World Premiere of my New Play in DC!

Now Comes the Night by E. M. Lewis
will have its world premiere at 1st Stage this fall
as part of the Women's Voices Theatre Festival in DC.

I am delighted to announce that my new play "Now Comes the Night" will have its world premiere at 1st Stage this fall, as part of the Women's Voices Theatre Festival in Washington, DC.  I'm in DC now, working with my director/artistic director Alex Levy on the script and casting.

What's the play about?  American journalist Michael Après has been released after being held hostage for eighteen months in Iraq.  But Michael’s colleague has begun to suspect that he isn’t free yet. Secrets, lies, and betrayals haunt both men, as an explosive television interview puts their friendship to the test

(If you think this world sounds familiar... yes, this is a free-standing sequel to my Primus Prize winning play "Heads.")

For more about the festival, here's an article from Broadway World announcing that First Lady Michelle Obama has just signed on as honorary chair. Glad to be part of this giant city-wide celebration and performance of new work! Check out this line up of plays: http://www.womensvoicestheaterfestival.org

Magellanica & the Kilroys!

"Magellanica" -- my recently completed Antarctic epic play -- is an honorable mention for this year's Kilroy List of great plays by women playwrights.  I'm so pleased!

View the 2015 Kilroy List of Honorable Mentions

If you'd like to read an excerpt from "Magellanica," or learn more about my work, please visit my page on the New Play Exchange by clicking here:

Visit The New Play Exchange

"THE LIST 2015 includes the results of the second annual industry survey of excellent new plays by female and trans playwrights.  It is a tool for producers committed to ending the systemic underrepresentation of female and trans playwrights in the American theater."

How The List Was Made 

• They surveyed 321 influential new play leaders — Artistic Directors, Literary Managers, Professors, Producers, Directors, and Dramaturgs — who had read or seen at least 40 new plays in the past year
• Each respondent recommended 3 to 5 plays each, identifying a total of 755 plays as among the best work they had encountered in the past year
• THE LIST comprises the top 7% of those plays — the 53 most recommended plays from this survey, which each received between 4 and 20 nominations
• The Honorable Mentions comprises the top 32% of nominated plays — these 186 plays each received 2 or 3 nominations
• To ensure unbiased results, responses were anonymous. All identifying information of recommenders was tracked separately from their recommendations in the survey software
• The members of The Kilroys did not nominate plays for The List

To be Eligible for The List, a Play Must be:

• unproduced or have had only a single professional production
• by an author who identifies as female or trans
• among the most excellent seen or read by the industry professional within the previous twelve months and
• not included on last year’s list of top 46 plays

Proud to be represented!

I'm pleased to announce that I am now represented by Samara Harris Anderson at the Robert A. Freedman Dramatic Agency.  I'm very glad to be working with her!

I have completed ten full-length plays, now -- including the award-winning "Song of Extinction," the intimate and topical "The Gun Show," and my hot off the press Antarctic epic, "Magellanica."  I have scads of short plays, which have been produced around the world.  And now I'm writing operas (with some fabulous composers).  It's great to have an ally as I work to find homes for all of them!

For more information about the Robert A. Freedman Dramatic Agency, click here.

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Playwright/librettist E. M. Lewis

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In the USC News

Nice little article about my path to playwriting in the USC News Magazine this month, written by Desa Philadelphia.

Check it out by clicking here!

2015 Starts Off with a Bang!

The new year is busy, busy, busy already!  It's so nice to be working. I have three shows up in January, and one in February, and I hope that you'll check them out if you are in the vicinity!  

The Gun Show/Los Angeles by EM Lewis extends its production run
into January at Moving Arts!

The Gun Show/Los Angeles: extended!  Jan. 17-24 at Moving Arts

The Moving Arts production of The Gun Show has extended, so you have three more chances to see it!  Directed by Darin Anthony. Featuring Chuma Gault.  Produced by Cece Tio. Congratulations to the Los Angeles team! movingarts.org

The Gun Show/Trenton by EM Lewis runs
from January 24-February 8 at Passage Theater.

The Gun Show/Trenton: Jan. 24 - Feb. 8 at Passage Theatre

I'm getting ready to spend a month on the east coast, where the Passage Theatre at the Mill Hill Playhouse production of The Gun Show in Trenton is going to be taking the stage. Directed by Damon Bonetti. Featuring Trent Blanton. Damon directed the world premiere of my play True Story at Passage in 2012, and I'm delighted to be working with him again, and with everyone at the playhouse! passagetheatre.org

Infinite Black Suitcase by EM Lewis will be playing at St. Louis Park High School
in Minnesota from January 16-18.

Infinite Black Suitcase/St. Louis Park High School:  Jan. 16-18

If you're in Minnesota, you can check out the St. Louis Park High School production of Infinite Black Suitcase. This is a high school production. Support kids making theater!

https://www.facebook.com/slphstheatre

Heads by EM Lewis will be playing at Theater for the New City
in NYC from February 2-14.

Heads/Theater for a New City in NYC:  Feb. 2 - 14

My play Heads -- a hostage drama set during the early years of the Iraq War, winner of the Primus Prize from the American Theater Critics Association -- is going up in New York City.  Tickets will be available soon, so stay tuned for more information!  

http://www.theaterforthenewcity.net

*******************

I'm packing my parka for NJ/NY -- and hope to see some of you when I'm out there, which will be from January 14 through February 9 or 10.  I'll be down in Trenton for the most part, with my production of The Gun Show, but will definitely try to take the train into New York City for a few days as well, and maybe down to Philly and DC for a couple days, too.  After New Jersey, I'm going to be in Chicago (or thereabouts) for a little writing retreat for a week or so.  And then I go to Ellensburg, Washington for a few days, to be a playwriting respondent for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, Region 7, and teach a playwriting workshop entitled "Writing Our Own History."  Back home to Oregon again after all that, I think!  Until the next thing comes along...

Happy new year, everybody!

Finalist for the Shakespeare's Sister Fellowship from AROHO!

I am honored to be a finalist for the Shakespeare's Sister Fellowship from the A Room of Her Own (AROHO) Foundation, alongside Katie Bender from Austin, TX; Ellen K. Graham from Denver, CO; and Stefanie Zadravec from Brooklyn, NY. The award has been given to my talented colleague Dipika Guha, who receives a $10,000 prize as well as institutional support from three organizations that give tremendous support to playwrights in this country -- The Lark, Hedgebrook, and AROHO.  Congratulations, Dipika!  

Thank you, AROHO, for giving such practical support to women playwrights. For more information on the fellowship, visit the AROHO Foundation website.

"If I Did This" at PlayFest Santa Barbara!

The new year is starting out with a wonderful invitation to sunny Santa Barbara!  I hope that some of you will be able to attend this event.

The co-artistic directors of the brand new PlayFest Santa Barbara -- Michael Gros and Jeffrey Meek -- have decided to include a reading of my new play "If I Did This" in their festival.  Michael will be directing.

"If I Did This" synopsis:
A grieving mystery writer is hired to ghostwrite the "story of the century" -- but finds himself becoming part of the story instead.

Dates:
January 18 and 19, 2013

Location:
The Garvin Theater
Santa Barbara City College's West Campus
721 Cliff Drive
Santa Barbara, CA

The Garvin Theater, where most of the festival events will take place, is located on the beautiful Santa Barbara City College Campus, overlooking the gorgeous Santa Barbara harbor.


According to the PlayFest website:

PlayFest Santa Barbara stages professional theater readings and workshops, and promotes original new plays, musicals, new translations and adaptations of classics by emerging and established writers.  We provide theater lovers with the opportunity to attend performances, lectures, interviews, and master classes with some of the world's leading artists.  PlayFest Santa Barbara takes place in the city of Santa Barbara, California -- known as the "American Riviera."

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Jan. 18

8pm - Reading of "If I Did This" by EM Lewis

Jan. 19

10am - "Bringing Words to Life in a Body-Centered Way" workshop with Drama Dogs

1pm - "A-5678! -- A Musical Review"

3pm - "Commedia dell Arte" lecture and demonstration with John Achorn

4:30pm - "Playwriting Fun (and Fundamentals)" workshop with EM Lewis

8pm - Reading of "It Has to Be You" by Catherine Butterfield

You can find more information about PlayFest Santa Barbara and get your tickets on their website:
http://playfestsantabarbara.org

Page 73's 2013 Interstate 73 Playwriting Workshop

Founded in 1997, Page 73 Productions has made a name for itself as a home for the development and production of new work by early-career playwrights.  I'm proud to have been selected to participate in Page 73's 2013 Interstate 73 Playwriting Workshop in New York City.

Playwrights in the group meet at the Page 73 offices twice a month to discuss and work on their new plays. At a playwright’s request, the writer receives a public or closed reading of a play.

The 2013 I-73 members are Stephen Brown, Meghan Deans, Peter Gil-Sheridan, David Jenkins, Kait Kerrigan, EM Lewis, and Caroline V. McGraw.

www.page73.org

"Infinite Black Suitcase" at Colony High School

Congratulations to Colony High School in Ontario, CA for their production of "Infinite Black Suitcase!"

"Infinite Black Suitcase" by EM Lewis
at Colony High School in Ontario, CA.

Semi-Finalist for Page 73's 2013 Development Programs

I'm pleased to be a semi-finalist for Page 73's 2013 Development Programs.  This is a great group in New York City that supports playwrights and the development of new work.  I really hope that they have a place for me in one of their programs next year.

More information about this year's list of semi-finalists HERE.

Who is Page 73?  From their website:

Founded in 1997, Page 73 Productions has made a name for itself as a home for the development and production of new work by early-career playwrights. We seek out untried playwrights who are yet to be produced and recognized in New York City and usher their work from first draft to production-ready script. Page 73′s developmental programs are carefully designed to give early-career playwrights the tools and resources to ready their work for production opportunities. Our mission is to offer a crucial steppingstone at a critical, early point in a writer’s career. 

Each year, Page 73 offers five primary programs to early-career playwrights: a New York City or world premiere production of a new play by an emerging playwright; the year-long P73 Playwriting Fellowship which provides cash, development and career support to one writer annually; a week-long summer residency program on the Yale University campus to four playwrights; Interstate 73, a writing group that consists of six to eight playwrights; and the Page 2 workshop, offering extensive rehearsals and design support to a play in development.

"The Incident Report" in Jersey Voices

This summer is turning into the busiest time ever!  Up next is the five-character version of "The Incident Report" in Jersey Voices at Chatham Community Players.  I've been actively pursuing opportunities here in my new state of New Jersey, and am delighted to have had this short play picked up at an annual event that showcases Garden State playwrights.

Why the five-character version?  Well... an accident of the submitting process, actually!  "The Incident Report" is about an aviation safety investigator who is trying to determine what went wrong on a flight where things went very, very wrong -- and who's responsible.  It has gone through a variety of iterations, some that moved through time in various ways, some that had three characters and some that had five.  Ultimately, the version that was produced in an evening of my short plays at Moving Arts in Los Angeles, and subsequently made the finals of the Samuel French Off-Off-Broadway Short Play Festival in New York City, was the linear three character version.  When I submitted the play to Jersey Voices, though, through the magic of e-mail submission, I accidentally attached a different draft.

I gave the theater the other version when I realized my mistake, but they really liked the five character version, which brings the action that happened on the plane right up on stage in three bloody dimensions.  And I have to say, I"m excited!  How often do we have the chance to see different versions of the same play fully produced, to see what works best in each?  I'm looking forward to attending.  If you're in New Jersey, I hope you'll check it out!  More information and ticketing are available through the Chatham Community Players website.

"The Incident Report" is directed by Chris Messineo of New Providence, and features Brian Carroll, Jeff Maschi, Chip Prestera, Jim Clancy, and Jessica Phelan.

Big News! $10,000 Fellowship from the NJ Arts Council!

The big news this month is that I'm the lucky recipient of a $10,000 Fellowship in Playwriting from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.  I drove up to Summit, NJ a few weeks ago to accept the award, along with other recipients in five categories, at their Annual Artists Roundtable.  Twenty-two artists were selected from more than 300 applicants in the categories of crafts, sculpture, photography, playwriting and poetry.

Front row, from left to right: Ben Marshall (playwriting), E M Lewis (playwriting), Thea Clark (crafts), Joanne Hoersch (playwriting), Erin Endicott (crafts), Catherine Doty (poetry).  Back row, from left to right: Frank Tribble (of Mancenido Tribble, photography), Douglas Ensel (photography), Jackie Clark (poetry), Sheri Lynn Behr (photography), Riccardo Berlingeri (sculpture), Anne Dushanko Dobek (sculpture), Deb Margolin (playwriting), Mihaela Moscaliuc (poetry), Michael Waters (poetry), Won Ju Seo (crafts)

The money will help me make it through the rest of the year -- which is rapidly filling itself with a wonderful array of productions, publications and teaching gigs.  Thank you, New Jersey, for helping me to be a full-time playwright for a little longer!!

A nice article about local playwriting recipients in the Star-Ledger.