BroadwayWorld: PlayMakers Repertory Company has announced the launch of the North Carolina Folk Play Project, a new statewide initiative inviting writers and storytellers from across North Carolina to submit short plays exploring the stories, communities and experiences that make our state unique.
3 comments:
I really liked this article, and the concept of “folk plays” as a whole. I think it’s a really interesting way to acknowledge and honor the history and people that live in the communities, as well as the traditions that have shaped life in North Carolina. I also really appreciate that, continuing with the theme of communities and celebrating regular life, Playmakers chose to make this project community based; the plays will be selected from submissions written by North Carolina residents, and is open to absolutely anyone and everyone with a wide array of topics. As a whole, I think that this project will lead to some really interesting shows, and I’m always a fan of getting smaller playwrights published. I also think that this is a fantastic way to showcase and celebrate the culture and traditions of North Carolina, and I think that this idea is something that should absolutely be extended to more locations/communities!
I am so excited about the Playmakers Repertory Company’s 50th season. My grandfather lives in Chapel Hill North Carolina and I have been to see multiple Playmakers productions, one I especially enjoyed was Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. I also attended the Playmakers summer camp while I was staying with my grandparents as a child. Playmakers produces really high quality theatre and I’m very excited to see what this community oriented season looks like. I do worry that people will be less willing to submit due to their prestigious reputation, assuming that they won’t be accepted. I really hope that the company makes active outreach efforts in diverse communities to make sure people are aware that this opportunity exists. Folk art in North Carolina is already so massive, with organizations like the Southern Highlands Craft Guild and the Folk Art Center, and its super cool how they are expanding this folk art outreach into theatre.
I’m so intrigued by this initiative and cannot wait to see the productions that come out of it! While I never got the chance to work with the Playmakers rep or see any of their shows, I had so many friends who frequently saw shows there or participated in their summer productions, and I’ve heard so many good things about their work. North Carolina has so much interesting history, from Appalachia to the coast, and even in my hometown of Winston-Salem, and seeing some of that history brought to life onstage will be so cool. I’m a little bit biased, but so much amazing art and music has come out of North Carolina, and I am so excited to see the plays that get submitted and produced as part of this festival. This story also reminds me of a play I saw two years ago at a one-act festival. It was a devised piece by a school from Boone, NC, about Hurricane Helene and the aftermath. That play is one of the only shows I've seen that is distinctly about North Carolina, and I’m very curious to see more.
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