All Playwright's Playground Mondays will take place from 7 – 10 pm at The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Education Center, which is located at 3940 Broadway between 164th and 165th Street.

PLAYGROUND DATES FOR SUMMER 2012:

May 14, June 4 & 18, July 16 & 30, August 13 & 27

 

What is Playwright's Playground?

Classical Theatre of Harlem's (CTH) Playwright's Playground is a cold-reading series designed to promote the work of emerging playwrights whose works are persistently under-represented on American stages. The Playwright's Playground is especially interested in works by artists of color, women and other underrepresented artists such as immigrants, and ethnic and religious minorities. The Playwright's Playground seeks to provide a nurturing environment for playwrights to hear works in early development through cold readings with professional actors, while giving actors the opportunity to become familiar with new work and emerging playwrights.

Why a Playwright's Playground?
Every year CTH receives over 100 submissions for their Future Classics reading series. Out of all these submissions, only eight are chosen for a full reading. With the high quality of work CTH has been receiving, creating Playwright's Playground is a way to give more writers the opportunity to be heard.

How does the Playwright's Playground work? Starting on May 14, 2012, two Mondays of each month will be a Playwright's Playground Monday. Interested playwrights may submit a 10 to 12 page scene from a work in progress, and a Monday will be assigned to them. Up to six playwrights will be featured at each Playground. The night of the Playground, CTH will provide copies of the scenes and cast actors to read from those attending the Playground.

      • Playwrights may submit only 10-12 pages (as a PDF or Word document).

      • A brief synopsis of the play and a short bio may be included with writing sample.

      • Please understand that The Playwright's Playground does not present readings of full plays, only cold readings of scenes from works in progress.

PLAYWRIGHTS: Please e-mail your submissions or inquiries to Debra Cardona, Playwright's
Playground administrator, at: [email protected]

ACTORS: Please arrive a half-hour before the start of each Playwright's Playground Monday
and check in with administrators Debra Cardona and Pia Wilson in order to be cast in a scene.