Playmarket

Playmarket is a not-for-profit organisation providing script advisory services, representation for playwrights in New Zealand and access to New Zealand plays.

Playmarket was founded in 1973 to encourage the professional production of New Zealand plays. The organisation now represents a substantial majority of New Zealand theatrical writers. Playmarket is also a script development service and a publisher of plays.[1]

History

Playmarket was founded by Robert Lord,[2] Nonnita Rees, Judy Russell and Ian Fraser, initially as a script reading service. During the first eighteen months of the organisation, Playmarket licensed a total of 15 productions. In 2013 Playmarket issued more than 400 performance licences annually both in New Zealand and around the world.[3][4]

Registering as a non-profit making incorporated society in 1975, the membership of the Society now meets annually to review activities, receive the annual reports and elect a board. During the year the board meets to determine policy, establish budgets and monitor the activities of the organisation. Playmarket receives core funding from Creative New Zealand.[3]

Activities

As well as received scripts a year, Playmarket also promotes plays and playwrights and runs clinics and masterclasses for new and emerging playwrights.[4] Playmarket also publishes a magazine called Playmarket Annual. The magazine includes a review of the previous year of theatrical activity in New Zealand. Playmarket sells published New Zealand plays. The bookshop is available online at their website which also provides profiles of New Zealand playwrights and titles. The bookshop also has a database of unpublished scripts. Many of the scripts have flexible cast numbers and suitable for schools and students.[1]

Client services

Playmarket services for their playwright clients include;

  • Promotion and circulation of scripts to potential directors and producers both in New Zealand and overseas
  • Monitoring the collection and distribution of royalty payments
  • Negotiation of all contracts and commissions
  • Troubleshooting, support and advocacy during production
  • Copyright advice
  • Collection of scripts, biographies and production information
  • Priority eligibility for script development, publication, conferences and special events[1]

Membership

For an annual fee people can become members of Playmarket.

Awards

Playmarket administers annual playwriting which are awarded in a ceremony each year. One of these is the Adam NZ Play Award for a previously unproduced new play and has a number of categories.[5][6] There is also the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award, won in 2021 by Nathan Joe.

Two other competitions are run: Playwrights b4 25 in partnership with Auckland Live and Plays for the Young in three categories of plays written for 3-8 years, 8-12 years and teenagers. Both these awards are judged by a panel.[7]

Published playwrights

Client writers and published playwrights include Roger Hall, Hone Kouka, Renee, Dave Armstrong (playwright), Gary Henderson (playwright), Jean Betts, Michelanne Forster, Robert Lord (playwright), Bruce Mason, Ken Duncum, David Geary, Alison Quigan.

See also

References
  1. Playmarket Annual. 4 May 2016.
  2. "Inside the Dunedin's Robert Lord Writers Cottage, the small home where writers get big ideas". thisNZlife. 2019-11-15. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  3. Playmarket 40. Playmarket. 2013. ISBN 978-0-908607-45-7.
  4. "Founders of Playmarket Honoured". Creative New Zealand. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  5. "ADAM NZ PLAY AWARD – 2021 Winners from Playmarket". New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  6. "Adam NZ Play Award". Creative Writing NZ. 2020-04-09. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  7. "Plays for the Young Competition". The Big Idea. 2020-07-07. Retrieved 2022-03-08.

Further reference
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