En Avant Playwrights
En Avant Playwrights came about in the way many theatre collectives do: a bunch of artists with something in common got together to figure out a way to get their work produced.
In this case, the group came out of Tina Howe’s playwriting workshops at Hunter College. A group of her current and former students met in the fall of 2002 to discuss ways to support and encourage each other.
The first thing we did was start an online bulletin board where we could share opportunities to send our work. Started in early 2003, the En Avant Playwrights Bulletin board (enavantplaywrights.yuku.com) continues to provide listings of opportunities for playwrights to submit their work, short and long for production; to publish it; to develop it; and to seek funding.
From our original name of “Kick Ass Playwrights Group,” (a group designed to kick each others’ asses to send our work out) we rechristened ourselves “En Avant Playwrights,” because Tennessee Williams used to write “En Avant!” (Forward) in his diary each day, to urge him to write again the next.
One of our number suggested we put on our own work, utilizing the resources of Hunter College.
With the help of our mentor Tina Howe, the Graduate Theatre Department at Hunter (Jonathan Kalb, Chair), the Graduate Students Association, friends, family and our combined experience walking the earth and working in the theatre and literary arts, En Avant Playwrights presented three nights of new short work at the Loewe Theatre at Hunter College, presenting short plays by seven emerging playwrights, and in “Night Rides,” the New York premiere of Tina Howe’s Divine Fallacy.
“Now You See ‘Em”
June 19-21, 2003
Women Behind The Bush, by Ed Valentine, directed by Jennifer O’Donnell
Tagging April, by Chance Muehleck, directed by Melanie Armer
How Mona Lisa Got Her Smile, by Maz Troppe, directed by Maz Mendez, assisted by Susan Dean
Rocks in the Bed, by Kathleen Warnock, directed by Peter Bloch
Approximately One Mile Offshore by David Marrero, directed by Priscilla Marrero
Production Team
Production Stage Manager: Erin Floyd
Assistant Stage Manager: S. Laila Bayne
Technical Director: David Bean
Lighting Consultant: Tyler Micoleau
Sound board operator: Donna J. Bungo
Costume & Set Consultant: Bobby Lynn Rice
En Avant logo: Betty Mintz
House Manager: Peter Robbins
“Strange Change”
February 26-28, 2004
A Lotta Vacation, by Maz Troppe, directed by Christina Duarte
Blue Glass, by Thomas C. Dillehay, directed by Peter Bloch
Incident Near Chaco Diner, by David Marrero, directed by Don Jordan
A Bushel of Crabs, by Kathleen Warnock,directed by Peter Bloch
Women With Wings, by Ed Valentine, directed by Jennifer O’Donnell
Production Team
Production Stage Manager: Joshua Cohen
Assistant Stage Managers: Latasha Wilson-Brown, Ari Agbabian
Technical Director: David Bean
Lighting Consultant: Joshua Cohen
Sound Design: Ed Valentine
Sound Operator: Donna J. Bungo
Casting Consultant: Peter Bloch
Costume & Set Consultant: Bobby Lynn Rice
Poster/Postcard design: David Marrero
House Manager: Peter Robbins
“Night Rides”
December 9-11, 2004
Directed by Peter Bloch
Glass Highways, by David Marrero
Travel, by Dan Shore
The Raving, by Ed Valentine
Not at Home, by Kathleen Warnock
Divine Fallacy, by Tina Howe
Production Team
Production Stage Manager: John Fasulo
Assistant Stage Manager: LaTasha Wilson-Brown,
Technical Director: David Bean
Lighting Design: Adam Erdossy
Sound Design: Ed Valentine
Costume & Props: Bobby Lynn Rice
Poster/Postcard design: David Marrero
House Manager: E.A. Burlingame
Since then, the playwrights of En Avant have gone on to produce our own full-length work in venues ranging from the Midtown International Theatre Festival, to the New York Fringe Festival, to independent, off-off-Broadway productions; and to have our work produced by independent theater companies; have it published and win prizes. Our work has been seen in New York and regionally, as well as internationally.
The En Avant Playwrights have gone on to form and join other companies, and our work continues to find new homes and reach new audiences each season.
Plays by each of the playwrights are published by United Stages in The Best of En Avant Playwrights.
EN AVANT PLAYWRIGHTS
The Playwrights
Thomas C. Dillehay, Tina Howe, Chance Muehleck, David Marrero, Dan Shore, Maz Troppe, Kathleen Warnock, Ed Valentine
The Directors
Melanie S. Armer, Peter Bloch, Cristina Duarte, Don Jordan, Jennifer O’Donnell, Angela Pietropinto, Priscilla Marrero
The Actors
Seth Abrams, Katie Adams, Tracy Baker, Josh Berresford, Campbell Bridges, Meghan Cary, Jerry Chapa, Ryan Cowie, Stephanie Deliani, Michael C. Freeland, Hunter Gilmore, Annette Guarrasi, Melissa Hambly, Carrie Haugh, Diana Hawthorne, Karin Hein, Eric J. Hellberg, Mark Irish, Joanne Joseph, Emil G. Keller, Karin Kohav, Theodora P. Loukas, Mike Mandell, Jesse May, David Mazzeo, Mozz, Chance Muehleck, Kathleen Naomi, Ethan Perry, Charles Regan, Bobby Lynn Rice, Susan Romanoff, Kurt Schlater, Mara Schwarz (Kassin), Reena Shah, Erik Singer, James Starace, Kathryn Szyperski, Ed Valentine, Kyle Walker, Susan Barnes Walker
In this case, the group came out of Tina Howe’s playwriting workshops at Hunter College. A group of her current and former students met in the fall of 2002 to discuss ways to support and encourage each other.
The first thing we did was start an online bulletin board where we could share opportunities to send our work. Started in early 2003, the En Avant Playwrights Bulletin board (enavantplaywrights.yuku.com) continues to provide listings of opportunities for playwrights to submit their work, short and long for production; to publish it; to develop it; and to seek funding.
From our original name of “Kick Ass Playwrights Group,” (a group designed to kick each others’ asses to send our work out) we rechristened ourselves “En Avant Playwrights,” because Tennessee Williams used to write “En Avant!” (Forward) in his diary each day, to urge him to write again the next.
One of our number suggested we put on our own work, utilizing the resources of Hunter College.
With the help of our mentor Tina Howe, the Graduate Theatre Department at Hunter (Jonathan Kalb, Chair), the Graduate Students Association, friends, family and our combined experience walking the earth and working in the theatre and literary arts, En Avant Playwrights presented three nights of new short work at the Loewe Theatre at Hunter College, presenting short plays by seven emerging playwrights, and in “Night Rides,” the New York premiere of Tina Howe’s Divine Fallacy.
“Now You See ‘Em”
June 19-21, 2003
Women Behind The Bush, by Ed Valentine, directed by Jennifer O’Donnell
Tagging April, by Chance Muehleck, directed by Melanie Armer
How Mona Lisa Got Her Smile, by Maz Troppe, directed by Maz Mendez, assisted by Susan Dean
Rocks in the Bed, by Kathleen Warnock, directed by Peter Bloch
Approximately One Mile Offshore by David Marrero, directed by Priscilla Marrero
Production Team
Production Stage Manager: Erin Floyd
Assistant Stage Manager: S. Laila Bayne
Technical Director: David Bean
Lighting Consultant: Tyler Micoleau
Sound board operator: Donna J. Bungo
Costume & Set Consultant: Bobby Lynn Rice
En Avant logo: Betty Mintz
House Manager: Peter Robbins
“Strange Change”
February 26-28, 2004
A Lotta Vacation, by Maz Troppe, directed by Christina Duarte
Blue Glass, by Thomas C. Dillehay, directed by Peter Bloch
Incident Near Chaco Diner, by David Marrero, directed by Don Jordan
A Bushel of Crabs, by Kathleen Warnock,directed by Peter Bloch
Women With Wings, by Ed Valentine, directed by Jennifer O’Donnell
Production Team
Production Stage Manager: Joshua Cohen
Assistant Stage Managers: Latasha Wilson-Brown, Ari Agbabian
Technical Director: David Bean
Lighting Consultant: Joshua Cohen
Sound Design: Ed Valentine
Sound Operator: Donna J. Bungo
Casting Consultant: Peter Bloch
Costume & Set Consultant: Bobby Lynn Rice
Poster/Postcard design: David Marrero
House Manager: Peter Robbins
“Night Rides”
December 9-11, 2004
Directed by Peter Bloch
Glass Highways, by David Marrero
Travel, by Dan Shore
The Raving, by Ed Valentine
Not at Home, by Kathleen Warnock
Divine Fallacy, by Tina Howe
Production Team
Production Stage Manager: John Fasulo
Assistant Stage Manager: LaTasha Wilson-Brown,
Technical Director: David Bean
Lighting Design: Adam Erdossy
Sound Design: Ed Valentine
Costume & Props: Bobby Lynn Rice
Poster/Postcard design: David Marrero
House Manager: E.A. Burlingame
Since then, the playwrights of En Avant have gone on to produce our own full-length work in venues ranging from the Midtown International Theatre Festival, to the New York Fringe Festival, to independent, off-off-Broadway productions; and to have our work produced by independent theater companies; have it published and win prizes. Our work has been seen in New York and regionally, as well as internationally.
The En Avant Playwrights have gone on to form and join other companies, and our work continues to find new homes and reach new audiences each season.
Plays by each of the playwrights are published by United Stages in The Best of En Avant Playwrights.
EN AVANT PLAYWRIGHTS
The Playwrights
Thomas C. Dillehay, Tina Howe, Chance Muehleck, David Marrero, Dan Shore, Maz Troppe, Kathleen Warnock, Ed Valentine
The Directors
Melanie S. Armer, Peter Bloch, Cristina Duarte, Don Jordan, Jennifer O’Donnell, Angela Pietropinto, Priscilla Marrero
The Actors
Seth Abrams, Katie Adams, Tracy Baker, Josh Berresford, Campbell Bridges, Meghan Cary, Jerry Chapa, Ryan Cowie, Stephanie Deliani, Michael C. Freeland, Hunter Gilmore, Annette Guarrasi, Melissa Hambly, Carrie Haugh, Diana Hawthorne, Karin Hein, Eric J. Hellberg, Mark Irish, Joanne Joseph, Emil G. Keller, Karin Kohav, Theodora P. Loukas, Mike Mandell, Jesse May, David Mazzeo, Mozz, Chance Muehleck, Kathleen Naomi, Ethan Perry, Charles Regan, Bobby Lynn Rice, Susan Romanoff, Kurt Schlater, Mara Schwarz (Kassin), Reena Shah, Erik Singer, James Starace, Kathryn Szyperski, Ed Valentine, Kyle Walker, Susan Barnes Walker
