Arena Stage Now Accepting Proposals for 2014-15 Kogod Cradle Series

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announced today it is seeking proposals from playwrights, ensembles and theater companies interested in participating in the 2014/15 Kogod Cradle Series as part of the American Voices New Play Institute. The Kogod Cradle Series supports the exploration and development of new and emerging work in the theater's intimate 200-seat Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle. The application is available at http://arenastage.org/artistic-development/work-with-us/. Proposals are due May 16, 2014 for consideration in the 2014-15 season.

Focusing on the development of new plays and devised work by artists from throughout Greater Washington and around the country, this series of readings and workshops invites artists and audiences to explore the development process, and allows artists and audiences to participate.

"An essential part of Arena Stage's mission is to be an artistic home-which means creating a space where artists can develop work. It's very exciting to seek out fresh voices through the Kogod Cradle series. We have been host to a great breadth of work so far and I look forward to the artists and companies that come forward this season," shares Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith. "I have been so impressed with the work from previous seasons' Kogod Cradle Series and believe we have been able to play a small part in helping other artists grow their work."

The 2013/14 Kogod Cradle Series featured six projects and kicked off the series with the return of the D.C.-based company dog & pony dc (A Killing Game) to explore their latest project Toast. Powerhouse singers Nicholas Rodriguez and Eleasha Gamble performed their favorite best of Broadway hits in The Power of Two, and D.C.'s Helen Hayes Award-winning Commedia dell'Arte troupe Faction of Fools presented their adaptation of Our Town. The series explored two plays, Lewiston and Clarkston, by Resident Playwright Samuel D. Hunter written during his yearlong residency as part of the American Voices New Play Institute, as well as six new plays developed by the six members of the inaugural Playwrights' Arena during Playwrights' Arena-A Weekend of New Work. The series concludes with a special extended presentation of Ann Randolph's one woman show, Loveland, which runs through April 13 and kicks off her "Good Grief Tour," which features a post-show mini writing workshop following each performance.

Applicants should propose exciting new work that has a sense of inquiry in form and process including works in progress, workshop productions and open rehearsals. This work may come from companies, ensembles or individual artists.

Arena Stage will provide access to space in the Mead Center with no rental fee, with some technical support, a listing of the production on the Arena Stage website and necessary staff support to reserve tickets and manage attendance of the public presentations.

For up-to-date information about the Kogod Cradle Series visit arenastage.org/artistic-development/new-play-institute/the-cradle-series/index.shtml.

For more information on the American Voices New Play Institute at Arena Stage visit arenastage.org/artistic-development/new-play-institute.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Producer Edgar Dobie, is a national center dedicated to American voices and artists. Arena Stage produces plays of all that is passionate, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit, and presents diverse and ground-breaking work from some of the best artists around the country. Arena Stage is committed to commissioning and developing new plays through the American Voices New Play Institute. Arena Stage impacts the lives of more than 20,000 students annually through its work in community engagement. Now in its seventh decade, Arena Stage serves a diverse annual audience of more than 300,000. arenastage.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.