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eBULLETIN February 2023

PLAYMARKET GUIDELINES
Accessibility in Aotearoa Theatre
THE BATTALION
by Helen Pearse-Otene

FROM THE DIRECTOR


Kia ora <<First Name>>

As I write, many of you will be anxiously facing the onslaught of horrific weather. All of us at Playmarket hope you emerge safely from nature’s devastating force. Our thoughts go out to those whose work is affected and/or postponed due to another impactful interruption in our lives.
 
The end of last month saw Te Pou bless their new whare in Henderson. This is a huge achievement and deserves massive congratulations. He whakamihi nui ki te whanau o Te Pou. 
 
In other positive news Creative NZ received an increase of funding via Manatū Taonga/ Ministry for Culture and Heritage. This will hopefully go some way to alleviate the gaping need for independent artists.
 
We are excited to have appointed a new Licensing and Bookshop Administrator who will be on deck from early March. Full details in the next bulletin.
 
The longlist created from reading all of the 91 entries for the Adam NZ Play Award is being read again towards the selection of the shortlist which will be announced on 1 March.
 
Kia haumaru te noho

Murray Lynch    
Tumuaki /Director Playmarket

PLAYWRIGHTS b4 25

Playwrights b4 25, offered in partnership with Auckland Live, has a proven track record of nurturing young writers to successful seasons of their work—you could be next. For this competition we are looking for writers under 25 who take risks and throw care to the wind, as well as those who write strong, conventional plays. 
There are absolutely no restrictions on style or content, whether it's a full-length monologue or an epic for a cast of thousands, a comedy, or a gritty urban tragedy, we're interested in what you have to say. Write about anything you like, in any way you like, for any kind of audience you like.
See here for more and submission details. Entries close 1 APRIL.
The winning play will receive a prize of $1,500 courtesy of Auckland Live.

NEW IN OUR BOOKSHOP

Two stunning new verbatim plays in one volume: Transmission by Stuart McKenzie and The Haka Party Incident by Katie Wolfe. Available here.
Transmission captures the New Zealand government’s response to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, centring around the decision to lock down the country in early 2020. Crafted primarily from interviews conducted with Jacinda Ardern, Grant Robertson and Michael Baker, it provides an intimate insight into the professional and personal experiences of those instrumental to the decision-making, and the responsibility that comes with it. 
“gripping, amusing, insightful, unexpected and moving.” - John Smythe, Theatreview 
“a window into the unfathomable responsibility of political power, humane and complex and difficult.” - Adam Goodall, The Spinoff
The Haka Party Incident revives an important, near-forgotten day in New Zealand’s history, 1 May 1979, when a group of Māori students and activists challenged a mock haka tradition led by students at the University of Auckland’s Engineering School. The play explores the confrontation and its aftermath through verbatim dialogue and transcripts, revealing the complexities of race relations in Aotearoa, which are still seen today. 
“a heartfelt expression of hurt, anger, and injustice but also a call for understanding and healing.” - Andrew Whiteside 
“The Haka Party Incident is an innovative, brilliant piece of theatre...” - Ethan Sills, NZ Herald 

PLAYMARKET GUIDELINES

Working Together: Accessibility in Aotearoa Theatre 
by Henrietta Bollinger and Nathan Mudge

The latest in our popular Guidelines series is a best-practice guide for working with practitioners and communities with access needs. It covers programming, planning, policies, budgets, contracts, riders, remuneration, rehearsal rooms, schedules, warmups, intimacy, costumes and make up, and design. It has an extensive section on casting advice, discusses creating new work and finding funding along with information on audio-description, sign language, relaxed performances and content warnings.
$6 (plus postage) Available here.

THE BATTALION

The Battalion by Helen Pearse-Otene
A moving story about friendship, loyalty, madness and redemption—seen through the eyes of a Battalion veteran and relayed to his wayward young charges. Sent back to their whānau in the “one cow town” of Tamariri, George and Rimini aren’t interested in any of the locals of their family history—they just want to get back to the city. It was the same for five young men in 1939. Drawn by the excitement of war, they run away to the army and join the 28th Māori Battalion. Thus begins their adventure of a lifetime, from their training in England, to their first encounter with the enemy in Greece —to one fateful night in an olive grove in Greece. 
$22 (+ postage). Available here. An Education Guide by Susan Battye is also available for $20.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Emily Duncan, winner of the 2023 Friends of the Hocken Collections Award with a project entitled Establishment. You can read more about Emily's project here

Congratulations to Isaac Martyn who won Peter Harcourt New Playwright of the Year at the Wellington Theatre Awards for his play He Māori?


Congratulations to Melanie Allison who has been selected for Aotearoa’s first multi-community artist-in-residence programme – Whiria te Tāngata (Weave the People together). Ten Independent Artists have been chosen to weave creativity and wellbeing into the diverse and under-represented communities they are already activating across the Waikato. Read more here.

Congratulations to Whiti Hereaka who has been long-listed for the Dublin Literary Award for her novel Kurangaituku. The €100,000 award is presented annually for a novel written in English or translated into English. You can read the citation here.

WELLINGTON WIKICON 11 - 12 MARCH

Wikipedians or anyone interested in adding information about theatre to Wikipedia can get inspired and connected to a friendly network at an upcoming event in Pōneke. It is a two day conference with a varied program. Saturday has a 'how to' session for those new or rusty to Wikipedia run by theatre producer and designer Lisa Maule. Sunday has a Pasifika session (also run by theatre and arts people) and will explore the potential of the mana moana diaspora being better represented in Wikipedia. Meet like-minded others and find out more about the global network associated with Wikipedia.

The conference is at Our Lady’s Home of Compassion in Island Bay, Pōneke. Registration includes catered lunch and refreshments. There are one or two day options and have been kept affordable between $10 - $50.
See here for the programme and more information. Registrations are here

END OF PLAY

The Dramatists Guild of America is very pleased to announce the fourth annual national playwriting month, End of Play. 

Starting 1 April 2023, participating playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists will be challenged to write a brand new play or musical, or revise an old draft. Through a combination of community building events, motivation, and that all important deadline, DG hopes to inspire countless new works. 

End of Play is an annual initiative to incentivise the completion of new plays, scores, or songs over the period of one month. Since the launch of End of Play back in 2020, hundreds of participants from all over the world have connected with one another, uniting to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of creating new theatrical work.

Each year, writers set goals for themselves at the beginning of End of Play month and share their weekly progress with the community. Goals may include writing a new full-length play/musical, two one-act plays/musicals, or completing a second draft of any of the above. Ultimately, the aim of End of Play is to get writers to the finish line with inspirational prompts, motivational events, and the support of their End of Play community.

End of Play is open to both members and non-members of the Dramatists Guild. Writers of all backgrounds are encouraged to participate, and prior writing experience is not necessary. 
 
See here for more information and registration. If you have more questions you can contact Paul Kalburgi, the Guild’s NZ Ambassador here.

OPPORTUNITIES

AUCKLAND COUNCIL 2023 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
The Council will select an artist to live and work in an Auckland regional park. The Artist in Residence creates new work influenced in some way by the park, which is shared with the public.
See more here
Applications close 17 February

SCRIPT TO SCREEN SERIES BOOTCAMP
Series Bootcamp is a development lab created to nurture emerging and mid-career writers and producers. Six writer or writer and producer teams with an outstanding series concept and evidence of talent and ability will be selected to undergo a three-stage development process. All key team members must be able to attend the two-day Series Bootcamp workshop in Auckland on 4 & 5 May 2023 and the pitching day on 26 June 2023.
More information here
Applications close 27 February
 
PAANZ ARTS MARKET
Registrations are open for PAANZ 2023. The Digital Arts Market is 13 - 14 March followed by the in-person event 15 - 16 March in Auckland. More information here and you can view the programme here

PLAYWRIGHTS ASSOCIATION OF NZ WEEKEND
Grab your notebook, be it electronic or paper, and head on down to Central Otago for a wonderful autumnal weekend 3 – 5 March 2023. Playwrights Association is holding a seminar, and all writers and lovers of theatre are welcome. Highlight of the weekend will be a workshop led by Emily Duncan. Her topic is ‘Detailing the Drama’. The fee for the weekend is $180.00 which includes Saturday lunch and a celebration dinner. A discount of $20 is offered for those up to age 25 years. 
Please email any enquiries here or text the organiser at 027 349 7746.
Clyde Memorial Hall, Clyde 3 - 5 March

FULBRIGHT-CREATIVE NEW ZEALAND PACIFIC WRITER’S RESIDENCY 2023
The award is to an established New Zealand writer of Pacific heritage to carry out work on a creative writing project exploring Pacific identity, culture or history. The award is valued at NZ$33,300 and the recipient will be based at the Center for Pacific Islands Studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa for either the Fall (August-November) or Spring (February-May) semester of the US academic year.
More information here
Applications close 17 March

WHITIREIA PUBLISHING MICRO-CREDENTIALS
Whitireia Publishing are offering two online editing micro-credentials in 2023.
  • Grammar and Punctuation 
  • Copy-Editing 1 
A micro-credential certifies achievement of a coherent set of skills and knowledge. It is smaller than a qualification and focuses on skill development opportunities not currently catered for in the regulated tertiary education system. With no criteria for entry these micro-credentials are open to everyone and are designed for flexible self-directed study with each course taking an average of 50 hours to complete. Participants have up to 10 weeks to complete each online course with tutor support available.
Enrolments are now open on the Whitiriea Publishing website
The first intake for both courses will begin on 20 March

RE-IMAGINING TOI PŌNEKE
The Wellington City Council is reviewing Toi Pōneke Arts Centre is being used and designing what future fit-for-purpose space(s) could look and feel like, and how it will be operated. The current lease expires in 2025 and there is opportunity for community feedback as well as a suite of digital conversations happening as part of the project. See more here
Feedback closes 30 March


WEEKLY WRITERS WORKSHOP AUCKLAND
Ben Wilson is running a weekly writers workshop in Auckland, Thursdays 7.30 – 9pm at MoveSpace, 473 Dominion Rd, Mt Eden. The workshop is designed to be a space for a group of writers to meet regularly and have a regular dedicated time and space to write. Ben is happy to take new members through the year. Contact him here

ARTICLES

When Auckland went into Covid lockdown in 2021, Auckland actor Tainui Tukiwaho wanted to find a way to keep his five tamariki busy and help them with their written English. Hemo is Home will premiere next month at Te Pou Theatre. The ghostly comedy stars the youngest of the play's creators, 10 year old Te Rongopai Curreen Tukiwaho. Te Rongopai and his mother - producer and actor Amber Curreen - tell Kathryn Ryan about the whanau-inspired play and the project to create a purpose-built, kaupapa Māori performing arts facility in west Auckland. Listen to Amber and Te Rongopai on Radio New Zealand here.
Dave Armstrong on his latest play In Bed with Schoenberg. Listen here.
Anthony McCarten on his latest works The Collaboration and A Beautiful Noise. Watch here.

SEE AOTEAROA THEATRE

A Beautiful Noise
by Anthony McCarten. Music by Neil Diamond
Broadhurst Theatre, New York opening 4 Dec
The story of the legendary Neil Diamond comes to life on stage in the uplifting new musical, A Beautiful Noise, featuring all his hit songs including 'Sweet Caroline', 'America', and 'Cracklin’ Rosie'. A Beautiful Noise explores the life of a rock icon through the music that made him a national treasure. Good times never seemed so good. 
Wonderful
by Richard Huber

Invercargill, Cromwell & Wellington 10 – 19 Feb
One part drawing room farce, two measures of Love and a splash of the comedy. Lady Hermione and her loyal butler Roberts cast aside the darkness, despair and bad poetry from the Great War and fall headlong into the brave new world of martinis, monocles, romance, and fountains. What is the price of following your heart and are you willing to pay it? Where does Uncle Dickie keep the biscuits and what did the actress really say to the bishop?
Sense and Sensibility
by Penny Ashton

The Court Theatre 11 Feb – 11 Mar
Austen fans are in for a treat with this witty version of the classic novel! Sense and Sensibility follows passionate, emotional Marianne and practical, steady Elinor Dashwood as they balance sensible behaviour and sensitivity, life and love, after their father’s death. A cast of six women create 22 vibrant characters in Penny Ashton’s joyous retelling of this whirlwind journey of romance and sisterhood.
and The Lochburns
by William Duignan

Circa Playreading 18 Feb
Unpacking childhood memories, the Lochburn siblings cringe at the past and wrestle with their family’s future. Six actors, two musicians, one new breath-taking play reading. Shortlisted for the 2022 Adam NZ Play Award.
 
 
Losing Face
by Nathan Joe

Ellen Melville Centre Auckland 23 Feb
Take a peek behind the scenes with the development of a new queer play in this staged reading. It’s Christmas Eve and an older white male and his younger Chinese male lover are waiting for the older white male’s half-Chinese daughter to show up. What could go wrong? Part of Samesame but Different, Aotearoa’s first LGBTQIA+ Writers Festival.
Check out the rest of the Festival here.
U R Here
Barbarian Productions

Martin Luckie Park, Wellington 24 – 26 Feb
Barbarian’s newest performance event is their biggest yet - an immersive live experience across a huge, sprawling outdoor location, hosted by a bustling cast of twenty-seven! U R Here combines game design, theatre and puppetry with interactive activities to create an experience that can be enjoyed by anyone of any age. There is no set path to follow, once you arrive you are free to roam as you wish; you can stay for an hour or for three.
Hope
by Jenny Pattrick

Circa Theatre Playreading 25 February
 A controversial law is denying hospital treatment to patients in their last year of life. Irina’s daughter Yulia, a nurse, arrives back from the disastrous war in Ukraine to discover her mother and brother are illegally buying drugs. Arguments erupt. A famous pianist – former pupil of Irina’s – visits to complicate matters – and perhaps to provide some hope, to both mother and son.
In Bed with Schoenberg
by Dave Armstrong

Circa Theatre 25 Feb – 17 Mar
Self-confessed genius Arnold Schoenberg has taken to his bed in Los Angeles believing that this will be his last day alive. The clock is ticking toward midnight. Arnold reflects on an earlier life of fame where his compositions caused riots, where friends and lovers constantly betrayed him and where a failed ‘artist’ became Führer and forced his unwanted exile. A delicious Viennese pastry filled with comedy, drama and exquisite live classical music.
A Rare Bird
by Elisabeth Easther

Hamilton Arts 2 - 3 Mar
Ornithologist Perrine Moncrieff was a woman on a mission. A conservationist before it was fashionable, Moncrieff was a pioneer in so many fields, but it was when she recognised the connection between birds, forests and human survival that her efforts really took flight. A solo show that explores the audacious exploits of an extraordinary woman and reveals the vital role Moncrieff played in helping to conserve the flora and fauna of Aotearoa.
Rangitoto 
by Geoffrey Clendon

The Pumphouse 23 Feb - 5 Mar & Artworks Waiheke 9 - 12 Mar
Rangitoto is a comic drama built on the tension and humour arising from interactions between two Pākehā families, a local eccentric, and a Māori boy. Although on holiday, they are unable to escape the harsh economic realities of the 1930s. The incumbent working-class bach dwellers are confronted with the arrival of wealthy newcomers intent on changing the community.
Hemo is Home
by Tainui Tukiwaho and whānau

Te Pou Theatre 3 – 12 Mar
In just a few days Hemo will turn 10 which means he will finally be able to leave the safety of his urupā home and see the world - the only thing stopping that from happening is the Patupaiarehe who needs to devour Hemo's mauri before he achieves this milestone. With the help of his Nanny Gugu and the rest of his ghost whānau Hemo only has to survive a few more days - but will the love of his family be enough to keep young Hemo safe? 
Benedict Cumberbatch Must Die
by Abby Howells

Two Productions at Centre Arts Festival Christchurch 4 March
A control-freak actor, a sex-crazed celebrity obsessive, and a socially phobic fan fiction writer have one thing in common: Benedict Cumberbatch. When they hear that Holmes / Kahn / Smaug is making a trip to New Zealand, they devise a show in the hope he will come and see it, and fall in love with me, I mean them. Definitely them.
Winding Up
by Roger Hall

Mayfair Theatre Dunedin 6 – 11 Mar, Civic Invercargill 13 Mar
Now in their seventies, Barry and Gen are coping with failing health, death of friends, estranged family, the need to downsize and (God help everyone) planning their funerals. Two of New Zealand’s most celebrated comic actors, Mark Hadlow and Alison Quigan are on their way south to bring you this hugely popular play.
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