Bloomington Playwrights Project facts for kids

The Bloomington Playwrights Project (BPP) is a special arts group in Bloomington, Indiana. It's a non-profit, meaning it uses its money to support its goals, not to make a profit. The BPP's main goal is to help create and show brand-new plays and theater shows. They only put on plays that have never been seen before! The BPP also runs contests for writers and offers classes to teach people about writing plays and acting.

History of the BPP

The Bloomington Playwrights Project was started in 1979 by two people, Tom Moseman and Jim Leonard. They wanted to create a place for local writers to show their plays. This new theater would be different from what was offered at Indiana University.

The very first plays they put on were made with little money and in a short amount of time. Some of these early shows included And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson by Jim Leonard. Soon, the BPP became known as a unique theater. It was the only one in Indiana, and one of only a few in the whole country, that focused only on new plays.

Playwriting Contests

In 1993, a kind supporter named Reva Shiner helped start an annual play contest. It was called the Reva Shiner Full Length Play Contest. Writers from all over the country sent in their scripts. Both famous and new playwrights took part. The winner of this contest gets money and their play is fully produced on stage.

The first winner was Glenn Alterman with his play Nobody’s Flood. Other winning plays have included Medea With Child by Janet Burroway and Outrage by Itamar Moses. Many of these winning plays have gone on to win even more awards and be shown in other theaters.

The Woodward/Newman Drama Award

In 2010, a new contest for serious plays was created. This was the Woodward/Newman Drama Award. It's a special honor given by the Bloomington Playwrights Project. The award is supported by the Newman's Own Foundation. It remembers the many great plays that Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman acted in together. The winner of this award receives $3,000 and their play is performed as part of the BPP’s main season.

Famous Playwrights and Shows

Many talented playwrights have had their work shown at the BPP. These include writers like Israel Horovitz, Wendy MacLeod, and Craig Wright. The BPP has helped many new and established voices share their stories on stage.

Theater Spaces and Programs

The BPP first started performing in a simple "black box" theater. This is a plain room that can be set up in many ways for different plays. Now, the BPP has two theater spaces. These are the Timothy J. Wiles mainstage and the Lora Shiner Studio.

The BPP puts on a full season of plays for people who buy tickets for the whole year. In the past, they have also offered many other programs. These included a drama school for actors and a festival just for children's plays. They also hosted comedy groups and late-night theater shows. In 2006, a grant helped them put on a festival of plays by Latino and Latina writers.