Jacqueline E. Lawton
  • Home
  • Info
    • Artistic Statement
    • Bio
    • Awards and Fellowships
    • Affiliations
  • Writing
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
    • Plays
    • Productions
    • Commissions
    • Award Ceremonies
    • Publications
  • Advocacy
    • Appearances
    • Facilitation, Workshops, and Trainings
    • Access, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the American Theatre
    • Gender Equity
    • Theatre and Technology
    • Theatre Action >
      • After Orlando
      • Climate Change
      • Every 28 Hour Plays
    • Testimonials
    • Additional Resources
  • Dramaturgy
    • New Play Development
    • Production Dramaturgy
    • Dramaturgy and Script Consultation
    • Additional Resources
  • Teaching
    • Qualifications
    • Curriculum Development, Theatre Arts Integration and Teaching Artist Training
    • Philosophy
    • Experience
  • Producing
    • ARDEO
    • On Stage with the Migration Series
    • Out of Silence: Abortion Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign
  • Media
    • Gallery
    • Good Ink
    • Media Coverage
    • Interviews
    • Press Releases
    • Podcast & Video
  • Blog
  • Contact

Women Playwrights of DC: Jennifer L. Nelson

8/23/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Jacqueline Lawton: How long have you lived and worked as a playwright in DC? What brought you here? Why have you stayed?
Jennifer L. Nelson:
I came to Washington in 1972 to work with the Living Stage Theatre Company (LSTC), which was the community outreach program of Arena Stage.  LSTC was completely improvisational and devoted to the mission of making art that would make a difference in the lives of children and adults, who had been left out of the middle class vision of America. I had done a little playwriting in grad school (before I dropped out), but had no real intention of becoming a playwright.  In truth, I was much more focused on using theatre to save the world than on any personal theatre-related goals.  Ah, youth! Over the years, LSTC became interested in preserving some of our best improvised scenes and I became the designated scripter.  Eventually, I began writing short plays that were completely of my own devising, customized for LSTC’s social mission and cast.  Since then, I have left DC twice (first to NYC, then to LA) and each time came back for personal and professional reasons.  It’s been a good place for me. As Kurt Vonnegut wrote “wherever you go, there you are.”  

JL: Have you ever been a member of a DC area playwrights writing group? If so, did you find it useful? Would you recommend that other playwrights join them?
JLN:
I have not been part of any playwrights’ writing group.  I used to be a poet and I was part of a poet’s group for a while which was insightful.  I was more involved with the local women’s poetry community than I have ever been with the playwrighting community.  Go figure.  

JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Theatre Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience?
JLN:
I have had two plays read in the Page-to Stage Festival.  It is a good opportunity to hear one’s script in front of an objective audience, but there does not ipso facto guarantee you’ll have an audience other than your friends.  My play 24, 7, 365 was produced by Theater of the First Amendment and featured as part of the Intersections Festival. Once I became a small theatre producer, much of my focus turned to directing and supporting/developing the work of other writers. I produced plays that went to the Black Theatre Festival and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival.  I’m very proud of my record of producing work of young writers. After the production of my play that got the Helen Hayes MacArthur Award (Torn From the Headlines) most my artistic energies were outer-directed and my own work took a waaaay back seat.  

JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your writing?
JLN:
I am currently Director of Special Programs at Ford’s Theatre.  Before that, I was Producing Artistic Director of African Continuum Theatre (ACTCo).  I also am a freelance director and have been an adjunct professor at American University, George Washington University, Georgetown University and (upcoming) University of Maryland College Park.  I do not teach playwriting.  

JL: How many plays have you had produced in the DC area? Were any of these plays self-produced? If so, where and what did you learn from that experience?
JLN: I’ve never had a full length play produced anywhere else. Torn from the Headlines was “semi-self” produced. It was a co-pro of an earlier version of African Continuum and Everyday Theatre, a now defunct social outreach arts organization where I was then employed. Then Hubert & Charlie was produced through what later became African Continuum.  What did I learn? Don’t self produce if you can help it. Of course, it can be done, but the writer is better served if there is a trusted, supportive and objective eye.  There is so much more to producing than putting your script into actors’ hands.  

JL: If you could be produced at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why?
JLN:
... I prefer not to have those fantasies.  

JL: DC audiences are ...
JLN: ...responsive to diversity on stage.  

JL: DC actors, designers and directors are ...
JLN: …smart, talented, ambitious, multi-generational, creative.  

JL: DC critics are ...
JLN: ...a necessary adjunct to The Way Things Are.  

JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to get your work produced on the main stages?
JLN:  In my long career here, the theatre community has made huge steps in terms of inclusion of ethnic diversity on stages especially in terms of actors.  A prime example is how August Wilson’s popularity opened a door in so-called mainstream theatres for plays about the African American stories. Not surprisingly, most of Wilson’s characters are male.  Big steps followed by smaller steps.

The DC theatre community is not too different from the national theatre community in this. Issues of race and gender are mostly addressed on stage in vehicles that are profitable for the theatres.  For example, when a high profile playwright or actor is attached to a piece of work, it will jump to the top of the desirability chart.  If a play is a big hit in New York, the larger regionals will pile on to bring that play to their communities. The playwrights may or may not be brilliant, but what is really at stake is theatres’ bottom line. They’d be foolish not to pick plays that have the most likelihood of selling tickets.

Of course, there are exceptions to this: theatres that were willing to take risks based on their own values. We’re seeing some really wonderful and daring new work in smaller theatres that don’t have as much at risk. Unfortunately, they also don’t pay as big royalties. It would be convenient to blame the relative invisibility of my own work on race and gender bias but who knows?   

JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based playwright or a playwright who has just moved to D.C.?
JLN:
Write what’s in your heart and don’t pin your identity on what anybody else thinks.  

JL: What's next for you as a playwright? Where can we keep up with your work?
JLN: I’m interested in writing about baseball and slavery.  I don’t know what's next. You can visit my website: jenniferlnelson.net
1 Comment
Denise Hart link
8/23/2012 02:17:18 am

Thanks for sharing your insights Jennifer!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    My Blog

    Picture
    I'm a playwright, dramaturg, and teaching artist. It is here where you'll find my queries and musings on life, theater and the world. My posts advocate for diversity, inclusion, and equity in the American Theatre and updates on my own work. Please enjoy!
    Tweets by @dulcia25

    Categories

    All
    Advocates For Youth
    ARDEO
    Blackbirds
    Dance Exchange
    Dc Theatre
    Diversity And Inclusion
    Dramatist Guild
    Gender Parity
    Intelligence
    Lions Of Industry
    LoTT
    Love Brothers Serenade
    Mothers Of Invention
    Musings
    Nnpn
    Noms De Guerre
    Nso
    Our Man Beverly Snow
    Plays For Two
    TCG
    Theatre Education
    Theatre For Social Change
    The Hampton Years
    The Inferior Sex
    Triangle Theatre
    Wizard Of Oz
    Women Artistic Directors
    Women Directors
    Women Dramaturgs
    Women Playwrights
    Women Stage Managers
    Women Theatre Critics
    Xx Playlab Festival

    Archives

    June 2020
    April 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    August 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012

    Reading List
    2am Theatre
    American Theatre Wing

    Americans for the Arts
    The Atlantic
    Black Girl Dangerous
    Colorlines
    Feminist Crunk Collective
    Feminist Spectator

    The Good Men Project
    Guardian: Theatre
    Guernica
    HowlRound
    Media Diversified
    The Nation
    NEA Art Works
    NPR Arts and Life
    NYTimes: Arts

    Opine Season
    The New Yorker
    The Paris Review

    Salon
    Theater Talks
    Think Progress
    WaPo: Theatre
    Works by Women

    Vox

  • Home
  • Info
    • Artistic Statement
    • Bio
    • Awards and Fellowships
    • Affiliations
  • Writing
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
    • Plays
    • Productions
    • Commissions
    • Award Ceremonies
    • Publications
  • Advocacy
    • Appearances
    • Facilitation, Workshops, and Trainings
    • Access, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the American Theatre
    • Gender Equity
    • Theatre and Technology
    • Theatre Action >
      • After Orlando
      • Climate Change
      • Every 28 Hour Plays
    • Testimonials
    • Additional Resources
  • Dramaturgy
    • New Play Development
    • Production Dramaturgy
    • Dramaturgy and Script Consultation
    • Additional Resources
  • Teaching
    • Qualifications
    • Curriculum Development, Theatre Arts Integration and Teaching Artist Training
    • Philosophy
    • Experience
  • Producing
    • ARDEO
    • On Stage with the Migration Series
    • Out of Silence: Abortion Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign
  • Media
    • Gallery
    • Good Ink
    • Media Coverage
    • Interviews
    • Press Releases
    • Podcast & Video
  • Blog
  • Contact