Reflections on Pride

Posted on June 25, 2019 by DGF

This is one of a two-part series. Click here to hear from seven different writers on why it is crucial to make space for queer voices on stage. 

In celebration of PRIDE month, we have been reflecting on the legacy of queer writers and their impact on the theatrical community, society, and in our own personal lives. Our theatrical community has been not only enriched but arguably created by the works of queer artists. Writers for the stage have played a key role in both spreading acceptance and educating on the queer experience. We thank the queer-identifying writers of yesterday, today, and tomorrow for speaking up and speaking out.

The stage has always been ahead of the curve in regard to offering queer representation. While queer characters have existed since the dawn of theater itself, explicitly queer characters have appeared on American popular stages as early as the 1920s. But these shows, more often than not written by straight writers, offered a flawed portrayal of these characters that viewed them through the lens of the moral standards of the day. By the sixties, this was changing, and out writers were creating out characters that challenged previous portrayals. There are famous examples such as Boys in the Band, and later The Normal Heart, but there were also many smaller productions performed at institutions like Caffe Cino, WOW Café Theatre, or by groups like Hot Peaches and Charles Ludlam’s Ridiculous Theatrical Company. These shows emboldened activists, helping to communicate the human core of their work, and also offered a perspective on queer life that could also include joy and irreverence.

While some of these smaller shows have unfortunately been unacknowledged or lost to history, it is through writers that a direct lineage to this radical openness is maintained. As Keelay Gipson says: “As a queer, black boy in the middle of the country, I looked to the storytellers illuminating our history and our stories through the written word. James Baldwin, Tony Kushner, Robert O’Hara, Paula Vogel, Tarell Alvin McCraney—these writers shaped me as a person and as a dramatist. Their brave work could illuminate for folks like me—not yet out of the closet or sure of their voice, not yet living in a time of radical acceptance—how to build, unapologetically, a life in the theater telling queer stories.” Today, many companies such as Diversionary Theatre in San Diego and The Theater Offensive in Boston are carrying on the tradition of centering queer narratives on the stage. Contemporary theatergoers are also revisiting the work of queer writers like María Irene Fornés, who’s work has never achieved the level of recognition that its influence merits.

For queer people, seeing one’s experience reflected onstage – particularly when that representation is housed in authentic characters grappling with real human problems – can be a necessary balm for the hurt of living in a hostile society. In March of this year, President of Jujamcyn Theaters Jordan Roth presented Tony Kushner with the DGF Madge Evans & Sidney Kingsley Award for Excellence in Theater for his body of work and for work yet to come. Roth described what it felt like to be a young queer person encountering Angels in America as a “soon-to-be-out seventeen-year-old:”

“…My friends and I passed around his writing like secret sacred texts. Passages underlined, sentences highlighted, questions/hopes/prayers scribbled in the margins. Devouring everything we could find that he ever wrote, said or even considered. Those lucky enough to have been witness to a production, to have received the word directly, regaled the rest with tales of magic made manifest.”

So many shows had and continue to have tremendous impact on the heartscape of the nation. In honor of this ripple effect, we decided to maintain a chronological list of some of the pieces written by queer writers that have helped shine a light on the community and those that are continuing to challenge the sense of what it means to be queer in America.

Over the last several decades, we’ve seen the emergence of thrilling, heart-breaking, joyful, rich stories by and about women, trans people, and people of color, led by writers who have refused to have their own experiences written out of queer history. This is a tribute to the seminal works that have helped American theater get to where it is today AND an invitation to the next generation to help steer the ship, using theater as a launchpad for larger conversations about the LGBTQIA+ community and intersectionality in America.

Because this list captures only a fraction of the many groundbreaking, illuminating pieces that queer artists have made, we welcome your suggestions in the comments below:

• Mart Crowley – The Boys in the Band (1968)
• María Irene Fornés – Fefu and Her Friends (1977)
• Harvey Fierstein – Torch Song Trilogy (1978)
• Jane Chambers – Last Summer at Bluefish Cove (1980)
• Larry Kramer – The Normal Heart (1985)
• Kate Bornstein – Hidden: A Gender (1989)
• Tony Kushner – Angels in America (1991)
• William Finn and James Lapine – Falsettos (1992)
• Terrence McNally – Love! Valor! Compassion! (1994)
• John Cameron Mitchell – Hedwig and the Angry Inch (1998)
• Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper – Kinky Boots (2012)
• Tarell Alvin McCraney – Choir Boy (2012)
• Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori – Fun Home (2013)
• Paula Vogel – Indecent (2015)
• Taylor Mac – A 24-Decade History of Popular Music (2016)
• Basil Kreimendahl – Orange Julius (2017)
• Donja R. Love – Sugar in our Wounds (2018)
• Michael R. Jackson – Strange Loop (2019)

We are happy for this canon to grow, for “secret, sacred texts” to be made known, and for new generations of queer writers to have their voices heard. That is certainly something to be proud of. 

Sincerely,

The DGF Staff

P.S. If you think there is an important work about the queer experience written by a queer writer that should be on this list, please leave it in a comment below!

Four Artists on Terrence McNally

Posted on June 6, 2019 by DGF

In our commitment to supporting writers at all stages of their careers, we’re often thinking about and celebrating legacy, uniting the luminaries who have lit the way with the writers of today and the storytellers of tomorrow.

So this season, it seems fitting that the 2019 Tony Awards are honoring “theater titan” and beloved DGF Board Member Terrence McNally with the Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.

Amongst many other accomplishments and honors, Terrence is the winner of Tony Awards for his plays Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class and his books for the musicals Ragtime and Kiss of the Spider Woman.

We asked several members of our community, “what about Terrence McNally’s writing speaks to you?” And we were met with warmth and enthusiasm indicative of both Terrence’s work and his reputation. What’s more, several of these artists know Terrence’s work through the roles they’ve played and also through the shows they love.

To experience a writer’s work both as a performer and as an audience member is a unique perspective, and we’re lucky to share some of these responses with you here:

“Terrence’s ability to express the complicated yet beautiful intricacies of the human condition make his work so fulfilling and rewarding to work on as an actor, and heart-wrenching and thrilling to experience as an audience member…Ragtime is one of my all-time favorite musicals. From its profound storytelling, to its sweeping powerful score by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, this show is amazing.”

–Derek Klena, Anastasia

And then there’s the connection of word to human spirit…

“Terrence McNally is not just a writer, but a true poet. It’s such a gift as an actor to go onstage and know that the words you are speaking stand alone; there’s no pressure to try and add to them, or to embellish. The emotion is pure; the meaning deep. Each sentence is like a little present for the heart. I recently saw Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune and was completely blown away by the intricacies of his writing — there is such romance and vibrancy within the raw storytelling. It’s not to be missed!”  

–Kathryn Boswell, Anastasia

As we’ve shared of our own Music Hall, the history of a Broadway theater (and a show itself) add to the texture and energy of a space, like layers of paint. What a time, then, it must be at the Broadhurst Theatre, currently home to Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, still warm from the two-year run of Anastasia (which closed March 31st).

“Terrence is not only a dear friend to me but also one of the world’s greatest gifts to the theater. I am continually inspired by the way he takes in his surroundings and crafts them into timeless words and stories that touch our hearts. His ability to see value and wonder in everyone and everything is an attribute we can all aspire to. Terrence’s work will stand the test of time and continue to speak to audiences for generations to come.”

–Audra McDonald, currently starring in Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune

We’re proud to have Terrence in the DGF Family and to celebrate his work. For someone to write so keenly on the human condition, it follows that they’d value and nurture their professional relationships. Terrence embodies our core value of writers supporting writers.

“I came to New York City in 1987 hoping to meet great writers who, by virtue of their writing alone, would inspire me to write well. Little did I know that what would most inspire me, over time and tears, were the great writers who were also great human beings. Terrence McNally is a great writer, of this I am certain. But it has been his kindness, his generosity, his gentle support, his powerfully compassionate presence and his loving heart that have taught me where true greatness lies.”

-Andrew Lippa, Composer, Lyricist, Bookwriter, and DGF Board President (Unbreakable, Big Fish)

In honor of Terrence’s Lifetime Achievement award, we’ll be re-releasing The Legacy Project (June 10th on the DGF Youtube Channel) starting with a conversation between Terrence McNally and Annie Baker. This intimate glimpse into the struggles, triumphs, unique creative process challenge and inspire us to create and consume art in different ways.

As Terrence puts it, “Anything that makes us feel more connected to our fellow man is important. I think it’s so easy for us all to feel alone– somehow no one understands me. No one is like me…We are unique people, yes, but there is a bond between people that I think theater makes us realize.”

Thank you, Terrence, and congratulations on this incredible honor.

A Letter from Andrew Lippa

Posted on May 22, 2019 by DGF

Theater is not just my passion, it is also my community. I wake up grateful every day I am surrounded by people committed to creating stories that aim not only to entertain but to inspire. Why am I committed to strengthening this community to ensure more artists can tell their stories through the art and craft of writing? Because I believe live theater can reach us like no other art form.

In the spirit of community then, I am pleased to invite you to join the Dramatists Guild Foundation’s Write Stuff Society as an inaugural member. This is a new community within a community composed of our most committed allies. With your vital assistance in the past, DGF has been able to accomplish acts of generosity to write home about. Last year, DGF awarded $135,000 in Emergency funds to writers facing dire circumstances. That was because of you. The DGF Music Hall has saved writers $1 Million in rehearsal room fees since 2015. That was you, too.

It’s now time to take DGF to the next level. I am confident DGF is able to take on the considerable challenge of growing our programs even further. But in order to do so, we need you. We have the right team, the right strategy, and now we need The Write Stuff Society.

Please click here to learn about the benefits offered to members of The Write Stuff Society. We developed these recognition opportunities and private experiences to bring you inside DGF and give you a closer look at how integral your contributions are to the fabric of our cherished organization. I believe the most satisfying benefit is this: Your gift enhances the lives of playwrights, composers, lyricists, and bookwriters, and the vast and diverse audiences we reach. See what you do? You help a writer, they change the world. Simple and right. Or, as we are now saying, Write Stuff.

With your gift to The Write Stuff Society at any level, you are introducing more children to the craft of playwriting through the New Voices program; You are sending more Traveling Masters to arts communities across the nation to enrich the culture and craft; You are amplifying the voices of writers who shape our thinking for the better and inspire us to reach toward a more beautiful future. It’s easy to forget about writers; Our very task is for our words and music to fit so seamlessly into our pieces that it appears they spring from the minds of the characters themselves. But we are there. Starting with a blank piece of paper, a blank computer screen, an empty room. Always. Luckily for us, you’ve always been willing to write yourself into the story, too. Keep writing. Please.

I hope we can count you in as an inaugural member of The Write Stuff Society.

With warm regards,

Andrew Lippa
President of the Board, DGF

Announcing the 2018/2019 Recipients of the Writers Alliance Grants

Posted on January 17, 2019 by DGF

We are thrilled to announce the second-ever recipients of the DGF Writers Alliance Grants. These Grants provide $5,000 to both a non-profit theater’s production of a new work and $5,000 to the writer or group of writers whose work is being produced. Gary Garrison, who serves on both the DGF Advisory Board and the Writers Alliance Grant selection committee, said: “The DGF’s Writers Alliance Grant is the perfect combination of support for both writer AND theater. It acknowledges that the writer has a story that should to be told while also smartly pointing to the theater that should be telling it.”

Each writer is one whose work pushes boundaries and shows tremendous promise. Each of the producing theaters demonstrated superlative ethical standards in supporting the livelihoods and careers of writers. Tina Howe, who also serves on the DGF Advisory Board and the Writers Alliance Grant selection committee, said: “You should hear our squeals of delight as we choose our ten winners from across the country. We’re both democratic in our reach, yet autocratic in our insistence on high quality.”

These grants reflect DGF’s commitment to ensuring writers’ contributions to theater are respected and to changing the national conversation about how writers are treated by the institutions that produce their work. Howe adds: “These grants function as both an example and opportunity for the entire theatrical industry.”

Writers Alliance Grants are the largest individual grants DGF has ever given to theaters, and are among the largest grants DGF gives directly to writers. Writers Alliance Grants, developed in partnership with the Dramatists Guild of America, are awarded in celebration of working relationships that align deeply with DGF core values. Susan Birkenhead, also serving on both the DGF Advisory Board and the Writers Alliance Grant selection committee, said “We take great care to ensure that the theatres we help provide good contracts that treat our writers well.”

The full list of recipients:

Writer: Stephan Wolfert, writer of The She-Wolf of France Theater: Amphibian Stage Productions, in Fort Worth, TX

“From new voices comes new perspectives. New perspectives lead to understanding and change. This is indeed the imperative of great and relevant theatre. ASP deeply values writers like Stephan Wolfert whose particular voice addresses healing from traumatic experiences. Wolfert’s writing delves below the surface and beyond the expected. His innovative and inspiring approach to developing and writing text is in simpatico with our organization’s mission. We know that in order to be an effective catalyst for change, then we must embrace stories that explore the deeper tremors of the soul.”

 – Kathleen Culebro, Artistic Director, Amphibian Stage

 Writer: Hansol Jung, writer of Wolf Play Theater: Artists Repertory Theatre, in Portland, OR

“We are thrilled to be commissioning and producing Hansol Jung (Wolf Play), whose sense of theatricality is exhilarating and eloquent. She has a unique perspective on theater, and we find our own enriched and expanded by working with her.“

– Luan Schooler, Director of New Play Development and Dramaturgy, Artists Repertory Theatre

Writers: Bill Nelson and Joseph Trefler, writers of Men with Money

Theater: Aurora Theatre, in Lawrenceville, GA

“Over the past decade, Aurora Theatre has placed an emphasis on cultivating and producing new work, especially diverse work, since our theater is located in the most diverse county in the Southeastern United States. Funding from Dramatists Guild Foundation will support the world premiere of a great new musical, Men With Money. We bill the show this way. “This romantic romp is full of dreams, schemes and lavish musical numbers set in the golden age mecca of Manhattan in the 1950’s, with a twist. Two of our leading men are looking for husbands. Oh My!” It was important to us as co-founders of a suburban theatre, that we produce shows that positively reflect all communities. That includes the LGBTQ community. This “agenda of empathy” is important in our pursuit of kindness and acceptance.”

 – Anthony Rodriguez and Ann-Carol Pence, Co-Founders and Artistic Directors, Aurora Theatre

Writers: Dael Orlandersmith and Antonio Suarez, writers of Antonio’s Song/I Was Dreaming of a Son Theater: Contemporary American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown, WV

“It is all about collaboration…making a new theater piece with Dael Orlandersmith and Antonio Suarez goes to the very heart of our mission: to produce and develop new American theater. I am excited to provide a creative atmosphere for Dael and Antonio to collaborate with Mark Clements, director and Alexandra Beller, movement director, and our design team to bring to give birth to this remarkable new work that explores the challenges of fatherhood, cultural identity, and male aggression in today’s turbulent world. CATF is dedicated to the American playwright. We believe in producing new work without a safety net of tradition. We believe in the power of stories. We believe that writing matters. We believe that words matter.”

 – Ed Herendeen, Founder and Producer, CATF

Writer: Gus Schulenburg, writer of Operating Systems Theater: Flux Theatre Ensemble in Forest Hills, NY

“Flux Theatre Ensemble is deeply committed to long-term collaboration with artists and building a creative home. Flux has been Gus’ creative home for over a decade, and we couldn’t be more proud and honored to be producing her latest play, Operating Systems this March!”

 – Heather Cohn, Co-Founder and Producing Director, Flux Theatre Ensemble

Writer: Nambi E. Kelley, writer of Jazz Theater: Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley, CA

“We are incredibly grateful to the Dramatists Guild Foundation for awarding us a Writers Alliance Grant to support Marin Theatre Company’s continued development and production of Nambi E. Kelley’s adaptation of Toni Morrison’s Jazz. Nambi is one of our most treasured collaborators and a unique voice in the American theater. With her adaptation of Richard Wright’s Native Son and continuing with her adaptation of Morrison’s novel, Nambi has proven to be a highly inventive deconstructor of the novel and simultaneous constructor of theatrical event maps. Nambi’s adaptations always leave incredible room for artists to create and collaborate.”

 – Jasson Minadakis Artistic Director, Marin Theater

Writer: Christopher Johnston, writer of Live Bodies for Sale  Theater: Playwrights Local 4181 in Cleveland Heights, OH

“Our mission as a new-play company is to produce and promote local writers, so being supportive of them is of primary importance to us. With that being the case, the Writers Alliance Grant is an extremely valuable and meaningful opportunity for our organization. We’re grateful to the Dramatists Guild Foundation for funding both playwrights and the producers that serve them.”

 – David Todd, Artistic Director, Playwrights Local

Writer: Morgan Gould, writer of I Wanna Fucking Tear You Apart Theater: Rivendell Theatre Ensemble in Chicago, IL

“At Rivendell, we prioritize having the playwright involved in the process. The end result is a deeper dive into the storytelling, with our audiences reaping the rewards of that work.”

 – Tara Mallen, Artistic Director and Founder, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Writer: Stephanie Alison Walker, writer of The Abuelas Theater: Teatro Vista in Chicago, IL

“At Teatro Vista we are passionate about supporting new work that explores the wealth and variety of the human experience from a Latinx perspective. We love working with writers in the early stages of their process so we can collaborate and add Teatro Vista’s unique voice to the piece.”

 – Sylvia Hevia, Managing and Developing Director, Teatro Vista

Writer: Chris Weikel, writer of Secret Identity Theater: The Other Side of Silence (TOSOS) in New York, NY

“At TOSOS we believe that writers are the lifeblood of the American theater, and strive to treat all equitably and fairly. The Writers Alliance Grant is particularly meaningful to me, since I have always viewed The Other Side of Silence (TOSOS) as my artistic home. Home can often be a fraught word for LGBTQ+ artists, but TOSOS truly is my home. It is gratifying that the DGF has recognized the company’s commitment to not only amplifying the voices of the LGBTQ+ community but to partnering with the writers who give that voice eloquence.”

 – Chris Weikel, Playwright and WAG Recipient

How do children learn that their voices matter?

Posted on December 26, 2018 by DGF

How do we give children the tools to share their stories? How can the arts help them connect their personal experiences to what they learn in the classroom? The answer is New Voices, DGF’s in-school playwriting initiative that is helping children discover the power of their own voices.

Thanks to the support of friends like you, DGF launched New Voices in March of 2018. We spend a month in classrooms, teaching students about story structure, dialogue, and introducing them to playwriting as a method of creative expression. In its first season, 225 children at Brooklyn’s P.S. 1 The Bergen School worked with four professional dramatists—each a former DGF Fellow—to create seven original plays, which were then professionally directed and performed for the students and their families at the school.

Students wrote plays on the topic of immigration as part of their social studies curriculum. One of the teachers at PS-1, Diana Alvarado, explains—

“Our school is in a neighborhood that has become the new home to many immigrants looking to start a new life. Most of my students are first-generation Americans. As the children of immigrants, they come from homes where parents don’t speak English and have difficulty helping their children with school work. Despite their many obstacles, these children come to school each day happy and excited to learn within a classroom that provides the integration of English as a New Language instruction.”

It was empowering for the children to share their experiences. Constructing characters, developing plot, infusing humor—laughing at the jokes they’d created—the kids not only thoroughly enjoyed the experience, they came away realizing they could have an impact on the world. In Diana Alvarado’s words—

“DGF not only made this experience safe, it gave these absolutely wonderful and gifted children a voice and platform to express themselves through playwriting.”

Helping tomorrow’s citizens find their voices today ensures the theater will thrive for years to come. It is crucial that young writers have the opportunity to create and share their stories. Your support of Dramatists Guild Foundation makes it possible. We are so grateful for your support. Through the DGF New Voices, Fellows, Traveling Masters, Emergency Grants, Music Hall, Writers Alliance Grants, and Legacy Project programs: together we’re protecting the future of the American theater by nurturing the writers who create it. Thank you.

If you would like to support the New Voices program, please visit dgf.org/donate