Contents include: #LMDA2020 // Conference Countdown; Managing Life and Work in the Time of COVID-19: Thoughts from the LMDA Executive Committee; The Kennedy Center Dramaturgy Intensive: Learn from the best. Work with the best; Regional Events; Your Dramaturgy Ad Here; Pandemic Response: Resources for Artists in the U.S. and Canada (link).https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/lmdanewsletter/1033/thumbnail.jp

Applebaum, Jess

Barr, Lindsay R.

Bly, Mark

Cerniglia, Ken

Goldfinger, Jacqueline

Green-Rogers, Martine Kei

Joseph, Dani

Morgan, Anne

Rodgers, Jenna K.

Scott, Phaedra

Stoller, Jeremy

Sound Ideas

University of Puget Sound Sound Ideas LMDA Newsletters: Canada and the United States LMDA Archive 5-2020 LMDA New & Noteworthy, May 2020 Martine Kei Green-Rogers Lindsay R. Barr Jess Applebaum Dani Joseph Jeremy Stoller See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/lmdanewsletter Authors Martine Kei Green-Rogers, Lindsay R. Barr, Jess Applebaum, Dani Joseph, Jeremy Stoller, Jenna K. Rodgers, Anne Morgan, Phaedra Scott, Jacqueline Goldfinger, Ken Cerniglia, and Mark Bly May 2020Vol. 5, No. 9 #LMDA2020 // Conference CountdownCrossing Borders Pt. 3:Dramaturgy Around the WorldJune 17-20, 2020Happy May! I hope this newsletter finds you all safe and healthy! This month has been busy for the conference committee. There is nothing like re-envisioning and re-planning a conference in a few months! Our running joke is that wemade the incoming President’s (Bryan Moore) job so much easier for 2021 since we areshifting much of the content and conference plans previously in place to next year.  To keep you updated on conference plans, we are still discussing and experimenting withsome last minute ideas about how to run the conferences sessions, the Regional Lunches,and the Conference Bar. We hope to curate a fun and thoughtful virtual conferenceexperience for you all. As such, there will be some great information coming out over the next few weeks that willculminate in the rolling release of the asynchronous material for the conference beginningJune 1st. If you have not registered for the conference (or renewed your membership),please do so soon!  Here is the link to the conference website and the link to theconference handbook. Information about the conference (as we have it) can be found there! The fun is about tobegin!On another note, it has been such a pleasure serving as President for the past two years. Iam so thankful for each of you. I have had so much love and support over my time asPresident and I feel our organization has grown because you all reached out to me withideas on how we could serve you better. I am looking forward to continuing on as PastPresident and supporting our incoming Executive team for the next two years.I would encourage all of you to attend the AGM on June 18th (the eve of the conferencestart). You do not have to register for the conference to attend and it will be a great way foryou to find out what we have done over the past year and the new initiatives coming yourway. Stay safe and I look forward to seeing faces at the upcomingvirtual conference!Best, Martine Kei Green-Rogers Managing Life and Work in the Time ofCOVID-19: Thoughts from the LMDAExecutive CommitteeMartine Kei Green-Rogers – President Hello, from the Hudson Valley in New York! This month Ispent half of the month finishing up the school year atSUNY New Paltz – administrative tasks such as workingon the revision for the “Dramaturgy” section of ourdepartment’s Production Handbook and submitting finalgrades. I wrote for the dramaturgs’ network blog for aweek. I also did a 2-day guest lecture/workshop on“Digiturgy” for Yale. I began prepping for the show I amworking on for Seven Devils (which will be online thisyear) and did some script reading for OSF. I also spentquite a bit of time working with Brenda Munoz and therest of the amazing conference committee planning the2020 LMDA conference. I find that I am gardening more, spending time with my spouse,and petting my cute dog, which makes me happy. Lindsey R. Barr – Administrator I thrive on organization and scheduling so to be thrust in tocircumstances where that has all been upended ischallenging. I've created a very rough schedule that seemsto work for me: wake up, work out, drink a ice-cold glass ofwater, shower, attend to LMDA emails and needs, write fortwo hours (could be dramaturgy, school work, or anythingelse), take LMDA or school meetings in between, and endmy "work" day by talking a walk around the neighborhoodwith my husband. I recently invested in a "productivitynook," and much of LMDA's administrative operationshappen now from this corner of my room!  Jess Applebaum – VP AdvocacyThis is my first year back in school since 2012 (I'm getting my PhD in Theater andPerformance at CUNY Grad Center) so intellectually I'm delving into the worlds ofRomantic Theater, Theater Theories and NYC in the 1970s. Having the time to exploreintermediality in theater and performance, and see how NYC survived one major fiscalcrisis helps put our work and our world in perspective. Virtual town halls and Zoom danceparties have also been wonderful. Dani Joseph – VP MembershipAs I languished in quarantine I felt my creative identityslowly slipping away from me. When 90% of your clientsare too depressed/anxious to write, what's a dramaturgto do? Seeing that people couldn't write, I decided to putmy producing hat on and ask my clients if they hadanything small-scale they wanted to put up online.Luckily, my friend Isabella D'Esposito had already writtena play that was specifically written with the medium ofInstagram Live in mind. We hired an actress and adirector, did eight hours of rehearsal, and put the play upfor an audience of about 40 people. The playwrightenjoyed it so much that we're working on another playright now set in a different online medium. (Photo:From our dress rehearsal for the play. The actress' nameis Jordan Tyson.)  Jeremy Stoller – VP Communications I'm responding as a single adult, who currently has steady income. My motivation tends to be focused outward, on supporting my collaborators and theirgoals. Now, many projects have been put on hold, and those artists are struggling in thewake of lost income and opportunities. I've had to reckon with the limits on what I offerthem in this moment, and to reacquaint myself with who I am without those projects andteammates on whom to direct my focus.  When not working or panicking, distractions include: walking; reading novels; cooking;listening to historians, philosophers, and social justice leaders contextualize this pandemic;checking in with colleagues; lights-off listening to an album or audiobook; film or gamenights with friends. Jenna K. Rodgers – VP Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Typically in April, I spend mymonth out at the Banff Centre forArts and Creativity, as theDramaturg for the PlaywrightsLab. This year, we stayed home,reflecting on the group of nearly50 international artists thatwould have gathered in Banff towrite and create on our theme ofmultiple languages. I met oftenwith Brian Quirt, the Lab directorto brainstorm what the Lab might look like in the future, but also to process this new timewe find ourselves in - engaging in deep thought about what kinds of stories will emerge,and how we might collaborate with writers (and audiences) in the future. My company,Chromatic Theatre, continues to host an IBPOC Playwrights Unit (now digitally). Thetransition to Zoom has been relatively easy, though we are looking forward to sharingspace together when it is deemed safe to do so. Anne Morgan – VP InstitutionalI have been untethered. The world is in chaos,and I am furloughed from my institutional gig. Imourn the lost work, miss audiences, and try tofigure out what my place - and what theater’splace - is in all this. Thankfully, there’s stilldramaturgy: I wrote for the Phoenix challenge,picked up some freelance work, and have beenreading for a number of contests. Theanticipation and delight I feel when I sit down toread a brand new play remains strong, even aseverything else is shifting. I’m also running more,cooking more, and cuddling my cat more.  Phaedra Scott – VP ProgramsWhat has helped keep me sane is limiting my computer screen hours to certain times ofthe day, certain days of the week. I found that the line between personal and professionallife was blurred as I brought work home with me full time, so I try to stay on my computeronly during work hours, and I do not use my computer during the weekends. It hascompletely rejuvenated me by making boundaries of when I can be 'off'.  Creatively, I've been using this time as an opportunity to expand my artistic knowledgeoutside of theater. I've picked up new crafts of embroidery and painting, and I've beenspending time reading books instead of plays. I've framed this as a chance to replenish myartistic soul so that in the Aftertimes I can approach creativity and dramaturgy with all of mynew knowledge and skills.  Jacqueline Goldfinger – VP Regional Activity Reading. Reading. Reading. I'm taking this time to read all of the work that I wish I couldread during the academic year, and freshen up my syllabi for upcoming classes. I'm alsocrafting a few new ideas for classes to pitch in the future. I'm also reading for a few localonline projects and writing a few short pieces myself. This work is saving my sanity. It'sshort enough that I can do it bit by bit, day by day, but hearty enough that I feel like I amaccomplishing something significant. In addition, dramaturgy Allison Horsely and I havecreated a new consulting service (http://www.movingartsconsulting.com) in order to make iteasier for companies and theaters seeking dramaturgical services to find them. Ken Cerniglia – Past President It’s been two months since I arrived in my native California from NYC, where I hadn’t beenaway for more than two weeks since 2003. I had just begun a new chapter of life andcareer when pandemic pushed both pause and overdrive. After a few WTF weeks, I’veadopted new habits: daily neighborhood walks, long bike rides along the Bay Trail, hikingwith my kids, botany (obsessed with Picture This), and… yes, cooking (the gourmethusband finds this endlessly amusing). I’m grateful for time and technology to stayproductive and connected, with all of the above fueling my dramaturgy.The Kennedy Center Dramaturgy Intensive:Learn from the best. Work with the best.Join a growing international community of students, early career dramaturgs, and teachermentors interested in expanding and enriching their understanding of the value that thepractice of dramaturgy can have on a new plays and society. Now in its ninth year, thiseight-day intensive program at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts focuseson deepening the participant’s experience as a key resource to the playwright, dramaturg,and director on their new play assignment. Responding to concerns in thefield that more rigorous andpractical mentorships wereneeded for young dramaturgs inthe new play developmentprocess, the program was co-founded in 2011 by Mark Bly,Director of the DramaturgyIntensive, and Gregg Henry,Artistic Director of KennedyCenter American CollegeTheater Festival, in partnershipwith the Kennedy Center, the National New Play Network, and LMDA. At the core of thisastonishing program are:Daily meetings with Mark Bly focusing on discussions of the plays and theparticipant’s rehearsal work as a key resource and observer.Daily attendance with mentor dramaturgs on one of the eight new plays beingdeveloped and rehearsed during the MFA Playwright’s Workshop produced inassociation with NNPN at the Kennedy Center. Group sessions with each project’s dramaturg.Daily discussions on institutional new play development process and policy withcreative team dramaturgs, conversations with local DC dramaturgs and NNPNleaders, discussions on major issues in contemporary theatre including“Decolonization” in our theatres and what it means to be a Citizen-Dramaturg in ourculture. Recent Senior Mentor Dramaturgs in addition to Mark Bly have included Adrien-AliceHansel, Celise Kalke, Jacqueline E. Lawton, Kelly Miller, Janice Paran, Martine Kei Green-Rogers, and Gavin Witt. Last year in 2019 a diverse group of invited participatingdramaturgs came from the United States, the British Isles, and France. Participatingplaywrights of note have included Martyna Majok, Susan Soon He Stanton, and SteveYockey among many others. After the 2019 Dramaturgy Intensive, Assistant Dramaturg Eli Bradley wrote Mark Blyand  Gregg Henry about his experience on the HBO Series Succession writer/producerSusan Soon He Stanton’s workshop play The Thirty Meter Telescope Project: “…mybackground has never put me in orbit with the community of theatre makers you connectedme with. The chance to be an active part on such a powerful journey asthe TMTProject reminded me why I feel such a strong socio-political tether to theatre. It isa means of asking a community to consider the road another person (or peoples) mustwalk on that person’s terms, something we seem to be getting further and further from intoday’s polarized society…Going forward you’ve reinvigorated my confidence that there isa tangible good to the world that comes out of theatre. I felt it during the readings, but sawit even more clearly in the memories you’ve shared and the experiences you’ve lived."  View the Kennedy Center New Play Dramaturgy Intensive 2020 Website for more details tojoinus in the future. Mark Bly, May 2020 Regional EventsThe 2019-20 Season was a record breaking year for Regional Events! Over 376dramaturgs and collaborators participated in regional events! That's 30% MORE individualartists participating in events than last season. Plus, we co-sponsored the ReOrientFestival in San Francisco, the Company One Boot Camp in Boston, the Women's TheatreConference in Washington DC, and we Live Tweeted the Rural Arts and Culture Summit inCentral Appalachia. Plus, Mountains West Live Streamed their February "For the Love ofDramaturgy Event" and it has over 2,500 views. Thank you so much for a wonderful run asV.P. of Regions! I can't wait to see you at the Conference. Region Facebook Groups: CanadaMountain West (Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado)Greater Midwest (IL, IN, IA, western KY, MI, MN, OH, WI)Metro Bay AreaMetro ChicagoMetro NYCMetro BostonCentral Appalachia (WV, VA, eastern KY, northern TN, and western NC)FloridaMetro PhiladelphiaMid-Atlantic (DC/Maryland/DE)Northeast (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New YorkState, Rhode Island, Vermont, Pennsylvania)Northwest (Idaho, Oregon, Washington)Southern CaliforniaPlains (Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska)Southeast (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, eastern North Carolina, South Carolina,Georgia, southern Tennessee, western NC)Southwest (Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, California)Third Coast (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas) Your Dramaturgy Ad Here! We’re reserving this high-value newsletter real estate for our Institutional Members. Do youhave a job posting you want our readers to see, an M.F.A. program looking for a well-qualified applicant pool, or a festival you want to make sure smart dramaturgs have ontheir radar? This is the place for it! Institutional Memberships are only $200, and theycome with four individual member profiles for your organization to divvy out as you see fit.Let your organizational leadership know that we’d love them to join the LMDA party Pandemic Response: Resources for Artist Interested in contributing to the next newsletter? Have content ideas?E-mail communications@lmda.org.Want to keep up with the conversation about the latest in dramaturgical activity?Follow us on Social Media (@LMDAmericas) by clicking on the logos below!                  Subscribe to our listservThis email was sent to <<Email Address>> why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences LMDA · PO Box 586 · New York, NY 10108 · USA 

LMDA New & Noteworthy, May 2020

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LMDA New & Noteworthy, May 2020

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