Sportaculture: Where Theatre Meets Sports

Sportaculture III

2012-01-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

The Gridiron, Adventures from the Sideline
Playwright: Thembi Duncan
Director: Amber Jackson Dramaturg: Jacob Hellman
Actors: Carl Brandt Long (Art), Natalie Tucker (Fitch), Manu Kumasi (Jonesy), Grace Overbeke (Duggie)

Year of the Terrapin
Playwright: Evan Crump Director: Andrew Wassernich Dramaturg: Sabrina Dixon
Jake -- Dylan Hintz (Jake), David Winkler (Dave), Julie Roundtree (Alice), Chris Buchanan (Aaron), and Derek Jones (Mike)

Hoya Saxa
Playwright: Rich Espey Director: Bob Bartlett Dramaturg: Ann-Marie Dittman
Actors: Nick Hagy (Poss), Mark McKinnon (David)

Redskins vs. Rockettes
Playwright: Michael J. Bobbitt Director: Mary Resing Dramaturg: Whitney Eggers
Actors: Elliott Kashner (Darren); Jim Epstein (Dad), Ayesis Clay (Mom)

Sportaculture: The All Stars

2012-01-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

MEDLEY RELAY

Mary Resing Playwright

Jessica Burgess Playwright

Andy Welchel Composer

Emily Ann Jablonski Director

Breaststroke Sasha Lightbourne

Backstroke Ashley Byrd

Freestyle Jessie Dulaney

Butterfly Emily Ann Jablonski

CATCH

Michael John Garces Playwright

Tom Prewitt Director

1st JohnTweel

2nd NayabHussain

3rd Mikael Johnson

THE LONG SHOT

Bob Bartlett Director

James Hesla Playwright

Lily - Nayab Hussain
Pete - Christopher Dwyer

2011-11-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

Sportaculture: The All Stars

Buy Tickets

Presented as part of Round House’s Silver Spring Series
By Active Cultures
November 18 ‑ 21, 2011

Performances

Friday, November 18, 2011 at 8:00PM –Pay what you can performance

Saturday, November 19, 2011at 2:00PM

Saturday, November 19, 2011 at8:00PM

Sunday, November 20, 2011 at 2:00PM

Monday, November 21, 2011 at 8:00PM

Round House Theatre Silver Spring
Bethesda, MD 20814

Round House Theatre Silver Spring
8641 Colesville Road
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Sportaculture: The All Stars reflects Active Cultures’ mission to create original professional theatre about local culture. This festival of short plays about local sports features:

Catch by Michael John Garcés. A story about how the Nationals beat the odds, won the Series, and all was made right in the world.
Long Shot by James Hesla. At Rinaldi’s Bowling Alley in College Park, two lonely hearts meet cute while watching Chris Webber’s Washington Bullets.
The Gridiron: Adventures from the Sideline by Thembi Duncan. The rookie has a few surprises for the coach during this high stakes touch football game.
Medley Relay by Jessica Burgess & Mary Resing, music by Andy Welchel. In this sports musical, four teen swimmers in the PrinceMont League team up to vanquish their rivals. Featuring the breakout hit, Freestyle.
America’s Pastime by Mary Waters. A look at the day Vice President Dick Cheney threw the first pitch for the Washington Nationals.
To the Redskins with Love by John Xander Yi. Guys night out watching the ‘Skins is threatened when a girl invades the mancave.

Tickets $15 general admission, $10 RHT subscribers, patrons age 30 & under, senior citizens, groups of 10+: click here or call 240.644.1100

2012 Playwriting Competition

2011-10-31T11:32:00.000-07:00

2012 Playwriting Competition

Sportaculture 4: Where Theatre MeetsSports
Ten Minute Play Contest Announcement

Send us your sports play.
Mix it up.
Be aggressive.
Take it one play at a time.
Win this one for the Nats.

Each play must contain the name of at least one DC area sports team.
Each play must somehow be about local sports.

Entries due: January 16, 2012,
FIRST PRIZE: $150 and a production during the during
Sportaculture 4
GET READY FOR THE FINAL COUNTDOWN.

For further information contact active cultures at
submissions@activecultures.org

2012 Sportaculture Ten Minute Play Contest Rules

TEN-MINUTE PLAY CONTEST

Entries due to Active Cultures Theatre: January 16, 2012

FIRST PRIZE: $150 and a showcase productionduring Sportaculture 4

COMPETITION RULES:

1. Thetitle of each play must contain the name of at least one DC area sports team(past or present, professional or amateur), for example, CATCH: How theNationals Beat the Odds, Won the Series, and All was Made Right in the World”or “Year of the Terrapin” or “Hoya Saxa” Each play must be about sports in theMaryland/Washington, DC/ Virginia area.
Submissions must be original, unproduced ten-minute length plays. (Plays mayhave received previous workshop readings.)

2. Legalclearance of ALL materials not in the public domain are the full responsibilityof the playwright.

3. Pleaseinclude a letter giving Active Cultures Theatre permission to stage your pieceas part of Sportaculture 2011.

4. MinimumLength: 5 pages. Maximum Length: 10 pages. Running time MUST NOT exceed 10minutes in length and, must be AT LEAST 5 minutes – so if your piece includesextra dense sections (monologues, songs), please keep that in mind whensubmitting your play.

5. Anystyle (children’s, musicals, drama, comedy, etc.) is eligible but, honestly,comedies will have an advantage.

6. Weprefer e-submissions, formatted as pdfs, to reduce paper usage. Submit scripts electronically to submissions@activecultures.org OR send five hard copies to:

Active Cultures Theatre, 4411 Underwood Street,University Park, Maryland 20782.

7. Becauseall submissions are judged blind, please include all pertinent contactinformation on the on the cover sheet. There should be no identifyinginformation within the script itself except the title.

8. Playwrightsmay submit up to two plays, though only one play by any author will be chosenfor production.

Scripts will not be returned. Active Cultures Theatre does not assume anyresponsibility for the loss or damage of scripts. All reasonable care will betaken.

Deadline for submission: January 16, 2012.
Competition winner will be announced on February 18th, 2012.

For further information please contact LaRonika Thomas, Active Cultures’Festival Director, at submissions@activecultures.org

For more information about active cultures, please visit us at www.activecultures.org.

2011-05-24T13:30:00.001-07:00

Sportaculture Returns on Sunday, June 12th

FREE OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE

of seven short plays about local sports

at Bladensburg Waterfront Park

Sunday, June 12th at 6pm

Bladensburg Waterfront Park

4601 Annapolis Road
Bladensburg, MD 20710

Bring a picnic!

For information call 301-526-9921

or go to www.activecultures.org

or http://sportaculture.blogspot.com

2011-05-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

2011-05-24T01:32:00.000-07:00

The Gridiron: Adventures from the Sideline by Thembi Duncan, directed by Amber Jackson. The rookie has a few surprises for the coach during this high stakes touch football game.

Catch by Michael John Garcés, directed by Cliff Williams. A story about how the Nationals beat the odds, won the series, and all was made right in the world.

Redskins vs. Rockettes by Michael J. Bobbitt, directed by Mary Resing. A teen who would rather wear dresses than football helmets prepares for an afternoon at FedEx Field with his dad

The Furies by Rebecca Gingrich-Jones, directed by Rachel Stevens. It’s 1979 and the women of DC want their turn in the scrum. A story of rugby, Greek mythology, and sports on The Mall.

Hoya Saxa* by Rich Espey, directed by Bob Bartlett. In a high school locker room in Camp Springs Maryland, a player ejected from the game for an illegal sack talks race, religion and trash with the quarterback he injured.

To the Redskins with Love by John Xander Yi, directed by Ali Miller. Guys night out watching the ‘Skins is threatened when a girl invades the mancave.

Year of the Terrapin by Evan Crump, directed by Andrew Wassernich. Bonfires rage, tear gas threatens and young love blossoms when the Terps win the National Championship.

*Winner of our 2011 Sportaculture Playwrighting Competition.

1st Readthrough of Sportaculture 3

2011-03-07T12:27:00.000-08:00

photos by Kate DeAngelis

2010-07-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

Get your thinking baseball caps on!

2010-07-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

Sportaculture 2010 has just ended. Long live Sportaculture!
It is not too early to start thinking about your Sporaculture play for next year.
What sport will it be?
Will it be a comedy, tragedy, a tragicomedy?

2010-05-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

To hear more about Sportaculture
listen to this piece by Stephanie Kay of WAMU's Metro Connection
http://wamu.org/programs/mc/10/04/23.php#33891

SPORTACULTURE 2010

2010-03-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

Catch the action!

2010-03-03T09:51:00.000-08:00

Sportaculture

Six brand new short plays about local sports

Including

Opening Day, Ice,
Horseplay with the MJTA,
Off the Block, and Bocce Operetta.

FREE PERFORMANCE
Sunday, July 11th at 6:30pm, 2010

at the Bladensburg Waterfront Park
2010 Summer Concert Series
Open air performance, bring a picnic.

For information call 301-526-9921

Bladensburg Waterfront Park

4601 Annapolis Road

Bladensburg, MD 20710

301-779-0371; TTY 301-699-2544

active cultures theatre–we put the art in the game.

Directions to Bladensburg Waterfront Park

2010-03-02T07:17:00.000-08:00

Location/Directions

From Washington D.C., take New York Avenue East. Turn North on Bladensburg Road. Pass Peace Cross on left. You are now on MD Route 450. Take 1st right into Bladensburg Waterfront Park. There is a sign at the entrance.

From Maryland, from the Beltway, take exit 23 which is Kenilworth Avenue South towards Bladensburg. Go five miles. After traffic light for Upshur Street intersection, go right on exit ramp to MD Route 450 (Annapolis Road). Go left at end of exit ramp onto Route 450 West. Park Entrance is 2 short blocks on the left.

From Virginia, take Kenilworth Avenue North. Take the exit ramp on right to MD Route 450 West. Turn right at stop lght onto MD Route 450 West. Park entrance is 2 short blocks on the left.

So Hungry

2010-03-01T11:55:00.000-08:00

Dan Van Why, Alex Vaughn and Jacob Yeh in So Hungry by Gwydion Suilebhan
Directed by Colin Grube
Dramaturged by Meghan Long

Opening Day

2010-03-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

Zachary Fernebok, Ryan Tumulty, and Branda Lock in Opening Day by Brent Englar.
Directed by Jason Schlafstein
Dramaturged by Bryan Joseph Lee

ice

2010-03-01T11:44:00.001-08:00

Ayesis Clay, Mallory Shear and Wendy Nogales in ice by Michael John Garces
directed by Mary Resing
Dramaturged by Laronika Thomas

Off the Block

2010-03-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

Betsy Rosen, Karen Mixon, Christina Borders andTyler Heman in Off the Block by April Brassard.

Directed by Emily Jablonski

Dramaturged by Jenn book Haselswerdt

Bocce Operetta

2010-03-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

Frank Mancino, Patti Papworth, Ned Read and Gregory Burgess in Bocce Operetta by Mary Resing and Jessica Burgess. Directed by Mary Resing. Dramaturged by Mary Watters

Play Synopses

2010-02-19T15:00:00.000-08:00

Opening Day (by 2010 Sportaculture Playwriting Award winner Brent Englar, directed by Jason Schlafstein of Woolly Mammoth) A comedy about two hapless Nats/Orioles fans on Opening Day 2050.
Bocce Operetta (by active cultures Artistic Director Mary Resing and Inkwell Artistic Director Jessica Burgess, directed by Resing) Nancy Pelosi learns how to play bocce and score in politics at the knee of her father, “Big Tommy,” in this short comedy set in Baltimore’s Little Italy in 1963.
Horseplay with the MJTA (by actor/playwright Ben Kingsland, directed by Howard University Professor Angelisa Gillyard) Politics, doping scandals and negative media attention fuel an intense rivalry in this comic look at jousting, Maryland’s Official State Sport.
Off the Block (by George Mason University student April E. Brassard, directed by Emily Jablonski of Imagination Stage) Virginia teens vie for a spot on Langley High School’s 50 meter freestyle relay team the day before a meet against arch rival McLean. Meanwhile, their moms vie for another type of dominance.
So Hungry (by acclaimed local playwright Gwydion Suilebhan, directed by Colin Grube of Adventure Theatre) When three young Marylanders head off for a day betting on the ponies at Pimlico, the snack they’ve packed turns out to be more grisly than expected.
Ice (by Cornerstone Theatre Company Artistic Director Michael John Garces, directed by active cultures Artistic Director Mary Resing) Sometimes in basketball, you just can’t get your game on. But then the competition arrives and you gotta step up. A story of DC public courts, identity politics and the game of basketball.

Some of the Sportaculture 2010 Team

2010-02-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

Sportaculture 2010: where theatre meets sports

2009-10-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

Brent Englar has won the 2010 Sportaculture Playwriting Contest with OPENING DAY, the story of two hapless Nats/Orioles fans at Opening Day 2050.

Ten Minute Play Contest Announcement

active cultures, the vernacular theatre of maryland, presents

Sportaculture 2010: Where Theatre Meets Sports

Send us your sports play.

Mix it up.

Be aggressive.

Take it one play at a time.

Win this one for the Nats.

Remember, the opera isn't over until Placido lets the fat lady sing.

Each play must contain the name of at least one DC-area sports team.

Each play must somehow be about local sports.

Entries due: February 1, 2010,

FIRST PRIZE: $150 and a production during the during

Sportaculture 2010

GET READY FOR THE FINAL COUNTDOWN.

For further information contact active cultures at submissions@activecultures.org

2009-10-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

Check out scenes from the 2009 Sportaculture Festival below.

2010 Ten Minute Play Contest Rules

2009-10-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

TEN-MINUTE PLAY CONTEST

Entries due to Active Cultures Theatre: February 1, 2009
FIRST PRIZE: $150 and a showcase production during Sportaculture 2010
Submit scripts electronically to submissions@activecultures.org

COMPETITION RULES:

The title of each play must contain the name of at least one DC area sports team (past or present, professional or amateur), for example, “First and Ten with the Redskins” or “The Terps Take On Texas” or “Confessions of a NCS Soccer Mom”
Each play must be about sports in the Maryland/Washington, DC/Virginia area.
Submissions must be original, unproduced ten minute length plays. (Plays may have received previous workshop readings.)
Legal clearance of ALL materials not in the public domain are the full responsibility of the playwright.
Minimum Length: 5 pages. Maximum Length: 10 pages. Running time MUST NOT exceed 10 minutes in length and, must be AT LEAST 5 minutes – so if your piece includes extra dense sections (monologues, songs), please keep that in mind when submitting play.
Any style (children’s, musicals, drama, comedy, etc.) is eligible but, honestly, comedies will have an advantage.
We prefer e-submissions to reduce paper usage.
Submit scripts electronically to submissions@activecultures.org OR send five hard copies to: Active Cultures Theatre, 4411 Underwood Street, University Park, Maryland 20782. Please include a letter giving Active Cultures Theatre permission to stage your piece as part of Sportaculture 2010. Because all submissions are judged blind, please include all pertinent contact information on the on the cover sheet. There should be no identifying information within the script itself except the title.
Playwrights may submit up to two plays, though only one play by any author will be chosen for production.
Scripts will not be returned. Active Cultures Theatre does not assume any responsibility for the loss or damage of scripts. All reasonable care will be taken.
Deadline for submission: February 1, 2010.
Competition winner will be announced on February 19th, 2010.

For further information please contact Active Cultures at artisticdirector@activecultures.org

Individual Medley

2009-05-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

Four Strokes, four swimmers, four songs

Run Home

2009-05-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

A home run gains a whole new meaning.

Long Shot

2009-05-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

The Washington Bullets, Bowling and a little bit of Romance

America's Pastime

2009-05-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

Winner of the 2009 Sportaculture Award for best new play about local sports.

Sportaculture a Success

2009-05-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

Sportaculture was a great success with sold out houses (despite the rain and the swine flu) and wonderful writing, directing and performances.
Congrats to all!
Special Congratulations go to playwright Mary Watters who won the 2009 Sportaculture Playwriting Contest.

2009-03-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

Join us for SPORTACULTURE
a festival of short plays about local sports
May 2nd at 7:30pm (PWYC) & May 3rd at 1pm and 3pm (free admission)
in Riverdale Town Center
4650 Queensbury Rd, Riverdale Park, MD.
http://sportaculture.blogspot.com 301-526-9921

Original plays by Jennifer Nelson, James Hesla, Jacqueline Lawton, Mary Watters
and a short musical by Mary Resing, Jessica Burgess and Andy Welchel.
Design by Ian Armstrong, Alli Lidie and Marie-Audrey Desy
Guest directors: Catherine Tripp and Colin Grube

Featuring The Washington Nationals, The Washington Bullets, Terps Football and the PrinceMont Swim League

With special guest appearance by
PrinceMont League All Star Cecilia Lapp Stolzfus
and fellow PrinceMont swimmer Manasi Pukazhenthi

SPORTACULTURE is part of
The Riverdale Park ArtsFest--
Sunday, May 3rd from 11am - 6pm, Queensbury Rd. @ the MARC Station in Riverdale Park, Maryland
The Festival will feature arts & crafts, exhibits/sales, live musical entertainment, food, children's workshops, and, of course, productions of
SPORTACULTURE--where theatre meets sports.

Active Cultures Theatre puts the art in the game.

Mount Rainier Resident Mary Watters wins Playwriting Contest

2009-03-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

America's Pastime, a short play by Mary Watters about the Washington Nationals and Dick Cheney, has won the Sportaculture Playwriting Contest. America's Pastime will be produced by Active Cultures Theatre as part of Sportaculture I.

Congratulations to Ms. Watters and a big thanks to the other contestants.

The Sportaculture team

2009-03-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

Directions to Sportaculture

2009-03-02T15:52:00.000-08:00

Sportaculture will be performed as part of the Riverdale Park Artsfest on the same site as the weekly Riverdale Park Farmers' Market.

X marks the spot where Sportaculture Happens

2009-03-02T07:06:00.000-08:00

How to Get There
The Riverdale Park ArtsFest is held at the same location as the Riverdale Park Farmer's Market, in our Historic Town Center, right next to the Riverdale Train Station (on the MARC Camden Line). This is at the corner of Queensbury Rd. & Rhode Island Ave.,
and is just three blocks from the intersection of Route 1 (Baltimore Ave.) & MD-410 (East-West Highway). There is free parking in the parking lots on both sides of the railroad tracks.

Riverdale Park is inside the Beltway on U.S. 1, a short drive from Washington DC (to the south) and the University of Maryland - College Park campus (just to the north).
It is surrounded by the neighboring communities of Hyattsville, University Park, College Park, Edmonston and Bladensburg.

The market is served by the F4 Metro bus, and "The Bus" route 14. It is one mile from both Prince George's Plaza and College Park Metro stops on Metro's Green Line.

Sportaculture Dates Announced

2009-03-02T06:47:00.000-08:00

The Sportaculture Festival has joined with the Riverdale Arts Festival to provide you with a day-long event of arts, sports and outrageous fun. (May 3rd from 11am - 6pm, Queensbury Rd. @ the MARC Station.) The Festival will feature arts & crafts exhibits/sales, live musical entertainment, food, children's workshops, and, of course, productions of SPORTACULTURE--where theatre meets sports. Sportaculture is made up of five short plays by local theatre writer/sports fans. We put the art in the game. SPORTACULTURE will be performed at 1 and 3pm.

We want your sports play!

2009-01-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

A reminder. Plays are due Feb 2. They can be sent to activeculturestheatre@yahoo.com.
So get your head in the game.

Hey, Where did the name Sportaculture come from?

2008-11-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hey! Where did the name Sportaculture come from??

Well, honestly, we here at Active Cultures were stumped about a name for our cool new play festival. So we put the question out to our friends.
Christel Stevens of Parks and Planning came up with Sportaculture and WE LIKE IT.

Some of the other great suggestions we got (in no particular order) were:
Game Face (Tonya Jordan, Gateway Arts District CDC)
Active Cultures Plays Plays (Ginger Moss, Actors Center)
"An Active Theater Festival About Sports Culture. Really"
"New Plays-Sports-Active Cultures Remix" (Kim Peter Kovac, the Ken Cen)
A FESTIVAL DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO ARE -- ACTIVELY CULTURED (Barbara Papendorp)
"Active Cultural Play Offs" (Jennfer Nelson)
Play On!
Theatre Pentathlon
Actors on the Run (all from Angie Fox at the Crystal City CDC.)
BASES LOADED Theatre Fest!
TEAM DRAMA Play Fest (both from Michael Kyrioglou at Woolly Mammoth)

The Presidential Race (Active Cultures 2006)

2008-11-11T09:19:00.001-08:00

M. Hairston in a rehearsal photo from Active Cultures' last play about sports--The Presidential Race by Suzanne-Lori Parks. This production was part of the national 365 Days/365 Play project.

One-Act Play Contest Announcement

2008-11-11T09:04:00.000-08:00

Active Cultures, the vernacular theatre of Maryland, presents
Sportaculture I
A One-Act Play Contest where Theatre Meets Sports

Send us your sports play.
Mix it up.
Be aggressive.
Take it one play at a time.
Win this one for the Hogs.
Remember, the opera isn't over until Placido lets the fat lady sing.

Each play must contain the name of at least one DC-area sports team.
Each play must somehow be about local sports.

Entries due: February 2, 2009, $10 entry fee
FIRST PRIZE: $150 and a production during the during the
2009 Sportaculture Festival
BE READY FOR THE FINAL COUNTDOWN.
For further information contact mary resing at mcresing@live.com

Contest Rules

2008-11-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

Active Cultures Theatre presents
Sportaculture I:
A One-act Play Contest Where Theater Meets Sports
Get ready for the final count down

Entries due: February 2, 2009
FIRST PRIZE: $150 and a showcase production during the
2009 Active Cultures Theatre’s Sportaculture Festival

COMPETITION RULES:
1. The title of each play must contain the name of at least one DC area sports team (past or present, professional or amateur), for example, “When the Wizards were the Bullets” or “What the Heck’s a Hoya?” or “Confessions of a Marlton BGC Soccer Mom”
2. Each play must be about local sports.
3. Submissions must be original, unproduced and unpublished one act length plays. (Plays may have received previous workshop readings.)
4. Minimum Length: 15 pages. Maximum Length: 40 pages. Running time MUST NOT exceed 45 minutes in length and, must be AT LEAST 15 minutes – so if your piece includes extra dense sections (monologues, songs), please keep that in mind when submitting play.
5. Any style (children’s, musicals, drama, comedy, etc.) is eligible but, honestly, comedies will have an advantage.
6. There is a $10 entry fee. We are a not-for-profit theatre company and this fee will help cover the cost of Sportaculture I. Please send the check to Active Cultures Theatre, 4411 Underwood Street, University Park, Maryland 20782.
7. We prefer e-submissions to reduce paper usage.
8. Submit scripts electronically to mcresing@live.com. OR send five hard copies to: Active Cultures Theatre, 4411 Underwood Street, University Park, Maryland 20782. Please include a letter giving Active Cultures Theatre permission to stage your piece without royalty as part of Sportaculture I. Because all submissions are judged blind, please include all pertinent contact information on the on the cover sheet. There should be no identifying information within the script itself except the title.
9. Playwrights may submit up to two plays, though only one play by any author will be chosen for production.
10. Legal clearance of ALL materials not in the public domain are the full responsibility of the playwright.
11. Scripts will not be returned. Active Cultures Theatre does not assume any responsibility for the loss or damage of scripts. All reasonable care will be taken.
12. Deadline for ONE ACT submission: February 2, 2009.
13. Competition winner will be announced on February 27th, 2009.

For further information please contact MC Resing at mcresing@live.com
Active Cultures Theatre: 4411 Underwood Street, University Park, MD 20782