DGF Announces the Inaugural Recipients of the Writers Alliance Grants
The Dramatists Guild Foundation is thrilled to announce 10 writers and writing teams and 10 nonprofit theaters as the inaugural recipients of the DGF Writers Alliance Grants.
These Grants provide $5,000 to a writer and another $5,000 towards a theater’s production of that writer’s new work.
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.
Writers Alliance Grants are an innovation on DGF’s previous theater program, which has supported theaters for 50 years. Writers Alliance Grants are awarded in celebration of working relationships that align deeply with DGF core values. 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.
Applicants were selected via committee on the strength of their contracts, the artistic merit of the project for which they are requesting funding, and the organization’s commitment to the production of new works and voices.
“After 55 years of giving to nonprofit theaters, our Board has restructured our former Theater Grant program into the Writers Alliance Grants. These awards honor our commitment to nonprofit theaters and give direct funds to the writers enriching their communities across the country. We believe that by honoring theaters with outstanding commitment to both the writers’ work and livelihood, we are doing our part to highlight the writers’ essential role in the creation of theater.” – Rachel Routh, Executive Director of DGF
The full list of recipients is as follows:
Writer: Meridith Friedman writer of Your Best One Theater: Curious Theatre Company in Denver, Colorado Production Dates: May 5 – June 16, 2018 www.curioustheatre.org
Writers: Gordon Leary and Julia Meinwald, writers of The Loneliest Girl in the World Theater: Diversionary Theatre in San Diego, CA Production Dates: May 24-July 1, 2018 / Official Premiere June 2 www.diversionary.org
Writers: Cameron Cobb, Michael Federico and Max Hartman, writers of Pompeii!! Theater: Kitchen Dog Theater Company in Dallas, Texas Production Dates: April 19-May 6, 2018 www.kitchendogtheater.org
Writer: Jenifer Nii, writer of The Weird Play Theater: Plan-B Theatre Company in Salt Lake City, UT Production Dates: March 1-11, 2018 www.planbtheatre.org
Writer: Kristiana Rae Colon, writer of Tilikum Theater: Sideshow Theatre Company in Chicago, IL Production Dates: June 22 – July 29, 2018 www.sideshowtheatre.org
Writer: Bekah Brunstetter, who is writing an original commission for the theater Theater: Theater Breaking Through Barriers in New York, NY Production Dates: TBA www.tbtb.org
Writer: Jennifer Barclay, writer of Ripe Frenzy Theater: Synchronicity Theatre in Atlanta, GA Production Dates: April 3 – 22, 2018 www.synchrotheatre.com
Writer: Eleanor Burgess, writer of The Niceties Theater: Portland Stage in Portland, ME Production Dates: April 3 – 22, 2018 www.portlandstage.org
Writer: Harrison David Rivers, writer of The Bitter Earth Theater: Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul, MN Production Dates: April 24 – May 20 2018 penumbratheatre.org
Writer: Tom Horan, writer of The Pill Theater: Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis, IN Production Dates: TBA www.phoenixtheatre.org
Congratulations to each of these artists and theaters. We look forward to their continued success.