NYCPlaywrights December 31, 2022
23 views
Skip to first unread message
NYCPlaywrights
Dec 31, 2022, 5:40:05 PM12/31/22
to NYCPlaywrights
Greetings NYCPlaywrights
*** HAPPY 2023! ***
*** HAPPY 2023! ***
*** FREE THEATER IN NYC ***
MOTHERMOTHERLAND
Mothermotherland is a devised performance that explores motherhood, motherland, and Ukrainian and American experience through the lens of Mykola Khyvylovy’s autobiographical short story “I am (a Romantic)”. Written in 1924, the short story follows I, the head of the secret police (the Cheka), who must decide, with the help of his comrades: Dr. Tahabat, Andrusha, and the degenerate Sentinel, whether or not to execute his own mother to protect his idea of a commune beyond the hills. This performance was developed through a co-writing process by members of Slovo. Theater Group. The performance was devised in the styles of Les Kurbas (theatre of movement and gestus), Jacques Lecoq (physical theatre), and post-documentary theatre. In this piece, there are multiple realities existing and overlapping with one another; there are the actors and their personal experiences, the actors playing themselves and their personal stories, there are the characters of “I am (a Romantic)”, and there is Mykola Khyvylovy.
Performance run time is approximately 55 minutes.
Wednesday, January 11, 2023 · 7 - 8pm EST
A.R.T./New York Theatres
502 West 53rd Street New York, NY 10019
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mothermotherland-free-performances-tickets-495354708267?aff=ebdsreoeymlcollection
*** OPPORTUNITIES FOR PLAYWRIGHTS ***
Black Girlz Productions is currently accepting submissions for our Love Letters to the Black Man (West Coast Edition). We are seeking monologues or open letters to a black male on any topic. The word count max is 500 words. Writers can submit up to three monologues. Writers can submit monologues that have been previously produced. The selected work will be presented at a live reading. We are currently accepting global submissions. There are no restrictions on eligibility.
***
It is Abingdon Theatre Company’s mission to produce brave, new American work by emerging and established artists. Abingdon’s Virtual Festival of Short Plays is set to provide a platform for underrepresented voices across the country to submit their new works for development and outreach in the New York theatre community.
***
Writers from around the world are invited to submit their scripts for the 28th International Radio Playwriting Competition, which is now open for entries.
The global competition, hosted by BBC World Service and the British Council, offers the unique opportunity for writers from outside the UK to use the medium of audio drama to tell stories for an international audience.
We are looking for entries in two categories: English as a First Language and English as a Second Language. The two first prizes can come from either category.
*** FOR MORE INFORMATION about these and other opportunities see the web site at https://www.nycplaywrights.org ***
*** CHATBOT THEATER ***
https://chat.openai.com/
I asked ChatGPT how the TV show Gilligan’s Island ended. In reality, Gilligan’s Island was cancelled by its network, so there was no ending. However, the chatbot came up with its own weird ending and confidently elaborated on it:
======
The TV show Gilligan's Island ended with the main characters being rescued from the island and returning to civilization. In the final episode, the survivors of the shipwreck, including Gilligan, the Skipper, the Professor, Mary Ann, Ginger, and the millionaire couple Mr. and Mrs. Howell, finally make contact with the outside world. A rescue helicopter arrives on the island and takes them back to civilization, where they are welcomed back as heroes. The final scene shows the survivors sitting on the beach, looking out at the ocean and reflecting on their experiences on the island. The show ended on a hopeful note, with the characters lookiing forward to their new lives back in the real world.
======
The chatbot’s penchant for fabricating things made me realize what others had already realized: fiction is what ChatGPT is really good at. In an effort to test this out and gauge its abilities, I started asking the program to write me short stories—and that’s when things got really weird.
I started by giving it a simple but absurd scenario: a story “about Richard Nixon and a dinosaur,” with no further instructions. In about twenty seconds, it poured out a competently written narrative about the disgraced former President and a clandestine government program to resurrect a T-Rex...
MORE....
https://gizmodo.com/chatgpt-how-to-use-openai-ai-elon-musk-1849855605
PROMPT: A short play about an Irish couple in love on New Year's Eve, they have Irish accents
(The stage is set with a cozy living room. A couch is in the center and a fireplace is on one wall. BRENDAN, a handsome Irishman in his mid-30s, is sitting on the couch while his wife, KATIE, a beautiful Irishwoman in her mid-30s, is standing in front of the fireplace, holding two glasses of champagne.)
KATIE: (smiling) Happy New Year, me love.
BRENDAN: (smiling) Happy New Year to you too, me darlin'.
KATIE: (walking over to Brendan and sitting next to him) Can ye believe it's already another year gone by?
BRENDAN: (taking a sip of champagne) Feels like just yesterday we were ringin' in the new year together for the first time.
KATIE: (nodding) And look at us now. Married for five years and still madly in love.
BRENDAN: (wrapping his arm around Katie) Can't imagine spendin' me life with anyone else. Ye make every day brighter, Katie.
KATIE: (leaning into Brendan) And ye make every day worth livin'. I love ye, Brendan.
BRENDAN: (kissing Katie on the forehead) I love ye too, Katie. Here's to many more years of happiness together.
KATIE: (raising her glass) Cheers to that.
(Brendan and Katie clink their glasses and take a sip of champagne. They sit on the couch, cuddled up and looking into the fireplace.)
END
***
PROMPT: a short play about two men who are waiting for someone
(The stage is set with a small, dimly lit room. A table and two chairs are in the center. JACK, a man in his late 30s, is sitting at the table while his friend, MIKE, a man in his early 30s, is pacing back and forth.)
JACK: (checking his watch) Where is he? He's already ten minutes late.
MIKE: (frustrated) I don't know, Jack. Maybe he's not coming.
JACK: (sighing) I can't believe this. We've been waiting here for hours.
MIKE: (stopping and facing Jack) Maybe we should just leave. I don't think he's coming.
JACK: (determined) No way. I'm not leaving until he shows up.
MIKE: (exasperated) But why, Jack? What's so important about this guy showing up?
JACK: (tightly) I can't tell you, Mike. It's just something I have to do.
MIKE: (shrugging) Suit yourself. I'm going to get some coffee. You want anything?
JACK: (shaking his head) No, thanks. I'm fine.
(Mike exits stage left. A moment passes before the door opens and a man, PETER, enters stage right. He is in his mid-40s and looks worried.)
PETER: (anxiously) Sorry I'm late. Traffic was a nightmare.
JACK: (standing up) It's okay, Peter. We were just about to give up on you.
PETER: (sighing) I can't believe it's finally happening. I've been waiting for this moment for so long.
JACK: (nodding) Me too, Peter. Me too.
(Mike re-enters stage left.)
MIKE: (confused) What's going on here, guys?
JACK: (smiling) Peter, meet my friend Mike. Mike, this is Peter. The guy we've been waiting for.
MIKE: (surprised) Oh. Nice to meet you, Peter.
PETER: (nodding) Nice to meet you too, Mike.
JACK: (excited) Okay, let's do this. Are we all ready?
PETER: (nodding) Ready as I'll ever be.
MIKE: (nodding) Ready.
JACK: (clapping his hands) Great. Let's get started.
(The three men sit down at the table and begin their meeting.)
END
***
PROMPT: a short play written in the style of David Mamet
(The stage is set with a small office. A desk is in the center and a man, PAUL, is sitting behind it. His friend, MIKE, is standing in front of the desk.)
MIKE: (angrily) What the hell is going on, Paul?
PAUL: (calmly) I'm not sure what you're talking about, Mike.
MIKE: (firmly) Don't play dumb with me. I know what you're up to.
PAUL: (sighing) Alright, fine. I'll admit it. I made a mistake.
MIKE: (incredulous) A mistake? You call embezzling company funds a mistake?
PAUL: (defensively) It wasn't like that. I was just trying to help out a friend.
MIKE: (shaking his head) Unbelievable. I can't believe you would do something like this.
PAUL: (pleadingly) I'm sorry, Mike. I know I screwed up. But I'll make it right. I'll pay back every penny.
MIKE: (skeptical) And how are you going to do that?
PAUL: (determined) I'll figure something out. I'll work extra hours, sell my car, do whatever it takes.
MIKE: (nodding) I hope you're serious, Paul. Because if you're not, you're going to pay the price.
PAUL: (nodding) I am serious, Mike. I promise.
(Mike and Paul stare at each other for a moment before Mike nods and exits the stage.)
END
***
PROMPT: write a musical about the Donner party
"The Donner Party: A Musical"
(The setting is a snowy wilderness in the Sierra Nevada mountains. A group of pioneers, the DONNER PARTY, is huddled around a campfire, trying to stay warm.)
LEADER: (singing) We set out west with high hopes and dreams
A new life in California, or so it seemed
But now we're stuck in this snowy hell
Trapped and starving, our fate is sealed
(The other members of the Donner Party join in, singing about their struggles to survive in the harsh winter conditions.)
ENSEMBLE: (singing) We've been stranded for what feels like an eternity
Our food supplies are low and our bodies weak
We're freezing and hungry, we don't know what to do
We're the Donner Party, and we're stuck here, feeling blue
(As they sing, the scene changes to show the desperate measures the Donner Party takes to survive, including cannibalism.)
ENSEMBLE: (singing) We've resorted to things we never thought we'd do
Just to survive and make it through
We've eaten the flesh of our own kind
Just to stay alive, and it's a crime of the mind
(The scene shifts to the rescue of the remaining members of the Donner Party.)
ENSEMBLE: (singing) Finally, we've been saved from this icy grave
We'll never forget the horrors that we braved
We're the Donner Party, a cautionary tale
Of the dangers of the west, and how to prevail
(The musical ends with the survivors of the Donner Party looking back on their harrowing experience and the lessons they learned.)
END
***
PROMPT: write a short play about a playwright who is tired of having their work rejected by theater organizations and producers
"The Rejected Playwright"
(The setting is a small, cramped office with a desk and a few chairs. The playwright, JEN, is sitting at the desk, looking defeated. There are piles of papers and rejection letters scattered around her.)
JEN: (sighing) Another rejection. Why can't anyone see the value in my work?
(Her friend and fellow playwright, MIKE, enters the room.)
MIKE: Hey, Jen. What's going on? You look like you've seen a ghost.
JEN: (holding up a rejection letter) Just another theater organization telling me my work isn't good enough.
MIKE: (sympathetic) I know how you feel. It's tough out there for playwrights.
JEN: (frustrated) I know it's tough, but I can't keep getting rejected like this. I feel like I'm never going to get a chance to have my work produced.
MIKE: (encouraging) Don't give up, Jen. Keep writing and don't let the rejections get you down. You have a unique voice and your work is important.
JEN: (resigned) I appreciate the encouragement, but it's hard to stay motivated when no one seems to want to produce my plays.
MIKE: (earnest) Don't let the rejection define you. Keep writing and keep putting yourself out there. You never know when the right opportunity will come along.
JEN: (determined) You're right, Mike. I can't give up. I'll keep writing and submitting my work. One day, someone will see the value in it.
(Mike gives Jen a pat on the back and exits the room. Jen sits at her desk and begins to write, determined to keep going despite the rejection.)
END
MOTHERMOTHERLAND
Mothermotherland is a devised performance that explores motherhood, motherland, and Ukrainian and American experience through the lens of Mykola Khyvylovy’s autobiographical short story “I am (a Romantic)”. Written in 1924, the short story follows I, the head of the secret police (the Cheka), who must decide, with the help of his comrades: Dr. Tahabat, Andrusha, and the degenerate Sentinel, whether or not to execute his own mother to protect his idea of a commune beyond the hills. This performance was developed through a co-writing process by members of Slovo. Theater Group. The performance was devised in the styles of Les Kurbas (theatre of movement and gestus), Jacques Lecoq (physical theatre), and post-documentary theatre. In this piece, there are multiple realities existing and overlapping with one another; there are the actors and their personal experiences, the actors playing themselves and their personal stories, there are the characters of “I am (a Romantic)”, and there is Mykola Khyvylovy.
Performance run time is approximately 55 minutes.
Wednesday, January 11, 2023 · 7 - 8pm EST
A.R.T./New York Theatres
502 West 53rd Street New York, NY 10019
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mothermotherland-free-performances-tickets-495354708267?aff=ebdsreoeymlcollection
*** OPPORTUNITIES FOR PLAYWRIGHTS ***
Black Girlz Productions is currently accepting submissions for our Love Letters to the Black Man (West Coast Edition). We are seeking monologues or open letters to a black male on any topic. The word count max is 500 words. Writers can submit up to three monologues. Writers can submit monologues that have been previously produced. The selected work will be presented at a live reading. We are currently accepting global submissions. There are no restrictions on eligibility.
***
It is Abingdon Theatre Company’s mission to produce brave, new American work by emerging and established artists. Abingdon’s Virtual Festival of Short Plays is set to provide a platform for underrepresented voices across the country to submit their new works for development and outreach in the New York theatre community.
***
Writers from around the world are invited to submit their scripts for the 28th International Radio Playwriting Competition, which is now open for entries.
The global competition, hosted by BBC World Service and the British Council, offers the unique opportunity for writers from outside the UK to use the medium of audio drama to tell stories for an international audience.
We are looking for entries in two categories: English as a First Language and English as a Second Language. The two first prizes can come from either category.
*** FOR MORE INFORMATION about these and other opportunities see the web site at https://www.nycplaywrights.org ***
*** CHATBOT THEATER ***
https://chat.openai.com/
I asked ChatGPT how the TV show Gilligan’s Island ended. In reality, Gilligan’s Island was cancelled by its network, so there was no ending. However, the chatbot came up with its own weird ending and confidently elaborated on it:
======
The TV show Gilligan's Island ended with the main characters being rescued from the island and returning to civilization. In the final episode, the survivors of the shipwreck, including Gilligan, the Skipper, the Professor, Mary Ann, Ginger, and the millionaire couple Mr. and Mrs. Howell, finally make contact with the outside world. A rescue helicopter arrives on the island and takes them back to civilization, where they are welcomed back as heroes. The final scene shows the survivors sitting on the beach, looking out at the ocean and reflecting on their experiences on the island. The show ended on a hopeful note, with the characters lookiing forward to their new lives back in the real world.
======
The chatbot’s penchant for fabricating things made me realize what others had already realized: fiction is what ChatGPT is really good at. In an effort to test this out and gauge its abilities, I started asking the program to write me short stories—and that’s when things got really weird.
I started by giving it a simple but absurd scenario: a story “about Richard Nixon and a dinosaur,” with no further instructions. In about twenty seconds, it poured out a competently written narrative about the disgraced former President and a clandestine government program to resurrect a T-Rex...
MORE....
https://gizmodo.com/chatgpt-how-to-use-openai-ai-elon-musk-1849855605
PROMPT: A short play about an Irish couple in love on New Year's Eve, they have Irish accents
(The stage is set with a cozy living room. A couch is in the center and a fireplace is on one wall. BRENDAN, a handsome Irishman in his mid-30s, is sitting on the couch while his wife, KATIE, a beautiful Irishwoman in her mid-30s, is standing in front of the fireplace, holding two glasses of champagne.)
KATIE: (smiling) Happy New Year, me love.
BRENDAN: (smiling) Happy New Year to you too, me darlin'.
KATIE: (walking over to Brendan and sitting next to him) Can ye believe it's already another year gone by?
BRENDAN: (taking a sip of champagne) Feels like just yesterday we were ringin' in the new year together for the first time.
KATIE: (nodding) And look at us now. Married for five years and still madly in love.
BRENDAN: (wrapping his arm around Katie) Can't imagine spendin' me life with anyone else. Ye make every day brighter, Katie.
KATIE: (leaning into Brendan) And ye make every day worth livin'. I love ye, Brendan.
BRENDAN: (kissing Katie on the forehead) I love ye too, Katie. Here's to many more years of happiness together.
KATIE: (raising her glass) Cheers to that.
(Brendan and Katie clink their glasses and take a sip of champagne. They sit on the couch, cuddled up and looking into the fireplace.)
END
***
PROMPT: a short play about two men who are waiting for someone
(The stage is set with a small, dimly lit room. A table and two chairs are in the center. JACK, a man in his late 30s, is sitting at the table while his friend, MIKE, a man in his early 30s, is pacing back and forth.)
JACK: (checking his watch) Where is he? He's already ten minutes late.
MIKE: (frustrated) I don't know, Jack. Maybe he's not coming.
JACK: (sighing) I can't believe this. We've been waiting here for hours.
MIKE: (stopping and facing Jack) Maybe we should just leave. I don't think he's coming.
JACK: (determined) No way. I'm not leaving until he shows up.
MIKE: (exasperated) But why, Jack? What's so important about this guy showing up?
JACK: (tightly) I can't tell you, Mike. It's just something I have to do.
MIKE: (shrugging) Suit yourself. I'm going to get some coffee. You want anything?
JACK: (shaking his head) No, thanks. I'm fine.
(Mike exits stage left. A moment passes before the door opens and a man, PETER, enters stage right. He is in his mid-40s and looks worried.)
PETER: (anxiously) Sorry I'm late. Traffic was a nightmare.
JACK: (standing up) It's okay, Peter. We were just about to give up on you.
PETER: (sighing) I can't believe it's finally happening. I've been waiting for this moment for so long.
JACK: (nodding) Me too, Peter. Me too.
(Mike re-enters stage left.)
MIKE: (confused) What's going on here, guys?
JACK: (smiling) Peter, meet my friend Mike. Mike, this is Peter. The guy we've been waiting for.
MIKE: (surprised) Oh. Nice to meet you, Peter.
PETER: (nodding) Nice to meet you too, Mike.
JACK: (excited) Okay, let's do this. Are we all ready?
PETER: (nodding) Ready as I'll ever be.
MIKE: (nodding) Ready.
JACK: (clapping his hands) Great. Let's get started.
(The three men sit down at the table and begin their meeting.)
END
***
PROMPT: a short play written in the style of David Mamet
(The stage is set with a small office. A desk is in the center and a man, PAUL, is sitting behind it. His friend, MIKE, is standing in front of the desk.)
MIKE: (angrily) What the hell is going on, Paul?
PAUL: (calmly) I'm not sure what you're talking about, Mike.
MIKE: (firmly) Don't play dumb with me. I know what you're up to.
PAUL: (sighing) Alright, fine. I'll admit it. I made a mistake.
MIKE: (incredulous) A mistake? You call embezzling company funds a mistake?
PAUL: (defensively) It wasn't like that. I was just trying to help out a friend.
MIKE: (shaking his head) Unbelievable. I can't believe you would do something like this.
PAUL: (pleadingly) I'm sorry, Mike. I know I screwed up. But I'll make it right. I'll pay back every penny.
MIKE: (skeptical) And how are you going to do that?
PAUL: (determined) I'll figure something out. I'll work extra hours, sell my car, do whatever it takes.
MIKE: (nodding) I hope you're serious, Paul. Because if you're not, you're going to pay the price.
PAUL: (nodding) I am serious, Mike. I promise.
(Mike and Paul stare at each other for a moment before Mike nods and exits the stage.)
END
***
PROMPT: write a musical about the Donner party
"The Donner Party: A Musical"
(The setting is a snowy wilderness in the Sierra Nevada mountains. A group of pioneers, the DONNER PARTY, is huddled around a campfire, trying to stay warm.)
LEADER: (singing) We set out west with high hopes and dreams
A new life in California, or so it seemed
But now we're stuck in this snowy hell
Trapped and starving, our fate is sealed
(The other members of the Donner Party join in, singing about their struggles to survive in the harsh winter conditions.)
ENSEMBLE: (singing) We've been stranded for what feels like an eternity
Our food supplies are low and our bodies weak
We're freezing and hungry, we don't know what to do
We're the Donner Party, and we're stuck here, feeling blue
(As they sing, the scene changes to show the desperate measures the Donner Party takes to survive, including cannibalism.)
ENSEMBLE: (singing) We've resorted to things we never thought we'd do
Just to survive and make it through
We've eaten the flesh of our own kind
Just to stay alive, and it's a crime of the mind
(The scene shifts to the rescue of the remaining members of the Donner Party.)
ENSEMBLE: (singing) Finally, we've been saved from this icy grave
We'll never forget the horrors that we braved
We're the Donner Party, a cautionary tale
Of the dangers of the west, and how to prevail
(The musical ends with the survivors of the Donner Party looking back on their harrowing experience and the lessons they learned.)
END
***
PROMPT: write a short play about a playwright who is tired of having their work rejected by theater organizations and producers
"The Rejected Playwright"
(The setting is a small, cramped office with a desk and a few chairs. The playwright, JEN, is sitting at the desk, looking defeated. There are piles of papers and rejection letters scattered around her.)
JEN: (sighing) Another rejection. Why can't anyone see the value in my work?
(Her friend and fellow playwright, MIKE, enters the room.)
MIKE: Hey, Jen. What's going on? You look like you've seen a ghost.
JEN: (holding up a rejection letter) Just another theater organization telling me my work isn't good enough.
MIKE: (sympathetic) I know how you feel. It's tough out there for playwrights.
JEN: (frustrated) I know it's tough, but I can't keep getting rejected like this. I feel like I'm never going to get a chance to have my work produced.
MIKE: (encouraging) Don't give up, Jen. Keep writing and don't let the rejections get you down. You have a unique voice and your work is important.
JEN: (resigned) I appreciate the encouragement, but it's hard to stay motivated when no one seems to want to produce my plays.
MIKE: (earnest) Don't let the rejection define you. Keep writing and keep putting yourself out there. You never know when the right opportunity will come along.
JEN: (determined) You're right, Mike. I can't give up. I'll keep writing and submitting my work. One day, someone will see the value in it.
(Mike gives Jen a pat on the back and exits the room. Jen sits at her desk and begins to write, determined to keep going despite the rejection.)
END
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages