Call for Submissions: Project Resilience

The Boston Project: Project Resilience

Call for Submissions 

SpeakEasy Stage Company is seeking proposals from New England based playwrights for currently unwritten, location-specific, ten-minute monologues for our devised piece, The Boston Project: Project Resilience. 

We Bostonians have always been known for our bold and determined nature, but this past year has presented challenges that have tested even the toughest among us. To celebrate the distinct, enduring spirit of this great city, SpeakEasy is commissioning five Boston playwrights to each write a brand-new, site-specific, ten-minute play that explores and celebrates the various forms of resilience that see us through each day.

Each commissioned playwright will receive a stipend of $500.

The Process:

1. Proposals for currently unwritten monologues that meet the following application requirements will be accepted from January 15 – February 15, 2021. 
2. From the submitted proposals, a committee of SpeakEasy staff members and Boston artists will select five pieces to be featured in the project. 
3. Once proposals are selected (by March 1, 2021), SpeakEasy will work with the playwrights to build a development schedule that fits their needs. This will include working with a director to select the monologue’s performer, and then writing the 10-minute script. The playwright will be able to collaborate with the director and performer throughout the development process. 
4. After the month-long development process, the final monologue will be set and the director and actor will rehearse separately. 
5. The five projects will then be filmed on-location, and edited together into one final theatrical video piece to be streamed by SpeakEasy’s community in early June 2021. 

Application Requirements:

To be considered for The Boston Project: Project Resilience, please submit by 8pm EST on February 15th, 2021:

1. A 1-2 page proposal for an unwritten ten-minute monologue. 
   • The play must be set in Boston or its surrounding areas, and take place within five years, plus or minus, of the present day. 
   • The piece should tell a complete story within ten minutes, and should be inspired by the concept of resilience in Boston (whatever that means to you). 
   • The play should be set somewhere that we can realistically film, as all projects will be filmed on-location. 
   • The play should feature a single performer. 
2. 2-3 paragraphs of exploratory material/example monologue text (to give us a sense of your character development and voice)
3. A professional biography or writing resume detailing your playwriting experience.
4. A separate play (any length) previously written by you.

All materials should be submitted in .pdf format to bostonproject@speakeasystage.com. Please include all materials in a single email.

Please note: The intention of The Boston Project is to develop plays that legitimize Boston as a beautifully complex setting. It is crucial that playwrights have strong roots in the greater Boston area, consider themselves to be “local” playwrights, and have a deep and thorough understanding of the city and its arts community.

Proposal Submission Deadline: February 15, 2021
Selections Announced: March 1, 2021

Important Information for Applicants:

• This project is designed to support the development of a brand new ten-minute monologue. This is not the time to submit a script which you’ve already written; we want to work with you as you explore a fresh idea in its earliest stages.
• Your 1-2 page proposal should explain the play you intend to create, and may include: a synopsis of the work as best you know it, a description of the character, a statement regarding the inspiration for the work, and any other information about the play you envision. You may also let us know any specific needs you foresee during the development process.
• Part of SpeakEasy’s mission is to reflect the vibrance and diversity of our city. Projects which further that goal will be of particular interest in the selections process.

SpeakEasy’s Mission:

SpeakEasy produces intimate, entertaining plays and musicals that are new to Boston and compel thoughtful conversation. We champion new talent and future arts leaders, alongside a diverse community of experienced local theatre professionals who share our devotion to excellence. We treat our artists, audiences and supporters as collaborators, working with us to make Boston a city that is sustainable for artists.

About The Boston Project:

The Boston Project is SpeakEasy Stage’s new works initiative that supports the creation and development of new plays set in Boston, which explore what it means to live in this city at this moment and tap into the full breadth of experiences and identities that make up life in the Hub.

Questions regarding the proposal process or the project itself can be directed via email to Community Programs Manager Alex Lonati at alexlonati@speakeasystage.com.