NEW YORK CITY: Ensemble Studio Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation have announced the lineup for the 2024 First Light Festival, scheduled to take place April 25 to June 13. Part of the EST/Sloan Project to develop plays exploring science and technology, the festival will feature six public readings and two closed readings for internal development. The public readings are free to attend, though reservations are required.
The public readings will include Jacob Marx Rice‘s Binding Energy on April 25, Jacquelyn Reingold‘s Orva and Nadine on May 16, Melisa Tien‘s Disrupted on May 23, Sandra A. Daley-Sharif‘s Amma’s Wit on June 6, Karina Billini‘s Apple Bottom on June 13, and Meghan Endres Brown‘s BIGFOOT on June 17. The two invitation-only readings will be Allyson Morgan‘s Teenage Huntress and Zhu Yi‘s Frozen: The Egg Freezing Musical, composed by Yoonmi Lee.
Ensemble Studio Theatre is a nonprofit company in Hell’s Kitchen dedicated to the development of new work.
BOSTON: Company One Theatre (C1) has announced this year’s Volt Lab cohort, which they are calling the Future Theatremakers of America. The Volt Lab provides mentorship opportunities for pre-professional theatre creatives to practice and enhance their craft while actively engaging with C1’s productions and community engagement programming. Though initially focused on playwrights, the lab expanded to include dramaturgs last season, and this year’s cohort will include directors for the first time.
This year’s Volt Lab cohort includes Boston-based playwrights Nick Baker, Erin Davis, Angelique Dina, Elijah Punzal, and Tom Wark; directors Cas Berta, Annalise Guidry, Marc Hem Lee, and Jenny Lee; and dramaturgs Sofia Lundgren-Galloway and Hannah Levinson. Participants will meet monthly through May 2024 to dream, write, devise, and develop pieces created both collaboratively and individually, culminating in an in-person showcase on June 1. The lab will be led by resident playwright Kirsten Greenidge.
Company One is a nonprofit theatre company that seeks to build community at the intersection of art and social change.
LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival (LAWTF), which runs March 28-31, has announced its 2024 awardees. An awards ceremony will take place at 8 p.m. at the Rosalie Theatre on the first night of the festival, following a champagne gala at 6:30 p.m. Hosted by Hattie Winston and Margaret Avery, the event will recognize eight deserving women’s exceptional achievements and contributions to the theatre world.
The festival will posthumously present the Infinity Award to Shirley Jo Finney for her unforgettable legacy. caryn desai and Maria G. Martinez will receive Eternity Awards for their lifetime achievements in theatre, and Naomi Grossman and Wendy Raquel Robinson will receive Maverick Awards for their high standards of individuality and self-styled creativity. Lisa Sanaye Dring and Carolyn Ratteray will receive Integrity Awards for the credibility and dignity they bring to their work, and Jessica Lynn Johnson will receive a Rainbow Award for her diverse contributions to fostering non-traditional and multicultural theatre works.
The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival is the city’s longest-running annual solo festival for women. It celebrates artistic diversity through the production of traditional and innovative performances and educational outreach.
NEW YORK CITY: The New York Landmarks Conservancy will present the 34th Annual Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards at the Plaza on April 10 at 6 p.m. Named for a dedicated New Yorker whose generosity benefited the city for more than 50 years, the Moses awards recognize individuals, organizations, architects, craftspeople, and building owners for their extraordinary contributions to preserving the city.
The Preservation Leadership Award will be presented to Roberta Brandes Gratz. Preservation Project Awards will be granted for preservation efforts on the following buildings: 35-37 West 23rd Street, 75th Police Precinct Station, 424 Fifth Avenue, Gould Memorial Library, James Earl Jones Theatre, La MaMa Experimental Theater Club, Lever House, Masonic Hall NYC, Most Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church, New York Life Insurance Building, Powerhouse Arts, Queens Plaza Clocktower, Ridges Residences, and Saint John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church.
The New York Landmarks Conservancy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the unique architectural heritage and character of New York City through advocacy, funding, and preservation services.
