Shattered Globe Theatre Announces Global Playwrights Series Selections

Shattered Globe Theatre has announced the inaugural playwrights and plays chosen for its The Global Playwright Series, a new play development program specifically aimed at BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse and disabled writers and those who fall within intersections of these identities.

SGT's inaugural Global Playwrights Series was conceived to lift up the voices of new, diverse playwrights by developing their work with a commitment to produce and to form long term connections between these writers and the SGT ensemble. In SGT's first festival, an impressive 151 scripts were read by Producer and ensemble member Nate Santana, Associate Artistic Director AmBer Montgomery and five established Chicago artists, as well as Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner. The GPS team interviewed fourteen semi- finalists, and nationally- known playwright Charles Smith added his insight by reading the final nine plays. From this talented group of writers, Kimberly Dixon-Mays, Phanésia Pharel and Jasmine Sharma were selected to join SGT as the 2022 GPS winners. SGT will be workshopping these three plays throughout its 2022-23 season

Equal and Terrifying by Kimberly Dixon-Mays (she/her/hers)

Andrea, a reclusive middle-aged visual artist, has her work and life interrupted when Sophie, a late friend's twenty-something daughter, comes looking for answers about her mother's past. The two get stuck in Andrea's studio in a supernatural vicious circle, fighting to define what connection they owe each other as acquaintances, artists and Black women, and what escape looks like.

Black Girl Joy by Phanésia Pharel (she/her/hers)

At the Black Girl Joy Center for Vulnerable Youth in Miami, Trina, JT, Squeaks and Donna come together to share their story. Shifting between memory, choreo poems and a juicy plot, Black Girl Joy is a ritual play for black girls/women to heal from intimate partner violence, a loss of girlhood and the death of their friends.

Radial Gradient by Jasmine Sharma (she/her/hers)

Three women enter a research study in an effort to create positive change after a hate crime takes place at their university. Radial Gradient challenges what complicity looks like, and asks what will we do when it looks like us?

Semi-finalists include:

Twenty-six by Angela Bey

f-ing Ajax! by Ella Boureau

Brawl! by Connor Emir Bradshaw

The Light Post by India Burton

Dumb Bitch Juice by Annalise Cain

I'm going to go back there someday by Asher de Forest

Stuff (and nonsense) by Charlotte Jung

At the Battlefront by Gursimrat Kaur

Redemption Game by Lisa Konoplisky

The Gift of BS by Dave Osmundsen

Egg Tooth by J.C. Pankratz

Zack Peercy, who submitted a new play concept along with a work sample from Essential Starlite

Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner comments, "From the first conversation with each of these playwrights, their unique view of the world and the passion behind creating each play was immediately apparent. SGT could not be more excited to begin a long-term artistic relationship with Jasmine, Kimberly and Phanésia. I cannot wait to introduce their new plays to Chicago audiences. SGT plans to reopen applications for this festival in future seasons. GPS will help SGT chart our future."

Shattered Globe Associate Artistic Director Amber D. Montgomery adds, "Working on GPS this year was such a fulfilling experience after a year and a half away from collaborating with artists during the pandemic. Focusing in on playwrights from BIPOC and Queer backgrounds, we read so many important, nuanced stories and made relationships that typically would have taken much longer to cultivate. We are so grateful to everyone who submitted and especially to our finalists who we are currently in process of further supporting their work. We can't wait to share their work with our theater community in Chicago."

About the Playwrights

Kimberly Dixon-Mays (she/her/hers) is a poet, playwright and sometimes performer. In addition to various readings and productions, her play (Nine) was a featured reading for Congo Square Theatre Company's 2019 August Wilson New Play Initiative, and a semi-finalist for the 2019 Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference. Kimberly was also a semi-finalist for the 2020 National Black Theatre I Am Soul Playwright Residency, and part of Goodman Theatre's 2022 Future Lab series. Kimberly is a former Tutterow Fellow with Chicago Dramatists, and one of its Resident Playwrights. She holds a B.A. from Yale, M.A. from UCLA, and Ph.D. from Northwestern.

Phanésia Pharel (she/her/hers) is a playwright from the great state of Florida and even greater city of Miami. Grounded in poetry and Afrofuturism, she often writes about the divine metaphysical dilemma of colored girlhood. Her plays span revolutions, islands and explore futures built on love by centering women's pleasure, safety and joy. AKA hopeful and magical survivor stories for the young, poor, women, colored and those audacious enough to be all of the above. Full lengths; Lucky (New York Stage and Film), Black Girl Joy (Frank Moffett Mosier Fellowship for Works in Heightened Finalist Prize, Jane Chambers Finalist). Other honors include City Theatre National Short Playwriting Finalist and Blank Stage "Future of Playwriting" Semi-Finalist.

Phanésia is a member of the Obie award-winning EST/ Youngblood group. Commissions include City Theatre Miami, the Latinx Playwrights Circle & Pregones/PRTT Greater Good Commission and Thrown Stone Theatre. Residencies include New York Stage and Film, Echo Theater Company of Los Angeles, the Playwrights Center Core Apprenticeship and the Inaugural 068 Magazine Thrown Stone Theatre Fellowship. Publishing: Concord Theatricals, Smith and Kraus Best Plays of 2020, Reset Coalition 2020 Anthology and the City Theatre AnthologyBA: Urban Studies, Barnard College of Columbia University. Management: Brandy Rivers at Industry Entertainment.

Jasmine Sharma (she/her/hers) is a South Asian-American actor/writer/activist and recent graduate of Northwestern University. Jasmine and her writing have been recognized by The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, The Kennedy Center ACTF, The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, The NJ Governor's Awards, UCROSS, The American Blues Theater and The Athena Project. Her work has been further supported by AlterTheater Ensemble (First Acts commission), The Road Theatre (Under Construction 2), AGE: Ignite the Arts, Ashland New Plays Festival (New Voices), Avalanche Theatre, Lime Arts Productions, Permafrost Theatre Collective, NextStage Theatre Company, Mad Cow Theatre, Samuel-Lancaster Productions, Mayo Performing Arts Center, The Valdez Last Frontier Theatre Conference, The Blank Theater Company, AstonRep and Access Theater NYC. Jasmine has also contributed to iWeigh, worked with the 24 Hour Plays both as an actor and writer, and served as Script PA on several Broadway musicals. Currently, Jasmine is commissioned by Moxie Arts NYC, and is elated to be developing RADIAL GRADIENT with Shattered Globe. She is represented by CHI Talent Management and KMR & Associates jasminesharma.org | @jasminesharmaa

About Shattered Globe Theatre

Shattered Globe Theatre (Sandy Shinner, Producing Artistic Director) was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 80 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 42 Jeff Awards and 107 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike.

Shattered Globe Theatre seeks to discover new connections between story, artist and audience by exploring drama from bold, challenging perspectives, and continuously redefining what it means to be an ensemble theater.

SGT's values are rooted in a commitment to racial equity, respect for all artists and support for the ensemble, while creating new opportunities to amplify traditionally marginalized voices and collaborate in all aspects of our work. Through initiatives such as the Protégé Program, Shattered Globe creates a space which allows emerging artists to grow and share in the ensemble experience.

For more information on Shattered Globe Theatre, please visit www.shatteredglobe.org.