Developing Fresh Voices for the 21st Century
About Us
What excites us?
We're a new development lab for Tennessee playwrights, and we're looking for strong, brave, even fierce voices. Bring a point of view, a handful of characters and a kick-ass narrative, and we'll get along just fine. No one can deny that we live in a pivotal moment in this country's history. When historians look back at the early 21st century, they'll examine our art, our music, our STORIES. Let us help you tell yours on stage.
Participants are now meeting one Sunday per month at the Darkhorse Theatre in Nashville. After developing their scripts with the help of peer feedback and readings by local actors, TPS writers will present their working drafts to the public this November. Come out and be a part of this exciting process -- watch this space for details!
Kenley Smith
directs the 2018 TPS program. He came to Nashville in 2011 as an Ingram New Works playwright, and he facilitated the Writing Room at Nashville Rep from 2015 to 2017. Earlier, Kenley founded Studio Roanoke, a new-works venue in Virginia that put up some 30 first or second productions from 2009 to 2012. His plays, including DEVIL SEDAN and EMPIRES OF ETERNAL VOID, have been produced in Chicago, Nashville, Memphis and Omaha; AKUMA-SHIN received its world premiere this spring at Sacred Fools Theatre in Los Angeles. All three plays were MainStage selections at the Great Plains Theatre Conference in Omaha. Learn more about Kenley and his work here.
Molly Breen
is an actor who loves working with new plays/playwrights. She has originated roles in more than 15 new, full productions and has acted in several new play festivals, including Nashville's Ten Minute Playhouse, the Writing Room at Nashville Rep, the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival and NYC & DC Fringe, along with regularly performing in local Nashville theatre productions. As a writer, she has received fellowships with the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Mary Anderson Center for the Arts. She is represented by the McCray Agency. Actors interested in participating in TPS workshops or readings can send headshot/resume/ age range to molly@tnplaywrights.org.
how to apply
Applications are now closed for 2018.
We've selected our Fellows and Associates for our inaugural season! Click on the "2018 Playwrights" link at the top of this page to meet them.
What documents are in an application?
During our annual call for scripts, you'll submit up to 20 pages of a prior play OR (if you're new to writing for the stage) up to 5,000 words in another genre. We also ask for a 250-word biography and a 500-word statement of purpose regarding the new play you propose to write in our lab. The process is highly competitive, so please compose your documents accordingly. The application and the program are free of charge. Transportation and lodging in Nashville are not included.
Do I need to have a full manuscript of my play in hand before I begin?
Absolutely not! We ask that you propose a brand-new, full-length script that you will develop over the course of the lab. You'll receive feedback all along the way, and actors will be available to perform your fresh material. You will also have ample time for revisions and new drafts. At the end of the process, playwrights will receive public readings of their work at Darkhorse Theatre.