
My son is an up and coming playwright. This is not just my biased opinion. He won a national playwriting competition and is at this moment in Washington DC at the Kennedy Center with seven other playwrights who were chosen for this year’s MFA competition. He will work with professional directors and actors to workshop and revise it and at the end of the week a staged reading will be presented to representatives of professional theater companies. This a collaboration between the Kennedy Center, the National New Plays Network, and Standford University's National Center for New Plays. And it’s a big deal.
There were over 95 submissions accepted, each was initially read by four readers who were given this criteria:
The readers were encouraged to look for voices that stuck with them—exciting, envelope-pushing—but more importantly, long after you’ve read this play, something about it tickles you; something about it grabbed onto you. (from interview with organizer Gregg Henry)
My son learned he won two days before we flew out to see my niece Damina for the last time. During his visit he didn’t mention it. Later I told my brother and her husband and they were amazed he didn’t say anything. I wasn’t. Damina was dying from brain cancer and she was a young, up and coming artist too. He’s sensitive, and compassionate, and has an elegant sense of timing.
Good qualities for a playwright, even better qualities for a human being.
My son is Nathan Alan Davis, and one day the world will know his name. That is my entirely biased opinion.
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While, I don't expect anyone else to be quite as excited about this as I am, here are some additional links. When I tell people things like this I always feel as if I need to show proof because I used to make up a lot of stories:
This first one is his own website. If you look under "plays" the first one listed, "The Wind and the Breeze", is the play that was accepted for the competition. The setting is our city. Not having read it yet, I don't know if that will be appreciated.
http://www.howlround.com/interview-with-gregg-henry-by-jason-king-jones/
http://www.nnpn.org/prog_workshop.php


Salon.com
Comments
CONGRATULATIONS, NATHAN!
CONGRATULATIONS, MUM!
Sharon, how exciting and wonderful, I'm happy to hear your wonderful news!
Lezlie
i was impressed with his bio. actor and playwright makes a good combo i have always felt. extra good playwriting from appreciating the acting dimension. understudied at Steppenwolf, too.
take care. thanks for sharing this. best, libby
Hope the stomach issues are better.
R
R♥