Bucks County Playhouse Launches South Asian Artistic Initiative

Today Bucks County Playhouse producers Alexander Fraser, Robyn Goodman, and Josh Fiedler announced a new partnership with producer, director Kiran Merchant to create The South Asian Artistic Initiative (SAAI) - a multi-disciplinary artistic program dedicated to promoting, showcasing, and building an awareness of the impact of arts and artists of South Asian heritage.

Designed to provide a platform for the exploration of South Asian Artists working in the performing, visual and literary arts as well as highlighting their talent, the SAAI continues a long tradition of supporting new artists at the Playhouse that began with the theater's inception by a small group of artists in 1939. Since that time, Moss Hart, George Kaufman, Neil Simon, Terrence McNally and Adam Gwon have called the Playhouse a creative home.

"The South Asian Artist community is growing and thriving globally, however there are not enough platforms for these artists to showcase their talent," says Kiran Merchant. "I am honored and excited to be collaborating on the SAAI effort with Bucks County Playhouse. This multi-faceted program will not only enhance awareness of artists of South Asian heritage and their work in diverse disciplines from theater, film/TV, dance and music, literature and visual arts, but also allow artists to be able to collaborate and exchange ideas on a multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary level."

Robyn Goodman, Executive Producer of Bucks County Playhouse, sees the benefit for artists and audiences alike. "When I was introduced to Kiran by my good friend, Ann Cattaneo of Lincoln Center Theater, I felt an instant connection. I was impressed with his artistic sensibilities and entrepreneurial spirit. We look forward to working with him to bring new voices to the Playhouse stage."

"Over the years, we've seen a rise in opportunities for actors, but the same hasn't been true for playwrights," says Producer Josh Fiedler. "With the launch of this initiative, we can provide a platform for young writers and help develop work that will result in a more diverse, engaged community at the Playhouse and in the larger theater community."

The SAAI will officially launch in 2022 with its first South Asian Playwrights Festival. From now until February 28, 2022, the Playhouse is accepting play submissions by South Asian writers. Finalists will receive a stipend as well as mentorship from prominent members of the arts community. One of the plays will be selected for future development. The actual festival dates will be announced shortly. Award-winning Playwright Rajiv Joseph ("Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo"), Christian Parker (former Associate Artistic Director of The Atlantic theater Company), Kiran Merchant and Playhouse producers, Goodman, Fraser, and Fiedler will select the finalists.

"From the audience perspective, the festival has the ability to introduce diverse themes of subject matters into the Playhouse about this community while providing a valuable creative outlet for these artists," says Merchant.

Interested writers should submit a cover letter, resume, and/or an artist's statement along with their full script in PDF format using the web form at https://www.buckscountyplayhouse.org/saai. If submitting a musical script, please include demos in an mp3 format if available. Because of the volume of submissions, only work that is in line with the South Asian Artistic Initiative's mission and artistic values will receive a response. Complete information and the full submission form is available at www.buckscountyplayhouse.org/SAAI.

Questions about the program may be emailed to SAAIfestival@buckscountyplayhouse.org

The South Asian Playwrights Festival is only the first of many artistic activities planned via the new initiative. Over the next few years, the SAAI will include a variety of events, opportunities for conversation and productions including film festivals showcasing seminal works by and featuring South Asian artists; panels and discussions featuring prominent members of film, theatre, and television; as well as readings and festivals of plays and other literary works by South Asian Playwrights.

Bucks County Playhouse, whose bucolic Pennsylvania location has inspired several generations of theater and fine artists, is a logical location for the initiative. With its trio of Tony-winning producers, the Playhouse has continued to advocate and support new work and rising artists. Since 2012, the Playhouse has hosted or developed eight world-premiere plays and musicals. It also hosts the annual Oscar Hammerstein Festival, a year-long program that offers expert mentorship to early career composers and lyricists.

As a director, producer and entrepreneur, Merchant brings with him a passion for theater, film and television. He ran a successful practice in developing multi-billion dollar Airport Infrastructure projects around the world. An alumnus of the prestigious Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab of NYC, Merchant directed "Random Act of Kindness", "Mahatma Gandhi.com" and "Phyllis Wheatley: The African Muse." He is currently partnering with Silk Road Rising Theater in Chicago to develop a new production for 2022. Merchant co-wrote, directed and produced the feature film 'QuarterLife Crisis', a quirky romantic comedy about singles dating scene in NYC and is currently developing a feature film, "Much ado about Normandy," a comedy set in a small French village.

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