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Playwright EM Lewis Wins Primus Prize for Her Play Heads
By Kenneth Jones (PlayBill)
June 24, 2008
The Francesca Ronnie Primus Foundation and the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) announced June 23 that EM (Ellen) Lewis has been awarded the 2008 Francesca Primus Prize.
The award of $10,000 was made during ATCA's annual conference in Washington, DC, June 17-22.
The Primus Prize honors an emerging woman theatre artist. Selected for her play Heads, Lewis is an Oregon-born playwright who now lives in Santa Monica, CA.
Heads is a four-character play set in two prison cells in an old warehouse in Iraq. A 43-year-old female British Embassy worker is in a cell with an American engineer, 52; the other cell holds two Americans, a 34-year-old journalist and a 29-year-old photojournalist. The action alternates between the two cells.
Heads premiered in Los Angeles last August to positive reviews and was named among the Best of 2007 by the Los Angeles Times, where critic David Ng wrote: "EM Lewis' new drama at the Blank Theatre Company, tells a story so topical that it feels as if the play was co-written by CNN." When it was read at the Long Play Lab at the Great Plains Theater Conference in Omaha last spring, Edward Albee described it as "provocative and wonderfully threatening." Others have said the play reflects highly skilled writing, with infuriating, touching and deeply human characters.
Lewis was selected from more than 25 nominees by a nationwide panel of critics, headed by Nancy Melich, retired theatre critic for The Salt Lake Tribune.
"The Francesca Ronnie Primus Foundation was established to recognize and support emerging women artists who are making a difference in the theatre community in which they work," stated Barry Primus, administrator of the foundation. "We are delighted to be a part of that."
In accepting the award, Lewis told the audience of ATCA members and Washington-area theatre professionals: "Most people's families are very nervous when you tell them you're going to be a playwright. They understand instinctively that life would go much easier if you decided to be an accountant instead. No less than Edward Albee has said that if you can be something else, you should. But playwriting is one of those professions that chooses you. Like it or not, plays seethe in my brain and come out the ends of my fingers. It's glorious, actually. Luckily, I've been blessed with peers who have made me feel less alone in this crazy vocation, friends who come to see all my productions, no matter which straggly black box theatre they're in, and a family that has been there for me through thick and thin — including my brother Jason, who is here with me today. This award is another great help and encouragement — tangible assistance and affirmation — and I'd like to thank ATCA and Mr. Primus. I promise to keep writing the best plays I know how."
Founded in 1997 in memory of the admired actress and critic Francesca Primus, the Primus Prize was until 2002 administered by the Denver Center Theatre Company and limited to emerging women playwrights. Administered by ATCA since 2004, it now goes to an emerging playwright, director or artistic director. In 2006, Karen Zacarías, was honored as both playwright (Mariela in the Desert) and as founder and artistic director of Young Playwrights' Theater, Washington, DC. The 2007 winner was Victoria Stewart, author of Hardball. Other winners have included Lynn Nottage and Melanie Marnich.
ATCA is the nation-wide organization of theater critics in all media, an affiliate of the International Association of Theatre Critics. Other playwriting awards it administers are the Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Awards and the M. Elizabeth Osborn Award, which are overseen by its New Plays Committee, chaired by Florida theatre critic William Hirschman. ATCA members also recommend a regional theatre for the annual Tony Award and vote on membership in the Theatre Hall of Fame.
June 24, 2008
The Francesca Ronnie Primus Foundation and the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) announced June 23 that EM (Ellen) Lewis has been awarded the 2008 Francesca Primus Prize.
The award of $10,000 was made during ATCA's annual conference in Washington, DC, June 17-22.
The Primus Prize honors an emerging woman theatre artist. Selected for her play Heads, Lewis is an Oregon-born playwright who now lives in Santa Monica, CA.
Heads is a four-character play set in two prison cells in an old warehouse in Iraq. A 43-year-old female British Embassy worker is in a cell with an American engineer, 52; the other cell holds two Americans, a 34-year-old journalist and a 29-year-old photojournalist. The action alternates between the two cells.
Heads premiered in Los Angeles last August to positive reviews and was named among the Best of 2007 by the Los Angeles Times, where critic David Ng wrote: "EM Lewis' new drama at the Blank Theatre Company, tells a story so topical that it feels as if the play was co-written by CNN." When it was read at the Long Play Lab at the Great Plains Theater Conference in Omaha last spring, Edward Albee described it as "provocative and wonderfully threatening." Others have said the play reflects highly skilled writing, with infuriating, touching and deeply human characters.
Lewis was selected from more than 25 nominees by a nationwide panel of critics, headed by Nancy Melich, retired theatre critic for The Salt Lake Tribune.
"The Francesca Ronnie Primus Foundation was established to recognize and support emerging women artists who are making a difference in the theatre community in which they work," stated Barry Primus, administrator of the foundation. "We are delighted to be a part of that."
In accepting the award, Lewis told the audience of ATCA members and Washington-area theatre professionals: "Most people's families are very nervous when you tell them you're going to be a playwright. They understand instinctively that life would go much easier if you decided to be an accountant instead. No less than Edward Albee has said that if you can be something else, you should. But playwriting is one of those professions that chooses you. Like it or not, plays seethe in my brain and come out the ends of my fingers. It's glorious, actually. Luckily, I've been blessed with peers who have made me feel less alone in this crazy vocation, friends who come to see all my productions, no matter which straggly black box theatre they're in, and a family that has been there for me through thick and thin — including my brother Jason, who is here with me today. This award is another great help and encouragement — tangible assistance and affirmation — and I'd like to thank ATCA and Mr. Primus. I promise to keep writing the best plays I know how."
Founded in 1997 in memory of the admired actress and critic Francesca Primus, the Primus Prize was until 2002 administered by the Denver Center Theatre Company and limited to emerging women playwrights. Administered by ATCA since 2004, it now goes to an emerging playwright, director or artistic director. In 2006, Karen Zacarías, was honored as both playwright (Mariela in the Desert) and as founder and artistic director of Young Playwrights' Theater, Washington, DC. The 2007 winner was Victoria Stewart, author of Hardball. Other winners have included Lynn Nottage and Melanie Marnich.
ATCA is the nation-wide organization of theater critics in all media, an affiliate of the International Association of Theatre Critics. Other playwriting awards it administers are the Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Awards and the M. Elizabeth Osborn Award, which are overseen by its New Plays Committee, chaired by Florida theatre critic William Hirschman. ATCA members also recommend a regional theatre for the annual Tony Award and vote on membership in the Theatre Hall of Fame.
On December 16, 2007, Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer and head theater critic wrote: "...EM Lewis' beautifully acted hostage drama, set in war-torn Iraq, left out the political preaching but slowly opened up into a metaphor suggesting both the necessity and futility of hope."
In the September 2007 issue of LA Stage Magazine, David C. Nichols wrote: "Earlier this year, LA Stage Alliance conducted an informal survey of readers and contributors about must-see artists making a mark on the local theatre scene. The 12 who received the most comments are profiled here, and it’s a diverse and exciting group indeed..."
LA Confidential Profile of EM Lewis in "The Dramatist" Magazine
(March/April 2007 issue)
My adventures in Omaha! I attended the 1st Annual Great Plains Theater Conference in Summer 2006, and had a great time. Published in the ICWP's SEASONS Newsletter, July 2006 issue.
How can a playwright work with actors in the early development of a new play? Well... I'm not sure yet. But this was my first attempt at bringing actors into my early stages, with my new full-length play "Catch." We had a good time! And I learned a lot. Published in the ICWP's SEASONS Newsletter, December 2006 issue.
In January 2007, I was invited to bring my play "Heads" to NYU's hotINK International Festival of New Plays. This is my story. Published in the ICWP's SEASONS Newsletter, March 2007 issue.
New Play Development in Los Angeles -- Back Stage West article
By Carly Mayberry
Thursday, December 28, 2006
"...When award-winning playwright Ellen Lewis' recent 'Infinite Black Suitcase' was workshopped by Moving Arts during summer 2005, Lewis knew she had found more than a venue for her poignant story about loss and grief in a small Oregon town. A transplant from Oregon, Lewis says she has found a theatrical home away from home and, in the process, a clarity about what a collaborative art theatre is. "I went to rehearsals. I did rewrites all the way through. I brought in pictures when the actors were asking about rural Oregon," recalls Lewis about working with the company of established actors. "You develop a level of trust, and with that you can go deeper."
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Interviews
Julio Martinez Interview about "Infinite Black Suitcase" on KPFK
Playwright EM Lewis and TheSpyAnts actors Darcy Halsey and Ryan Churchill talked with Julio Martinez on his live KPFK radio show "Arts in Review" on April 12, 2007. He reviewed our production of "Infinite Black Suitcase" for Variety, then wanted to talk with us about it.
On August 16, 2007, while "Heads" was running at the Blank, Bostin Christopher invited me onto his show to talk about mine. If you missed it live, check out the archived podcast at www.rantertainment.com!
Resources for Playwrights
Playwright, NYU professor and Dramatists Guild guy Gary Garrison and his stalwart staff send out this bi-monthly, free e-newsletter with all kinds of stuff in it that a playwright can use, from supportive and informative articles to submission opportunities. Thanks, Gary!
Started by Patrick Gabridge, this is a free yahoogroup community where playwrights can find (and offer) support for the business side of things: submitting your work. Nobody's going to come looking for *you*, you know. You have to get your work out there!
Lee Wochner teaches this playwriting workshop. Which I keep taking. Because it keeps helping me. He creates a supportive, but rigorous, environment for making plays that I can't wait to get to every week. (And sometimes there's donuts!)
There may be more beautiful times, but this one is ours.
-Jean-Paul Sartre