August 21, 2012
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Making A Statement
I am currently working on my New Dramatist Artist Statement. This is my first time to apply, even though I’ve had people (playwrights and producers) telling me to apply for the past 5 years. But, since I only started playwriting 6 years ago, I decided to wait.
Around the time fellow Bay Area playwright Eugenie Chan was accepted to ND I ran into her at a play reading. While she and I were chatting I got a great bit of advice that framed how I decided to approach applying to ND. Eugenie explained that she didn’t apply to ND until she felt ready to take advantage of their resources–meaning, ready to make trips to the East Coast regularly to take advantage of ND’s resources.
I took that advice to heart in more ways than one. First, I decided I wasn’t going to apply until I felt ready as a playwright, meaning my writing. After all, as a playwright who doesn’t have an MFA and only began playwriting relatively recently I wanted to develop my craft, my voice. And second, I too wanted to be ready for the responsibility to managing a national residency.
I feel I’ve done that. Developed my craft I mean. In the past 6 years through various residencies and on my own I’ve learned how to manage my playwriting process: developed an annual work plan, took my networking from local to national thanks to Twitter, learned how to move multiple projects forward [read finish a play], honed my voice and grown as a writer.
So now I’m working on it. My statement explaining why I want to participate, how I’ll take advantage of such an opportunity. I and so many other playwrights out there are writing our statements, hoping someone will take notice. Hoping the plays we submit with our application will intrigue and (let’s be honest) impress.
Good luck to all.
-M
