Please Read These Directions Carefully BEFORE Completing the Application. Note: this application cannot be saved.
The Civilians R&D Group is comprised of theater artists from various disciplines (writers, directors, composers, performance, etc.) interested in exploring different strategies for making theater from their own creative investigations and being a part of The Civilians' community of artists.
The R&D Group is organized around the idea of investigative theater, which we broadly define as any creative process of inquiry that feeds the creation of a performative work. Methods may include research, a community-based focus, interviews, or other experimental strategies of the artist's design. The artists meet on a regular basis for nine months to share their methodologies and the resulting work with the group. These meetings are facilitated by the R&D Program Director. The generative artists in the group (writers, composers, etc.) are expected to attend all 12 sessions; regular attendance is critical and should be considered when applying.
The intention of the group is that each generative artist or team will finish a draft for a public work-in-progress showing by May 2020. New plays receive 10 hours of rehearsal while musicals recieve up to 15 hours in advance of the showing. These sessions are focused on the writer’s self-stated developmental goals. Given the nature of the process, it is understood that these drafts will be in various stages of development when they are presented.
Additionally, directors are chosen to complete the group. Those writers/generative artists who do not apply with a director will be paired with one by the R&D Progam Director. Directors are invited to meetings, but not expected to attend all. Once paired, directors will work with writers and cast and direct the final work-in-progress showing.
To apply for the 2019-2020 R&D Group all applicants must complete the online application below.
Additional Instructions for Writers/Composers/Generative Artists:
In the box for your CV or BIO: please upload a one paragraph bio.
In the box for your STATEMENT: please upload a one to two paragraph proposal for an investigative project to be developed in the group that includes some thoughts as to why you are interested in working on this project in this particular group. Please also very briefly describe how you plan to execute your investigation.
The project may already be in process or be completely new; however, it is important that the artist has the intention to be actively developing the work during the period of the group. A collaborative team of two people or more may apply together (writer and composer, for example), but in such cases, each artist must commit to full participation and must submit separate applications. Also please outline your expected availability from September 2019 to May 2020.
In the box for your SAMPLE: Please upload a full-length script that you feel is representative of your work if you are a writer or three mp3s for musical submissions if you are a composer. If you are a performance artist and do not feel a script best represents your work, you may share a link to a video performance in addition to uploading text.
Additional Instructions for Directors:
In the box for your BIO or RESUME: please upload your resume.
In the box for your STATEMENT: please upload a one paragraph statement discussing what you hope to get out of being a member of the group. Also please outline your expected availability from September 2019 to May 2020.