First Playwrights Selected for 7dop
We thank all the writers who submitted plays for consideration in this festival. With so many promising works it was difficult to narrow it down to two plays. After many hours of reading we found Gluttony by Ed Cardona Jr. and Laugh Riot by Michael Weems. Aligned with our mission to collaborate and engage the community we opened the stage to outside actors. We are pleased to introduce Shyla Idris, Betsy Holt, John Esposito and Damian Desiree. The performances are this weekend and tickets are on sale now. Hope to see you there.
Ed Cardona Jr. Selected as an Artistic Associate for the Working Theater’s 25th Anniversary Season, which will produce his play American Jornalero, a 1st Stage Production, New York City, March 2010 (theworkingtheater.org).His other plays include an adaptation of Pablo's Christmas (commissioned and published by Dramatic Publishing, 2009) from the children's book by Hugo C. Martin; Apricot Sunday, in 2008: The Best 10-Minute Plays for 2 Actors(Contemporary Playwright Series) by Lawrence Harbison, published, 2009;Black & Blue Fruit, New Works Lab '09, Intar Theatre, staged reading, New York City; Piragua Papi (Snow Cone Daddy), Insight 15, Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, staged reading, New York City; Up or Down, staged reading, the Welcome Mat Reading Series, Partial Comfort Productions, New York City; PICK UP POTS!, staged reading, the Working Theater, New York City; Bottle Rockets, workshop production, Insight 14, Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, New York City; Blunt-Piercing-Edge, staged reading, the Welcome Mat Reading Series, Partial Comfort Productions and NewWorksLab, Intar Theatre, New York City; and La Perla (The Pearl), Fiesta 2007: Words and Music, Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, New York City. Cardona has been a resident with Hispanic Playwrights in Residence Lab at Intar Theatre and Hall Farm Center for the Arts & Education, Townsend, Vt. He is a member of Partial Comfort Productions and the Professional Playwrights Unit at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre. Cardona received his M.F.A. in playwriting from Columbia University, May 2006, where he received the John Golden Award for his thesis play, PICK UP POTS!
Michael Weems is a NYC based writer, playwright, and actor. Recent playwriting credits include: Bludgeon the Lime and Necessary Adjustments (Phare Play Productions) Fragments, Waiting Life, and Onward, Forward (Little Hibiscus Productions), Subtlety (Algonquin Productions), Burden Me (Strawberry Riant Festival & Awakening Drama); Waiting Life, Ready to Shine, and Subtlety (Brief Acts). Recent fiction/poetry credits: Love Me, As Well (Record Magazine - Winter 08-09) When We Reached the Forest (Indite Circle Literary) and being named the poet of the month for 'O Sweet Flowery Roses Literary Journal (October 2008), as well as recent works being published by 63 Channels Literary, Jump In Magazine, and Oregon Literary Review, amongst others. Thanks to my loves, Christine, Thomas, & Jack. www.michaeltweems.com
To NYC Poets, Dancers, Painters, Students, Teachers, Astrologers, Writer/Director/Producers
This is our time, our chance to plant fresh seeds and cultivate artistry in its highest and most diverse form. I am in the mode of learning, whether consciously or subconsciously, from you:
Your methodology, your paths to discovery, your preference between the creative process and the “final” product.
Countless conversations and visitations with many a poet, choreographer, sketch artist, vocalist, juggler, etc. within the New York City artistic community at large have emboldened my creative and social consciousness over the last 3 to 5 years. Since 2008, I've been re-immersed in my dedication to theatre, giving myself to it in different capacities. This came as a sacrifice to poetry, unfortunately, which previously swept me up for a brief and very exciting time.
It has been my pleasure supporting poets like Roger Bonair-Agard, Mahogany Browne, Darian Dauchan, Rico Frederick Steal, Jon Sands and Caitlin Meissner (to name only a few) in their prolific journeys in writing, educating and contributing to community development and poetic evolution. I admire their willingness to elevate their craft and still challenge themselves to experiment with form or technique or presentation. In brief instances, Taylor Mali has been generous with his support, providing forums for expression and ledges on which poets can stand. The brevity of our exchanges has not equated to a lack of inspiration. The same can be said for others like musician, Akie Bermiss or actress/dancer/installation artist, Ximena Garnica.
The point is that being exposed to various genres of art has and continues to satiate my spirit and brighten, rather than just broaden, my perspective. I implore you artists, educators, day laborers, night watchers and respective fans of whomever or whatever to expose yourselves to different things, regardless of the moniker. Life is for the living...and living, however that fulfills you, feels really good. Great art is a wondrous experience, especially when it comes from left field. So as much as I will continue to truly support you on your creative journey when I can, I am seeking your support for the first steps on a long, productive road for The Seven Collective. (Wait! Don’t click X. I’m not asking for your money.)
We want an audience. The Seven Collective is not one entity engaged in one style serving one set of folks. We are an artists’ collective, engaging in various genres and disciplines while serving expansive and closed minds, urban youth and well-traveled elders, our families and ourselves. We respect form and tradition. We appreciate those who’ve sacrificed before us so that we can inhabit the now. We embrace change and include the present when we stretch ourselves towards the beyond. We strive to evolve and advance, which will mean falling down, sometimes hard on our faces, and that’s all right.
This is more than, “Look what I can do.”
More than, “Go see some theatre, film, spoken word, dance pieces, concerts, and comedy sketches.”
This is a call to engage…
To be a part of…
To play…
To learn what you don’t know…
To see the world expand before your eyes and impact it…
To let us know you were here.
I believe my brothers and I are striving to do this with The Seven Collective.
Support the movement and spread the word.
- David King
