City Lit Theater Company seeks submissions to
The Art of Adaptation
The ninth annual festival of stage adaptations of non-dramatic literature
$500 Cash Prize
City Lit Theater will present The Art of Adaptation festival on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 15, 16, 17, 2016 and is currently soliciting for pieces for the festival.
City Lit staff will select 6 to 10 adaptations, each of which are given two performances over the course of the weekend with performances on Friday and Saturday night and a marathon of all pieces on Sunday. A panel of judges will view the Sunday performances and award a $500 cash prize to the adaptor of the piece judged the best of the festival. The Art of Adaptation takes place at City Lit Theater, in the historic Edgewater Presbyterian Church building at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue.
To submit a proposal for entry into the festival, send a .pdf copy of your adaptation script to Katy Nielsen at
AofA@citylit.org. Proposals must be submitted no later than May 16. Selections will be announced by May 30.
For over thirty-six years, City Lit Theater has been “dedicated to the vitality and accessibility of the literary imagination. City Lit produces theatrical adaptations of literary material, scripted plays by language-oriented playwrights, and original material."
THE RULES:
1. The piece must be 20 minutes or less. If it exceeds the 20-minute limit, it will not be eligible for the prize.
2. The piece must be an adaptation of non-dramatic material—a short story, an essay, a memoir, poetry, an excerpt from a novel, a video game, and so forth; but not material from a play.
3. The piece must be a world premiere adaptation.
4. The adaptor is responsible for any royalties that are due for the piece, as well as for any rehearsal or production expenses. City Lit does not provide rehearsal space prior to tech rehearsal, and does not provide the services of a director or any actors.
5. The piece submitted must be the piece performed - no drastic changes can be made to the script after it is accepted.
6. Each piece selected will be performed on the same simple festival set with the same simple light plot. A stock of furniture will be provided. The adaptor is responsible for all scenic elements, furniture, costumes, etc.
7. City Lit has a stock of furniture, costumes and props that is available to adaptors. Adaptors must provide a $20 deposit for any stock used. The deposit will be returned in full when all items are properly returned.
8. City Lit will provide the performance space, festival stage lighting, backstage and front-of-house crew, publicity, programs, tickets and the $500 cash prize.
