Sending Your Script In To APN
By now I’m sure that many of you are aware of APN’s changes to the dramaturgical programs – changes that came about after a lengthy review as part of last year’s Canada Council Flying Squad consultancy. I’m sure that many of you read the detailed description that Ken published in this newsletter a few months past. But what exactly does all this mean to you on a practical level?
To begin with, we’re now going to be asking you to send a little letter in with your application form (downloadable off the website) and your $40 one-time-only fee. In that letter, we are going to ask you to tell us a tiny bit about your play. What’s it about? How long have you been working on it? What kind of previous development work, if any, have you done? We would also like you to identify what you’re looking for from APN. This can be anything from “I need someone to read it and sit down with me and give me some feedback” to “I’d like a workshop” or “I’d like a public reading”. In fact, it really can be pretty much ANYTHING. Ask away, and we’ll do our best to accommodate. You are even welcome to request a specific person to work with you.
Your script and this letter will then go to our Dramaturgical Committee. This committee currently consists of myself, Shari Wattling, a playwright from Calgary, a playwright from Edmonton and a member of APN’s board. Each member of the committee will read the play. We then meet once a month to discuss each play and each request. The purpose of the letter is to provide some context for us when we’re discussing your play. The goal of the committee is to decide if your request seems reasonable as the next phase of development for your play. In some cases, you may be asked to meet with Shari or myself for some discussion of the work prior to the planning of a workshop or a reading. But we will do our best to give you the assistance you request. That’s what we’re here for.
Shari Wattling and I will be doing the majority of the one-on-one dramaturgy. And we will be attempting, as much as possible, to do this in face-to-face meetings rather than over the phone or by email. (Although in certain cases, this may be the only way). If you live outside of Calgary or Edmonton, we will try to arrange a meeting for a time when you can come in to one of those two cities. We will be trying to come up to Edmonton for meetings at least once a month. You are welcome to choose which one of us you would like to work with, or we may be dividing the work based on our availability. In certain cases, we may set you up to meet with one of the other members of the dramaturgical committee.
Once you have sent in a particular script, you may continue to resubmit it for further work, with no further cost. We will continue to work with you on the piece for as long as you need.
In most cases, it will take about 2 months for your script to be read and your request to be considered. This doesn’t mean we can’t take quicker requests when necessary, but giving us time to properly process your work is highly appreciated.
So that’s it, in a nut-shell. You send in your play. You tell us what you’re looking for. We do our best to give it to you. Easy. I’m hoping to see my desk flooded with scripts over the next few months.
Johanne
