Q: What inspired you to launch FOREWORD: A New Works Series?
Jason: We have been looking to fit new works into our programming for a while. So as we started discussing ways to get artists back to work, we decided that rather than produce readings of already published plays, we ought to give new works the possibility to be developed at a time when theatre, in many places, is on hold.
Q: Can you share more about the importance of supporting new work and how this fits with Prologue Theatre’s mission to start conversations?
J: New works give us a chance to have timely conversations, to think and talk about what’s currently happening and how that impacts the play, regardless of its subject matter. And the developmental process is vital to creating these conversations. Without this process, new plays end up being created in a vacuum, without the opportunity for artistic collaboration that challenges and enhances the work—and the conversations it creates.
Noah: As for the importance of supporting new work, there are thousands of playwrights, all with their own unique voice and something special to say. Unfortunately, the majority of playwrights go without ever having a single piece of their work produced. Imagine: all those voices, all those stories that are never heard. It is of the utmost importance to bring as many as possible to light.
Q: What should audiences know about the developmental process?
N: For each workshop, the artistic team of director, actors, stage manager, and playwright will work virtually for four hours a day/five days a week over the dedicated two-week period. The daily process involves digging into the characters, playing with new scenes, and talking about places where script changes might enhance the story being told. Ultimately, it will involve a lot of rewrites for the playwright.
J: At the end of each workshop, our audiences will get the unique experience of being the first people to hear and respond to these plays through a virtual public reading. This is a crucial step in the process, as it gives the playwright the chance to see and hear what lands with an audience, what impacts them, and what might start a conversation.
Q: What else should audiences know about FOREWORD and why it matters in this moment?
J: We typically connect to art because of a shared experience - something that resonates within us, brought on by a collective experience, either past or present. And, with all that has been happening in our country and around the world this year, we now have a whole new slate of shared experiences that we can explore together.
N: It’s true, some of the world's greatest art has come from trying times; whether it be personally, or globally. In a time of pain, struggle, and growth, it is our responsibility as artists to create. To hold a mirror up to the world so that we may better understand ourselves, and the confusing times we are living in. While not all of the plays we develop through FOREWORD will be directly about current events, we are excited to see how the shared experiences of our current moment shape and inform the developmental process.
Jason: We have been looking to fit new works into our programming for a while. So as we started discussing ways to get artists back to work, we decided that rather than produce readings of already published plays, we ought to give new works the possibility to be developed at a time when theatre, in many places, is on hold.
Q: Can you share more about the importance of supporting new work and how this fits with Prologue Theatre’s mission to start conversations?
J: New works give us a chance to have timely conversations, to think and talk about what’s currently happening and how that impacts the play, regardless of its subject matter. And the developmental process is vital to creating these conversations. Without this process, new plays end up being created in a vacuum, without the opportunity for artistic collaboration that challenges and enhances the work—and the conversations it creates.
Noah: As for the importance of supporting new work, there are thousands of playwrights, all with their own unique voice and something special to say. Unfortunately, the majority of playwrights go without ever having a single piece of their work produced. Imagine: all those voices, all those stories that are never heard. It is of the utmost importance to bring as many as possible to light.
Q: What should audiences know about the developmental process?
N: For each workshop, the artistic team of director, actors, stage manager, and playwright will work virtually for four hours a day/five days a week over the dedicated two-week period. The daily process involves digging into the characters, playing with new scenes, and talking about places where script changes might enhance the story being told. Ultimately, it will involve a lot of rewrites for the playwright.
J: At the end of each workshop, our audiences will get the unique experience of being the first people to hear and respond to these plays through a virtual public reading. This is a crucial step in the process, as it gives the playwright the chance to see and hear what lands with an audience, what impacts them, and what might start a conversation.
Q: What else should audiences know about FOREWORD and why it matters in this moment?
J: We typically connect to art because of a shared experience - something that resonates within us, brought on by a collective experience, either past or present. And, with all that has been happening in our country and around the world this year, we now have a whole new slate of shared experiences that we can explore together.
N: It’s true, some of the world's greatest art has come from trying times; whether it be personally, or globally. In a time of pain, struggle, and growth, it is our responsibility as artists to create. To hold a mirror up to the world so that we may better understand ourselves, and the confusing times we are living in. While not all of the plays we develop through FOREWORD will be directly about current events, we are excited to see how the shared experiences of our current moment shape and inform the developmental process.