FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Todd London – (212) 757-6960 

 

PLAYWRIGHTS JOIN FORCES
TO BENEFIT NEW DRAMATISTS WITH
“NOCTURNAL COMMISSIONS”

 

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2007

 

March 1, 2007 – New Dramatists announces its sixth annual playwright auction, NOCTURNAL COMMISSIONS—an exhilarating evening of instant theater-making—with all proceeds to benefit the renowned playwright service organization.  This unique event will take place at New Dramatists, 424 West 44^th Street, (between 9^th and 10^th Avenues) on Monday, March 12, 2007.  Doors open at 6:00p.m., with the new play auction beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the commissioned works taking the stage in a live performance at 9:00 p.m.  New Dramatists’ artistic director Todd London is the evening’s auctioneer, and actor/comedian Nancy Giles is the Mistress of Ceremonies.  A catered buffet dinner will be served between the auction and performance.  

 

NOCTURNAL COMMISSIONS offers the public a rare opportunity to provide the first spark of inspiration for a new work of art. In the course of a single evening, they become a “Medici for a night,” first by commissioning brand new plays written on the spot by some of America’s finest playwrights, then by watching the fruits of their patronage be performed scant hours later by a gifted company of professional actors.

 

The evening kicks off with the great play auction.  Beginning at 6:30p.m., benefit guests will bid on the chance to commission a new play or song from such acclaimed and gifted artists as Tanya Barfield (Blue Door), Sheila Callaghan (Dead City), Marcus Gardley (dance of the holy ghosts), Michael Hollinger (Opus), Israel Horovitz (The Indian Wants the Bronx), Young Jean Lee (Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven), Sung Rno (wAve), Sarah Ruhl (The Clean House), and Lucy Thurber (Stay); Kleban Award-winner Julia Jordan (Dark Yellow) will write a song with composer Adam Gwon.  The highest bidder for each work will sit down for a brief conference with the playwright to discuss the details of their commission.  The writer then has exactly twenty minutes to complete the work.  (Two of the participants, Michael Hollinger and Sheila Callaghan, will be writing from out-of-state and will e-mail in their completed commissions.)  Twelve new works will be presented at 9:00p.m. that same evening by a company of twelve actors and three directors.

 

This extraordinary intersection of creative forces—playwrights, songwriters, directors, actors, and arts lovers—generates a thrilling atmosphere of artistic excitement, as well as much-needed revenue.  Tickets to the benefit are extremely limited and are selling quickly.  Call Jessica Sher at (212) 757-6960, ext. 21, to purchase tickets. Admission to the evening is $100.