@dramatistsguild @joshbhartwell

Determined young playwrights are coming to Denver…to work their asses off. While local writers, ages sixteen to 21, have been taking part in Curious Theatre Company’s program Curious New Voices for almost thirteen years, just two summers ago, Curious’ Education Director Dee Covington started an offshoot program called The National Collective.

“Because Curious Theatre Company has an emphasis on new work, we are very often in dialogue with professional playwrights while in rehearsals of their plays as we prepare for production,” she said. “It occurred to me that inviting high school- and college-aged writers to share in the experience of exchanging ideas and creative writing practices with professional playwrights was very much in line with the Curious core value of fearless pioneering of new work.”

The National Collective brings in writers from participating theatres around the country for one week (that is super truncated from the usual four weeks given to Curious New Voices writers). One week to take part in writing exercises, come up with a solid idea, write a short play, and then see the show rehearsed, produced, and performed by professional actors on Curious’ stage!

Dee formed the National Collective for two primary (okay, one primary, one secondary, but both important) reasons:

“First, because of my belief in the Curious way of writing plays. I wanted young writers from across the country to gather here and be both supported and challenged to discover something bold and unexpected in themselves and their work. Also, I wanted to connect youth playwriting programs from regional theaters all over the United States. So many Education Directors are so busy managing their own programs that we forget that there are many of us out there, all working to enhance the lives of young people through theatre. Each writer in the room is representing a regional theatre’s education program. Each young playwright is an ambassador for the bigger picture. The theatres connect. The young writers connect. The playwriting landscape is enhanced on many levels by such an exchange.”

Some of the theatres that have sent along their young talent to The National Collective have included: MCC Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Young Playwrights’ Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Philadelphia Young Playwrights, and Portland Center Stage. That’s certainly a lot of awesomeness in one room.

“When regional theatres nominate the best and brightest of their young artists to come to Curious,” Associate Producer, John Jurcheck, said. “They are not only providing these students with an immersive, gutsy, collaborative playwriting program that can be found nowhere else in America; they are also allowing these young writers to make connections with their peers in highly regarded American theatrical institutions.”

One writer who has had the rare opportunity to work with both Curious New Voices and The National Collective, Jake Smith, also happens to be the Dramatists Guild’s Colorado Ambassador.

“Curious new voices is about working to find a good idea and then polishing it through several drafts,” Jake said. “The National Collective is about taking one idea early on and trying to find the good in it. CNV is great for people of any level of experience; there’s enough guidance along the way that you don’t feel lost, while you still feel like you get to do the things you need to do without distraction. The Collective isn’t something I would recommend for a first playwriting experience. It’s a lot of fun, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s daunting.”

Even though the National Collective hasn’t been around for very long, Dee is looking forward to this summer’s third year of the program.

“There have been some really standout plays and some incredible moments. Of course, on a meta level, it is always an honor to watch a playwright discover, through the eyes of an audience, that their play is more than they ever thought it could be; more funny, more powerful, more political, more resonant. When an audience is moved by the embodiment of your words–that is life-changing.”

So, if you are a young playwright looking for a wonderful artistic opportunity, or if you are a part of a theatre that has programming for young theatre artists, contact Dee Covington at dee@curioustheatre.org, and for more information, go to http://curioustheatre.org/curious-new-voices/.

jhartwell@dramatistsguild.com

Damon Guerrasio and Lindsey Pierce; photo by Michael Ensminger