Seven Finalists Chosen for Bridge Initiative New Play Contest

With a total submission tally of close to 170 plays and musicals, The Bridge Initiative announces seven plays as finalists for this year's new work contest. These plays, selected through a blind reading process, are a national sample, representing New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Minneapolis, Boston, and St. Petersburg, Florida.

The finalists will be read by artistic staff from not only The Bridge Initiative but sister theatres InProximity Theatre (New York City), WAM Theatre (Lee, Massachusetts), and Magnolia Theatre Company (Dayton, Ohio). These partner organizations will also be producing readings of the winning play in their upcoming seasons. The winning selection will be announced by January 1st, 2017.

The winning playwright will be in residence at Mesa Community College the week of February 21-26 with New York-based director Stefanie Sertich, assisted by TBA local Arizona assistant director, dramaturg, and actors. Sertich is an expert in new play development. She teaches at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, New York, and has worked with companies from Disney Theatricals to Theater for the New City on new work. This is a professional undertaking, with all participants, aside from student interns, receiving a salary. In a theatrical community comprised largely of community theatres and unpaid actors, The Bridge Initiative seeks to differentiate itself as one of the sole professional entities.

The full list of finalists is: Out of Time by Rachel Atkins, Honor Killing by Sarah Bierstock, The Captives by Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich, Second Skin by Kristin Idaszak, White Pearl by Anchuli King, The Flora and Fauna by Alyson Mead, and Naming True by Natalie Symons.

The Bridge Initiative is an Arizona nonprofit working to identify and empower female artists in the Southwest region, with the aim of gender parity across all theatrical disciplines. Its mission also includes bridging the gap between academia and the professional world to encourage students to envision a clearer path to becoming lifelong artists. Visit bridgeinit.com for more information.