The Dramatists Guild Foundation Announces Recipients Of 2019 DGF Writers Alliance Grants

Dramatists Guild Foundation (DGF) has announced the second-ever recipients of the DGF Writers Alliance Grants. These Grants provide $5,000 to both a non-profit theater's production of a new work and $5,000 to the writer or group of writers whose work is being produced. Gary Garrison, who serves on both the DGF Advisory Board and the Writers Alliance Grant selection committee, said: "The DGF's Writers Alliance Grant is the perfect combination of support for both writer AND theater. It acknowledges that the writer has a story that should to be told while also smartly pointing to the theater that should be telling it."

Each writer is one whose work pushes boundaries and shows tremendous promise. Each of the producing theaters demonstrated superlative ethical standards in supporting the livelihoods and careers of writers. Tina Howe, who also serves on the DGF Advisory Board and the Writers Alliance Grant selection committee, said: "You should hear our squeals of delight as we choose our ten winners from across the country. We're both democratic in our reach, yet autocratic in our insistence on high quality."

These grants reflect DGF's commitment to ensuring writers' contributions to theater are respected and to changing the national conversation about how writers are treated by the institutions that produce their work. Howe adds: "These grants function as both an example and opportunity for the entire theatrical industry."

Writers Alliance Grants are the largest individual grants DGF has ever given to theaters, and are among the largest grants DGF gives directly to writers. Writers Alliance Grants, developed in partnership with the Dramatists Guild of America, are awarded in celebration of working relationships that align deeply with DGF core values. Susan Birkenhead, also serving on both the DGF Advisory Board and the Writers Alliance Grant selection committee, said "We take great care to ensure that the theatres we help provide good contracts that treat our writers well."

The full list of recipients:

Writer: Stephan Wolfert writer of The She-Wolf of France

Theater: Amphibian Stage Productions, in Fort Worth, TX

Statement from recipient: "From new voices comes new perspectives. New perspectives lead to understanding and change. This is indeed the imperative of great and relevant theatre. ASP deeply values writers like Stephan Wolfert whose particular voice addresses healing from traumatic experiences. Wolfert's writing delves below the surface and beyond the expected. His innovative and inspiring approach to developing and writing text is in simpatico with our organization's mission. We know that in order to be an effective catalyst for change, then we must embrace stories that explore the deeper tremors of the soul."

• Kathleen Culebro, Artistic Director, Amphibian Stage

Writer: Hansol Jung writer of Wolf Play

Theater: Artists Repertory Theatre, in Portland, OR

Statement from recipient: "We are thrilled to be commissioning and producing Hansol Jung (Wolf Play), whose sense of theatricality is exhilarating and eloquent. She has a unique perspective on theater, and we find our own enriched and expanded by working with her."

- Luan Schooler, Director of New Play Development and Dramaturgy, Artists Repertory Theatre

Writers: Bill Nelson & Joseph Trefler (he/him/his), writers of Men with Money

Theater: Aurora Theatre, in Lawrenceville, GA

Statement from recipient: "Over the past decade, Aurora Theatre has placed an emphasis on cultivating and producing new work, especially diverse work, since our theater is located in the most diverse county in the Southeastern United States. Funding from Dramatists Guild Foundation will support the world premiere of a great new musical, Men With Money. We bill the show this way. "This romantic romp is full of dreams, schemes and lavish musical numbers set in the golden age mecca of Manhattan in the 1950's, with a twist. Two of our leading men are looking for husbands. Oh My!" It was important to us as co-founders of a suburban theatre, that we produce shows that positively reflect all communities. That includes the LGBTQ community. This "agenda of empathy" is important in our pursuit of kindness and acceptance."

• Anthony Rodriguez and Ann-Carol Pence, Co-Founders and Artistic Directors, Aurora Theatre

Writers: Dael Orlandersmith and Antonio Suarez, writers of Antonio's Song/I Was Dreaming of a Son Theater: Contemporary American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown, WV

Statement from recipient: "It is all about collaboration...making a new theater piece with Dael Orlandersmith and Antonio Suarez goes to the very heart of our mission: to produce and develop new American theater. I am excited to provide a creative atmosphere for Dael and Antonio to collaborate with Mark Clements, director and Alexandra Beller, movement director, and our design team to bring to give birth to this remarkable new work that explores the challenges of fatherhood, cultural identity, and male aggression in today's turbulent world. CATF is dedicated to the American playwright. We believe in producing new work without a safety net of tradition. We believe in the power of stories. We believe that writing matters. We believe that words matter."

• Ed Herendeen, Founder and Producer, CATF

Writer: Gus Schulenburg writer of Operating Systems

Theater: Flux Theatre Ensemble in Forest Hills, NY

Statement from recipient: "Flux Theatre Ensemble is deeply committed to long-term collaboration with artists and building a creative home. Flux has been Gus' creative home for over a decade, and we couldn't be more proud and honored to be producing her latest play, Operating Systems this March!"

• Heather Cohn, Co-Founder and Producing Director, Flux Theatre Ensemble

Writer: Nambi E. Kelley, writer of Jazz

Theater: Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley, CA

Statement from recipient: "We are incredibly grateful to the

Dramatists Guild Foundation for awarding us a Writers Alliance Grant to support Marin Theatre Company's continued development and production of Nambi E. Kelley's adaptation of Toni Morrison's Jazz. Nambi is one of our most treasured collaborators and a unique voice in the American theater. With her adaptation of Richard Wright's Native Son and continuing with her adaptation of Morrison's novel, Nambi has proven to be a highly inventive deconstructor of the novel and simultaneous constructor of theatrical event maps. Nambi's adaptations always leave incredible room for artists to create and collaborate."

• Jasson Minadakis Artistic Director, Marin Theater

Writer: Christopher Johnston, writer of Live Bodies for Sale

Theater: Playwrights Local 4181 in Cleveland Heights, OH

Statement from recipient: "Our mission as a new-play company is to produce and promote local writers, so being supportive of them is of primary importance to us. With that being the case, the Writers Alliance Grant is an extremely valuable and meaningful opportunity for our organization. We're grateful to the Dramatists Guild Foundation for funding both playwrights and the producers that serve them."

• David Todd, Artistic Director, Playwrights Local

Writer: Morgan Gould, writer of I Wanna f-ing Tear You Apart Theater: Rivendell Theatre Ensemble in Chicago, IL

Statement from recipient: "At Rivendell, we prioritize having the playwright involved in the process. The end result is a deeper dive into the storytelling, with our audiences reaping the rewards of that work."

• Tara Mallen, Artistic Director and Founder, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Writer: Stephanie Alison Walker, writer of The Abuelas Theater: Teatro Vista in Chicago, IL

Statement from recipient: "At Teatro Vista we are passionate about supporting new work that explores the wealth and variety of the human experience from a Latinx perspective. We love working with writers in the early stages of their process so we can collaborate and add Teatro Vista's unique voice to the piece."

• Sylvia Hevia, Managing and Developing Director, Teatro Vista

Writer: Chris Weikel, writer of Secret Identity Theater: The Other Side of Silence (TOSOS) in New York, NY

Statement from recipient: "At TOSOS we believe that writers are the lifeblood of the American theater, and strive to treat all equitably and fairly. The Writers Alliance Grant is particularly meaningful to me, since I have always viewed The Other Side of Silence (TOSOS) as my artistic home. Home can often be a fraught word for LGBTQ+ artists, but TOSOS truly is my home. It is gratifying that the DGF has recognized the company's commitment to not only amplifying the voices of the LGBTQ+ community but to partnering with the writers who give that voice eloquence."

• Chris Weikel, Playwright and WAG Recipient

About DGF: Dramatists Guild Foundation (DGF) is a national charity that fuels the future of American theater by supporting the writers who create it. DGF fosters playwrights, composers, lyricists, and bookwriters at all stages of their careers. We sponsor educational programs; provide awards, grants, and stipends; offer free space to create new works; and give emergency aid to writers in need. By supporting and nurturing the creators of today, we protect the stories of tomorrow. Writers Alliance Grants are an innovation on DGF's previous theater program, which has supported theaters for 50 years.

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