National New Play Network Announces 2019-20 Annual Commission: QUOTABLE by Idris Goodwin with Boston's Company One Theatre

The National New Play Network, the country's alliance of nonprofit theaters that collaborate in innovative ways to develop, produce, and extend the life of new plays, is thrilled to announce that the 2019-20 Annual Commission has been awarded to Core Member Company One Theatre (Boston, MA) and playwright Idris Goodwin for the new play Quotable. This new work is a two-person break beat play about generational divides within social justice movements, multiple allegiances and the complications of identity politics in the information age.

In keeping with the aesthetics of rap lyricism, Quotable's theatrical language will be heavily inspired by and modeled after the particular structures of hip hop. This stylistic container has served the break beat cycle well, as verse, rhyme, and wordplay help land social and political content. It's one of the oldest theatrical techniques in Western literature, right? Goodwin has found that leaning into the musicality and rhythm also opens hip hop up to folks who might not know a lot about it otherwise. However, it's the central conflict between two strong-minded and crafty women, both fast and witty wordsmiths, that will remain at the heart of the piece.

The National New Play Network Annual Commission is chosen from projects nominated by Core Members and selected by NNPN's Core Membership. NNPN awards at least one $10,000 commission each year, and the theater that nominated the winning proposal is responsible for the administration and development of the commissioned play. Commissioned playwrights agree to grant the right of first refusal to produce their play to all NNPN Core Members in their respective markets, and pay royalties to the Network only after reaching a predetermined level of income from the play.

Idris Goodwin is a creative voice for change impassioned by the power of art for social good. An award-winning playwright, break beat poet, and Producing Artistic Director of Louisville's StageOne Family Theater, Goodwin uses story to inspire and incite new audiences across culture and generation. His critically acclaimed plays like And In This Corner Cassius Clay, How We Got On, and Hype Man: a break beat play are widely produced across the country at professional theatres, college campuses, and non-traditional spaces alike. He's been honored to receive commissions and developmental support from institutions like NNPN, The Kennedy Center, The Eugene O'Neill Conference, Oregon Shakespeare Festival's American Revolutions Series, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, and Berkeley Rep's Ground Floor Residency. He's currently writing Scarfoot Lives, a new play co-commissioned by Arena Stage's Power Play Program and The Playwright Center's McKnight Fellowship. In addition to the recently released poetry collection Can I Kick It?, he's had several publications with Haymarket Books including Inauguration, Human Highlight: Ode To Dominique Wilkins and the controversial play This Is Modern Art co-written with Kevin Coval. His words, voice, and sometimes entire body have shown up on HBO Def Poetry, Sesame Street, NPR, BBC radio, and the Discovery Channel. A frequent public speaker at conferences and educational spaces, Idris is one of the leading voices in his field, committed to using art to cultivate more diverse and equitable spaces. Visit Idris on the web and social media. nnpn.org

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