AFFLICTIONS OF A QUIET WINTER by Essential Theatre’s 2011 Playwriting Award Winner Theroun D’arcy Patterson.
A controversial interview sets off a firestorm of events. A former child soldier rises to power in Uganda. A reluctant son defies his fate while his wife embraces her fierce ambitions. An activist shrinks from life while a reporter uncovers an American corruption. Destinies collide, snow beckons a ghost from the past, and a Jackal pulls the strings. Everything in life is a battle for something. What’s  your affliction?

With Daniel Burnley, Eric Mendenhall, Stacy Melich, Olubajo Sonubi, Ko Sonubi, Cynthia Barker, Winslow Thomas, Naima Carter Russell and Amanda Cucher.  Directed by Suehyla El-Attar.

WHERE: Academy Theatre, 119 Center St., Avondale Estates, Ga
WHEN: Monday, Dec. 12, 2011
TIME: 7:30pm
TICKETS: $5 donation at door. WTP members free.

Don’t miss your opportunity to be a vital part of this play’s development. Your participation in the talkback with the playwright, director and cast immediately following the reading is greatly appreciated.

The Liars Child by Sharon Mathis

A legacy of violence. Accusations, delusions, and lies. Is killing in the genes? A son must choose between parents, and do an unspeakable wrong for the right reason. In the nightmare of living with his act, Orestes discovers the truth about his family and a promise of peace.

Based on Aeschylus’ “Orestia”, the play is history told by the outsiders- women, children, and servants. As it unfolds inside Orestes’ head, time is fluid; the dead can resurrect; and the living become demons or gods. The story is as old as myth and as new as a dream.

With Joshua David Simpson, Betty Mitchell, Whitney Drury, Naima Carter-Russell, Nadir Mateen, Laura Carson, Sarah Keys Chang, Lauren Broussard, Neal Hazzard, David Fisher and Jared Foust. A talkback with the playwright immediately following the reading will be moderated by Pamela Turner, PhD., Regional Representative Dramatists Guild of America.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 3, 2011
WHERE: Academy Theatre, 119 Center St., Avondale Estates, Ga.
DIRECTIONS: http://academytheatre.org/Directions.asp
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
COST: WTP Members FREE / $5 requested donation all others

Susan V. Booth –Jennings Hertz, Jr. Artistic Director

Hey! Are you ready to explore the Director/Playwright relationship with Alliance Theatre Artistic Director Susan Booth?

Both from her own experiences as a director of new work, especially with playwrights over several productions, Booth is an expert on creating a rehearsal room that empowers   the playwright to do their best work and also ensures a great production.

At this special master class, Booth will also discuss playwright/director match making as a producer and give types for interviewing directors. Plenty of time for Q and A will be included. You don’t want to miss this, and space is limited, so get to enrolling! How? Email your intentions to managing<at>workingtitleplaywrights.com.

WHERE: Alliance Theatre 3rd Floor Black Box

WHEN:   4:30-6:00 p.m., Thursday, May 12, 2011
FEE:   WTP members $30, non-members $50

Susan V. Booth, (Jennings Hertz, Jr. Artistic Director) joined the Alliance Theatre in 2001. In the past nine seasons, she has initiated the Collision Project for teens, the Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition, and created local producing partnerships with Georgia Shakespeare, True Colors and the nine theatre companies that participated in the Alliance’s City Series.

She has also overseen regional collaborative productions with Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Arena Stage, Goodman Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Pasadena Playhouse, St. Louis Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage, as well as commercial partnerships on projects including Come Fly Away; The Color Purple; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; SISTER ACT the Musical; Bring in Da’ Noise, Bring in Da’ Funk; Jesus Christ Superstar GOSPEL; and this season’s productions of Twist and Bring It On: The Musical.

As a director, Alliance projects have included Jesus Christ Superstar GOSPEL, Proof, Doubt, Day of the Kings, Intimate Apparel, Jacques Brel, Bluish and Frame 312, and she has directed nationally at theatres including Goodman, La Jolla Playhouse, New York Stage and Film, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Northlight Theatre, Victory Gardens, Court Theatre and many others.

She holds degrees from Denison and Northwestern universities and was a fellow of the National Critics Institute and the Kemper Foundation. She has held teaching positions at Northwestern and DePaul University and Emory University. She is a member of Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2003, has been cited as a Lexus Leader of the Arts by WABEFM, and has been named “Best New Visionary” by Atlanta Magazine and Best Local Director in the The Sunday Paper’s Readers Choice Awards and by Creative Loafing. She is the immediate past President of the Board of Directors for Theatre Communications Group (the national service organization for the field) and serves on the board of the Metro Atlanta Arts and Culture Coalition.

With Pamela Turner, Ph.D., Southeast Regional Rep for the Dramatists Guild of America and Artistic Director of multiShades.atlanta.

Theatres report the top three reasons for rejecting submissions are:

Plays are under-developed.

Plays are lacking in theatricality.

Plays are trite in subject matter.

Our Gonzo Approach to Playwriting remedy is applied over four consecutive work sessions that look at story, character, conflict, action, image, text and subtext for both dramatic and comedic plays, through writing exercises, group critique, “example mentoring” and the first public reading / feedback session of the 10-minute play you will write through the course of this series.

Work Sessions: May 4, 11, 18, 25  Public Reading: Monday, June 6

Time: 6:00-9:00 pm

Location: Ben Franklin Academy-Emory

Fees: $150 WTP members / $175 public

Registration: By April 30th, 2011 – Space is Limited
Contact Jill Patrick @ 404.585.7695 or email to managing<at>workingtitleplaywrights.com

As you may recall from earlier blog posts, The Ethel Woolson Lab brings together the top playwrights, directors, and actors in the Atlanta theatre community for meaningful collaboration in the creation of new, full-length plays for the stage. 

 We are immeasurably grateful to the Hellen Ingram Plummer Charitable Foundation for this grant, and its recognition of the importance new works bring. This funding will enable WTP to provide arts education through new play and playwright development. The competitively selected playwrights participating in the Lab as well as the public audiences attending these staged readings will benefit.

As Hank Kimmel, our WTP Board President said, “The feedback from our Ethel Woolson Lab has always been resonantly positive, and, thanks to the Plummer Charitable Foundation, we have the chance to do a lot more through the program.”

This fabulous news comes on the heels of an eventful month for WTP, during which we produced a wildly-popular 24-Hr. Plays Festival (where plays were written, directed and produced within 24 hours); hosted a standing-room-only Playwrights Slam at the Decatur Arts Festival; and developed and presented a playwrights’ educational workshop with Celise Kalke of the Alliance Theatre. Whew!

Mark your calendar now, so you can have an opportunity to see how the Hellen Ingram Plummer Charitable Foundation grant is supporting Working Title Playwrights as well as theatre in Atlanta. Plan to attend the Ethel Woolson Lab public staged readings coming for the remainder of the year:

July 27, 2010 – Topher Nixon Payne’s EVELYN IN PURGATORY
Sept 21, 2010 – Theroun Patterson’s AMERICAN DISMANTLE
Oct 26, 2010 – Glen Slattery’s VON WHO?
Dec 14, 2010 – Patricia Henritze and Shawna Tucker’s ANTONY+CLEOPATRA REDUX

All readings will take place at Academy Theatre—you know the one—at 7:30 p.m. with $10 tickets available at door. 

THANK YOU, Hellen Ingram Plummer Charitable Foundation. You indeed help us make new plays happen! 

Then, join Working Title Playwrights and the whole Atlanta theater community at a gathering at Manuel’s Tavern to celebrate the life and memory of our dear friend, Allen Hagler. Share memories, tell irreverent stories (you KNOW he’d like that), and hoist a glass in a toast or two. The fun begins at 7:30pm. Spread the word!

Manuel’s Tavern is located at the corner of North and Highland Avenues in Atlanta.

HB1049 gives each county in Georgia the ability to invest a fraction of a penny sales tax to support cultural assets and economic development initiatives in their community, when and if they so choose. Click here for more details on how HB1049 works.

Take action now, and share this message with colleagues and friends who support art & culture. Email/Call members of the RULES Committee asking for SUPPORT of HB 1049 (See members & contact information listed below) The message should be brief. Add a personal note on why this is important to you.

Again, please keep your message brief — example:
Subject: Support HB1049
Message: With strong bi-partisan support, please help us get HB 1049 on an upcoming agenda for the Rules Committee.  Support HB1049 this year because it provides our county with an economic development tool kit that will not only stabilize the cultural industry but will support a range of economic development initiatives so desperately needed in our own community.

Members of the Rules Committee:
Jan Jones (R, Fulton)
Email -jan.jones@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.5072

Bill Hembree (R, Douglas County)
Email -bill.hembree@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.5141

Jerry Keen (R, Glynn County)
Email -jerry.keen@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.5052

Edward Lindsey (R, Fulton)

Email -  edward.lindsey@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.5024

James Mills (R, Hall County)
Email – james.mills@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.5099

Wendell Willard (R, Fulton County)
Email -wendell.willard@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.5125

Terry Barnard (R, Evans, Liberty & Tattnaill Counties)
Email -terry.barnard@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.5138

Tim Bearden (R, Carroll & Douglas Counties)
Email -tim.bearden@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.0287

Tommy Benton (R, Barrow, Hall & Jackson Counties)
Email -tommy.benton@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.0177

Mark Burkhalter (R, Fulton County)
Email – mark.burkhalter@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.7146

David Casas (R, Gwinnett County)
Email – david.casas@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.0254

Jill Chambers (R, DeKalb County)
Email – jill.chambers@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.3949

Mickey Channell (R, Greene, Oglethorpe, Putnam& Wilkes Counties)
Email -mickey.channell@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.7856

Mike Coan (R, Gwinnett County – Lawrenceville)
Email -repcoan@charter.net

Phone – 404.656.6801

Jim Cole (R, Jasper, Jones, Lamar and Monroe Counties)
Email – jim@votecole.com

Phone – 404.651.7737

Sharon Cooper (R, Cobb County)
Email – sharon.cooper@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.5069

Katie Dempsey (R, Floyd)
Email -

katie.dempsey@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.0213

Karla Drenner (D, DeKalb)
Email – dren16999@aol.com

Phone – 404.656.0202

Earl Ehrhart (R, Cobb County)
Email -earl@ehrhart.4emm.com

Phone – 404.463.2247

Gerald Greene (D, Calhoun, Clay, Early, Miller, Randolph & Seminole Counties)
Email – gerald.greene@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.0314

Bob Hanner (D, Chattahoochee, Lee, Quitman, Stewart, Terrell & Webster Counties)
Email – bob.hanner@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.7859

Carolyn Hugley (D, Muscogee County)
Email – carolyn.hugley@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.5058

Mike Jacobs (R, DeKalb County)
Email – repjacobs@comcast.net

Phone – 404.656.0152

John Lunsford (R, Butts, Henry & Newton Counties)
Email - john.lunsford@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.0213

Judy Manning (R, Cobb County)
Email – judy.manning@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.7857

Fran Millar (R, DeKalb County)
Email – fran.millar@wellsfargo.com

Phone – 404.656.5064

Greg Morris (R, Emanuel, Montgomery, Toombs, Treutlen & Wheeler Counties)
Email – greg.morris@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.657.8441

Howard Mosby (D, DeKalb & Henry Counties)
Email – howard.mosby@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.0287

Butch Parrish (R, Bulloch, Candler, Emanuel and Johnson Counties)
Email – larry.parrish@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.463.2247

DuBose Porter (D, Johnson & Laurens Counties)
Email – dubose.porter@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.5058

Nikki Randall (D, Bibb County)
Email – nikki.randall@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.0109

Tom Rice (R, Fulton & Gwinnett Counties)

Email – tom.rice@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.5912

Jay Roberts (R, Ben Hill, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Telfair, Tift & Wheeler Counties)
Email – jay.roberts@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.7153

Austin Scott (R, Tift & Turner Counties)
Email – austin.scott@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.0188

Jay Shaw (D, Berrien, Clinch, Lanier & Lowndes Counties)
Email – jay.shaw@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.7859

Donna Sheldon (R, Gwinnett County)
Email – donna.sheldon@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.5025

Bob Smith (R, Clarke, Morgan Oconee & Oglethorpe Counties)
Email – bob.smith@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.0126

Lynn Smith (R, Coweta and Heard Counties)
Email – lynn.smith@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.7149

Calvin Smyre (D, Muscogee County)
Email – calvinsmyre@synovus.com

Phone – 404.656.0116

Ron Stephens (R, Chatham, Liberty  & Bryan Counties)
Email – ron.stephens@house.ga.gov

Phone – 404.656.5099

Len Walker  (R, Gwinnett & Walton Counties)
Email – lwalker107@gmail.com

Phone – 404.656.5146

You support a strong, vibrant arts community in Georgia, don’t you? Well, here’s a great chance to demonstrate this in a tangible and most important way. Thank you in advance!

A service will be held on Tuesday, March 23rd, 11am, at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

A celebration of his life is being planned for another date, the details of which will be shared as they emerge.

His family invites all his friends and loved ones to attend the service(s) and asks that in lieu of flowers you send contributions to Hospice of Atlanta, The American Cancer Society or the charity of your choice.

Thank you all for the support you demonstrated along Allen’s journey. Fair thee well, Allen.

For those of you who still want to contribute somehow, we ask that you please consider:

1. Sharing your good will with the Atlanta Community Food Bank (or whomever else you might feel inclined to help) with contributions of canned foods or money. As Olivia told me, “God knows that (a) folks have already been UNBELIEVABLY generous with us already and (b) that there are still tons of needy folks out there every day who also need tending to.”

2. Writing to Grady Hospital’s new CEO, Mr. Michael Young, and let him know how you appreciate the quality of care being given to (Patrick) Allen Hagler and encourage him to stay the course on reforming the state’s primary health care system. What you may not know, is that while we have (relatively few) complaints about the quality of care Allen is receiving – genuinely, the staff across the board has been positive, helpful and good at what they do – the fact is the system itself is so flawed that one mistake made by one person will cause a 2-hour appointment to last twelve hours or longer; that nurses are so understaffed some clinics wait for every patient to check in before they start triaging; and that some bathrooms and clinics (particularly in first floor clinics) are so filthy one questions whether a sick person will only get sicker the longer they stay in Grady … and considering how long they have to wait now, it does not seem conducive to healing.

I was told by someone working with Allen’s team of doctors, that Mr. Young is determined to implement positive change by having all Grady employees get their health care through Grady beginning in 2010. This has been met with opposition from many working within the system, but the belief is (I’m told) that once Grady employees start having the same waiting periods, in the same conditions as the public dependent on them, the system will begin functioning more proactively.

Michael Young, CEO
Grady Health System
80 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SE
Atlanta, GA 30303

One last note from Olivia…

“I am humbled beyond words at the generosity that the theater community continues to shower down upon Allen/us. (THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU…….) “Thank You” is so inadequate at this point but still, please convey my sincerest gratitude to all of these folks who continue to reach out through you.”

So, THANK YOU!

Allen Hagler and Jo Howarth as G.W. and Latrelle, SORDID LIVES

And it just doesn’t stop! Yes, Sir, we’ll have some more…

Del Shores – internationally known playwright (“Sordid Lives,” “Southern Baptist Sissies”), actor, & director of film & TV – has offered to auction a DVD of “Sordid Lives: The Series” signed by himself and the entire cast (including Leslie “Brother Boy” Jordan) in support of Allen and our efforts to love on him. He’s doing this on his Sordid Lives Facebook site – which has over 15,000 fans!

Please note that Del Lives in LA and has never met Allen. In fact, when he made the offer he didn’t even realize that Allen played “GW” in Process Theatre’s production of “Sordid Lives” last year. He reached out simply because Allen is an actor in need. To quote Topher Payne, “You gotta love sweet Southern boys.”

To get more details and bid, go to the designated Sordid Lives Facebook page now. Thanks, Del!