New Plays in a Digital World
While many theatre aficionados lament the digital age and claim that it is hurting the storied art form, the ability to connect with playhouses across the world through the internet has also expanded their reach and raised awareness and accessibility to their programs. This connection helps fuel a truly local experience with the support of a broader community.
The Blank Theatre in Hollywood uses this reach to help drive the development of new plays. The Living Room Series (LRS) produces “workshop” staged readings of new works that provide a fantastic opportunity for the playwright to see the work come to life and get a sense of the play’s essence beyond the page.
The LRS is representative of The Blank’s commitment to developing new work for the stage. Each year there is an open call for script submissions that utilizes the convenience of the internet and digital services like Submittable. This software enables the theatre to easily accept, review and make decisions on the submissions from anyone across the globe. Furthermore, the ability to access financial patrons through services like Generosity by IndieGoGo and AmazonSmile help the theatre ensure it has access to the necessary capital to continue its mission in an era where government and charitable funding are disappearing.
Through this process, the LRS has developed 600 new plays over the past 25+ years. Many of the scripts have gone on to receive productions and accolades at venues including Manhattan Theatre Club, Laguna Playhouse and Brideswell Theatre in London. In fact, The Explorer’s Club by Nell Benjamin went on to win the NY Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play, A Singular They by Aliza Goldstein won the Ted Schmitt Award for World Premiere of an Outstanding New Play, and Heads by EM Lewis won the Francesca Primus Prize.
New plays in a world full of movies, TV, video games, and virtual reality offer the audience a tangible experience that is special precisely because it can never be repeated. Unlike the ability offered to us by services like Netflix to call up the great works of cinema through the click of a button, the individual performances of play are fleeting moments only experienced by a small group of strangers. This impermanence is part of what allows us to value the theatre when compared to the rest of our digital world. Only by knowing that it will disappear can we truly appreciate it.
The Blank and the LRS are committed to developing work by diverse voices from both established and emerging writers. There are works that should be told in the intimate environment of the stage, so it is inspiring that established writers from other media and new playwrights have the opportunity to explore these differences and appreciate the uniqueness of the theatre. New works by women, playwrights of color, and other under-represented voices are strongly encouraged during the submission process and consistent with The Blank’s firm commitment to gender parity and diversity.
The LRS takes place on Monday evenings, from Labor Day to Memorial Day, after a week-long rehearsal process that allows the writer, director, and cast to explore the material before presenting it to the audience.
For more information visit: http://www.theblank.com/livingroomseries/
Timothy Cubbison is the General Manager of Horseless Cowboy, a creative consultancy that helps bridge the gap between technology and entertainment. His credits include the casting, writing, performance capture and VO production of over 1 million lines of dialogue on 50+ video game and virtual reality titles.
