The ANPF 2021 Winning Playwrights
Pocket Universe
On a picnic at the park where they had their first date, a husband and wife share happy disagreements about what counts as a "first date," revealing troubling memory gaps that lead to a dark discovery.
Certain Aspects of Conflict in the Negro Family
In the long hot summer of 1967, a disintegrated American family tries to repair and re-migrate south, but racial tensions erupt in the city and threaten to thwart the family’s dreams for the future.
What Happened While Hero Was Dead
Last Drive to Dodge
Set at the tail end of the Cowboy Golden Age, Last Drive to Dodge is an examination of race, love, and legacy in a time when everyone is scrambling for their piece of the American Dream.
The Host Playwright
Beth Kander
Beth Kander is a playwright and novelist with roots in the small-town Midwest and the Deep South. Playwriting honors include the Henry Award for Best New Play or Musical; Headwaters New Play Award; Equity Library Theatre Showcase; Ashland New Plays Festival; Eudora Welty New Play Awards; and the Charles M. Getchell New Play Award, among others. In addition to playwriting, Beth is an acclaimed author. Her dystopian trilogy Original Syn won a Foreword INDIES Award, her ghost story 13 Jericho Lane was a Pitch Wars selection, and she has at least two new books coming out in the next two years. The granddaughter of immigrants, she is interested in the intersection of new ideas and identities with old stories, secrets, and legends. She holds an MSW from the University of Michigan and an MFA from Mississippi University for Women. Beth is represented by Allison Hellegers at Stimola Literary Studio. She lives in Chicago with her favorite characters—her quirky little family.
The Directors
Rhonda Kohl
Pocket Universe
Martine Kei Green-Rogers
Certain Aspects of Conflict in the Negro Family
Holly L. Derr
What Happened While Hero Was Dead
Valerie Curtis-Newton
Last Drive to Dodge
The Actors
Pocket Universe by Thomas Brandon
Certain Aspects of Conflict in the Negro Family by TyLie Shider
What Happened While Hero Was Dead by Meghan Brown
Last Drive to Dodge by Andrew Lee Creech
The Playbill
The Team
Jackie Apodaca
Artistic Director
Sarah Cho
Associate Artist
Beth Falkenstein
Production Manager
Moira Gleason
AEA Stage Manager
Kyle Haden
Associate Artist
Beth Kander
Host Playwright
Leanna Keyes
(Transcend Streaming)
Streaming Producer
Kara Q. Lewis
Program Manager
Molly Norris
AEA Stage Manager
Octavio Solis
Associate Artist
ANPF 2021 Finalists
Abundancia by Carlos-Zenen Trujillo
Black Cypress Bayou by Kristen Adele Calhoun
Frankie Moon’s Long Gone by Ean Miles Kessler
If & When by Quinn D. Eli
Mississippi Son by LaDarrion Williams
My Dinner with Andrea by Susan Lambert Hatem
The Stands by Jack Neary
Thoughts & Prayers by Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich
Press
ANPF’s Fall Festival is our annual flagship event that features readings of four plays chosen from hundreds of submissions from all over the world. The plays are read (without identifying the author) by a dedicated team of volunteer readers who select the finalists. Our artistic director receives these scripts (with authorship being known) and leads the collaborative process of choosing the winners. Each play receives two readings, a matinée and an evening, and is followed by a talkback session with the playwright, providing a learning opportunity for both the audience and the artist. The week also features a playwriting workshop with all the winners.
Testimonials
Joshua Rebell
It’s hard to know where to begin when talking about how amazing an experience ANPF is. I’m tempted to start with the moment I arrived in Ashland, but the months leading up to ANPF - the preparations and the conversations with Kyle and Jackie
are almost as exciting – as you see how much time, thought and care go into the festival.
Once you’re in Ashland, the ride really begins as you’re welcomed into a large and supportive ANPF community already familiar with your play, and wanting to talk to you about it. I chose to do a lot of work on my play during the week, and was met
with an incredible amount of support and encouragement from a top notch director and cast who all gave 24/7 - really allowing me to take the play where I wanted it to go. The week is, of course, topped off by the readings and the talkbacks, led by a
terrific host playwright – who is all about helping the playwrights get as much feedback as they need. Oh, and it’s also pretty cool getting coffee and drinks all week with three other playwrights whose work you find so inspiring.
I can’t say enough about ANPF. If there is such a thing as playwright heaven, this is
it!
Joshua Rebell
The Night Climber, ANPF 2019
Omission, ANPF 2012
Michael Gotch
ANPF was a wonderful experience. Setting aside for a moment the honor of being chosen as a winner, the entire artistic and support staff of the festival was top notch from notification through our week together in beautiful Ashland, Oregon. New plays need ears to hear them, and the ANPF audience—made up of passionate readers, committed board members, industry professionals and a host of savvy theatre goers—were enthusiastic, insightful, and supportive listeners. It's not every day as a playwright you encounter such an energized and smart group of people who have dedicated themselves to giving new works the best possible debut. Their contribution to my own work and the work we all do in keeping theatre vital and relevant cannot be overstated.
Michael Gotch
Starter Pistol, ANPF 2019
Thomas Brandon
Being an Ashland New Play Festival winning writer was surreal in the best possible way. Writers are used to working solo, suffering alone through the agonies of the creative process. But being a part of ANPF meant that I suddenly was surrounded by a team – all brilliant, all subsuming their considerable talents to our common task: helping me make the play better today than it was yesterday. And far from feeling like I was a cog in a large machine that manufactured readings, I felt like the entire process of ANFP was designed to curate itself to my needs and the needs of my play. It was an altogether too rare, completely charming experience. And one the kind of communal joy that I hope every writer, typing alone in a quiet room, gets to experience one day.
Thomas Brandon
Pocket Universe, ANPF 2021
TyLie Shider
My friends in the theater at ANPF generously supported the development of Certain Aspects of Conflict in the Negro Family from rehearsals to the virtual stage. Theirs is a singular kind of advocacy any playwright would be blessed to experience. Thank you for thinking of me and my work.
TyLie Shider
Certain Aspects of Conflict in the Negro Family, ANPF 2021
Meghan Brown
I had a blast as an Ashland New Play Festival playwright. The care and consideration put into the festival was consistently clear — this is a group of people who truly put the play (and playwright!) first, and are committed to crafting an environment where artistry can thrive. I couldn’t have been happier with my creative team, or with the communicative, accommodating, administrative staff. ANPF is a special organization doing incredible work, and I cannot speak highly enough of its process of new play development.
Meghan Brown
What Happened While Hero Was Dead, ANPF 2021
Blake Hackler
What a gift what a gift what a gift! Ashland New Play Festival is a true oasis for playwrights, and an experience to cherish. From first contact, I felt taken care of, respected, and encouraged to do my best work. My fellow playwrights were inspirational, kind, and generous with their insights and feedback. The artistic team assembled to work on my play could not have been bettered.
But the real prize of the festival was the community. The depth and breadth of their engagement with the process from beginning to end was truly astonishing – to have a talkback with a hundred people who have read your play MULTIPLE TIMES!!!!!!!! What?!!?!?!?!?! If my punctuation is a little hysterical, so be it. The people of the Ashland New Play Festival – all of them – every one – deserve all the exclamation points I can throw at them. It was an honor to be in their presence.
Blake Hackler
What We Were, ANPF 2017
David Johnston
The experience was rejuvenating, artistically satisfying and fun. The actors, directors and collaborating artists are top shelf. I had twelve hours of rehearsal to dig into the play and try to figure out what I had written! The community that has built up around the festival is extraordinary. I have rarely come across a theater-going community as passionate and engaged as the members, audiences and volunteer readers of Ashland. This was particularly meaningful to me, as this play had been sent out to numerous festivals and conferences in the past three years, with no luck. That a volunteer panel of readers picked it blind means a great deal to me.
David Johnston
Pelicans, ANPF 2019
Emily Feldman
I enjoyed getting to see Ashland for the first time, meeting some lovely actors and directors from all over the country and feeling the love and support of the whole community at both of my readings. I left the week with my spirits bolstered and with warm feelings about the vibrant Ashland theater community. I also must mention the beautiful and bountiful gift bags we received upon arrival! Thank you to everyone who makes this week possible and hope to see you all again soon!
Emily Feldman
Go. Please. Go., ANPF 2017
Callie Kimball
My time in Ashland was meaningful and productive, as well as a ton of fun! It was great to be in the room with such generous theater artists, who all worked hard to bring my play to gorgeous life. A huge part of what made the week so worthwhile was connecting with my fellow playwrights and spending time with my director talking about process and our respective experiences. I felt thoroughly supported through the entire week and am so grateful for the many resources I was given. I hope I can return one day!
Callie Kimball
Sofonisba, ANPF 2017
Michael Gotch
New plays need ears to hear them, and the ANPF audience–made up of passionate readers, committed board members, industry professionals and a host of savvy theatre goers–were enthusiastic, insightful, and supportive listeners.
It's not every day as a playwright you encounter such an energized and smart group of people who have dedicated themselves to giving new works the best possible debut. Their contribution to my own work and the work we all do in keeping theatre vital and relevant cannot be overstated.
Michael Gotch
Starter Pistol, ANPF 2019
Thank You to Our Grantors
