The Welders-Washington's only playwrights' collective devoted exclusively to developing and producing new work-has named Renee Calarco as its new artistic director. Calarco will lead the company through late 2015. She succeeds Bob Bartlett, who served as the company's artistic director during the development and production of his own critically acclaimed play happiness (and other reasons to die), and Caleen Sinnette Jennings, author of Not Enuf Lifetimes. Allyson Currin, author The Carolina Layaway Grail, was The Welders' inaugural artistic director.
Over the course of her artistic directorship, Calarco will develop and present a workshop production of her new play The Museum of the Unforeseen. It is scheduled to be presented in November 2015. The site-specific play-part performance, part museum exhibit-will be presented in a variety of venues.
"This piece is kind of a departure for me," Calarco says. "It's a bit experimental, will probably involve some devising, and will most likely be refined with suggestions from our audiences. And there will be an accompanying museum exhibit. My fellow Welders are so amazingly supportive of this piece. I'm indebted to their generosity and willingness to dive into this project with me."
Bartlett concurs. "When we founded The Welders, we decided that we'd embrace, explore, and present all types of performances-whether they were fully mounted productions, devised pieces, workshops, or films. So I'm really looking forward to supporting Renee and the world she's creating in her Museum."
The transitioning of the artistic directorship is integral to The Welders' operating structure. Through early 2016, each member playwright-Calarco, Bartlett, Jennings, Currin, and Gwydion Suilebhan-will serve as the collective's artistic director for six to eight months. Executive and Creative Director Jojo Ruf will provide production and dramaturgical support for all of the playwrights during that time. After their term is complete in 2016, the five playwrights will give The Welders' entire operations to a new generation of playwrights.
"It's a slightly terrifying thing," says Calarco. "But it's also thrilling. I know that my sister and brother Welders are with me on this journey. And I know that DC's brilliantly supportive audiences and theatre artists are with all of us, too."
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