A Hungry Revolution for Playwrights

Butt Ugly by Thomas Sainsbury, directed by Kate Tarrant for the Young and Hungry Festival of New Works 2006.

A Hungry Revolution for Playwrights

Young and Hungry has launched some of NZ’s most successful playwrights, including Duncan Sarkies, Gabe McDonnell, Jo Randerson and Jackie van Beek. In 2005 Lauren Jackson won a Chapman Tripp award for her Young and Hungry play Exchange.

Now Young and Hungry is on the prowl again for playwrights who want to write for 15 – 25 year olds. You can be any age, from anywhere in NZ, and you don’t even have to have written a play before - in fact you don’t even have to write a play to apply initially! The successful playwrights will be mentored by experienced professional playwrights with lots of industry experience, and will have their play mounted at BATS Theatre in Wellington.

Young and Hungry is after 60 minute play ideas based around the festival theme of ‘revolution’. The play submitted must have at least 6 characters, and a special appeal to people aged 15-25. The deadline for submissions is 15 December 2006.

To make a submission, playwrights need to send Young and Hungry a short synopsis, a scene by scene breakdown of the play in their head, an outline of the characters and a sample scene. They’ll also need to tell Young and Hungry why their play will appeal to 15-25 year olds, how their idea is based on the theme, and why they want to write the play. For more about what playwrights need to do, potential playwrights should contact youngandhungry@xtra.co.nz.

A panel of industry practitioners will select four playwrights from the submissions received to write a first draft of their play. These playwrights will each receive $500 as a commissioning amount be provided with a dramaturge to mentor them through the writing process to get to a first draft.

Two playwrights will then be commissioned to complete their scripts with the help of Playmarket and Young and Hungry, including continued dramaturgical support, a reading and a professional workshop. The two chosen playwrights will receive $1,500 to complete their scripts and will also see their plays produced by professional directors at BATS Theatre in June 2008.

Many Young & Hungry plays are remounted after their initial presentation at BATS by professional, amateur and school theatre companies.

Submissions should be sent to Young and Hungry Playwrights Commission, PO Box 27-364, Marion Square, Wellington.

ENDS

© Scoop Media