3rd-year MFA playwright Laura Jacqmin’s play BUTT NEKKID will receive a staged reading at The Side Project (Chicago) as part of their HARVEST Festival, Sunday, October 15, 10:30 AM. For more info, see http://www.thesideproject.net.
Staged Reading:
OU MFAs in Chicago Dramatists:
Aaron Carter (OU MFA 2005) and 3rd-year MFA playwright Laura Jacqmin have been selected as “Resident Playwrights” of Chicago Dramatists. From CD’s web site: “Since 1979, Chicago Dramatists, the playwrights’ theatre, has devoted all of its resources and programming to its singular mission of developing new plays and nurturing playwrights. Last season alone, Chicago Dramatists’ playwrights earned a record number of 624 productions, awards, commissions, readings, and other honors, at large and small theatres in Chicago and around the country.” http://www.chicagodramatists.org/
Playwright Wins "Perishable" Competition:
3rd-year MFA playwright Laura Jacqmin’s GOTHAM IS SAFE AGAIN! has been selected as the winner of Perishable Theatre’s 13th Annual Women’s Playwriting Contest. It will be produced at PerishableTheatre, Rhode Island’s Research and Development Theatre, in late October of 2006.
MFA Alum Hired to Write for "Law and Order: Criminal Intent":
Jackie Reingold (OU MFA 2004) has just been hired onto the writing staff of “Law and Order: Criminal Intent”. Jackie was here at OU a week ago for the OU Playwrights’ Festival as a guest respondent. Her previous TV credits include NBC’s “Miss Match” starring Alicia Silverstone, and MTV’s “Daria”. Keep track of what Jackie is up to at: www.jacquelynreingold.com
Summer Internships and Research:
1st-year MFA Nick Sgouros will be on internship at 20th Century Fox this summer working on development of late night comedy programming. 1st-year MFA Joseph Gallo will travel to Japan this summer to study Kabuki theatre for an upcoming play he plans to write. 2nd year MFA playwright Laura Jacqmin has been invited to participate in the University Playwrights Workshop at Stanford University this coming summer, to workshop her new play BUTT NEKKID. 2nd-year MFA Merri Biechler will be traveling to numerous nationally recognized medical schools and meeting with specialists this summer using some of the $19,000 in Ohio University grant money she was recently awarded to research and write her new play about end of life and palliative care issues.
Happyslap at CATF
2nd-year MFA Laura Jacqmin’s HAPPYSLAP will be produced at the Contemporary American Theater Festival as their Actors’ Lab Production this summer, directed by Melissa Crespo, the current Allen Lee Hughes Directing Fellow at Arena Stage. There will be four performances at various odd times and dates starting July 21, free to the public. Ed Herendeen, Artisitic Director of CATF, saw the play at OU’s recent playwrights’ festival and immediately requested it for his Actors’ Lab.
Recent Alum Takes 3rd in Chicago Dramatist’s "Many Voices Project":
3rd-year MFA Christopher De Paola’s play STREETS COME KNOCKING has been selected as one of twelve finalists for Chicago Dramatist’s Many Voices Project. The Many Voices Project is a national competition/search to find new playwrights of color sponsored by Chicago Dramatists and numerous Chicago theater companies. STREETS COME KNOCKING will be read during a two-week festival running in Chicago, July 10th-23rd. (STREETS was Chris’s OU Playwrights’ Festival play this past month receiving a studio production in the Hahne Theater.) UPDATE (8/15/06) Chris’ play was selected in third place at the Many Voices Project.
MFA Alum in Residence at Grinell:
Aaron Carter (MFA 2005) has been invited to be playwright in residence for a month at Grinnell College in Iowa next April. He’ll be teaching a playwriting intensive and Grinnell will be reading and developing his latest new play.
OU Playwrights Grab Large Grants:
2nd year MFA playwrights Merri Biechler and Laura Jacqmin have been awarded Ohio University SEA grants in the amount of $6,000 each to support the research and writing of their thesis plays in their third year. In addition, Merri Biechler has also been awarded OU’s Trisolini Fellowship in the amount of $13,000 for her third year of school. (Last year, current third year MFA Mark Witteveen was also awarded the SEA and Trisolini money; in the past two years, OU MFA playwrights have applied for and received over $45,000 in grant money to support the research and writing of their plays.)
Revival of Current MFA playwright’s Off-Broadway play:
MY ITALY STORY, a play written by Joseph Gallo (first-year MFA playwright) will be opening in four days at the theatre “12 Miles West” in Bloomfield, New Jersey, on their 200-seat equity stage.
Web site: http://www.12mileswest.org
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