Palm Beach Dramaworks Inc

PALM BEACH DRAMAWORKS IS A PROFESSIONAL NOT-FOR-PROFIT THEATRE COMPANY THAT ENGAGES AND ENTERTAINS AUDIENCES WITH PROVOCATIVE AND TIMELESS PRODUCTIONS THAT PERSONALLY IMPACT EACH INDIVIDUAL. OUR VISION IS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF LIVE THEATRE.

WE WERE UNABLE TO PRODUCE ANY MAINSTAGE SHOWS WITH AN AUDIENCE IN ATTENDANCE. HOWEVER, WE PRESENTED MANY VIRTUAL PROGRAMS, INCLUDING A FILMED VERSION OF A FULLY REALIZED PRODUCTION OF THE BELLE OF AMHERST IN APRIL. THE SHOW WAS STREAMED FOR 5 DAYS AND HAD 588 VIEWS. IN ADDITION TO READING PUBLISHED PLAYS FOR FREE TO THE COMMUNITY, WE PRESENTED INTERVIEWS WITH ACTORS AND OTHER ARTISTS, PROVIDING A QUALITY THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEATRE ARTS, AND CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEATRICAL ENRICHMENT. THE PROGRAMS INCLUDED A SERIES OF HOLIDAY PLAYS: THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL; THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO; AND A CHRISTMAS CAROL. WE CELEBRATED 3 PLAYS EACH BY WELL-KNOWN AND DIVERSE AUTHORS LYNN NOTTAGE, NILO CRUZ AND MICHAEL MCKEEVER AS PART OF OUR CONTEMPORARY VOICES SERIES. WE INTERVIEWED CELEBRITIES ESTELLE PARSONS, LOUIS GOSSETT JR., AND LYNNE MOODY AS PART OF OUR THEATRE LUMINARIES SERIES. OVERALL WE PRESENTED 29 VIRTUAL PROGRAMS WITH 6,499 ATTENDEES REPRESENTING 48% OF OUR EFFORTS THIS YEAR.

SINCE OUR PERFORMANCE SPACE MOVED ONLINE FOR THE ENTIRE FISCAL YEAR, MUCH OF OUR EFFORTS FOCUSED ON THE IDENTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PLAYS THROUGH OUR DRAMAWORKSHOP. WE PRESENTED 16 VIRTUAL PROGRAMS AMOUNTING TO APPROXIMATELY 28% OF OUR TOTAL EFFORTS. WE RECEIVED AGENT SUBMITTED SCRIPTS FOR PLAYWRIGHTS AROUND THE COUNTRY WHICH WE READ ON ZOOM FOR FREE TO THE COMMUNITY. IN JANUARY, WE PRESENTED 5 PROFESSIONALLY STAGED READINGS OF PREVIOUSLY SELECTED PLAYS AND HELD ONE PLAYWRIGHTS PANEL AS PART OF THE 2021 NEW YEAR/NEW PLAY FESTIVAL. WE HAD 1,832 PARTICIPANTS AT THIS VIRTUAL 3 DAY EVENT. IN RESPONSE TO THE VIRTUAL READINGS HELD THIS YEAR, 5 PLAYS HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO RECEIVE STAGED READINGS AT OUR UPCOMING NEW YEAR/NEW PLAY FESTIVAL IN FEBRUARY 2022 WITH AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PLAYWRIGHTS TO ATTEND AND GARNER FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY WHICH WILL AGAIN BE HELD IN A VIRTUAL FORMAT.

THIRD ACCOMPLISHMENT APPROXIMATELY 24% OF OUR EFFORT WAS SPENT ON STUDENT EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES, AGAIN IN OUR VIRTUAL FORMAT. WE HELD A YOUNG PLAYWRIGHT'S FESTIVAL IN WHICH 10-MINUTE PLAYS WERE SOLICITED FROM STUDENTS AT ALL PALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOLS. 80 PLAYS WERE SUBMITTED, AND 10 WERE SELECTED AS "WINNERS" TO RECEIVE A STAGED READING OF THEIR PLAY WITH PROFESSIONAL ACTORS AND DIRECTORS ALONG WITH A 250.00 AWARD AND A PUBLISHED COPY OF THEIR SCRIPT. IT WAS PRESENTED ONLINE AND HAD 266 ATTENDEES. WE PRESENTED 13 OTHER PROGRAMS ONLINE INCLUDING LECTURES AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS WITH 1,568 ATTENDEES. IN ADDITION, WE HELD TWO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS ONLINE, ONE FOR DRAMA TEACHERS AND ONE FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS FROM THE ENTIRE PALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.