WS Chronicle

In order to ensure that the stories of our Black Appalachian communities are told on our stages, the iconic Barter Theatre, Abingdon, Virginia, has created the Black in Appalachia Initiative (BIAI), which involves actively seeking out Black Appalachian plays and playwrights. The BIAI Monologue competition hopes to connect Black playwrights (wherever they are located) with stories from Black Appalachian communities so that we can:

*Create monologues that can be developed into full-length plays

*Create/produce a canon of work that explores the Black Appalachian experience, both past and present

*Establish and cultivate relationships with Black playwrights and other Black theatre artists

*Give our audience accessibility to a new perspective on life in Appalachia

Submission Guidelines:

*Playwright must be Black

*Monologues must be written using these prompts:  https://bartertheatre.com/app/uploads/2022/07/BIAI-MONOLOGUE-PROMPTS_2022.pdf

*Monologues must be 5-7 minutes in length (190 words = 1 minute)

*Monologues must be submitted electronically

Please submit monologues to: tjackson@bartertheatre.com

Deadline for submission: December 1, 2022

Five monologues will be selected to be performed at “SHINE: Illuminating Black Stories” during Barter’s Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights (February 2023 – date TBD).

The five winning playwrights will each receive a stipend of $300 plus housing to attend the performances. For those playwrights unable to attend, they will receive a video link to the evening’s performances.

For more information about the Barter, please visit www.bartertheatre.com.