Non-profit theatre companies NewYorkRep and Sea Dog Theater are collaborating on Curtain Rising, a new initiative that will give new voices in playwriting access to creative teams, funding, and development and performance opportunities.
The inaugural cohort of grant recipients are Laura Darrell for Oregon and PJ O'Neal for Stinger. Both will be performed following 29-hour developmental workshops as part of the Curtain Rising Festival, planned for April 26 at Sea Dog Theater in St. George's Episcopal Church. The performance will be followed by an award reception. Both are also receiving a financial stipend of $1,500.
Oregon tracks three generations of women dealing with end-of-life care for their 88-year-old matriarch, which forces them to confront the realities of medically assisted death. Stinger focuses on a formerly incarcerated chef who begins coaching high school dropouts in his successful restaurant.
鈥淚t has long been the goal of NewYorkRep to develop and champion original plays that address urgent social issues, and produce new works with real-world impact,鈥� says NewYorkRep Founding Executive Director Gayle Waxenberg in a statement. 鈥淲e are excited to partner with our friends at Sea Dog Theater in our shared mission to ensure that powerful new voices in theatre are heard, nurtured, and celebrated. Laura Darrell and PJ O鈥橬eal are extraordinary playwrights who you will, no doubt, be hearing more from in theatre seasons to come. We could not be more excited about our two inaugural Curtain Rising Grant recipients.鈥�
鈥淎t Sea Dog Theater, we believe in the power of intimate, site-specific storytelling to ignite conversation and bring urgent social issues to light,鈥� adds Sea Dog Artistic Director Chris Domig. 鈥淧artnering with NewYorkRep allows us to further our commitment to amplifying new voices that challenge, inspire, and provoke meaningful dialogue. Laura Darrell and PJ O鈥橬eal are remarkable playwrights with stories that deserve to be heard, and we are honored to support their work. This collaboration is a reflection of our shared dedication to theater that not only entertains but also makes a lasting impact.鈥�
Reservations for the April 26 performance and reception are available at .
