CFCArts, FTA, and Orlando Fringe Have Announced the Playwright Development Project

Central Florida Community Arts (CFCArts), Florida Theatrical Association (FTA), and Orlando Fringe have teamed up to announce the Playwright Development Project. This new venture will be a collaborative effort between the three organizations, offering playwrights of the 2020 Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival the opportunity to have their work developed and fully produced in the 2021 CFCArts Season.

All submissions to the 2020 Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival will have the option to have their show considered for the Playwright Development Project, and a team with representatives from each organization will curate the interested productions to find one piece of work that the team feels is uniquely suited for another step of development. The winning piece will have special consideration to join "The Collective," an incubator program established by Orlando Fringe to provide reading and workshop opportunities, as well as resources to further develop their work over the next two years. The program culminates with a fully-produced slot in the CFCArts 2021 Season. The production will be fully funded by Florida Theatrical Association, and directed by FTA's Education Director, Kenny Howard, who is a renowned, award-winning local director. The selected playwright will also receive a $2,000 award as a royalty payment for the production.

"It's been a dream of mine to bring more focus to the creation and support of new works of theater in our community," says CFCArts' Director of Theatre, Donald Rupe. "The creation of new plays and musicals is a key factor in measuring the health of a city's theatrical community, and it makes wonderful sense that these three organizations are working together to do our part to support that."

"Orlando Fringe organically draws incredible new work to the stage each year," said Orlando Fringe Executive Director Alauna Friskics. "Having a program that develops a play to its next level is exactly the pipeline we are looking to establish. Getting to partner with two great organizations is a bonus."

"FTA is excited to partner with these amazing local organizations on a new project that fully supports FTA's mission of fostering new theater in our community," said FTA's Executive Director Larry Watchorn. "All three of these groups coming together to provide support and access to their resources is an unprecedented opportunity for local playwrights."

For information about the Playwright Development Project, contact the CFCArts Theatre team at theatre@cfcarts.com.

ABOUT CENTRAL FLORIDA COMMUNITY ARTS

Central Florida Community Arts (CFCArts) is a nonprofit organization that exists to build and serve the community through the arts. Besides producing seasonal concerts, the heartbeat of CFCArts is to give back to the community by providing affordable arts experiences for all ages and abilities. Visit CFCArts.com for more information.

ABOUT FLORIDA THEATRICAL ASSOCIATION

Florida Theatrical Association, the non-profit presenter of Broadway in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, strives in its mission to educate and develop new theater audiences, while encouraging and preserving the presentation of touring Broadway theater. Since 1989 Florida Theatrical Association has presented more than 1,000 Broadway performances and distributed more than $1.5 million in scholarships and grants to arts organizations across the state of Florida. For more information, visit www.FloridaTheatrical.org.

ABOUT ORLANDO FRINGE

The Orlando Fringe produces The Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, the longest-running Fringe in the United States. It is a member of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals (CAFF), United States Association of Fringe Festivals (USAFF) and the World Fringe Association and follows the CAFF mandate to remain 100% unjuried, 100% uncensored, 100% accessible for artists and audiences alike, with 100% of ticket sales given back to the artists. Orlando Fringe is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and receives generous funding from Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs, United Arts of Central Florida, City of Orlando, and the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.

To post a comment, you must register and login.