University of Puget Sound Sound Ideas LMDA Review Other Publications Spring 2001 LMDA Review, volume 11, issue 2 M. Louise Lytle Ginny Coates Winston Neutel Crystal Beliveau Cindy SoRelle See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: http://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/lmdareview Recommended Citation Lytle, M. Louise; Coates, Ginny; Neutel, Winston; Beliveau, Crystal; SoRelle, Cindy; Erickson, Nancy; Quirt, Brian; Copelin, David; Dixon, Michael Bigelow; Blackstone, Mary; Wright, Michael; Proehl, Geoff; Rankin, Wynn; Etemad, Nakissa; Yahil-Wax, Mirian; and Rand, Jonathan, "LMDA Review, volume 11, issue 2" (2001). LMDA Review. 22. http://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/lmdareview/22 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Other Publications at Sound Ideas. It has been accepted for inclusion in LMDA Review by an authorized administrator of Sound Ideas. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Authors M. Louise Lytle, Ginny Coates, Winston Neutel, Crystal Beliveau, Cindy SoRelle, Nancy Erickson, Brian Quirt, David Copelin, Michael Bigelow Dixon, Mary Blackstone, Michael Wright, Geoff rP oehl, Wynn Rankin, Nakissa Etemad, Mirian Yahil-Wax, and Jonathan Rand This book is available at Sound Ideas: http://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/lmdareview/22 Highlights Inside • The Experiment Tradition by Michael Bigelow Dixon • News From CEAD in Montréal by Crystal Béliveau • Community and the Development of Scripts for Stage and • Technology Notes by Winston Neutel Screen by Mary Blackstone • Office Update, New Address by Ginny Coates The Newsletter of Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas Vol. 11, Issue 2 the lmda review Spring, 2001 “I believe that the basic requirement for all rehearsal work . is primarily a kind of doubting process.” Peter Stein on dramaturgy and doubt Section I: In Review LMDA Conference 2001 June 7-10, 2001, Denver, Colorado: Dramaturgy and Community: Building and Maintaining a Healthy Theatre Ecology Venue: Denver Public Library, Downtown Plus Denver History Museum & Denver Center for the Performing Arts Full Conference Fee: LMDA member $160.00, LMDA student member $80.00 LMDA Banquet: $35.00 per person Accommodation Options: Denver Executive Towers, YMCA, Youth Hostel See the Conference Brochure (grey insert) enclosed in this mailing: a Cover Letter from Conference Chair Gretchen Haley, a 1-page Conference Contacts & Overview, a 2-page Conference Registration Form, and a 2- page LMDA Membership Form. Plan on joining us in Denver. Renew your membership, and register NOW! Please contact Conference Chair Gretchen Haley ([email protected]) or LMDA President DD Kugler ([email protected]) with any questions you have. A. A LETTER TO THE Chair, I sensed that no matter how hectic or Meeting held in New York on December th MEMBERSHIP FROM THE LMDA layered my life as a teacher, producer and 16 , 2000 LMDA’s President DD Kugler, dramaturg might become in the upcoming the Executive Committee, the Board and I BOARD CHAIR MARK BLY year I had to accept this new challenge. As focused on many critical issues for our we enter the 21st century as an organization: When former LMDA President Geoff organization, there are a vast array of Proehl last spring, asked if I would be issues facing us in terms of survival and 1) How can the Board be more active in willing to take over as LMDA’s Board continued growth. At the four hour Board supporting the organization’s goals? the lmda review 11.2 (spring 2001): 2 2) The need for the Board to help unanimous approval by the voting Holcomb, and Carla Steen" was one of the define and promote LMDA’s growth membership quorum, but noted that under Guthrie's primary attractions, but plans for and movement to the next level. the guidance of the Advocacy Caucus we a new home that would expand the theatre's 3) Increased Board recruitment from now should collectively turn our attention mission to include more new plays added other artistic mediums. to the dissemination of the document as to the Guthrie's appeal. As for specific 4) Michele Volansky, Vice President proposed in Resolution Two and the plans for new play development Michael for Development, outlined our creation of sample contracts for dramaturgs states, "We're beginning with a clean slate fundraising goals and new strategies as proposed in Resolution Three. and the simple question, 'What will it mean for stabilizing and improving our to be a playwright at the Guthrie?' We'll be financial situation. Finally, we acknowledged at the meeting examining how the theatre wants to fill its 5) Expanding the LMDA membership the extraordinary work of Peggy Marks, new complex in 2004, and how the by focusing on promotion within the the former LMDA Board Chair, and Geoff programming will need to evolve from the existing college dramaturgy Proehl, our former LMDA President. Their Guthrie's 2001 season." Guthrie Artistic programs and recruitment through contributions to the organizational and Director Joe Dowling seems equally increased LMDA regional activities. intellectual growth of LMDA and its excited about the opportunity: "We are 6) The pressing need to re-examine the members has been incalculable: to thrilled to welcome Michael at this existing LMDA Bylaws and to bring paraphrase the contemporary philosopher important juncture in the Guthrie Theater's them in line with current practice and athlete, Yogi Berea, thanks to Peggy and history." to bring current practice in line with Geoff, dramaturgy’s “future ain’t what it the Bylaws. used to be!” Michael remained at Actors Theatre to 7) LMDA Annual Conference Planning complete the 2001 Humana Festival before for the upcoming June, 2001 event at * * * * * * taking on his new post at the Guthrie in the Denver Public Library with the April, 2001. theme of “The Ecology of a Theatre B. DIXON TO THE GUTHRIE Community.” * * * * * * BY OUISE YTLE 8) The need to secure a long-term office M. L L space for the New York LMDA This April Michael Bigelow Dixon, C. OFFICE UPDATE Office by June, 2002 at the latest (a BY GINNY COATES short term crisis was averted last Literary Manager and Associate Artistic Director of Actors Theatre of Louisville, year when Virginia Coates offered a In case you haven't heard yet, the LMDA spare room in her Brooklyn has left his home of more than 15 years to take on the role of Literary Manager at the office has moved. Unfortunately, due to an apartment for a temporary LMDA increase in rent and a looming threat that office). Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. While at Actors Theatre, the space was going to be sold, we were 9) The search for a permanent site for forced to find new accommodations. Our LMDA archival materials to preserve Michael was best known for his work on new play development, including new play new address is: P.O. Box 728, Village our history and to make them Station, New York, NY 10014. The new available for future research projects. commissions, the Humana Festival of New American Plays, supervising the National phone number is: 718-437-5462. The office 10) An update and discussion on the now resides in the home of the NYSCA Dramaturgy Residency One-Act and Ten Minute Play Contests, production dramaturgy, and the publication administrator, Ginny Coates. Program which eventually led to the establishment by DD Kugler and of Actors Theatre plays. He also developed the Classics in Context Festival, the Flying The move itself went smoothly, thanks to Maxine Kern of a relationship with the help of LMDA members Michael New Dramatists of New York. Solo & Friends Festival and the Free Theatre Project. He has also written Aman, Merv Antonio and Julie Hegner. 11) The need to continue and build upon Each gave up a significant amount of the excellent editorial standards numerous ten-minute plays with Val Smith and directed ATL's mainstage productions weekend time to help pack up the office Geoff Proehl has established in and move it. All materials, records, and developing and enhancing the of Nixon's Nixon, August Strindberg's Creditors (the first Free Theatre memorabilia have been safely transported LMDA Review during his tenure. and housed. It took a couple of weeks to 12) The pressing issue of advocacy for production), Margaret Edson's Pulitzer Prize-winning Wit and the Humana get everything unpacked and reassembled, the organization and the dramaturgy but all is now running smoothly. profession at large. Festival premiere of Standard Time by Naomi Wallace. His tenure at Actors This solution is short term and we are The last item generated an animated, Theatre has established Michael as one of the nation's foremost practitioners of new accepting any suggestions or passionate discussion as we recognized the information in regards to office space in significance of the work by Lynn Thomson play development. the New York City area. and the Advocacy Caucus in creating the pioneering document Proposed According to Mr. Dixon, "the chance to work with and learn from Michael Lupu, The job hotline has been disconnected, due Resolutions: To Improve Working in part to the move, but also due to lack of Conditions. We celebrated the near- James Houghton, Joe Dowling, Jo the lmda review 11.2 (spring 2001): 3 use. All job/internship information can be button to add it to the site. The content subsequently produced by Calgary’s found on the web and also look for management software updates the pages, Alberta Theatre Projects in January 2001. postings in the Review. adding the new entry in the right spot on the right page, making other changes (e.g.. Transmissions 2000: For many years now, Hopefully, this covers all the major updating links, or splitting a page that's CEAD and Playwrights’ Workshop changes brought about by the move.