What is Juneteenth Legacy Theatre? What is Juneteenth Legacy Theatre's production season? What creative artistic opportunities exist with Juneteenth Legacy Theatre? Are artists compensated? Are artists jobbed in?
If you are a playwright . . . 1. What is the selection process? 2. Why are plays rejected? 3. Why are scripts held over? 4. What playwrights have been produced in the Jamboree? 5. How are plays selected for the BOLD JOURNEYS Tour? 6.What other opportunities are there?
If you are a director . . . If you are an actor . . . Are there opportunities for youth?
What is Juneteenth Legacy Theatre?
JLT is, primarily, a developmental professional theatre company that focuses on new and original works about the African-American experience in both historical and contemporary contexts. The company produces in both Louisville, Kentucky and New York City. JLT is a forum for established and emerging artists who want to explore (1) process as well as product, (2) crossing theatre disciplines, (3) readers theatre aesthetics, (4)promoting social justice, and (5) audience empowerment.
What is Juneteenth Legacy Theatre's production season?
JLT's production season runs from February - June. The artistic leadership believes strongly in the power of storytelling as a shared communal experience between artists and audience. The company's signature cultural event, Juneteenth Jamboree, is a festival of new play readings that runs for three consecutive weekends in June, and is hosted by Actors Theatre. The company's BOLD JOURNEYS Tour runs in February and March, and presents original music cabarets and bio-dramas about outstanding African Americans. BOLD JOURNEYS includes mainstage and readers theatre formats. All of the company's works are produced, initially, in the Jamboree.
What creative artistic opportunities exist with Juneteenth Legacy Theatre?
The company produces up to 15 plays, annually, and engages artists on a per-production basis. Jamboree participants are given first consideration for BOLD JOURNEYS plays.
Are artists compensated? Are artists jobbed in?
Yes, artists are compensated for Bold Journeys. JLT engages mostly Kentuckiana artists, but does job in artists to meet special needs. Jamboree playwrights from out-of-town receive a stipend for travel expenses. Jamboree celebrity guest artists receive an honorarium, housing, and roundtrip travel.
Still interested? Read on!
JLT has an open submission policy. Scripts are accepted December 15th to April 15th. There is a $15 script reading/processing fee payable by check or money order to Juneteenth Legacy Theatre. Kentucky writers should send three (3) hard copies of their scripts (no electronic transfers) to: Kristi Papailler, JLT Founding Associate Producer, 3723 Bashford Ave., Louisville Ky. 40218 and 1 hard copy to: 605 Water St. #21B, N.Y. N.Y. 10002. All other authors should send three (3) hard copies of their scripts (no electronic transfers) to: JLT, c/o Lorna Littleway, 323 W. Broadway, #505, Louisville Ky. 40202 and 1 hard copy to: 605 Water St. #21B, N.Y. N.Y. 10002.
A $15 script processing fee, payable by check or money order made out to JLT, must accompany the script mailed to the NYC address.
Do's . . . Include a SASPC to confirm receipt of your script; a SASE is optional. In your cover letter, state which theme your play addresses. (See theme list below #4.)
Don'ts . . . Call or email to pitch a script; nor mail a synopsis. Send a script without the proper fee. Call to check the status of your script. Mail your script between April 16th and December 14th as it will be misplaced.
Notification . . . There are three status groups: accepted, rejected, held over. If an email address is provided, you will receive prompter notification regarding your status.
If accepted, a Licensing Agreement will be mailed to you no later than April 30th.
If rejected , your script will be return if a SASE was provided.
Often scripts are held over from year to year. If you no longer want your script to be considered, notify JLT by email and the script will either be discarded or returned to you.
1. What is the selection process?
Scripts are read by a reading committee which makes reports to the producing director. Submissions must address at least one of five Juneteenth themes. (1) 19th Century African-American experience, (2) pre and Harlem Renaissance Era, (3) Caribbean/Native American influences on African Americans, (4) contemporary issues and African-American youth, (5) images of women. The company is particularly interested in cabaret works supported by solo piano, dramatic works with incidental music, historical bio-dramas, and works that would be receiving a first public performance .
Scripts are mostly rejected because they do not address a Juneteenth theme or the African-American character(s) are not primary.
The company receives an average of 40 submissions a year, yet no more than 8 plays are presented in the Jamboree. Also, plays are produced on thematic programs, titled Red, Black and Blue. Scripts are held over due to volume and because they cannot be paired, thematically, with other selections for a particular program.
4. What playwrights have been produced in the Jamboree?
Jamboree playwrights are a diverse group of established and emerging writers. Established writers produced in the Jamboree include John Henry Redwood, Ossie Davis, Ron Milner, Leslie Lee and Laurence Holder. Emerging writer include Benard Cummings, Edgar Chisholm and Cheryl Davis; and Kentucky authors Carridder Jones, Antoinette Oglesby Taylor, Erma Bush, Nancy Gall-Clayton, Elizabeth Orndorff, Patricia Ramsey, and Betty Cobb Arnett.
5. How are plays selected for the BOLD JOURNEYS Tour?
BOLD JOURNEYS is the company's educational outreach to adults and youth. The company has produced bio-dramas about Rosa Parks, Bessie Coleman and Zora Neale Hurston. Cabaret works have celebrated the Harlem Renaissance Era.
6.What other opportunities are there?
JLT occasionally develops original works from a concept through a workshop process of rehearsal-rewrites-performance. Playwright must participate in rehearsals.
Email your resume to juneteenthlegacy@aol.com or mail your resume to the Louisville office. Include a brief statement about why you think you might like to work with Juneteenth Legacy Theatre. Assistant directing opportunities, without compensation, are available in New York City. Directing opportunities abound in the Jamboree.
Mail one (1) set of picture and resume each to both the Louisville and New York offices. In the cover letter, include a brief statement about why you think you might like to work with the company. Auditions for the Jamboree are held in Louisville the weekend before the Memorial Day holidays. Notices are posted in the Courier-Journal, The LEO and the company's website/home page. New York City residents are contacted directly about casting calls.
Are there opportunities for youth?
Yes, JLT provides an intense hands-on experience internships for youth and young adults, ages 14 to 21, during the Jamboree. Areas of interest are: administration, media/communications, fundraising, production, performance and audience services. Jefferson County, Kentucky school children can satisfy volunteer hours requirements, and Kentucky college theatre majors can satisfy professional experience requirements through the Juneteenth Jamboree. Sometimes there are performance opportunities for children younger than 14 in the Jamboree. There are also production and rehearsal assistant opportunities with BOLD JOURNEYS; and youth gain administrative and customer service experience through the company's Volunteer Program.
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