Dramatists Guild Announces Winners Of Their Writer's Intensive

The Dramatists Guild Fund, the Dramatists Guild of America, and Northwestern University announce the selection of Aaron Carter, Philip Chernyak, Blake Hackler, Laura Jacqmin, Margaret Lewis, Rohina Malik, Duane Nelsen, Tamara Roberts, Tanya Saracho and Chris White for the first Dramatists Guild Writer's Intensive supported by the Dramatists Guild Fund and hosted by Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. The intensive is the out-of-town arm of the successful Dramatists Guild Fellows program, linking emerging playwrights and musical theater writers in a close-knit and safe atmosphere for work and critique, as well as encouraging a sense of community with established New York and Chicago theater professionals.

The Intensive will take place September 13 - 16, 2010, and will be led by the Tony Award-winning team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, creators of Once On This Island, Seussical, and the recent Broadway revival of Ragtime; playwright, composer and educator Janet Neipris (Jeremy and the Thinking Machine, To Be A Playwright), Obie Award and Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winning playwright Susan Miller (My Left Breast, A Map of Doubt and Rescue); Mark Hollmann, Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist (Urinetown); Andrea Lepcio (Looking for the Pony); Laura Schellhardt (The K of D); and Rebecca Gilman, author of Magnolia, Spinning into Butter, and Blue Surge, all produced at the Goodman Theatre. Gilman and Schellhardt are both faculty members at Northwestern University.

Also planned is a public discussion on Tuesday, September 14, at 7pm, "Living and Working in Today's Theater: A Conversation with Eight Award-Winning Dramatists," featuring the Intensive's master teachers to be held at Northwestern's Department of Theater. Eight noted writers of musical theater and plays will engage in a roundtable discussion about living and working in the theater today. The participants will include Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Janet Neipris, Susan Miller, Mark Hollmann, Andrea Lepcio, Laura Schellhardt and Rebecca Gilman. These dedicated composers, lyricists and playwrights will share how they got their starts, developed their careers, and how they face the many challenges of writing for the contemporary American theater. The event is open to the public. Registration information will be available at a later date.

The Dramatists Guild of America is the professional association of playwrights, composers, lyricists and librettists. The Dramatists Guild Fund is the public charity arm of the Dramatists Guild. Its mission is to aid and nurture writers for the theater; to fund non-profit theaters producing contemporary American works; and to heighten awareness, appreciation and support of theater across the country. At Northwestern University, the Dramatists Guild Fellows Program will be hosted by the American Music Theatre Project, the Department of Theatre, and the Department of Radio, Television and Film's MFA in Writing for the Stage and Screen.

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