Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Artistic Director; Jon Steingart and Jenny Wiener Steingart, Executive Producers) proudly announces its 2009 Play Group and Artists-in-Residence.
Play Group is Ars Nova's vibrant and eclectic group of emerging writers who gather twice a month at Ars Nova to share new work and get peer feedback. The group offers members the chance to develop their plays with peer support, form collaborative relationships and build a strong sense of community within Ars Nova. In addition, members receive dramaturgical support and artistic matchmaking advice from the Ars Nova artistic staff, priority consideration for Ars Nova's reading series (Out Loud) and industry exposure through a culminating group production at Ars Nova. Members of Play Group '09 will create a show to be presented in January 2010.
New members were selected after a competitive open application process and join for a two-year residency. The group is led by Director of Artistic Development, Emily Shooltz, who said: "The response to our call for applications was incredible, and the 2009 group represents a thrilling range of voices, styles and experience. Play Group is at the heart of our community of artists. It will be a privilege to have these writers here creating new work and inspiring one another this year."
New Play Group members include Kristoffer Diaz, Zayd Dohrn, Tasha Gordon-Solmon, Amy Herzog, Samuel D. Hunter, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Matthew Lopez and Janine Nabers. They join second-year members: Annie Baker, Bekah Brunstetter, Dylan Dawson, Steven Levenson and Samuel Brett Williams. Full bios for the 2009 Play Group are included below.
Recent Play Group alumni include Mike Batistick, Evan Cabnet, Ron Fitzgerald, Liz Flahive, Sam Forman, Etan Frankel, Kyle Jarrow, Nick Jones, Barry Levey, Liz Meriwether, Carly Mensch, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rachel Shukert, Mat Smart, Aurin Squire, Adam Szymkowicz and Beau Willimon.
Ars Nova proudly announces its 2009 Artists-In-Residence: Playwright Bekah Brunstetter, Composer Geo Wyeth (aka Novice Theory), Director Kerry Whigham, and Costume Designer Emily Rebholz. During their one-year residency, these emerging artists have access to Ars Nova staff and resources, and an artistic home. In turn, they provide expertise and skills to Ars Nova, and are integral to artistic planning and production. Playwright Bekah Brunstetter and Composer Geo Wyeth received 2009 commissions to create new work for the Ars Nova stage. Full bios for the 2009 Artists-In-Residence are included below.
As New York's premiere hub for emerging artists and new work, Ars Nova is committed to developing and producing eclectic theatre, comedy and music to feed today's popular culture. To that end, Ars Nova strives to create daring collaborations, meld disciplines and give voice to a new generation of artists. Last season, Ars Nova developed and produced critically acclaimed productions of Peter Sinn Nachtrieb's Boom, Liz Flahive's From Up Here (in a co-production with Manhattan Theatre Club), and Nick Jones and Raja Azar's Jollyship the Whiz-Bang. Past productions include Dixie's Tupperware Party, At Least It's Pink, 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother, Holy Cross Sucks!, Freestyle Love Supreme and The Wau Wau Sisters. In addition to its featured productions, Ars Nova supports and develops new work from the most promising emerging artists through its alternative comedy series (Tragedy Tomorrow), music series (Uncharted), public play-reading series (Out Loud), developmental residency program (Residency Encores) writer's group (Play Group) and artist-in-residence program. Ars Nova was founded in memory of Gabe Wiener.
