Winners Of LANPP Grants Announced

Los Angeles New Play Project has released the names of the three playwrights who have each been awarded $20,000 grants for their original work. These plays will be presented on stages in Los Angeles County with an additional grant up to $20,000 to each of the producing entities in support of the productions. All three playwrights are based in Los Angeles.

Winning playwrights and their producing entities are Carla Ching for Revenge Porn to be produced by Ammunition Theatre (Camella Cooper & Oscar Avila, Co-Artistic Directors / to be directed by Bernardo Cubría, Carolyn Ratteray for Both And...A Play About Laughing While Black to be produced by Boston Court Pasadena (Jessica Kubzansky, Artistic Director), and Josh Wilder for The Hands That Could to be produced by Watts Village Theater Company (Bruce Lemon & Donna Simone Johnson, Co-Artistic Directors, Nijeul X, Consulting Producer).

After receiving the news, playwright Carla Ching expressed her excitement by saying, "Your support will really help us to make the production all it can be. Thank you for believing in new plays and their potential to touch those in the Los Angeles community. Truly honored to be in such great company with the other two playwrights and theater companies."

Jessica Kubzansky (Co-Founding Artistic Director; Boston Court Pasadena) says, "It's such a beautiful confirmation for us that Carolyn's play, which we all passionately believe in, is resonating not just with us but with others in disparate places. That is also a true gift. All theatres, and Boston Court is no exception, are going through a very lean time as we try to come back from the pandemic, so this VERY generous grant is particularly welcome now."

"What an honor! Thank you for supporting local artists and our vision for this work," exclaimed Nijeul X when the news was delivered to the Watts Village Theater team.

LANPP initiated the grant program earlier this year. Finalists were chosen from fifty scripts and producer statements that were submitted to a panel of professional dramaturgs, directors, and producers.

By establishing these awards, LANPP hopes to contribute to exciting, high-quality original work on the small and mid-size stages of Los Angeles County. LANPP grants are intended to help continue attracting excellence in playwriting to the Los Angeles theater community, and to encourage the production of new and untried plays.

"We launched Los Angeles New Play Project in order to support some of the best writers who are working to develop new plays," explained Paula Holt. "Additionally, by helping to support small theaters that work so hard to present new plays to the local audiences, we are offering a spark for LA theaters coming back to life after these challenging years!"

The Los Angeles New Play Project grant is the brainchild of producers Paula Holt and Nathan Birnbaum. The project is administered in partnership with the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and the UCLA Foundation, and is funded by a generous benefactor who has asked to remain anonymous.

For more information regarding the Los Angeles New Play Project please consult the website: http://lanpp.org/

Press Contact: Judith Borne (310) 305-7888; judith@borneidentities.com

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