NEA Grant for JAW: A Playwrights Festival 2018
Portland Center Stage at The Armory has been selected to receive a $15,000 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, one of $25 million in grants approved by NEA Chairman Jane Chu for fiscal year 2018, to use towards this year's JAW: A Playwrights Festival.
The Art Works category is the NEA’s largest funding category and supports projects that focus on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and/or the strengthening of communities through the arts.
“It is energizing to see the impact that the arts are making throughout the United States. These NEA-supported projects, such as this one to Portland Center Stage at The Armory, are good examples of how the arts build stronger and more vibrant communities, improve well-being, prepare our children to succeed, and increase the quality of our lives,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “At the National Endowment for the Arts, we believe that all people should have access to the joy, opportunities and connections the arts bring.”
In 2018, JAW: A Playwrights Festival will proudly present its 20th year of championing new plays and bringing invigorating theater to Portland. For two decades now, each summer has confirmed for us the vitality of this ever-changing, crazy fun, wild world of theater when JAW (short for Just Add Water) takes over The Armory. The festival welcomes a handful of playwrights, whose scripts are chosen from nearly 200 annual submissions, to spend two weeks collaborating with directors, dramaturgs, actors, and other theater professionals from across the nation. During these workshops, JAW playwrights get to hear, revise and sometimes completely rewrite their plays in a supportive environment where their creative needs set the agenda.
The festival culminates in a vibrant outpouring of artistic energy, as staged readings of the JAW plays are presented to the public. Adding to the festivities are unique performance pieces from local artists of all disciplines. And the whole thing kicks off with an evening of work by the Promising Playwrights, high school students selected from our Visions & Voices program, who write and develop their own short plays alongside the professionals. Thousands of audience members join us annually to celebrate theatrical innovation and the enduring power of storytelling.
And on that note ... save the date! JAW 2018's "Big Weekend" of staged readings and other events will occur July 27-29, 2018. JAW is free and open to the public, as always. For more information on JAW, please visit pcs.org/JAW and check back in early summer for this year’s JAW schedule of events.
For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
P.S. Kodachrome, currently premiering in the Ellyn Bye Studio, was workshopped at JAW in 2015.
More about Kodachrome:
Reviews of "Kodachrome"
"Kodachrome is somewhere between an ensemble love story, a mischievous comedy and a supernatural dream."
Winter Improv Labs
Grow from "yes, and..." to your first completely improvised scene in Improv Labs at The Armory. Take one for fun or both to master your improv skills!
"The Color of Longing" Art Exhibit
Through the run of Kodachrome, enjoy "The Color of Longing," a collection of photographs curated by our neighbors at Blue Sky Gallery.
Behind the Scenes of "Kodachrome"
Get a sneak peek look at Adam Szymkowicz's new play about love in unlikely places directed by Rose Riordan.
From The Director: Rose Riordan on "Kodachrome"
"I like plays that ponder existence through small ordinary moments."
A Brief History of Kodak's Kodachrome
Explore the history of the iconic Kodachrome, one of the first successful color materials used for both cinematography and photography.
Playwriting Class with "Kodachrome" Playwright Adam Szymkowicz
Learn how to structure a play out of found text with Kodachrome playwright Adam Szymkowicz. February 10, 2-4 p.m.
Current & Upcoming
Improvisation Classes for Beginners
Whether you're looking to get more confident in social situations, think quicker on your feet, or get in touch with your imaginative side, these "one-off" improv classes will set you on the path to success!
Donate to the p:ear Giving Tree
Every winter, youth at p:ear are looking for basic needs such as socks, backpacks, bus tickets, gift cards, art supplies, and other items. The Giving Tree helps p:ear fuel their mission to provide mentoring services to Portland’s homeless and parent-less young people.
Winter Teen Academy: Scene Work
Calling all teens! Are you looking to expand your acting skills and be the best scene partner you can be for your fellow actors? In this class, we will dig deep into scene study, character motivation, and active listening, while learning the necessary questions to ask in every rehearsal situation. You'll develop fuller characters and deeper relationships on stage by partnering in scene work — and have lots of fun too!
Acting Shakespeare: Monologues
Dive into the world of the Bard and explore the excitement of performing Shakespeare!
Foundations of Improvisation
Looking to expand your knowledge and skills of improvisation? Whether you did theater in high school and want to jump back in, are looking to find creative connections with others, or are a theater professional looking to deepen your training, this course is perfect for you!
Join the Party! The fundraising party of the year!
Theater Lovers Bash is coming April 11, 2025! Featuring David Saffert and Jillian Snow back by popular demand in a special one-night-only performance as Liberace and Liza!
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying & interrupting instances of racism & all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA).
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