Fulton Theatre Announces Playwriting Festival

The nationally regarded Fulton Theatre has announced a new initiative, and an action step, that continues the promise to the Lancaster Community to remain committed to being a change agent through the stories we tell. The first initiative is the formation of a new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, followed by its first action, to participate in a new works festival. The first year of this festival will call for "Stories of Diversity: Reflections of Community."

The Fulton Theatre is calling for submissions to join the DEI Committee. The Fulton Theatre DEI Committee is committed to the Lancaster community and dedicated to diversity in the stories that are told. The theatre and arts are a vehicle to amplify and celebrate the voices and perspectives of BIPOC, and the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. The committee aims to build relationships and foster inclusiveness by diversifying our programming, artists, staff, volunteers, and community stakeholders. This committee is in collaboration with the Fulton's Board of Directors. Fulton Staff Representatives will be from the Community Engagement, Marketing, and Human Resource Departments. Applicants for the committee should be able to commit to attend quarterly meetings, beginning in December, and council administrative staff as needed. Applications can be found on the Fulton's website at TheFulton.org under Community and are due by the end of the day on Friday, November 13, 2020.

Submissions are also being sought for "Stories of Diversity: Reflections of Community." Open to playwrights throughout Lancaster County and beyond, the Stories of Diversity invites writers to submit new plays or musicals celebrating perspectives from the spectrum of diversity, including voices from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+, and religious and economic diversity. Upon review by members of the Fulton's Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee - a truly diverse group of community volunteers, activists, and artists - four finalists will be chosen to have their work workshopped by the Fulton through public performances held the weekend of May 21 - 23, 2021. The winner of the inaugural new works festival will be selected by the audience and a panel of judges at the Festival's close on Sunday, May 23rd, with their work to then be professionally produced by the Fulton as part of the Groff Studio Series in the Tell Studio Theatre. A submission form can be found on the Fulton's website at TheFulton.org under Community. All submissions must be received by Monday, January 4, 2021 to be considered. Winners will be announced on March 1, 2021.

The Fulton is grateful to the Festival Sponsor, Lancaster County Community Foundation, for their support for this necessary initiative. The theatre welcomes the opportunity to partner likeminded organizations and businesses to join us as fellow sponsors for this inaugural event.

"We are proud to partner and support the Diversity Playwriting Festival as a way of creating important space for new and underrepresented voices to be amplified and elevated. We believe Lancaster County is stronger when every voice is heard and every resident is safe. Our community is only extraordinary when every family, neighbor, and friend is respected," says Sam Bressi, CEO of Lancaster County Community Foundation.

Marc Robin, Executive Artistic Producer, stated, "The Fulton Theatre has always been a gathering place for the community. The programming needs to reflect the diverse makeup of Lancaster. We hope by taking this necessary step of increasing the opportunities to foster stories of diversity, that the entire community feels included at the Fulton Theatre, their home for the performing arts."

In June, the Fulton Theatre made a promise to the Lancaster Community to be a change agent and to help amplify diverse voices. The announcement of this new committee and the playwriting festival are our next steps to fulfilling that promise.

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