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THE PLAYMARKET eBULLETIN - DECEMBER 2016
News and opportunities for New Zealand Playwrights.
eBULLETIN

DECEMBER 2016


 
Kia ora <<First Name>>

I have just finished reading the responses of American playwrights and artistic directors to facing a post-election reality that have been published in American Theatre magazine.
Comments range from playwright Madhuri Shekar:
“The morning after the election, I thought my writing career was over, because it just seemed too painful to continue engaging with the world. Luckily, that feeling passed. As scared and worried as I may be, I am excited for the art that we are going to create. Let’s continue. Let’s challenge ourselves to expand our understanding of the world, illuminate its complexity, and open our hearts to different lives and experiences. Let’s try and make each other laugh.”

 
to playwright Christopher Shinn:
“I know theatres are worried about alienating subscribers by doing plays they won’t like, but given that the election results shocked so many people, now is a good opportunity for artistic leaders to say to their audiences, “We need to produce work that more accurately reflects the vast ideological diversity of our country. The theatre has to do more than entertain, express conventional wisdom, and gently challenge us. It has to confront us with new, unexpected, and radical points of view. This may be uncomfortable and even unpleasant, but it’s necessary.”

 
and Christopher Ashley, Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse, California:
“I was really shocked by this last election. I knew I was in a bubble—I knew I was in a coastal, liberal, art, urban bubble, but I didn’t realize how profound that was, how vast the gulf is between the way I see the world and the way almost 50 percent of our country sees the world. Lots of people are trying to stand up to destructive change, and I think that’s important. I also think there’s another thing that we have to do as arts organisations, which is foster a conversation across both sides of the divide. Talking to our own half of the country repeatedly is very empowering, but I don’t know if it’s going to solve many problems…what kind of conversation can we have that would help bridge, unite, and create deeper connections between people, and more sense of community?”
 
With so much change in the global conversation we all need to take these thoughts to heart and review what we stage and how we make theatre. I encourage all our playwrights and producers to create brave theatre.
 

Previously in the same universe and prior to Monday’s 12.02am Kaikoura earthquake Playmarket held our Accolades event. We launched two new books and celebrated the work of the year as well as farewelling Stuart Hoar and anointing Sam Brooks as the 2016 Bruce Mason Award winner. It was a wonderful celebratory event.
 
Allison Horsley is now familiar with the furniture in our Auckland office and coming to terms with reading more than eighty entries to the Adam NZ Play Award. Two external judges will soon be at work to help select the winners in this highly-regarded competition. We’ve also held a few clinics since our last bulletin and we’re deep in preparation for some of our 2017 events. So there’s not been too much time to dwell on earthquakes although we all send our thoughts out to those who have been forced out of their homes, businesses and farms.

 
It has been exciting to have seven New Zealand works on simultaneously on the professional stages in Wellington this month. There’s heaps of work by our clients that will be on our stages next year but wouldn’t it be good to see every town in the country producing a New Zealand play every month!

Happy writing and holiday-ing everyone

 
Nga mihi mahana
Murray Lynch - Director of Playmarket


 

PLAYMARKET ACCOLADES

Thanks to all those who came and helped make the afternoon such a success.
The Bruce Mason Playwriting Award was presented to Sam Brooks. The award exists to recognise early success in the career of the winning playwright; to encourage their continued exploration of the theatre medium and grants a $10,000 cash prize.
Sam is one of New Zealand’s most exciting and prolific young playwrights. Only in his mid-twenties he has already had ten of his plays produced, as well as winning Playmarket’s b425 competition twice and being Highly Commended in the prestigious Adam NZ Play Awards in 2014 for his play Riding in Cars with (Mostly Straight) Boys. His recent work includes the site-specific industry love letter Wine Lips, the autobiographical Stutterpop and the black comedy Burn Her, a brilliant exposé of New Zealand’s contemporary political scene. He’s a fearless critic and commentator on the theatre scene in The Pantograph Punch, The Wireless and The Spinoff, and was named Auckland’s Most Exciting Playwright by Metro Magazine in 2014.

You can read more here.


NEWS

PLAYMARKET HOLIDAY DATES
The offices will close at 5pm on Wednesday 21 December 2016 and reopen on Monday 9 January 2017.


NEW IN OUR BOOKSHOP
SHIFT
Plays by Alison Quigan, Vivienne Plumb and Lynda Chanwai-Earle

Mum’s Choir by Alison Quigan is a story of laughter, singing and tears. The irrepressible family of a deceased matriarch reunite and discover they have less than three days to deliver the musical send-off Mum would have wanted.

When Honey begins sleep-talking in a language she can’t understand, her whole world begins to change. The Wife Who Spoke Japanese in Her Sleep by Vivienne Plumb follows Honey and her husband Howard as they are confronted with twists and pitfalls that could change their whole marriage.

Inspired by true events, Man in a Suitcase by Lynda Chanwai-Earle is set in a post-earthquake Christchurch. Foreign exchange student Wen is caught up in a plot that goes horribly wrong and irreparably impacts the lives of those around him.

SHIFT is available here.

BEST PLAYWRITING BOOK EVER
by Roger Hall

Best Playwriting Book Ever
is a practical manual for novice and experienced playwrights – anyone who aspires to bring stories to the stage. Roger Hall shares tips and tricks that have helped him become our most successful writer for theatre and a household name. This new and improved edition of his acclaimed guide offers a wealth of insight about breaking into the playwriting scene and finding a unique style. The book covers the principles behind crafting a winning plot, creating engaging characters, and atmosphere that will have audiences glued to their seats.
 Best Playwriting Book Ever is a must-have for playwrights and screenwriters alike. Available here.


CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to our clients and associates who have been selected for the longlist for the 2017 Ockham NZ Book Awards:
Vincent O'Sullivan for And So It Is
Courtney Sina Meredith for Tail of the Taniwha
Damien Wilkins for Dad Art

Greg McGee has been longlisted for the 2017 International Dublin Literary Award for his novel The Antipodeans.

Congratulations to Steven Page, Tom Sainsbury and Chris Parker whose feature film projects have been selected for development by South Pacific Pictures and Vendetta Productions.

PLAYMARKET ANNUAL 2016
The 2016 Playmarket Annual is out now. You can view it online here or email us here if you'd like a hardcopy.

OPPORTUNITIES


PLAYWRIGHTS b4 25
For this competition Playmarket is interested in writers under 25 who take risks and throw care to the wind, as well as those who write strong, conventional plays. Write about anything you like that matters to you in any way you like, for any kind of audience you like.
Submissions close 1 April 2017
Visit here for more information


AUCKLAND FRINGE 2017
Registrations are open for the 2017 Auckland Fringe Festival. Auckland Fringe is a festival which ANYONE can be part of. It covers every art form you can possibly think of including theatre, dance, music, comedy, visual arts, digital art, storytelling, spoken word, cabaret, musical theatre, burlesque, street art, street theatre, talks and workshops, activations etc ...
See the website here for more details.
Applications close 11 December 2016


AOTEAROA SHORT FILM LAB
Applications are now open for the Aotearoa Short Film Lab, a prestigious hothouse mentoring scheme for screenwriters and aspiring screenwriters to workshop new ideas for short films.
See the website here for more details.
Applications close 14 December 2016


OUTSIDE THE SQUARE
A new initiative to support community arts in Henderson. The initial project will commission 4 to 6 written works to provide a fresh perspective on the Henderson area.
They are seeking innovative Henderson stories and are interested in works that are fictional, creative non-fiction, poetry (long-form or a collection), or scripts for stage, screen, or digital platforms.
See the website here for more details.
Submissions close 16 December 2016


KATHRYN BURNETT WORKSHOPS
Let's Get Writing is a special two-day writing event that will turbo-charge your writing project in 2017. 
This is your dedicated writing weekend - except you won't be going it alone...  Kathryn will help you focus your idea, structure your story and most importantly start writing - AND stay focused on that novel, short story, screenplay or play.
This supportive workshop is a fun, stimulating way to give your awesome project a head start in 2017.
21 - 22 January in Auckland.
See here for more details.

UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO TEACHING FELLOW (PLAYWRIGHT)
Applications are invited for a full-time, fixed term Teaching Fellow (Playwriting) position in the Theatre Studies programme from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018.
The position involves:
• devising and delivering course content, based on previous versions of the papers;
• teaching in a classroom setting;
• the assessment of student work; and
• working with individual students on the development of their plays.
See the website here for more details.
Applications close 27 January 2017


AUT’S MASTER OF CREATIVE WRITING (MCW) FOR SCRIPTWRITERS
This one-year intensive is for writers who are serious about writing professionally for stage and screen. Where other programmes limit you to a first draft, the MCW aims to take you from idea to second draft screenplay ready to present to film companies.
See the website here for more information.


THE THEATRE TIMES

The Theatre Times is a new non-partisan, global portal for theatre news. With more than sixty regional managing editors around the world, aiming to be the most wide-reaching and comprehensive theatre news source online.
In addition to original content, The Theatre Times filters through more than 80 sources, around 600 articles and thousands of pages of theatre news every day. Curating a steady stream of the top theatre information, The Theatre Times is a leading destination for theatre audiences and professionals worldwide.
View the website here.


PLAYMARKET DATES 2017
1 April - Playwrights b4 25 submissions close
1 June - Brown Ink and Asian Ink submissions close
1 August - Plays for the Young submissions close
1 December - Adam NZ Play Award submissions close for 2018


ALSO NEW IN OUR BOOKSTORE

Six seminal plays from Ken Duncum and Rebecca Rodden, whose playwriting partnership powered the vibrant theatre scene round Wellington’s BATS Theatre in the 1980s and 90s. Includes Polythene Pam, Truelove, Flybaby, JISM, The Temptations of St Max and Panic!

ARTICLES


WHAT CAN THEATRE DO? A POST-ELECTION COLLOQUY
American Theatre
American Theatre asked a wide cross section of the nation's playwrights and artistic directors—those who write plays and those who program them—how they are planning or intending to respond to the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency as theatre artists and leaders, and what they think theatre can do to shape and direct the national conversation.
Part One available here and Part Two available here

SOUNDING A SANATORIUM: THE WAIPIATA PLAYSCRIPT
Emily Duncan for Corpus
Playwright Emily Duncan on writing her latest play, Waipiata.
Read more here


TALA TUSI: THE TELLER IS THE TALE
Poet and academic Selina Tusitala Marsh powerfully explores the relationship between our stories, ourselves, and the fate of our literature if we ignore the wisdom offered by ‘tala tusi’ in her  2016 New Zealand Book Council Lecture.
Download Selina's speech here.


LONG BEFORE ‘HAMILTON’ BROUHAHA, THEATER WAS ANYTHING BUT POLITE
Eliza Maddock Dillon for The New York Times
Attending the theater before 1850 or so in the United States was far more akin to attending a football game today than to attending contemporary theatre.
Read more here, Vulture's Jesse Green asks 'Should theatre really be a safe space?' here and Abraham Lincoln reacts to Mike Pence's 'terrible theatre experience' here


ALIENATING OUR AUDIENCES EARLY
Mia McCullough for HowlRound
Playwright Mia McCullough discusses how teaching classic plays in high school alienates future young audiences, and advocates for contemporary playwrights to craft comprehensive anthologies of their work
Read more here

DEATH OF THE HATCHET JOB
DJ Taylor for The New Statesman
Book reviewing used to be a blood sport. How has it become so benign and polite?
Read more here

HAVE I GOT A PLAY FOR YOU
Jordana Williams for Slate
Flouting copyright law to bring the brilliance of Company to West Hollow Junior High School.
Read more here

THE BEST SONGS CUT FROM HAMILTON, OKLAHOMA!, INTO THE WOODS, AND 10 OTHER BELOVED BROADWAY MUSICALS
Jesse Green and John Verderber for Vulture
Songs cut from Broadway musicals are usually cut for a valid reason: They’re not very good. But sometimes it's the case that great songs simply don’t fit the moment or the performer or a change in direction.
Read more here

NEW YORK TIMES & WALL STREET JOURNAL PREPARE TO SLASH ENTERTAINMENT COVERAGE AND STAFF AS PRINT ADS VANISH
Jeremy Gerard for Deadline Hollywood
As print advertising revenues continue to fall off the cliff, reviews and features related to film, theater and the rest of the arts are being cut at New York’s two prominent broadsheets, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
Read more here
WHAT'S ON?

The Streaker
by Gregory Cooper

Centrepoint Theatre 4 November – 17 December 2016
100 metres. $1 million. No clothes attached. Ron Hewlett is a desperate man. He's lost his job, he's about to lose his home, and his kids are threatening to call CYFS for cutting off the internet. So, when a local radio station offers a million bucks for a buck-naked sprint at the Mitre 10 Cup final, Ron must decide if saving it all is worth baring it all. How far will Ron go? And how far will he get?

Riding in Cars with (Mostly Straight) Boys
by Sam Brooks

Smoke Labours Productions on tour Wellington and Auckland 7 November - 16 December 2016
"I love you. In a gay way. Just so we're clear. I love you as a friend. But also in a gay way. I love you both ways." Kyle has crushes on straight guys. That's his thing. But when one of his crushes confides in him, he has to confront the lifestyle that he's created for himself.

A Christmas Carol
by Dan Bain

The Court Theatre 13 November – 17 December 2016
The team behind Scared Scriptless love three things: Christmas, Xmas, and biting off more than they can chew. Join The Court Jesters as they scramble to recreate the entirety of Dickens’ beloved story A Christmas Carol with only two performers, one pianist and a LOT of help from the audience.


Hudson & Halls Live!
by Kip Chapman with Todd Emerson and Sophie Roberts

Silo Theatre at the Hannah Playhouse 16 November – 10 December 2016
And we’re live! The oven’s caught fire, David is drinking and Peter has bad news. It’s the Christmas special and they’re up to their eyeballs in turkey stuffing and melting cream castles. Long before Masterchef and My Kitchen Rules there was Hudson & Halls. In the closet with the door wide open, Peter Hudson and David Halls were New Zealand’s original great gay love story.

Jack and the Beanstalk
by Roger Hall. Songs by Paul Jenden and Michael Nicholas Williams

Circa Theatre 19 November 2016 – 11 January 2017
Jack and his mother are so poor they have to sell Betsy, their beloved cow. But instead of getting money, Jack accepts beans from a stranger… magic beans! And soon he is up among the clouds in a wondrous land where there is a goose that lays golden eggs, and – Fee, Fi Fo, Fum – a Giant with a dangerous appetite!


Scarlet and Gold
by Lorae Parry

Circa Theatre 25 November – 22 December 2016
Waihi 1912: Another accident in the Martha Gold Mine and the miners’ wives say Enough! Improve conditions or strike! They’re the ones trying to scrape together food for the table, clothes for the kids. As the strike gains momentum the women gain confidence – in their own strength, in their ability to instigate change. Major change – not just here, but throughout the country.

Stand Up Love
by Gavin McGibbon

Making Friends Collective at BATS 29 November – 10 December 2016
Freddy’s a comedian in a tailspin; Ana’s got a secret she wants to keep. Their relationship has problems but they love each other. Isn't that enough? A brilliant dark comedy that rips the scabs off of relationships past, present and future and asks if you can face up to the open wounds.The punchline’s gonna hurt.


Wine Lips
by Sam Brooks

Making Friends Collective at BATS 29 November – 10 December 2016
Wine Lips invites you into the backstage world of the theatrical performer. Backstage at his new show, Scotty has invited actor and ex-girlfriend Brit to share a bottle of wine with him. She brings the wine, he brings the unpleasant memories. They both bring the quarter life crisis.


The Santa Claus Show
by Tim Bray

Tim Bray Productions at The Pumphouse 5 – 13 December 2016
Kelly and Alana are best friends and decide to write to Santa Claus, but Kelly sends the longest list of things that a child wants for Christmas that Santa has ever seen. Santa flies Kelly to the North Pole so she can learn for herself the true meaning of Christmas.


The Opening Night Before Christmas
by Tom Sainsbury and Chris Parker

The Basement 6 – 22 December 2016
It's Waiting for Guffman meets Love Actually as a small town community theatre group has just 24 hours to rehearse their show, and get it ready for opening night - the biggest highlight on Levin's calendar. Tensions run high as the show’s Broadway-aspiring director pushes for a new high-concept, Santa-free drama, while love blossoms backstage, and the stage manager plans a coup.

Christ Almighty!
by Natalie Medlock and Dan Musgrove

Counterpoint Productions at Inch Bar, Dunedin 7 – 9 December 2016
A promiscuous angel, a schizophrenic Wiseman, an evil King, a desperate donkey and some virgin who claims she's been knocked up by God. These are the Nativity Story characters as you’ve never seen them before– and they’ve got their own views on the ‘first Christmas ever’. A boldly controversial comedy. This is no silent night - it’s Christ Almighty!

Jack and the Beanstalk
Adapted by Brendon Bennetts

The Court Theatre 18 – 28 January 2017
This production of Jack and the Beanstalk brings to life all the beloved characters of the original tale: the daring and adventurous Jack, his best friend Daisy the Cow, and of course Blunderbore the hungry giant.
Enjoy a show that combines slapstick comedy, music, and puppetry to celebrate the power of play and imagination; as a little mistake leads to a giant adventure!

Last Legs
by Roger Hall

Circa Theatre 27 January – 18 February 2017
Roger Hall's comedy set in an upmarket retirement community, the Cambridge, with a cast of hilarious Kiwi characters. Outside of happy hour, bridge and mah-jong, our well-to-do seniors indulge in greed, jealousy, love and lust… not to mention their share of gossip, backstabbing and scandal!

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