“The future grows out of the present while the present seeps up out of the past. The choices we make today describe the theater we’ll have tomorrow. Process is everything, and the outcome can’t be predicted.”
– Zelda Fichandler

The mission of Moving Arts’s MADlab is to foster new and producible scripts by creating a unique environment of support and collaboration with professional Los Angeles playwrights, dramaturges, directors, and actors. Moving Arts is paving the way for MADlab to become the most well respected and highly competitive new play development program in Los Angeles. MADlab is a unique 9 month program that focuses on the development of new plays from the idea up.

Each selected playwright:

  • Will receive feedback from respondents, other professionals in the field, at each stage of the process
  • Will be given two cold readings of their scripts that will include curated and focused feedback sessions
  • Will have a 15 hour workshop period with professional actors and a director that specializes in new play development
  • Will receive a final public reading of their play at the First Look Reading Series

Dana Schwartz is the MADlab Program Director.

Key respondents include Moving Arts’ Artistic Director Darin Anthony and many MADLab Alumni.

 

From MADLab to World Premiere

 

MADLab World Premieres – Moving Arts:

MY WHITE HUSBAND – Leviticus Jelks (Cohort 2022) – Moving Arts 2024

RESET – Howard Ho (Cohort 2020) – Moving Arts 2023

APOCALYPSE PLAY – Cory Hinkle (Cohort 2016) – Moving Arts 2017

BURNERS – Terence Anthony (Cohort 2014) – Moving Arts 2017

 

MADLab World Premieres – Other Theatres:

A HOME WHAT HOWLS – Matthew Paul Olmos (Cohort 2021) – Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, 2024; Milagro Theatre, Portland OR, 2024

ROBBIN, FROM THE HOOD – Marlow Wyatt (Cohort 2019) – The Road Theater, Los Angeles, 2024

WHAT HAPPENED WHILE HERO WAS DEAD – Meghan Brown (Cohort 2019) – University of Oklahoma, 2023; Southern Oregon University, 2024; Raven’s Feather, Montana, 2024

THIS IS ONLY A TEST – Eric Reyes Loo (Cohort 2015) – Broken Nose, Chicago, 2022

AMERICA ADJACENT- Boni Alvarez (Cohort 2016) – Playwrights Arena, Los Angeles, 2019

HAMMER – Macada Declet (Cohort 2017) – Hollywood Fringe Festival, Los Angeles, 2018

 

 

MADLab: Further Development at Other Theatres & Festivals of Note:

NEVER SAY DIE -Jennifer Bobiwash (Cohort 2023) – Native Voices, Autry Museum, Los Angeles, 2024

REIGN OF TERROR – Matthew Doherty (Cohort 2023) – Open Fist First Look Festival, Los Angeles, 2024

THE ABUNDANCE – Chelsea Sutton (Cohort 2023) – Kayenta New Play Lab, Ivins, UT, 2024

EMBERS BORNE WEST – Maddox K. Pennington (Cohort 2022) – First Storytellers Festival, Boulder, CO, 2024

A HOME WHAT HOWLS – Matthew Paul Olmos (Cohort 2021) – Ojai Playwrights Festival, 2022

STAINS – Sarah Cho (Cohort 2021) – Ashland New Play Festival, 2022;  Great Plains Theatre Conference, 2022

WHAT HAPPENED WHILE HERO WAS DEAD – Meghan Brown (Cohort 2019) – Ashland New Play Festival, 2022; Great Plains Theatre Conference, Omaha, NE, 2022

MODEL MINORITY – Chloe Hung (Cohort 2017) – IAMA Theater, Los Angeles, 2024; Banff Playwrights Lab, 2023

SISTERS THREE – Jami Brandli -Workshop (Cohort 2014) – Inkwell, Los Angeles, 2018

 

This program is funded in part by our grant partners:

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