It takes a community to produce a play.<\/p>\n
Unlike poets or novelists, a playwright, especially of historical plays, does not work alone. Research is not limited to reading books or surfing the internet. It takes locating and interviewing individuals, often with someone providing the names of sources and then obtaining access. For me, finding a safe and inspiring location to sit and write has made a difference. In recent years, that has been sitting at the end of the public access pier 62 on beautiful summer days, overlooking the Hudson River with the distant view of the Statue of Liberty. Putting the first draft into the hands of actors for a private reading and getting feedback from colleagues I trust is vital. And finally, after rewrites going into production.<\/p>\n
First of all, I need a producer. For most of my plays, that means Theater for the New City under executive director Crystal Field, where the premieres of my plays have been produced since 1994.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tWorking in not-for-profit theater necessitates a lot of fundraising.
\u2022\tGetting audience in the seats requires outreach and promotion.
\u2022\tThere have been many people\u2014family, friends, colleagues\u2013 as well as foundations and other organizations that provided financial assistance. Some have donated once, others to many productions.
\u2022\tIndividuals, libraries, archives and podcasters provided research assistance.
\u2022\tPeople and organizations offered invaluable promotional help. <\/p>\n
Below is a list of those to whom I owe my sincere gratitude.<\/p>\n
Private Donors:<\/p>\n
Jo-Ann Sickinger and Howard Goldberg
Suki Weston
Joe and Heather Libson
Amy Ellison & Trudy Sanders Reece
Wind Vogel & Carmyn Castro<\/p>\n
Lenore Beaky & Nancy Amy; Martha Becker; Norma Berkeley; Elizabeth L. Broad; Connie Cohrt; Nancy Dean; Dolores Desilets; Tim & Pat Durham; Deborah Edel; Hilla P. Elkind; Vivian Engstler; Beth Feinstein; Berenice Fisher & Linda Nathan Marks; Thomas Fontana; Joyce & Joe Fox; Suzanne L. Fox; Carol Garcia; Andrea Gottschall; Barbara Hammer; Natalie Huggins; Larry Kahanofsky & Celia Blum; Arlene Ketchum; Elfie Knecht & Marya Leonard; Nina Kethevan; Jacqueline Kroschwitz; Marilyn Lamkay; Patricia A. Lewis & Florence Oser; Mollie Licciardo; Barbara Love; Patricia Martone; Jill Matthews; Nancy Mertzel & Yolanda Potasinski; Susan Meyer; Annette Miller; Dr. Virginia R. Mollenkott; Jean Mundy; Millie Murphy; Jenna Orkin; Phyl & Marcel Pautrat; Catherine Porter and Barry Rowell, Florence Ragusa; Irene Riegner; Renee Rosenfeld; Jackie Rudin; Lawrence Rudolph & Kathy Faltin; Nancy Shamban; Dana Sherwood; Felicia Sobel; Harriet Solomon; Carren Strock; Shirley Thomas; Alana Van Luvender; Edie Windsor & Thea Spyer; Florence Salgado Yee & Mary Ann Fogarty; Mary T. Yelenick<\/p>\n
Grantors:<\/p>\n
The Jerome Foundation Emerging Playwrights Program; The Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation, originally under the leadership of the late Arch Brown, who left a legacy of devotion to LGBT history and to the theater; Manhattan Community Arts Fund, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council; Public funds from the Creative Engagement, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council; The Puffin Foundation, Ltd.; Mary Duke Biddle Foundation; The Robert Chesley Foundation.<\/p>\n
Research or Translation Assistance:
Steve Seigel, who provided research assistance for many plays; The Hampden-Booth Theatre Library at The Players Club (Raymond Wemmlinger, curator and librarian; Amelia Bathke, assistant); The Center for Jewish History\u2014YIVO; The New York Public Library research libraries; Al Kallfelz (Central NY Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, Inc.); Steve Long (Lower East Side Tenement Museum); American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee; The United Nations Archives, the historic Frying Pan lightship at Pier 63; Marcel Pautrat; Nina Schmitz; Village Preservation \u2014 The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation; The Daytonian in Manhattan (Tom Miller); Deborah Houston; Martha Reis; Eran Zahavy; Roslyn Bresnick-Perry; The Bowery Boys; Kreg Wallace; Lisa Merrill, author of When Romeo was a Woman.<\/p>\n
Promotional assistance:<\/p>\n
\u2022\tRainbow Dee
\u2022\tWomen About (Wind Vogel)
\u2022\tNY Lesbian Fun List (Tally Ben Astmoa)
\u2022\tParity Productions, which gives extensive and free promotional support to other theatre companies that fill 50% of the creative roles on their productions with women and\/or TGNC artists.
\u2022\tSWAN DAY (Support Women Artists Now) events, under the leadership of Statera Arts.
\u2022\tRobert Patrick <\/p>\n
In Kind: Materials for the Arts.<\/p>\n
And the many directors, composers, designers, stage managers and actors and photographer\/videographer, whose names you\u2019ll find on the entries for specific productions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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