The O’Neill Festival of New Works
a festival for dramatists created by
Provincetown Dramatic Arts
Autumn 2024 marks the second year of the O’Neill Festival of New Works. And just like last year’s festival, this one is devoted to the development of new dramatic works written by Cape Cod playwrights.
The festival is the brainchild of Margaret Van Sant, the Producing Artistic Director of Provincetown Dramatic Arts. The O’Neill Festival of New Works is named after Eugene O’Neill, the Nobel-prize-winning dramatist who got his start in Provincetown with the original Provincetown Players.
A New Theatrical Approach on the Outer Cape
Inspired by the creative community of Provincetown and the comraderie of other playwrights, Eugene O’Neill changed the American theater with work that began on the Outer Cape. More than 100 years later, another group of playwrights have found inspiration with each other and in the marvelous mix that is still Provincetown. Please join us in the process as four Outer Cape playwrights workshop four new full length plays. Each play will be presented as a staged reading the first weekend, playwrights will revise their plays during the week based on audience feedback, and new versions will be presented as staged readings the second weekend.
The four dramatists Van Sant chose to participate in the festival all have connections to Provincetown and Cape Cod. Three of them have had success with producing their work on the national - and in some cases international - stage. They are Jim Dalglish, Candace Perry, and Margaret Van Sant herself. The fourth playwright – Joe MacDougall – is well known to Cape Cod audiences as one of our most celebrated actors. Provincetown Dramatic Arts is thrilled to include the first full-length play Joe has written in this year’s festival.
Engaging Dramaturges
Each playwright will work with a dramaturge to help them examine and explore their plays. Theatres and playwrights have used dramaturges since the 1700s. Dramaturges are often seen as the scientists of the theatre world. They examine multiple aspects of a play - the thematic underpinnings, the writing style, the historical background of plays based on real characters, the accuracy of the play’s setting, the overall context from within the play is written, etc.
The opportunity for playwrights to explore their plays and musicals with a dramaturge is another unique characteristic of The O’Neill Festival of New Work. Stay tuned for the list of dramaturges that will be engaged in this year’s featival.
How It All Works
The playwrights will work with their directors and dramaturges prior to the festival to discuss and make refinements to their scripts.
Each play/musical will hold two rehearsals with the actors. To explore how to get the play up on its feat - scripts in hand - in front of an audience.
Each playwright will be given two opportunities to present their plays/musicals in front of a live audience.
The public performances will be script in hand, with minimal blocking, followed by an audience discussion lead by the dramaturges.
Playwrights will have the opportunity take advantage of the audience feedback to re-write and refine scenes and present their fresh takes for their second readings.
Directors
Stay tuned for the list of directors who will be included in the festival.
Reading Details
Venue - Staged readings will take place in Provincetown in the 2nd-floor studio of WOMR.
Admission Price - The price to attend individual readings will be $20.00. A festival pass to attend all the readings will be $40.00.
Tickets - Tickets and passes may be purchased at the door or online at www.ptowndramaticarts.org.
Festival Schedule (by play)
Temporary Land Masses
by Joe MacDougall
Directed by Austin Jennings Boykin
Dramaturge: Sinan Unel
30 years after a tragedy upends their lives, a group of friends grapple with life and all its disappointments and potential. A new play by Joe MacDougall.
Sat., Oct. 5 at 2pm, WOMR
Sun., Oct. 13 at 7pm, WOMR
White Gays
by Jim Dalglish
Directed by Frank Vasello
Dramaturge: David Johnston
The lives of six gay men of a certain age are turned upside down when a Gen-Zer with an agenda crashes their dinner party.
Sat., Oct. 5 at 7pm, WOMR
Sun., Oct. 13 at 2pm, WOMR
Jule’s Song
A new play with music by Candace Perry
Directed by Art Devine
Dramaturge: Rita M. Bleiman
Jule Colton dreams of performing in a famous country music club, but her husband, daughter, and guitar player – along with her own doubts – threaten to stand in her way.
Sun., Oct. 6 at 2pm, WOMR
Mon., Oct. 14 (Indigenous Peoples’ Day) at 2pm, WOMR
Goody - The Witch of Eastham
by Margaret Van Sant
Music by Clyde Shelby Mellert and Margaret Van Sant
Directed by John Shuman
Dramaturge: Marjorie Duffield
Healer or Harlot? A new musical take on the legend of Goody Hallett
Sun., Oct. 6 at 7pm, WOMR
Mon., Oct. 14 (Indigenous Peoples’ Day) at 7pm, WOMR
Festival Schedule (Sequential)
Saturday, October 5, 2024
Temporary Land Masses by Joe MacDougall
Sat., Oct. 5 at 2pm, WOMR
White Gays by Jim Dalglish
Sat., Oct. 5 at 7pm, WOMR
Sunday, October 6
Jule’s Song by Candace Perry
Sun., Oct. 6 at 2pm, WOMR
Goody - The Witch of Eastham
Sun., Oct. 6 at 7pm, WOMR
Sunday, October 13, 2024
White Gays by Jim Dalglish
Sun., Oct. 13 at 2pm, WOMR
Temporary Land Masses by Joe MacDougall
Sun., Oct. 13 at 7pm, WOMR
Monday, October 14 (Indigenous Peoples’ Day)
Jule’s Song by Candace Perry
Mon., Oct. 14 at 2pm, WOMR
Goody - The Witch of Eastham
Mon., Oct. 14 at 7pm, WOMR
Provincetown Community Compact
Provincetown Dramatic Arts is a project of the Provincetown Community Compact.
Sponsors
The O’Neill Festival of New Works is sponsored by the following: WOMR Radio, Mass Cultural Council, Provincetown Dental Arts and Dr. Scott A. Allegretti, D.D.S., Provincetown Economic Development Committee, Visitor’s Services Board Office of Tourism.
Illustration Credit
Poster image used with permission of the illustrator - Bill Evaul.