NEWS & BLOG
Image shown: Jordan performing "I Drove All Night" in Higher Colors: A Night with Stevie & Cyndi at the Duplex Theatre (NYC). Arranged and accompanied by Andrew Sotomayor. Co-performers: Melissa Slaughter & Austin Bowen.
“Deep down is a violet heart beating out, wrapped in a steely web of skepticism and humor built up to keep the pain out. A spreading epidemic.”
Inspired by iconic works examining gay culture such as The Velvet Rage and Paris is Burning, STUN is a new play by Jordan Stovall being presented in its entirety to the public for the first time after development at the Hamilton Project at the Barn Arts Collective in Tremont, Maine. The story follows four drag queens – Charmaine, Honey Pot, Misty Tension, and Chastity, all of the house D. Luxe – as they navigate the polarizing labyrinth of identity, approval, and self-actualization. This reading will also be a fundraiser for LGBTQ Homeless Youth Project. We suggest contributions of any size upon entry. PLEASE RSVP HERE: https://form.jotform.com/71765384428163 Stay tuned for cast announcements, and more! Friday, August 18 7:30pm - 10pm Free admission The Dramatists Guild of America Mary Rodgers Room 1501 Broadway, Suite 710 New York, NY 10036
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Well, folks, the cat is finally out of the bag. As part of my elaborate plan to incarnate the late Carrie Fischer, I'll be moving to London this October to pursue an MFA in Writing for the Stage and Broadcast Media at the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama.
I am bursting with excitement to start this new chapter. The hardest part will be parting with everything that I have here in New York. I am beyond, BEYOND blessed in every respect: incredible friends that feel like family, a job in an organization that has given me purpose, and an established life in one of the greatest cities in the world. I don't think this acceptance would be possible without my experiences at the Dramatist Guild, and the influence of everyone I have met there. I feel like I've finally found "my people." I am, admittedly, a little scared to make this leap. But, step by step, I've received indications that this is a move in the right direction, and I am so appreciative of the support I have received from friends, family, and colleagues already. I will be in the city and in my current job until August 31st, then returning back to Florida for the month of September to have an extended stay with family before shipping "across the pond." I'll be hoping to make it back as frequently as finances and obligations permit to see shows and loved ones. Tickets to and from London are quite inexpensive at the moment (less than $200 one way after taxes and fees). If you'd like to support me on this journey, I have built a crowdfunding campaign, since it will prove to be a huge financial undertaking. Asking people for money on the internet: my favorite pastime! You can read more about RCSSD, the program, and why I've chosen to make this difficult decision by reading my story here: https://www.gofundme.com/help-jordan-go-to-grad-school Life is crazy! Here's to new adventures and opportunities! It was announced today that Jordan will be an artist in residence for The Hamilton Project IX at The Barn Arts Collective. He will be working on his latest play, Stun.
The Hamilton Project IX Ten artists develop ten projects together in ten days. Artists in Residence: Dan Daly, Evie Dumont, Jon Ferreira, Phoenix Gonzalez, Dante Jeanfelix, Michael Schwartz, Marissa Shadburn, Elyse Singer, Jordan Stovall, and Kim Yahged Final presentation: Saturday, July 15 at 5pm The Barn Arts Collective 130 Tremont Rd (Route 102) Bass Harbor, ME 04653 See the full season announcement here: http://www.barnartscollective.com/2017-season.html Jordan will be teaching a 3-hour Dramatic Writing Workshop as part of the Writers Work Spring Writers Camp on May 6, 2017 at 1pm. Click here for full event details and registration. Creating Strong Dialogue & Conflict From dramatic masterpieces like Angels in America, to top-selling contemporary works of fiction like Lincoln in the Bardo, time and again strong dialogue proves to be an essential part of good story-telling. The goal of this three-hour workshop is to equip writers of any background with necessary skillsets in developing an idea through the conception of character, structure, conflict, and dialogue. Participants should expect to analyze and discuss provided scenes from published plays in class, apply these concepts in writing exercises, and share/read each others’ work at the end of class. Each student will leave the workshop with a new piece of writing that may serve as the first step to a larger work, and are encouraged to keep in touch as they develop! Saturday, May 6 1pm - 4pm Dramatists Guild of America 1501 Broadway, NY 10036 Price: $49 ($10 early bird discount if you sign up before May 1) The Dramatists Guild's sister organization, The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund, released a statement today we'd like to share with our membership about censorship's role in the theatre. "The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund wishes to express its full support to the creators and cast of Hamilton: An American Musical, for exercising their right to free speech this week, and for using the theater to speak truth to power. We believe that free expression does not require an apology. Further, we believe that theater was not invented to comfort those in power, but instead, to tell difficult stories in our complicated and diverse democracy. The President-Elect, offended by the manner in which the cast of Hamilton chose to speak their truth, commanded them to apologize. The chilling effect which this kind of command can have on the willingness of Americans everywhere to speak their truths is obvious and alarming. Censorship tells artists what they are not permitted to say. 'Apologize!' goes beyond this to tell them what they are expected to say. We proudly stand with Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of Hamilton as they quite literally sing these words from the Declaration of Independence: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' You are an inspiration to your fellow artists and you have our gratitude and our support." The Dramatists Guild released their own statement on the situation on Saturday afternoon.
"The Dramatists Guild of America applauds the courage of the HAMILTON cast in exercising its first amendment right and refutes any voice that would criticize or condemn them for doing so. Free, unimpeded speech is one of the core values of American democracy."
Original artwork by Anthony Kieren designed for The Shades was released today. Based heavily on Plato's "Allegory of The Cave", the image pays homage to themes of shadow play, story telling, and American Sign Language as a means of communication.
The cast will include the talent of: Thomas DellaMonica*, Ashley Harrell, Bruce Jones, Britta Kasprzak*, Evan Kasprzak*, John McGinty*, and Jenna Siladie. * = Member of Actors' Equity Association Production team will include Miriam Rochford and Melissa Jones. Free reservations can now be made by filling out the form below. Hope to see you there! My play in development, The Shades, will receive it's first public reading as a part of the Friday Night Footlights series at The Dramatist Guild of America.
Synopsis: Old friends sit around a bonfire in the backyard they spent many of their formative years in together making shadow puppets, talking about dead pop singers, and nostalgically catching up with pre-loaded knowledge from social media. As the night unfolds, the question arises: how great have the rifts between them become, and can they ever get back to the closeness they once had? The reading will feature original music by Andy Gray of Trigger City Trio. Special thanks to the New York Deaf Theatre. Friday, December 16th, 2016 8pm Free Admission The Mary Rodgers Room, Dramatists Guild of America Paramount Building 1501 Broadway, Suite 710 New York, NY 10036 Click here to see a map Be sure to bring a photo ID for entry into the building and take the elevators to the 7th Floor. RSVP's can be made by sending an email to jstovall@dramatistsguild.com. Marketing image, cast list, and Facebook event to come soon! |
NEWS & BLOGLanding page for news, upcoming events, commentary on topics in contemporary theatre, relevant resources, and theatre advocacy. Archives
May 2018
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