Alive Theatre's
Cherry Poppin' Play Festival 2009
Supported in part by a grant from the Arts Council for Long Beach & The City of Long Beach
REQUEST FOR WRITERS
 
Are you a playwright that has a new idea lingering in your brain just waiting for a reason to jump on the page and fulfill its duty of becoming an actuality?
 
Do you have a fantastic play that has yet to be produced?
 
Are you tired of seeing your house pile up with your completed works and wanting them to get out of your hands and into those of talented visionary directors?
 
Well don't just shake your head yes, do something about it! Alive Theatre is bringing back its 2008 debut production of Cherry Poppin Play Festival in Long Beach to kick off our 2009 season. Last year's festival was a success in many ways.  We sold out every night, even adding extra shows to fulfill the demand.  We had over 70 artists involved including different musicians featured each night and visual artists works in the lobby. This festival is devoted solely to staging new works, approx. 6-8, over a three-week period and we welcome your submission.
 
The details:
   1. The play must be a NEW work, having never been produced in its entirety.  If scenes or shorter versions of the same work have been done, the play is still okay for submission.
   2. The lengths of shows we are looking for are 30 or 50 minutes (typically 1 page=2 minutes).  If you are unsure the length of the play, please still submit it, cuts might be necessary later with your help and approval.
   3. Do not be discouraged by the word PLAY.  Alive Theatre is a company determined to test the boundaries of what exactly constitutes theatre, and we encourage pushers of envelopes.
   4. The only stipulations are that the play calls for smaller casts, minimal technical elements, and fits into the 30 or 50 minute time slots.  These are important because it will share the same space and possibly designers as the other plays in the festival.
   5. If your play is selected as one of the final 10-15, you are then invited to join our two day writers workshop with a panel of experts, other writers, and directors all devoted to help you bring your script to the next level. One week later you must re-submit your revised final draft.
 
What we need:
1.      Basic overview of play including character breakdown, summary, themes, technical
         elements, etc.
2.      2 copies of the script, not necessary if email submission. Please no film script
          layouts.
3.      Contact information: Name, phone, email
 
*Please submit your work no later than Monday November 24th via email to alivetheatre@gmail.com or mail to 555 East 3rd Street, Long Beach, CA 90802.
 
*There will be a Writers Workshop on Tuesday and Wednesday December 3rd and 4th in the evening, with a re-submission deadline on December 9th.  Selections will be announced no later than December 15th.
 
 *For further questions or clarification please call 562.508.1788 or email alivetheatre@gmail.com
 
Thank you and we look forward to your submission,
 
Alive Theatre
 
********What the critics said about last year's festival********
 
"Judging by the chemistry of this galvanized group, along with their professionalism and talent, I predict a rash of breakout stars emerging from this group, as well as a thriving future for the company."
 
"Alive Theatre Company, founded by Danielle Dauphinee and Jeremy Aluma, has the potential to be Long Beach's Steppenwolf (Chicago) or Actors Gang (LA)."
Marchelle Hammack (Beachcomber Newspaper)
 
"Cal State Long Beach's theater-department undergrads have formed their own troupe to stage a new-play festival that bubbles with energy and meta-theatrical wit. This bill is like revisiting plays by Pirandello and Christopher Durang; that is, these plays show a vivacious glee…"
Steven Lee Morris  (LA Weekly)
 
"I think that the poppin' refers to the deflowering of Long Beach's newest theatre, The Alive Theatre. As in alive-and-kicking. It refers to the bawdy quality of its productions, the slinky, slithering, in-your-face trumpeting of "Here we are!"
James Scarborough (Grunion Gazette)