The mission of Texas State University's Black Latino Playwrights Celebration is the Study the Craft, Nurture the Artist, and Celebrate the Work.
About
The Black and Latino Playwrights Celebration is a workshop and showcase featuring the work of student and professional Black and Latino playwrights.
STUDY THE CRAFT
- Texas State University theatre students work with professionals in a rehearsal process.
- Writers, in collaboration with actors and dramaturges, shape their stories and hone their craft.
NURTURE THE ARTIST
- The lab is rooted in the collaborative workshop process of "finding a play" through rehearsals.
- This process fosters an environment that allows playwrights to explore, grow, and learn fearlessly.
- The staged reading is followed by a question and answer session with the audience.
CELEBRATE THE WORK
- The workshop culminates in a script in hand reading presentation for the campus and community.
- The script in hand reading presentation lends an ear to new voices, showcasing the work of Black and Latino playwrights from across the country while giving the writers some sense of the export of the work or what resonated with the audience.
Objectives
- Provide Texas State University students majoring in theatre with the opportunity to work with professionals for a hands-on, rehearsal process that includes the collaborative process of "finding a play" in rehearsals, culminating with a public staged reading.
- Showcase the work of Black and Latino playwrights from across the country.
- Annually lend an ear to new voices and help writers, in collaboration with directors, actors and dramaturges, to shape their stories and hone their craft in an environment that allows the writer to explore and grow and learn fearlessly.
- Share the play with the campus and community in a staged reading for audiences followed by a discussion and/or question and answer session.
The Process
From playwright submissions, finalists are invited to workshop their plays. Professional directors and actors work with faculty and students through a process of auditions, 3-5 days of open rehearsals, in-class presentations by the guest artists culminating in staged reading performances.
Impacts
- Developed plays went on to be produced in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Milwaukee, Dallas, Houston, Austin, Ithaca, Tempe, and Sacramento
- Since inception, there has been a 625% increase in Black theatre majors and 350% increase in Hispanic theatre majors
- Featured BLPC playwrights have gone on to be recognized by American Theatre magazine and have become writers on shows produced by Starz, Fox, Netflix, and the Oprah Winfrey Network
- In 2018, Texas State ranked fourth in the country for Visual and Performing Arts degrees earned by Hispanics
- Texas State now the 2nd largest theatre program in the country