COMING TO DALLAS-FORT WORTH SEPTEMBER 9-15

Building on the success of our Summer Theater Festivals in New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, SheDFW will bring our mission and vision to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Texas artists have always made up a large portion of our nationwide script submissions, so we’re bringing the Festival to you! We can’t wait to see what women, trans, & non-binary voices of Texas bring to the stage September 9-15, 2024.

We’re thrilled to be partnering with Fort Worth-based producer Sarah Powell, who will take on the Executive Producer role of SheDFW, in partnership with Associate Producer Rebecca Lowrey, the newly appointed CEO of MusicalWriters.com. Under their leadership, SheDFW promises to be an electric addition to the SheNYC Arts family.

The introduction of SheDFW follows the proud legacy of SheLA and SheATL, underlining SheNYC Arts as the beacon for gender-marginalized talents in the theater world.

Follow SheDFW on Instagram here!

CASTING NOTICE

Some of our Festival shows are now casting! Read over the show summaries and casting notices below, and then click here to submit your materials to be considered for casting. If the show’s creative team is interested in scheduling you for an in-person audition, they will reach out to you directly. Please note that only the shows with the “Casting Notice” button are currently casting.

APPLY FOR CASTING HERE

MEET THE SHOWS

The performance schedule will be announced in July! Check back then to get your tickets.

for bo

By Ayvaunn Penn

Inspired by the real-life murder of Botham Jean that took place in Dallas, TX, FOR BO unpacks the unfortunate tragedy that befalls the Jones family when brother and son Bo Jones is murdered in his own home by police officer Amy Guy. Through contemporary free verse poetry, rhythm, percussion, and dance this fictional narrative explores the social issues that lead to Bo Jones’ death and how society, particularly the black community, grapples with the resulting trauma. Most of all, FOR BO reminds us that each thought and action has the power to change tomorrow for worse or for better.

BO art by Brian Dickson Jr.

CASTING NOTICE

the martyr

By Leo Rodriguez

1959: Priscilla has grown up a ward of the nuns of Saint Catherine’s Academy, and she’s desperately seeking a divine purpose in life — and reeling from her feelings for another girl. Scrappy, genderqueer Sky has been sent to Saint Catherine’s by parents trying to literally straighten them out. When Priscilla thwarts Sky’s attempt to escape the Academy, the two accidentally awaken the ghost of a student who died on campus decades prior. Attempting to set her to rest and solve the mystery of her death, they uncover secrets about the school that shake Priscilla’s faith — and form an unexpected connection.

CASTING NOTICE

olivia o, a new musical

Book & Lyrics by Jessica Carmona & Diane Currie Sam

Music by Gil Yaron

Additional Music by Angela Ortiz

Set in El Paso, Texas, Olivia O is the story of a 14-year-old girl who is separated from her mother at the US/Mexican border and sent to an abusive foster home, and her aunt who builds a community of support and activism in an effort to find her. Will she be able to reunite this family separated by cruel immigration policies?

CASTING NOTICE

under the jello mold

Written and Performed by Jennie Fahn

Jennie’s mom was not your typical Jewish mother. A trained dancer, she lived life with vigor – expressing herself freely, wherever she went, making herself the life of the party at every turn. But the brightest flame often burns those it touches. Jennie is left to handle her mom in her final months. When the truth behind her mom’s toughness is revealed, will love win out? Under the Jello Mold is roller-coaster comedy that packs an emotional punch.

About the SheDFW Theater Festival

what’s the festival timeline?

Script submissions were due March 1 at 11:59pm.

The Inaugural SheDFW Theater Festival will take place September 9-15, 2024 at Lyric Stage.

what is a theater festival?

The typical theater festival is an opportunity for playwrights to self-produce their work in full onstage, for a paying audience. Festivals have multiple shows which all share resources (like the theater itself, front-of-house staff and supplies, and technical equipment), making the process far less expensive for everyone than producing your show in full on your own. If you’ve done readings already and feel like you’re ready to take the next step of seeing your piece fully staged, a festival is probably the right fit for you!

how is sheDFW different?

We pride ourselves on providing more for less. As a non-profit, we’re able to charge no participation fee, and you get the full SheDFW staff on your team to help produce your show with you!

We take care of most of the logistics, so you can focus on the creative parts of producing your show.

what do you get as a part of the festival?

SheDFW provides to its selected playwrights:

Theater rental for tech/performances and all of the technical equipment and insurance that goes along with it
A director
Free rehearsal space
Some basic shared set pieces
$250 for you to use toward paying your actors or other creative personnel
$250 to use toward costumes and props
A sound designer and lighting designer who will design all the shows in the Festival
A Production Manager for your time in the theater who will run tech & performances
A marketing & advertising strategy for the festival as a whole
Production photography & videography
The Festival producing team to help guide you through the process
Front of house and box office staff; we manage the ticketing system
A lifelong community of artists to support you going forward!

Additionally, of the 3 shows we select to be a part of the Festival, we plan to select one musical. That musical will be sponsored by MusicalWriters.com, enabling us to provide:

A music director and performance pianist, potentially including a band depending on the musical style of the show accepted
A choreographer, if needed
The support of the team behind MusicalWriters.com!

what do you need to provide as a part of the festival?

You’re the lead producer on your own show, so you pull together your team and everything that the festival doesn’t provide. This includes:

Any rehearsal space you may need outside of what we provide
Any set, props, or costume pieces outside of what we provide
You make your own casting decisions and hire your actors (though we’ll help with this by setting up a group audition day)
“Elbow grease” marketing – while we advertise the festival as a whole, you should promote your individual show and make sure your networks know about it
A stage manager for your rehearsal process, if you feel you need one

who can apply?

Anyone in the U.S. can apply, but preference will be given to Texas-based artists.

What kind of shows we accept:

Full-lengths only (running time between 1 and 2 hours)
Plays, musicals, or adaptations
The writing team must be at least 50% marginalized genders (cis women, trans men and women, and non-binary people)
You must own all the rights to the material within your script

What kind of shows we do not accept:

Short plays or short musicals (less than one hour)
Pieces that are adapted from works that are not public domain or that you can’t prove you have the rights to produce

Help Launch the SheDFW Festival

We can’t do this without your help. Donate to SheDFW and become one of our inaugural supporters!

Get Involved

Want to be involved in the inaugural SheDFW Theater Festival? We’d love to hear from you! We hope to make this a truly community event, so encourage DFW-based artists, arts adminstrators, and organizations to reach out by signing up below, or emailing DFW@shenycarts.org.