CPT Announces Applications for
Premiere Fellowship
Cleveland Public Theatre
CPT’s mission is to raise consciousness and nurture compassion through groundbreaking performances and life-changing education programs. CPT’s programming agenda is to produce work that is outside the mainstream, broadening the range of work available to the Cleveland public and expanding the impact and originality of theatre across the country. CPT strives to make work that is excellent, extraordinary, and nationally competitive.
Our new play development programs are based on our years of experience, community input, and key principles of: focusing on artists; valuing diversity of approach, aesthetics, and perspective; and balancing impact with investment.
We envision CPT as a nationally recognized hub for the development of new theatre that is extraordinary, edgy, and relevant. We hope to be a model for nurturing local talent in similar sized markets, the most regarded cultivator of new theatre for Cleveland audiences, a laboratory for promising research and investigation, and a launcher of nationally significant new plays.
Premiere Fellowship Overview
With dedicated funding from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, CPT launches the Premiere Fellowship for theatre artists committed to new play development. CPT will award five artists who have demonstrated excellence in their craft and a commitment to new plays. We are especially seeking artists who can most benefit from working with CPT artistic staff and artistic teams.
The premiere fellowship is available for a vast array of artists: designers, stage managers, scriptwriters and other playwrights, directors, and actors. Fellows will enter into a one-year contract with CPT to undertake artistic work, collaborate with CPT artists, and engage in the life of the theatre. Fellows will receive an award of $5,000 on top of standard CPT fees for work as part of the fellowship.
Fellowship Description
The Premiere Fellowship supports the work of individual artists who are dedicated to new play development. Fellows will engage in a variety of activities as part of the fellowship and receive significant support for their artistic work.
The Premiere Fellowship is only for artists who are currently residents of Cuyahoga County and who remain so for the duration of the fellowship. Students enrolled in an Undergraduate or Graduate program are not eligible.
For all Fellows:
Cleveland Public Theatre will:
- Award the Fellow with the Premiere Fellowship, which includes a $5,000 award in addition to two or more project contracts.
- Offer at least one significant artistic project over the course of the year at the standard fee for CPT or the fee determined by SDC or AEA as applicable.
- Offer additional benefits including free tickets to CPT shows, access to CPT office resources, and access to CPT equipment and stock.
- Provide rehearsal, shop, and/or writing space, as available, throughout 2019.
- Provide one staff ally for each fellow.
- Provide support from a peer or mentor to be jointly chosen by CPT and the Fellow.
- Invest production costs associated with the work of the Fellow to be determined with the Fellow.
Premiere Fellow will:
- Provide artistic content.
- Attend a majority of opening nights at CPT and play an active role in the life of the theatre, which includes attending artist meetings, volunteering when appropriate, and being an ambassador for CPT throughout the Fellowship.
- Enter into a full year contract with CPT including two or more project specific contracts.
- Participate in CAC artist requirements, such as participating in the CAC artist directory.
- Maintain proper accreditation of the Fellowship in all standard bios through 2020.
- Designing Fellows will:
- Design at least one full production at CPT.
- Participate in at least one Pandemonium or Station Hope project.
- Participate in new play development programs as audience, collaborator, and/or respondent.
- Stage Management Fellows will:
- Stage Manage at least one full production at CPT.
- Participate in at least one Pandemonium or Station Hope project.
- Participate in new play development programs as audience, collaborator, and/or respondent.
- Acting Fellows will:
- Perform in at least one full production at CPT.
- Perform in at least one Pandemonium or Station Hope project.
- Participate in new play development programs as audience, performer, collaborator, and/or respondent.
- Directing Fellows will:
- Direct at least one significant project at CPT (full production or workshop production).*
- Direct at least one Pandemonium or Station Hope project.
- Participate in new play development programs as audience, performer, collaborator, and/or respondent.
*CPT will provide a full budget as applicable to directing projects up to $5,000 in cash and $15,000 in other resources.
- Scriptwriters and other Playwrights will:
- Develop one significant project at CPT.*
- Develop at least one Pandemonium or Station Hope project.
- Participate in new play development programs as audience, performer, collaborator, and/or respondent.
*CPT will provide a full budget as applicable to playwright projects up to $5,000 in cash and $15,000 in other resources.
Selection Process
The selection process for the Premiere Fellowship has four rounds.
- Basic Application (see below): CPT staff assesses project/artist readiness. Complete applications that show strong potential for the program will be moved to the second round.
- Second Round Application/Audition (including additional questions and artistic work submission): Proposals will be assessed by three reviewers: an out-of-town theatre professional focused on new work, a local artist (working in a similar process as applicant), and one lead CPT staff member. Projects will be ranked and receive aggregated comments from the readers. The highest ranked proposals will then move to the third round with recommendations.
- Third Round Interview: The third round will involve an interview between CPT artistic staff to discuss the proposed project, artistic goals (both personal and project related), past experiences, etc.
- The final round will consist of selected applicant(s) meeting with CPT to review a draft plan and determine if both parties have a similar viewpoint and can agree to an overall process for development.
Criteria
We are seeking artists who have a strong record of working on new plays given their time in the field. We are looking to form a diverse cohort from different disciplines, perspectives, and level of experiences (this fellowship is for both emerging and experienced artists).
First Round Applications will be assessed for:
- Artistic understanding
- Commitment to and appreciation for the new play process
- Fit with CPT
- Potential impact of Fellowship
- Quality of past work
Second Round Application/Audition will dig deeper into the artistic prowess of applicants and the potential impact of the award for the artist. Portfolios, auditions, video, and scripts are potentially important pieces to this portion of the process. We are looking for quality but also a clear and unique voice of individual artists.
Third Round Interview will dig deeper into potential impact of the award for the artist and will go into detailed planning of potential projects for the Fellowship.
Advice to Applicants
The Premiere Fellowship is not intended to serve all theatre artists. This program is for artists who love new play development, have a hunger for feedback and guidance, and who will be positively impacted by CPT artistic guidance. The Premiere Fellowship will focus on artists whose work aligns with CPT’s mission and programming agenda.
Applicants will want to be clear about how their work fits with CPT and new play development.
Every reviewer of this process has been through selection processes on both sides (as reviewers and applicants) and we have tried to create an application and program that will make a big impact on the community. Please approach the process with generosity, the spirit of assuming best intentions, and trust that this is how we approach your application.
We often have follow-up questions for your application, in an effort to give you the best chance of being accepted. Please answer emails quickly and professionally.
Please complete the application and submit it with additional materials electronically as an attachment to artistic@cptonline.org.
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