The MITTEN Lab Announces 2019 Residency Program Artists

The MITTEN Lab (A Michigan Incubator for Theatre Talent Emerging Now), led by co-founders Katherine M. Carter and Rachel Sussman, announces this year's artists for its fourth annual residency program in Northern Michigan, taking place September 8th through 15th.

The 2019 MITTEN Lab artists, selected through an extensive submissions process, will be Philadelphia-based playwright Nikki Brake-Sillá, Detroit-based playwright Rachel Keown Burke, Kalamazoo-based playwright Amber Palmer, and the New York-based playwright Andrew Rincón.

The MITTEN Lab will continue their partnerships with Parallel 45 Theatre and Interlochen Center for the Arts, hosting a public presentation of works-in-progress by the 2019 artists. This presentation will take place on Saturday, September 14th at 7:30 PM at Interlochen's Harvey Theatre (4000 Hwy M-137, Interlochen, MI), and feature Interlochen Arts Academy students and faculty along with Parallel 45 company members. Visit www.themittenlab.org for more details.

"In our second year of open submissions, we were overwhelmed to receive over 80 artist applications," said co-founders Carter and Sussman in a statement. "Along with our Reading Committee, we reviewed each application thoroughly and are thrilled to have Nikki, Rachel, Amber, and Andrew joining us for our fourth annual residency. We are also honored to continue growing our partnerships with the renowned Interlochen Center for the Arts and Parallel 45 Theatre, reinforcing our mission to provide early career theatre artists with a platform to share their work free from critical gaze, provide students with the opportunity to participate in the generative process, and allow the local community to encounter exciting, up-and-coming talent."

The MITTEN Lab is an artist residency program located in Northern Michigan that provides early career theatre artists with the time, space, and support to develop new theatrical works and engage with the local landscape. Artists pay nothing to participate - housing, travel, studio space, and meals are provided as well as a $200 stipend.

Focusing on the advancement of works in the performing arts, The MITTEN Lab seeks to cultivate early-career playwrights, musical theatre composers, lyricists, librettists, choreographers, and performance artists, in an effort to strengthen the development of new theatrical work in Michigan. The MITTEN Lab began by working with three artists in 2016, and will expand to include more artists and longer residencies in in the future. At least one Michigan artist is selected each year. 2018 saw the first year of open submissions. The 2018 Reading Committee included: William Church (Interlochen Center for the Arts), Kit McKay (Parallel 45 Theatre), director/choreographer Emily Penick, Erin Washburn (InterAct Theatre Company), Erin Whiting (Parallel 45 Theatre), dramaturg Adrena Williams, and 2016-2018 alumni artists.

The inaugural MITTEN Lab in 2016 featured New York-based playwright Monet Hurst-Mendoza, Detroit-based playwright Emilio Rodriguez, and New York-based composer/lyricist Zoe Sarnak. The 2017 MITTEN Lab supported Detroit-based playwright Morgan Breon, Philadelphia-based playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger, and New York-based composer/lyricist Zack Zadek. The 2018 MITTEN Lab supported Michigan and Chicago-based playwright Eric Grant, New York-based playwright Liz Morgan, and the New York-based musical theatre writing team of Kit Yan and Melissa Li.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Website: www.themittenlab.org

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