Kennedy Center Education: New Visions/New Voices

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Project Submissions
New Visions/New Voices (2010)
International Observership Program
Guidelines for Submission
Registration for
New Visions/New Voices (2010)
Actors
Contact information

New Visions/New Voices is a week-long festival in May for playwrights and theatres to stimulate and support the creation of new plays and musicals for young audiences and families, culminating in a weekend festival of rehearsed readings and discussions with professionals in the field from around the country.

Since its inception in 1991, the festival has assisted in the development of 73 new plays, musicals, and operas from 67 playwrights and 31 composers working with 47 US and 5 international theater companies.

Projects may be submitted at any stage of the development process, from a completed draft nearly ready for production to a treatment at the conception stage. Once selected, artistic teams - playwrights, directors and composers - will come to Washington, DC and rehearse and rewrite their work for 5 days and then present the projects as rehearsed readings, followed by a monitored discussion before an invited audience of fellow artistic, academic and administrative advocates in the field. Each team has the freedom to move
at their own pace in setting their week's end goals.

For a more in-depth look at the process, please view these articles from TYA Today about New Visions/New Voices 2002 and 2006
Has there been a past participant from your home state?

New for 2010: an International Observership Program has been created for the mid-career playwrights committed to work for young audiences. During the New Visions/New Voices 2010 week, participating playwrights will: attend rehearsals of the seven projects which are in various stages of development; meet with the artistic teams; participate in round-table discussions; share a short excerpt of their work at the Festival; meet United States producers, artistic directors and educators. There will also be opportunities for off-site meetings and visits to other theaters. Please see below for guidelines and to download the application.

Project Submissions New Visions/New Voices 2010

Applications for Project submissions for New Visions/New Voices 2010 must be received at the Kennedy Center by August 7, 2009. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

Application Form
Fact Sheet

Please enclose the following:

Completed application form.
Background information about the theater.
Resume or bio of playwright.
Resume or bio of director.
Resume or bio of composer (if a musical or opera).
A written statement describing the project, what goals you wish to accomplish during your time at the Kennedy Center and how this project will benefit from participation in New Visions/New Voices.
A self-addressed stamped postcard for acknowledgement of receipt of the application.
ONE of the following:
1. The current draft of the script. If a musical or opera, please include a written copy of the score and a CD of the music; OR,
2. If project is in preliminary development, please send:
  - A detailed treatment or scenario of the project.
  - Writing sample(s) from the playwright.
  - Musical demos from the composer (if a musical or opera).
FOUR copies of the script, score, and/or proposal with the name of the playwright, composer, and theater removed.

Guidelines for Submission

Proposals must be submitted by a professional theater, which may submit more than one proposal. Any individual unsolicited scripts will not be accepted. Proposals must include both a playwright and a director, who may not be the same person. Both people must be present in Washington, DC from May 17-23, 2010.
Proposals must not have had a full production, though the work may have had a rehearsed reading as part of the developmental process. A rehearsed reading is defined as "book in hand", one that does not require memorization, and with no technical elements. A play that had a college or university production as part of a student playwright’s program of study will be evaluated separately.
Proposals must be in the future plans for a production at the submitting theater.
Proposals may be at any stage of development ranging from an idea to a completed script. If a draft script has not been written, a detailed description, scenario, or treatment must be submitted with the application. Since the adjudicators are judging completed scripts as well as scenarios, it is to your benefit to provide as much detail as possible about a project in development.
Proposals will be screened by outside adjudicators and final selections will be made by the Kennedy Center.
New Visions/New Voices 2010 will include six to seven rehearsed readings, one or two of which may be selected from international applications.
All scripts must be written in English. All rehearsals, readings, and discussions will be conducted in English.

International Observership Program

Applications New Visions/New Voices 2010 International Observership Program must be received at the Kennedy Center by August 7, 2009. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

International Observership Application Form

Please enclose the following:

Completed Application Form.
Copy of your resume or curriculum vitae.
One copy of a sample script for young audiences
A written statement describing what goals you wish to accomplish during your time at the Kennedy Center and how you will benefit from participation as an observer at New Visions/New Voices.

Playwrights selected for the observership must be available to be in Washington, DC from May 17-24, 2010.

Registration For New Visions/New Voices 2010

Registration materials for the 2010 New Visions/New Voices Festival will be available in early 2010.

Actors

The Kennedy Center attends the League of Washington Theater and local Actors’ Equity Association Liaison auditions each year and generally casts New Visions/New Voices using local actors. As New Visions/New Voices directors and writers are from out of town, auditions are not held. Please do not send resumes and headshots.

For more information on New Visions/New Voices, please contact us at:

Please contact us at:

New Visions/New Voices
Education Department
The Kennedy Center
P.O. Box 101510
Arlington, VA 22210

Phone: (202) 416- 8830
Fax: (202) 416-8297

Or, you can e-mail us at kctya@kennedy-center.org