Paul Green Playwrights Fellowship

Paul Green (1894-1981) received the Pulitzer Prize in Drama for In Abraham's Bosom. Other works include Johnny Johnson (music by Kurt Weill), the stage play of Richard Wright's Native Son, and The Lost Colony - his first of 17 symphonic outdoor dramas. A prolific writer in all genres, Paul Green was an early and devoted human and civil rights activist. The Foundation was established in 1982, to carry on his work in the areas of arts and human rights.

The Paul Green Foundation will use the following criteria for the Paul Green Playwrights Fellowship in determining eligibility and for evaluating proposals:

(Refer to the following guidelines when writing the project summary in the application.)

Eligibility:
The $4000 Paul Green Playwrights Fellowship, designed to nurture playwrights, will be awarded to a professional 501(c)(3) indoor or outdoor theatre company from one of the Southeastern states (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV) that has been in operation for two or more years or demonstrates stability.

(N.B. A professional theatre is one that pays salaries or fees to a substantial number of cast, crew and staff members at a rate intended to be the major source of income for these theatre professionals for the employment period.)

Evaluation Criteria:
Strong production capability of the applicant organization is important. The COMPANY will have selected the playwright and the work in advance of making application to the Paul Green Foundation.

• The PLAYWRIGHT, whose work will be produced by the applicant, must be in residence with the acting company during at least the last three days of rehearsal prior to a public performance promoted to and for the public. The committee will give special consideration to companies that also bring in the playwright early in the rehearsal process to work with the casts/directors, etc., in addition to the last three days of rehearsal.
• The PLAY must be a full-length work (not a one-act, but musicals and children's dramas are acceptable), advanced far enough to be suitable for rehearsal by an acting company and must not have previously received any main-stage production. A previous workshop/studio theatre production in another venue is acceptable.
• The DIRECTOR of the production should be an established professional. It is strongly recommended that the playwright not direct his or her own play.
• Realizing that more than a single performance is useful to the playwright the number of proposed PUBLIC PERFORMANCES will be an important consideration in the awarding of the grant.
• The company supporting the playwright must be FISCALLY and ADMINISTRATIVELY sound. The Foundation requests a copy of the most recent audit, if available, and financial statements to be included with the proposal - see application for details.

Previous grant recipients include:

1993 – Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre
Mars Hill, NC

1994 – Snow Camp Historical Drama Society
Snow Camp, NC

1995 – Actors Theatre of Louisville
Louisville, KY

1996 – Temple Theatre Company
Sanford, NC

1997 – Florida Studio Theatre
Sarasota, FL

1998 – PlayMakers Repertory Company
Chapel Hill, NC

1999 – Children’s Theatre of Charlotte
Charlotte, NC

1999 – The Alabama Shakespeare Festival
Montgomery, AL

2000 – Signature Theatre
Arlington, VA

2001 – Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival
Orlando, FL

2002 – Greenbriar Valley Theatre
Lewisburg, VA

2003 – Barter Theatre
Abingdon, VA

2004 – Manbites Dog Theater Company
Durham, NC

2005 – Barter Theatre
Abingdon, VA

2005 – Roadside Theater
Norton, VA

2006 – Horizon Theatre Company
Atlanta, GA

2007 – Alabama Shakespeare Festival
Montgomery, AL

2008 – PlayMakers Repertory Company
Chapel Hill, NC

2009 – Alliance Theatre
Atlanta, GA

2010 – Lexington Children’s Theatre
Lexington, KY