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CATCO and Arts Council Announce 2017 Playwright Fellowship Program

in Press Releases October 16, 2017 3 min read

COLUMBUS, Ohio — CATCO, in partnership with the Greater Columbus Arts Council (Arts Council), announced today it will accept submissions for the 2017 Playwright Fellowship program through Dec. 30, 2017.

Through the fellowship, CATCO will award one $5,000 fellowship and commission a previously unproduced, full-length play by a Franklin County playwright. The recipient will be announced Mar. 5, 2018, with a staged reading of the completed work to be produced Jun. 24, 2018. To be eligible an applicant must be a Franklin County resident for at least one year.

“CATCO has a long history of supporting new works and local artists in the central Ohio community and we look forward to working, once again, with the fellowship winner and helping him or her to develop a play,” said Steven C. Anderson, CATCO producing director.

“The Art Council’s Individual Artist Fellowship program was established in 1986 to recognize outstanding local artists, and since that time we’ve continued to grow our program by engaging partners to increase the numbers and types of fellowships we offer,” said Tom Katzenmeyer, president of the Arts Council. “We are delighted to continue our partnership with CATCO to benefit artists in the theater community through this playwright fellowship.”

Though not part of the commission, the selected play will be considered for a full production at a future date.

Students enrolled in a degree- or certificate-granting program at the time of application or during the grant award period are not eligible to apply. In addition, musicals or adaptations of other written work will not be considered, and works submitted must have been created within the last three years.

Selection criteria will include originality, likelihood of future productions, clarity of voice and general interest in the subject matter. Interested artists are asked to submit a cover letter and the following:

  • Breakdown of characters with brief descriptions
  • Up to 10 pages of sample dialogue
  • Brief synopsis (one or two paragraphs) of the play to be considered
  • Cover page that provides the playwright’s name, address and contact information. (Please note: playwright information will not be included during the review process to ensure impartial selection.)

Collaborative works may be submitted, but only one award is possible. Collaborating playwrights must submit a joint cover letter and clearly indicate the names of the collaborative writers.

Submissions should be mailed to:
Joseph Bishara, CATCO Associate Producing Director and Playwright Fellowship Coordinator
CATCO
77 S. High St., 2nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215

For more information, email jbishara@catco.org or visit catcoistheatre.org and gcac.org.

About the Greater Columbus Arts Council: Through vision and leadership, advocacy and collaboration, the Greater Columbus Arts Council supports art and advances the culture of the region. A catalyst for excellence and innovation, the Arts Council funds exemplary artists and arts organizations and provides programs, events and services of public value that educate and engage all audiences in our community. The Arts Council thanks the city of Columbus and the Ohio Arts Council for their continued support. www.gcac.org

About CATCO: CATCO is central Ohio’s professional Equity theater company, providing quality theater and educational programs for all ages. The theater organization has adopted an innovative strategy, building creative alliances that can sustain growth and development. Together, CATCO and CATCO is Kids provide quality theater and educational programs for all ages. www.catcoistheatre.org.

CATCO’s 33nd season is sponsored by support from The Ohio Arts Council, which helps fund the theater with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, education excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans, and supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The theater organization also appreciates the support of the James W. Overstreet Fund of The Columbus Foundation, assisting donors and others in strengthening our community for the benefit of all of its citizens, and the Greater Columbus Arts Council, supporting the city’s artists and arts organizations since 1973. Other supporters include The Shubert Foundation Inc. and Nationwide Insurance Foundation.

CATCO’s season sponsor is L Brands; season partner is the Columbus Metropolitan Library.

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CONTACT: Jami Goldstein
(614) 221-8492
jgoldstein@gcac.org