National New Play Network, the country's alliance of nonprofit theaters that champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays, announces its 70th and 71st Rolling World Premieres: Br'er Cotton by Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm and Project Dawn by Karen Hartman. The two plays will receive a total of 6 NNPN RWP productions, with each play seeing at least three distinct productions in a discrete 12-month period.
Br'er Cotton by Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm will Roll through Core Members Kitchen Dog Theater (Dallas, TX; June 9-July 1, 2017) and Cleveland Public Theatre (OH; March 29-April 21, 2018), as well as Associate Member Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble (Los Angeles, CA; September 23-October 15, 2017). Project Dawn by Karen Hartman will kick off its Roll at Associate Member People's Light (Malvern, PA; June 14-July 7, 2017), followed by productions at Core Members Horizon Theatre Company (Atlanta, GA; September 22-October 29, 2017) and Unicorn Theatre (Kansas City, MO; January 24-February 18, 2018). In an NNPN Rolling World Premiere, the Network provides production support to the playwright and the partnering theaters, including assistance with the creation and the contracting of the premiere agreement, collaborative interactions between the theaters, and travel and housing funds for the playwright to further develop the play in each city.ABOUT BR'ER COTTON
Lynchburg, Virginia. The former site of a thriving cotton mill is now an impoverished neighborhood. Deeply affected by all the recent killings of young black men like himself, Ruffrino, a 14 year old "militant," incites riots at school and online. More and more at odds with his mother and grandfather, the boys' anger grows beyond containment while the family home literally sinks into the cotton field, and no one seems to notice but him.
ABOUT PROJECT DAWN
Philadelphia is home to a revolutionary court designed by a passionate and shockingly funny group of women. Every day these lawyers, judges, parole officers, and staff work to transform the lives of women repeatedly convicted for prostitution. In this daring and vital new play in which seven actresses portray multiple participants and members of the court, Karen Hartman probes the thin lines between freedom and slavery, activism and obsession for women on both sides of the law. Inspired by Hartman's extensive first-hand research inside Project Dawn Court, this play is the first world premiere from the nationally renowned New Play Frontiers Residency & Commission program at People's Light.
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