First Light

High School and Mason Students
Professional Playwrights

Overview

Theater of the First Amendment's First Light Discovery Program provides playwrights with an opportunity to continue to develop new plays while working with professional directors, dramaturgs and actors. The weeklong workshop culminates in a public staged reading with audience feedback.

First Light features the work of professional playwrights, as well as winning plays from the Student Playwright Competition and Mentorship Program for George Mason University students.

Admission is free.

For Mason Students

Want to write a play?

Theater of the First Amendment announces the return of the professional mentoring program and playwriting competitions open to all Mason students. Selected applicants will be invited to work with a professional playwright, director or dramaturg to develop their plays over the winter. Plays must be new works for the stage requiring no more than eight actors. At the end of the mentoring period, all students will submit their final plays to TFA’s playwriting competition..

The winning entries will receive a professional five-day workshop and public reading during the First Light Discovery Program to be held in June 2011.

To apply, fill out the appropriate online application form or download the appropriate printable version in PDF format:

Submit a completed application form and a 2-page writing sample to:

First Light – Theater of the First Amendment
George Mason University
4400 University Drive, MS 3E6
Fairfax VA 22030-4444

Or electronically to: smaloney@gmu.edu

All application forms and writing samples from Mason students must be received by October 29, 2010.

Mason applicants accepted into the program will be notified by email and required to attend an informational session with a local professional playwright, who will speak on the topic of the playwright’s craft. This talk will be held in early November. Immediately afterward, playwrights will be matched with professional artist mentors specializing in new play development. The mentors will set up deadlines for drafts and establish a schedule for providing feedback. Mentors will monitor students’ progress from November through the final draft submission deadline of February 25, 2011.

All winners will be contacted by mid-March, 2011. All students will be encouraged to come to the First Light readings in June to support the winning plays.

No registration fee is required to enter the program.

For more information about the mentorship and competitions, email Suzanne Maloney at smaloney@gmu.edu and include “First Light” in the subject line.

For Professional Playwrights

Theater of the First Amendment invites professional playwrights to submit a treatment, sample, or draft of any current project you would like us to consider for this intensive workshop. Also include a cover letter explaining your goals for developing the piece.

TFA’s 11th Annual First Light Discovery Program for professional playwrights will be held in June 2011. During the week prior to the event, selected playwrights will work with directors, dramaturgs and actors to further develop their plays. Two to three plays will be presented to the public as staged readings.

Materials must be submitted to the TFA office by November 15, 2010 in order to be considered for the 2011 program. Playwrights will be contacted about the status of their submissions in early March 2011.

To submit a project for consideration, mail to:

First Light – Theater of the First Amendment
George Mason University
4400 University Drive, MS 3E6
Fairfax VA 22030-4444

Or submit electronically to: smaloney@gmu.edu

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