

March 25, 2015
by catherineforever666
· alumni · News · Productions · Qui Nguyen

OU MFA Playwriting Alum, Qui Nguyen has a new play in Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s upcoming season! Qui has made a name for himself with his adventurous, fun “geek” theater and we are very excited about his newest production opportunity!

From the Oregon Shakes Website: Opening in March is Vietgone by Qui Nguyen (March 30–Oct. 29, 2016). The play is based on the real-life story of Nguyen’s parent’s exodus from Vietnam in 1975 and their subsequent meeting and romance in a refugee camp in Arkansas. Vietgone will be directed by May Adrales, who will also direct the world premiere production of Vietgone at South Coast Repertory this fall.

Check here for the Season Announcement and here for Oregon Shakes Website

More about Qui

Qui Nguyen is a playwright, screenwriter, and Co-Founder of the OBIE Award-winning Vampire Cowboys of NYC. His work, known for its innovative use of pop-culture, stage violence, puppetry, and multimedia, has been lauded as “Culturally Savvy Comedy” by The New York Times, “Infectious Fun” by Variety, and “Tour De Force Theatre” by Time Out New York. This past season, The Chicago Tribune praised him as a “refreshing, break-the-rules writer” as Time Out Chicago named his play She Kills Monsters one of the 10 Best Plays of 2013.

Scripts include War is F**king Awesome (currently being developed by Sundance); She Kills Monsters (The Flea); Krunk Fu Battle Battle (East West Players); Bike Wreck (Ensemble Studio Theatre); Trial By Water (Ma-Yi Theater); Aliens Versus Cheerleaders (Keen Teens); Soul Samurai; The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G (Ma-Yi Theater & Vampire Cowboys); Lush Valley (HERE); and the critically acclaimed Vampire Cowboys productions of Alice in Slasherland; Fight Girl Battle World; Men of Steel; and Living Dead in Denmark.

His scripts are published by Samuel French, Playscripts, and Broadway Play Publishing.

Recent honors include being a 2014 Sundance Institute/Time Warner Fellow; a 2014 McCarter/Sallie B. Goodman Fellow; a 2013 Sundance Theatre Lab Fellow; a recipient of a 2013 AATE Distinguished Play Award (She Kills Monsters); a 2012 TCG Young Leader of Color; and receiving 2012 & 2009 GLAAD Media Award nominations for his plays She Kills Monsters and Soul Samurai.

He is a proud resident artist at New Dramatists, a core member of The Playwrights’ Center, an alumnus of Youngblood, and a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Ma-Yi Writers Lab, and the Keen Company New Play Lab.

Currently, Qui’s at work on new plays at South Coast Rep (Vietgone), Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis (Samantha Rai & The Shogun of Fear), HERE (Trade Practices), NYU (Five Days Till Saturday), The Playwrights Center (Dust), The Professional Performing Arts School (Begets); and Vampire Cowboys (Six Rounds of Vengeance). For television, he’s writes for the children’s cartoon, Peg+Cat, currently airing on PBS KIDS.

His company, Vampire Cowboys, often credited for being the pioneers of “geek theatre”, holds the unique distinction of being the first and currently only professional theatre organization to be officially sponsored by NY Comic Con. They’ve been praised by the Village Voice as “New York’s Best Army of Geeks” and currently in-residence at The New Ohio Theater and IRT.

Mentors Announced for the Seabury Quinn Playwrights Fest!

March 24, 2015
by catherineforever666
· alumni · Events · Festival · News

We are proud to announce that The Visiting Mentors for the 2015 OHIO UNIVERSITY SEABURY QUINN, JR. PLAYWRIGHT’S FESTIVAL are: Steppenwolf’s Literary Manager and OU MFA Playwriting alum, Aaron Carter, Director of the Apprentice Company at Actors Theater of Louisville, Michael Legg and Executive Director of Indiana Repertory Theater, Janet Allen.

The festival will run April 23rd to the 25th.

Full Bios below:

Michael Legg is in his eighth season as Director of the Apprentice/Intern Company at Actors Theatre of Louisville, where he¹s directed world-premieres of plays by A. Rey Pamatmat, Laura Jacqmin, Dan Dietz, Kyle John Schmidt, Marco Ramirez, Carmen Herlihy, Alison Moore, and many others. Before coming to Actors, he spent three years as a theatrical agent in New York and his former clients can still be seen on Broadway, in television/film, and in regional theatres across the country. Prior to his time in New York, he spent seven years teaching and directing and has recently served as a guest artist at several universities, including the University of Central Florida, the University of Idaho, and Ohio University. He also serves as the Artistic Director of the Wildwind Performance Lab in Texas and has taught for and worked extensively with the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival. He holds an M.F.A. in acting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is a proud member of Actors Equity.

Janet Allen is currently the Executive Director of Indiana Repertory Theater. Creating world-class professional theatre for Central Indiana audiences of all ages has remained a career-long passion for Janet Allen. She began at the IRT in 1980 as the theatre’s first literary manager–dramaturg. After four years in New York City, she returned to serve ten years as associate artistic director under mentors Tom Haas and Libby Appel. She was named the IRT’s fourth artistic director in 1996. Janet studied theatre at Illinois State University, Indiana University, and Exeter College, Oxford. As a classical theatre specialist, she has published and taught theatre history and dramaturgy at IUPUI and Butler. Janet’s leadership skills and community service have been recognized by Indianapolis Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” Award, the Network of Women in Business–IBJ’s “Influential Women in Business” Award, Safeco’s Beacon of Light in Our Community Award, a Distinguished Hoosier Award conferred iby Governor Frank O’Bannon, Girls Inc.’s Touchstone Award for Arts Leadership, and the Indiana Commission on Women’s “Keeper of the Light” Torchbearer Award.

Aaron Carter is currently the director of new play development at Steppenwolf Theater Company where he has served as dramaturg on such projects as The Way West by Mona Mansour, and Airline Highway by Lisa D’Amour. Previously, he served as the Literary Manager at Victory Gardens Theater where he played a key role in the IGNITION Festival, and was involved in the production of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Year Zero, Love Person and Living Green, among others. As a new play developer and dramaturg, Aaron has worked with many theaters and labs including WordBRIDGE, the Kennedy Center, Timeline Theater, Route 66 and Chicago Dramatists. Aaron also teaches courses in playwriting, dramaturgy and dramatic literature at Northwestern University, De Paul University, Roosevelt University and Grinnell College. As a playwright, Aaron’s work focuses on race, faith and obscure performance skills. Aaron’s play Gospel of Franklin was part of First Look 2013 at Steppenwolf. His latest play is Start Fair.

For more Info on the 2015 Seabury Quinn Jr. Playwrights Festival, Click here

Dates Announced for the Seabury Quinn Jr Playwrights Festival

March 23, 2015
by catherineforever666
· Current Students · Festival · News

The dates and times for the 2015 Annual Seabury Quinn Jr Playwrights Festival are now posted on the website! Included in the lineup are full productions of “Only Good Things Happen at the Fair” by Neal Adelman and “Dauphin Island” by Jeffrey Chastang, as well as 6 readings. The festival runs April 23rd to the 25th, 2015 in Kantner Hall on the campus of Ohio University.

Readings featured in the festival include “Fools Gold” by Morgan Patton, “Random House” by Aaron Johnson, “Bait Shop” by Ryan Patrick Dolan, “ChocolateSexPuppyTacos (A Non-Denominational Comedy)” by Tyler Whidden, “Karate Hottie” by Catherine Weingarten, and “Tight End” by Rachel Bykowski.

Click here for the full schedule. And click here read more about this year’s festival mentors!

Ryan Patrick Dolan’16 gets NAPAT nomination for his short play “DADDY’s LITTLE GIRLS”

March 18, 2015
by catherineforever666
· Awards · Current Students · News

Ryan Patrick Dolan’16’s play, “Daddy’s Little Girls,” garnered him one of the eight, nationwide nominations for the National Partners of American Theatre Playwriting Award which recognizes “best-written, best-crafted script with the strongest writer’s “voice.””

The play was also named a National Semifinalist for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival’s 10-minute play competition, THE GARY GARRISON AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING TEN-MINUTE PLAY. In conjunction with KCACTF, “Daddy’s Little Girls.”

Ryan excels at writing plays with strong and intricate character relationships with lots of heart and a bit of edge, which “DADDY’s LITTLE GIRLS” has to the tee. We are very proud of him and his NAPAT nomination!

More about Ryan

Ryan Patrick Dolan is a second year MFA Candidate in the Ohio University Playwriting Program under Charles Smith and Erik Ramsey. He has a B.A. in playwriting from Columbia College Chicago where he studied under playwright, Lisa Schlesinger. He writes dark, comedic plays that explore love and loss, passion and destruction. Stylistically influenced by his years of improvisation, acting, and the Chicago Storefront aesthetic, he challenges the American stereotypes of gender, race, and sexuality.

His full-length play,“Moraine,” had a reading at the 2014 Seabury Quinn Jr. Playwrights Festival at Ohio University, and at the Trellis Reading Series at the Greenhouse Theater Center. Moraine is being produced at CIC Theater this March and April in Chicago, and is being directed by Mary Rose O’Connor.

http://ryanpatrickdolan.com/

Neal Adelman ’15 wins prestigious Mark Twain Prize from KCACTF!

March 17, 2015
by catherineforever666
· News

Neal Adelman’15 just won a Mark Twain Award for strong comedic playwriting for his second year play he developed at OU, Pontiacs. We are thrilled that KCACTF chooses to once again recognize Neal’s work. Read full list of awards here

In the program Neal has become known for his honest, crass, funny, dark, Texas friendly plays that ask big questions and observe big things about what it’s like to be alive today. Remember to come check out his thesis production, Only Good Things Happen at the Fair, this spring as part of the Seabury Quinn Playwrights Festival, directed by Shelley Delaney.

Here is more about the Mark Twain Award:

The Mark Twain Prize for Comic Playwriting will be offered for the outstanding student-written full-length comic play. As a social commentator, satirist and creator of memorable characters, Samuel Clemens – the distinguished 19th century novelist and essayist also known as Mark Twain – was a fearless observer of society, who outraged many while delighting and informing many more with his uncompromising perspective of social injustice and personal folly.

More about Neal

Neal Adelman was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. He writes plays and short stories. His one act play TARRANT COUNTY received an NPP workshop and was a 2014 KCACTF John Cauble Outstanding Short Play National Finalist; his fiction has appeared in Puerto del Sol and Caldera Culture Review. When he’s not writing, he’s either fishing or trying to start a rock and roll band. He currently lives in southeast Ohio and studies dramatic writing at Ohio University.

“Lost and Found” Madness coming this Friday!

March 16, 2015
by catherineforever666
· Madness · News

The next madness of the semester will be produced by third year playwright, Jeffry Chastang! His prompt is Lost & Found Madness!

Show is March 20st, 11pm, in the Hahne Black Box theater. Admission is free. We recommend you get there 45 to 60 minutes ahead of time to assure yourself a seat.

For more information about Madness the fall semester, check out our Madness page.

More about Jeff

Jeffry Chastang is a writer/actor who hails from Inkster, Michigan, 15 miles west of Detroit/Motown. He earned a BA in Journalism at Wayne State University. As an actor his professional credits include FENCES, JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE, THE OLD SETTLER, A SOLDIER’S PLAY, and JITNEY. Jeffry’s professional writing credits include FULL CIRCLE, …CONTINUED WARM, 1ST SATURDAY IN SEPTEMBER, and BLOOD DIVIDED. He was a recipient of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Roger L. Stevens Award for FULL CIRCLE which was produced by Detroit’s Plowshares Theater Company. Plowshares’ also produced Jeffry’s second play …CONTINUED WARM which was named Best New Play by the Oakland Press. Jeffry was commissioned by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival to write a play marking the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. The play, BLOOD DIVIDED was produced by ASF in 2011 and received a 2011 Edgerton Foundation New Plays Award.

Alum Cecilia Copeland on R-Culture

March 12, 2015
by Erik Ramsey
· alumni · Essays · News

MFA Playwriting alum Cecilia Copeland is in the journal HowlRound today discussing her play “R Culture,” and how we as playwrights and theater practitioners should consider framing our approach to rape culture. From her essay:

This question of how to deal with rape on stage without creating more “rape culture” is paramount as we, as artists, attempt to express our experiences, create space for conversations, and build opportunities for change. – See more at: http://howlround.com/rape-culture-on-stage-or-as-subject

Seabury Quinn Jr MFA Playwrights Festival Coming Soon

March 11, 2015
by Erik Ramsey
· News

The 21st annual Seabury Quinn Jr MFA Playwrights Festival will be happening April 23rd to 25th, 2015. For specific show times and further information, please check our festival page where that information will be featured.

MFA Playwright’s National Activism and Research

March 10, 2015
by Erik Ramsey
· Current Students · News · Press

Ohio University MFA Playwriting Student Catherine Weingarten is in the national news this week spearheading a charge to improve the world-wide conversation about body positivity. She has teamed up with Endangered Bodies to ask Facebook to remove an emoji that one can choose to self-describe as “feeling fat.” The Washington Post, ABC News, People, Huffington Post and many others (links below) have interviewed her about the Change.org petition, “Fat is Not a Feeling.” From the petition:

Facebook is the most popular social networking site in the world right now. With 890 million users each day, it has the power to influence how we talk to each other about our bodies. I dream that one day the platform will actively encourage body positivity and self-esteem among its users, but for now, all I ask is that it stop endorsing self-destructive thoughts through seemingly harmless emojis.

Her national advocacy is not surprising given her approach to playwriting. In fact, such activism is part and parcel of her research and voice as a playwright. From Catherine’s artistic statement:

“Catherine’s plays delve into the societal pressure placed on young women to be both impossibly good looking as well as ridiculously intellectual, humble, kind as can be, but sexy… Media pressure is always present in Catherine’s work and the characters can barely function without checking in…”

Links:

http://www.people.com/article/facebook-fat-option-status-update-petiton

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/06/facebooks-feeling-fat-emoticon-is-fueling-a-fight-over-digital-body-shaming/

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/facebooks-feeling-fat-emoji-leaves-users-flat/story?id=29501954

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/06/petition-facebook-remove-feeling-fat-status-_n_6819142.html

http://www.thepostathens.com/culture/graduate-playwright-catherine-weingarten-helps-spearhead-petition-to-remove-feeling/article_22795f28-c6b7-11e4-878e-63a01392712c.html

Endangered Bodies: http://www.endangeredbodies.org/