The Journal of the Dramatists Guild of America, Inc
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The Journal of the Dramatists Guild of America, Inc. The the ageissue 2016 NOV/DEC $7 USD €10 EUR www.dramatistsguild.com FrontCOVER.indd 1 10/5/16 12:57 PM To enroll, go to http://www.dginstitute.org SEP/OCTJul/Aug DGI 16 ad.indd FrontCOVERs.indd 1 2 5/23/168/8/16 1:341:52 PM VOL. 19 No 2 TABLE OF NOV/DEC 2016 2 Editor’s Notes CONTENTS 3 Dear Dramatist 4 News 7 Inspiration – KIRSTEN CHILDS 8 The Craft – KAREN HARTMAN 10 Edward Albee 1928-2016 13 “Emerging” After 50 with NANCY GALL-CLAYTON, JOSH GERSHICK, BRUCE OLAV SOLHEIM, and TSEHAYE GERALYN HEBERT, moderated by AMY CRIDER. Sidebars by ANTHONY E. GALLO, PATRICIA WILMOT CHRISTGAU, and SHELDON FRIEDMAN 20 Kander and Pierce by MARC ACITO 28 Profile: Gary Garrison with CHISA HUTCHINSON, CHRISTINE TOY JOHNSON, and LARRY DEAN HARRIS 34 Writing for Young(er) Audiences with MICHAEL BOBBITT, LYDIA DIAMOND, ZINA GOLDRICH, and SARAH HAMMOND, moderated by ADAM GWON 40 A Primer on Literary Executors – Part One by ELLEN F. BROWN 44 James Houghton: A Tribute with JOHN GUARE, ADRIENNE KENNEDY, WILL ENO, NAOMI WALLACE, DAVID HENRY HWANG, The REGINA TAYLOR, and TONY KUSHNER Dramatistis the official journal of Dramatists Guild of America, the professional organization of 48 DG Fellows: RACHEL GRIFFIN, SYLVIA KHOURY playwrights, composers, lyricists and librettists. 54 National Reports It is the only 67 From the Desk of Dramatists Guild Fund by CHISA HUTCHINSON national magazine 68 From the Desk of Business Affairs by AMY VONVETT devoted to the business and craft 70 Dramatists Diary of writing for 75 New Members theatre. 77 Classifieds 80 Why I Joined The Guild by EMILY MANN pp1 NOV-DEC ToC.indd 1 10/5/16 3:22 PM EDITOR’S NOTES does not include our staff or Regional Dramatists Guild WALTER KURTZ WALTER Representatives), 20% of whom were from outside New York. I’m proud of America to report that at the end of the 2016 subscription year, we’ve featured 168 unique writers, 48% of whom were from OFFICERS outside New York. A 140% increase! Doug Wright In this issue, “Emerging After President 50” (page 16), is our first—but not Peter Parnell last—roundtable comprised entirely Vice President of members residing outside New York. Lisa Kron ’m a late bloomer. My twelve-year It’s a conversation of five other “late Secretary bloomers,” all of whom began writing molars didn’t finish coming in until I Julia Jordan was almost seventeen, I didn’t lose my plays later in life. Treasurer virginity until I was 29, and after many The other thing I’ve noticed since years of freelance graphic design and turning 50 is that I’m increasingly more STAFF performing on stage, I found a new job I aware of the passing of time and how my Ralph Sevush I time is spent. Most of my professional Advisor to Council, loved: this one. An unexpected second Executive Director of Business Affairs act at 45. work life has been spent in the nonprofit sector, but only recently have I realized Tina Fallon That was five years ago, which makes Executive Director of Creative Affairs me 50 now—the young side of old or the why. Yes, I need to be paid but, for me, an important part of the remuneration for Caterina Bartha old side of young, depending on how you Director of Finance & Administration look at it. I have an AARP card, receding my time is being of service to others and David Faux gums, and dry eye syndrome but if the working for a cause I believe in. Associate Executive Director of Business Affairs lights are low and I’m on my back, I can How do you spend your time? How do you organize your time? Do you Tari Stratton still pass for 38. Director of Education & Outreach I’ve noticed that having a landmark find yourself, like me, wasting precious time yelling at your television, browsing Rebecca Stump birthday and work anniversary in the Director of Member Services same year has made me reflective. I Amazon, or Tweeting when you could be finishing a song, a monologue, your Deborah Murad remember my first day of work in 2011, Director of Business Affairs Gary Garrison told me that Council had editor’s notes? Here’s what I know: today, if I could, I Amy VonVett given a directive of making the Guild a Executive Assistant to Business Affairs more national organization. As such, The would take the time I’ve wasted just star- ing into my refrigerator and donate it to Zack Turner Dramatist should strive to more accurately Director of Marketing & Online Media reflect its membership. Edward Albee in the hopes that it would give him time to write one more play. Gary Garrison In the subscription year ending Director, DGI when I arrived (2011), The Dramatist JOEY featured 96 unique writers (this group Jennifer Bushinger [email protected] Database Manager, Chief Archivist CONTRIBUTORS Sheri Wilner Fellows Program Director MARC ACITO wrote the book of the LaMaMa Umbria residency. She’s had readings Nick Myers Broadway musical Allegiance, as well around the country, and hopes to have a full-length Office Manager as Chasing Rainbows (Goodspeed). work fully produced someday soon. She leads the Bekka Lindström His comedy Birds of a Feather won “Emerging” After 50 roundtable on page 15. Graphic Designer the Helen Hayes Award for Best New Play. He won the Ken Kesey Award ADAM GWON is an award-winning Jordan K. Stovall for his novel How I Paid for College, then adapted it composer and lyricist whose musicals Administrative Assistant as a one-man musical. Read his interview, Kander & include Ordinary Days, Cake Off, Sarah Rebell Pierce, on page 22. Cloudlands, The Boy Detective Fails, Part-time Receptionist and String. His songs have been AMY CRIDER got her BA in Theater performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Lily Dwoskin from Goddard College, but didn’t Center, the Kennedy Center, and more, by such Membership Intern return to theater for twenty-five luminaries as Audra McDonald, Kelli O’Hara, and Keri Gannon years. She’s taken the writing Brian d’Arcy James. He moderates the Writing for Business Affairs Intern & DLDF Intern program at Second City, classes Young(er) Audiences roundtable on page 36. at Chicago Dramatists, and the 2 | The Dramati pp2-3 Ed Notes+Contrib.indd 2 10/5/16 12:58 PM DEAR DRAMATIST Dramatists Guild of America THE DRAMATIST Dear Joey Stocks Dramati¤, Editor Bekka Lindström n “Old Musical, New Li- Art Direction Dear Tari Stratton bretto,” Jeremy Desmon, Associate Editor Jon Marans and Craig Lucas Dramati¤, Mark Krause discuss the book of Sweeney Cartoonist Todd, with Mr. Lucas call- t has been brought to my Ron Amato, Walter Kurtz Contributing Photographers ing it a “masterpiece” that attention that I failed to A.E. Kieren, Dan Romer is “beautifully calibrated to move credit the playwright Chris- Contributing Illustrators Ithe story and the characters and the topher Bond for creating Penny Pun the play upon which the Publications Intern theme forward” and Mr. Marans chiming in, “What Hugh Wheeler musical Sweeney Todd was based. I apologize to Mr. Bond PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE did was remarkable. One of his great strengths is his deep understanding Iand the readers of The Dramatist Amanda Green Chair of structure.” for this oversight. It has also been Lynn Ahrens I bow to no one in my admiration suggested that I did not speak up Kirsten Childs appropriately to contradict a state- Daniel Goldfarb of Hugh, which is why I collaborated Adam Gwon on two shows with him (and the truly ment by another writer whose guess Tina Howe underappreciated book of his is A it was that Hugh Wheeler’s col- Quiara Alegría Hudes Little Night Music) and everything the laborators “didn’t truly appreciate Chisa Hutchinson his incredible knowledge of the Branden Jacobs-Jenkins panel says about him is true, except Christine Toy Johnson that the structure of Sweeney Todd subject” (structure). I apologize for David Kirshenbaum was invented and built by Christo- not coming to the defense of Mr. Michael Korie Wheeler’s songwriter colleagues, Deborah Zoe Laufer pher Bond (as the billing clearly Michele Lowe indicates), whom none of the group whom I did not mean to disrespect. Lin-Manuel Miranda bothers to mention. CRAIG LUCAS Lynn Nottage Jonathan Marc Sherman Mr. Marans goes on to say, “My Rebecca Stump guess is that even his collaborators ON THE COVER Zack Turner didn’t truly appreciate his incred- A.E. Kieren is a freelance illustrator, Amy VonVett ible knowledge of the subject.” His writer, and performer. He holds a BFA in Illustration from College guess is not only condescending, for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI POLICY STATEMENT but wrong. He apparently thinks that and an MFA in Illustration as Visual The Dramatists Guild from time to time provides opportunities for its Essay from School of Visual Arts in members to publish letters or articles of interest to playwrights and the songwriters merely supply tinkly general theatrical community. However, the Guild does not necessarily New York City. Mr. Kieren is the artist in residence endorse the positions taken or the views expressed in such contribu- tunes with cute rhymes at the places for the Refinery Hotel in midtown Manhattan and tions. All such contributions are subject to editing by the Guild. where the librettist instructs them has done on-location illustration for various music The Dramatist (ISSN 1551-7683) is published bimonthly, six times per year, by and theatre venues in New York City including Joe’s The Dramatists Guild of America, Inc., 1501 Broadway, Suite 701, New York, NY to.