A State of Writing community

Queensland Theatre Company’s Young Playwrights Program is an initiative designed to support and develop playwrights aged 15 – 30. The program has been running in its current structure since 2007 after previous guises as the Comalco Playwright Award, the George Landen Dann Award and the Young Playwrights’ Award.

Shortlisted writers are selected by a panel of judges, with final selection being made by Queensland Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Wesley Enoch. The program consists of a three-month series of dramaturgy workshops with staff from Queensland Theatre Company and appointed artists. 

Through the Young Playwrights Program, and its predecessors, the Company has promoted opportunities for young people to submit unsolicited scripts through these various writing programs. 

 In 2011, we are continuing the Young Playwrights Program: selecting three writers between 15-30 years of age to undertake dramaturgical development on their scripts, a panel presentation involving the writers as part of the 2011 Brisbane Writers Festival, and a staged reading of their work by Company actors at Queensland Theatre Company the following week.

For conditions of entry and a downloadable entry form, please go to: http://www.queenslandtheatre.com.au/for-schools/young-playwrights-program/

Entries close on Friday 24 June 2011.

If you’ve finally made it through your holiday reading and you’re on the look out for more books and writers to inspire in 2011, don’t miss Brisbane Writers Festival’s exciting upcoming international guests.

We are delighted to announce a fantastic BWF bookend event for March!

Meet Andrew O’Hagan
Friday 11 March, 6:30PM
State Library of Queensland, slq Auditorium 1 |$25 / $20 BWF members

Join Andrew O’Hagan in conversation with Chair Stuart Glover at a Brisbane Writers Festival bookend event, as they discuss Andrew’s latest book The Life And Opinions Of Maf The Dog And Of His Friend Marilyn Monroe and much more besides.

Purchase tickets online or call qtix 136 246.

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Unfortunately,  the BWF bookend event – Meet Hazel Rowley – scheduled for Thursday, 10 March 2011 at Brisbane Powerhouse will no longer take place. Hazel has had to cancel her Australian tour.

For more details on the School of EMSAH and our achievements in 2010, please follow the link:

http://www.uq.edu.au//emsah/eoy2010/index.html

The QPDA Playreading rehearsals are underway. Last week each writer had two days of dramaturgical development with dramaturge Saffron Benner and a great group of actors. This week Michael Futcher has come on board to direct these three fabulous plays in playreadings to give audiences and the judging panel a taste of what these works could be like on the stage.

The winning play won’t be stage until the end of 2011 so there is still plenty of time to develop it after the announcement in late November. The public playreadings as part of The Works are therefore not intended to be finished products but show the potential for the plays and what direction they are heading in.

First up will be Belongings by Rebecca Clarke on Friday evening Nov 26, Second up will be Unreliable Bodies by Phillip Dean on Saturday afternoon, and lastly Fractions by Marcel Dorney will be up on Saturday evening. All readings will take place at the Bille Brown Studio and feature some of Brisbane’s finest actors including Caroline Kennison, Jason Klarwein, Christopher Sommers, Damien Cassidy, Kathryn Marquet, Norman Doyle, and Anna McGahan. Tickets can booked through QTIX.

Come along and see some great works in development before you see one in a production as part of QTC’s mainstage season next year. Who do you think will win?

Grimm tales

Join Michael Futcher, the director of Queensland Theatre Company’s new production Grimm Tales, as he discusses his journey transforming Grimm’s stories into a modern stage production.  He will be in conversation with Associate Professor Jason Jacobs and Dr Alison Scott (University of Queensland’s School of English, Media Studies and Art History).   Book for this FREE session and take advantage of Queensland Theatre Company’s offer of half-price tickets for the production.   Details on how to redeem this offer will be available at the event.

When Wed 27 Oct, 6pm  Where slq Auditorium 1, level 2  Tickets Free, bookings required  Bookings qtix [new window] 136 246 or The Library Shop

Presented by State Library of Queensland in partnership with Queensland Theatre Company.