DG National Report: North Carolina by Kim Stinson
@dramatistsguild @KimStinson
There’s a new theatre in the ol’ North State. Owl Tree Theater for the People is based in Cary, North Carolina. Their website explains that their, “philosophy is simple…high quality & mind-blowing theater that will be cheaper than going out to a movie! That’s how we roll – theater for the people style.”
This fresh attitude helped them hold their first festival of plays by North Carolinians in August 2014. “Triangulate” was a ten by ten (ten plays of ten minutes in length) festival held at Theatre in the Park in Raleigh.
Marilynn Anselmi, Dramatists Guild member, was amongst the playwrights whose work was showcased during the festival.
They are now looking to produce a full-length work for their 2014-15 season and are taking submissions until the middle of September. This deadline is unfortunately after our publication date. If you missed out on the opportunity to submit, it looks like there may well be many future opportunities with this young company. Their website is http://owltreetheater.weebly.com/ and they can be found on Facebook.
Future Dramatists Guild events for the North Carolina region are also forthcoming. The first “Saturday Showcase” is scheduled for September 20, 2014 at Burning Coal Theatre Company in Raleigh. Since there are many miles between members in our geographic area, we are adapting the idea of the national office’s “Friday Night Footlights” for Saturday afternoons in order to give members travel time. The “Saturday Showcase” readings are open to non-members; however, there will be a short members-only meeting after the readings. This meeting date also offers members the opportunity to attend Pentecost at Burning Coal Theatre Company at a discount on the same evening as the meeting.
The next event is to be held in conjunction with Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte’s NuVoices Festival on January 17, 2015. Rather than a “Saturday Showcase” there are plans to have programming of workshops with guests from our national office as well as opportunities to attend the plays showcased for the NuVoices Festival. There will be programing available for members and non-members, as well as, members-only events. More details will be forthcoming via email.
In our final piece of news, we welcome Rachel Freedman, an undergraduate student at Duke University, as our Ambassador for the North Carolina region. Rachel is an enthusiastic playwright with much promise for a bright career after finishing her bachelor’s degree. North Carolina members should have the opportunity to meet Ms. Freedman at our upcoming regional events.
