Audible Announces Second Round of Theater Commissions from $5 Million Emerging Playwrights Fund

Audible Inc the worlds largest producer and provider of downloadable audiobooks and other spokenword entertainment today announced the second group of theater playwrights selected to receive support from its fund dedicated to developing innovative Englishlanguage works from around the globe The 5 million fund enables the creation of original plays driven by language and voice keeping with Audibles core commitment to elevating listening experiences through powerful performances and extraordinary vocal storytelling pblockquotep idpullquotepblockquote p Audibles newest class of playwrights is comprised of incredibly gifted creatives that are harnessing the power of voice to create theater that can be enjoyed anywhere anytime commented Kate Navin Artistic Producer Audible Theater Audible is committed to supporting the theater community cultivating great talent and helping to grow audiences We cant wait to introduce these extraordinary new works to millions of people worldwide p p In addition to financial support Audible will provide the selected playwrights creative and logistical resources that suit the needs of each artist and project With access to both Audibles workspace and an artistic staff who provide dramaturgical expertise playwrights will enjoy a nurturing environment that inspires and encourages artistic expression The fund is also intended to support the audio production of each commission and in some instances a live stage component In its entirety the initiative provides opportunity and access for both theater artists and audiences p p The second round of commissions will go to p ul li classbwlistitemmargb bNICK CARRb the recipient of the Gary Garrison prize for playwrighting at the American College Theater Festival in Washington DC a selected writer for Theater Masters Palm Beach Developmental Workshop Series and a Kennedy Center Fellow at the ONeill Playwrights Conference li ul ul li classbwlistitemmargb bCHRISTOPHER CHENban Obie Awardwinning playwright whose work has been extensively produced across the United States and abroad In addition to Audible he is currently under commission at The Aurora LCT3 Manhattan Theatre Club Oregon Shakespeare Festival Playwrights Horizons and the Royal Shakespeare Company li li classbwlistitemmargb bELINOR COOKbthe Londonbased winner of the George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright 2013 and a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Award 2018 li li classbwlistitemmargb bBERRI GEORGEb a Londonbased playwright and performer whose work has been staged in a range of leading new writing venues Her onewoman show LARP which she also performed received five star reviews and toured a selection of local and regional venues li li classbwlistitemmargb bCARLA GRAULSb an awardwinning playwright whose works have been performed in London Italy and South Africa She is the winner of the Nick Darke Award for her play iMade for Himi and her critically acclaimed play iOccupiedi at Theatre503 was nominated for two Off West End Theatre Awards in 2014 li li classbwlistitemmargb bERIC MICHA HOLMESba playwright and radio dramatist whose work has been heard on the BBC and seen at The National Black Theatre The New Black Fest MCC Theatre New York Theatre Workshop and The Lark Play Development Center among others li li classbwlistitemmargb bLINDSAY JOELLEba Chicagoborn New Yorkbased playwright and lyricist holding a BA in English from Columbia University and an MFA in Playwriting from CUNYHunter She is a member of Nashville Repertory Theatres Ingram New Works Lab a National New Play Network writerinresidence at Curious Theatre and an alumna of the BMI Musical Thetre Workshop li li classbwlistitemmargb bCHARLOTTE JOSEPHINEbthe winner of the Soho Theatre Young Writers Award 2012 the Clonmel Junction Best Theatre Award 2013 the Holden Street Theatres Award 2013 the Adelaide Fringe Award 2014 the Stage Edinburgh Award 2017 the Octagon National Monologue Prize 2017 and the inaugural BBC Screenplay First Award in 2017 li li classbwlistitemmargb bMIKE LEWb a Brooklynbased playwright Tony voter and Dramatist Guild Council member whose honors include the PEN Emerging Playwright Lanford Wilson Helen Merrill Heideman and Kendeda awards as well as a Lark Ventrous fellowship li li classbwlistitemmargb bMARISELA TREVIA ORTAba graduate of the Iowa Playwrights Workshop and a Core Writer at The Playwrights Center She has been awarded the 2006 ChicanoLatino Literary Prize in Drama the 2009 Pen Center USA Literary Award in Drama the 2013 National Latino Playwriting Award and is a 2019 Kendeda Finalist li ul p In 2017 Audible announced its first class of fifteen playwrights including Aaron Mark Aditi Brennan Kapil Antoinette Nwandu Bridgette A Wimberly Chisa Hutchinson David Rossmer Gary McNair James Anthony Tyler James Fritz Lauren Gunderson Leah Nakano Winkler Madhuri Shekar Nassim Soleimanpour Paola Lazaro and Regina Taylor Currently three Audible commissioned plays will be produced in 2019 including iProof of Lovei by Chisa Hutchinson slated for live production at Minetta Lane in NYC in spring 2019 iEvil Eyei by Madhuri Shekar Audible release May 2019 and iLife Ever Afteri by Carla Grauls Audible release June 2019 Additional productions from commissioned playwrights will be announced in the coming months p p For more information about submitting to the Fund please contact a referrerpolicyunsafeurl targetblank hrefmailtoAudibleTheateraudiblecom relnofollowAudibleTheateraudiblecoma p p Awardwinning Audible performances of captivating stage productions starring Billy Crudup Carey Mulligan Judith Light John Lithgow Patti Smith Billy Crystal and others are available at a referrerpolicyunsafeurl targetblank hrefhttpsctsbusinesswirecomctCTidsmartlinkampurlhttp3A2F2Fwwwaudiblecom2Ftheaterampesheet51937274ampnewsitemid20190207005184amplanenUSampanchorwwwaudiblecom2Ftheaterampindex1ampmd5378ce802543783e072c7caf364a5f99e relnofollowwwwaudiblecomtheatera p p span classbwulinebABOUT AUDIBLE INCbspan p p a referrerpolicyunsafeurl targetblank hrefhttpsctsbusinesswirecomctCTidsmartlinkampurlhttps3A2F2Fwwwaudiblecom2Fampesheet51937274ampnewsitemid20190207005184amplanenUSampanchorAudible2CIncampindex2ampmd54dd7f62f015535a469435f308ea9cf7d relnofollowAudible Inca anAmazoncom Inc subsidiary NASDAQAMZN is the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio content offering customers a new way to enhance and enrich their lives every day Audible was created to unleash the emotive music in language and the habituating power and utility of verbal expression Audible content includes more than 475000 audio programs from leading audiobook publishers broadcasters entertainers magazine and newspaper publishers and business information providers p

SOURCE: BUSINESS WIRE. ©2017 Business Wire

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