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OíNEILL PLAYWRIGHTS
CONFERENCE REVISES SELECTION PROCESS FOR
2004 OPC Artistic Director James Houghton commented, “At a time when
many theaters are eliminating or drastically reducing their development
programs, nurturing writers and new work for the stage remains at the core of
our work at The O’Neill. The positive experience of playwrights and other artists
who participate in The O’Neill’s vibrant community has inspired more and more
playwrights to apply to the Conference. In the past year alone we saw an
increase of over 200 submissions, and we just do not have the means currently
to increase support in order to consider this growing number of applications
in a fair and thorough process. The decision to suspend open submissions was
not made lightly, but with sincere disappointment after a great deal of
thought and struggle. We are still extremely concerned about reaching out to
unknown writers and will continue to make every effort to do so.” O’Neill Executive Director Amy Sullivan added, “Under Jim Houghton’s leadership, the O’Neill Playwrights Conference has expanded dramatically in recent years. The O’Neill always works to serve the playwright and the play but the current economic climate hindered our commitment to give due diligence to the rapidly increasing number of open submissions. Revising the selection process allows us to continue an energized outreach for new voices while giving appropriate attention to each playwright who submits a script. I am confident that our changes will allow diverse voices and new work to flourish as they have in the past.” More than 600 plays have evolved at The O’Neill since the
Playwrights Conference began in 1965. Since Houghton became the Playwrights
Conference’s artistic director in 2000, resident playwrights have included
Stephen Belber, Lee Blessing, Kia
Corthron, Karen Hartman, Bill Irwin, David Lindsay-Abaire, Romulus Linney, Carey Perloff, Adam Rapp, Mark Ravenhill,
John Henry Redwood, Regina Taylor, August Wilson and more than 40 other
writers. Conference participants represent a wide range of experience
from playwrights working on a first play to Broadway veterans; directors and
actors have also worked on and off-Broadway and in regional theaters, representing
emerging artists and seasoned professionals. Not all writers-in-residence present public readings of their
work. Several writers attend each year to work on special projects, which are
not always presented during their stay. Conference participants also have access
to discussions with a variety of guest speakers: this summer’s All Conference
Series included playwrights Ed Bullins and Paula Vogel,
Theatre Communications Group Executive Director Ben Cameron director David Esbjornson and composer Willy Schwarz. "We strive to
make the Conference a vital national exchange of artists and of ideas and
issues facing writers and the field at large," Houghton added.
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