Playwriting Contest Finalists

The Internationalists are thrilled to announce the 7 finalists in our first annual playwriting contest, selected from over 125 plays from 18 countries.

2023 by Lisa Parry (Cambridge, UK)

Dancing, Not Dead by John Freedman (Moscow, Russia)

The Owl Girl by Monica Raymond (Cambridge, MA, USA)

Into the Water by Ella Greenhill (Liverpool, UK)

Shibboleth by Stacey Gregg (Belfast, Ireland)

Spake by David L. Williams (New York, NY, USA)

Termitary by Diane Lefer (Los Angeles, CA, USA)

Join the World Theatre Day Coalition!

The Internationalists invite you to join the 2011 NYC World Theatre Day Coalition! The mission of the New York City World Theatre Day Coalition is to create a widespread awareness of World Theatre Day by connecting the NYC theatre community to other theatre communities around the world, and encouraging audiences in NYC and beyond to celebrate with us by attending the theatre. The Coalition is comprised of representatives of theatre companies and advocacy groups whose common goal is to promote World Theatre Day through coordinating events and distributing the WTD message.

World Theatre Day was created in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI), and is celebrated annually on March 27 by over 90 ITI Centers and the international theatre community. National and international theatre events are organized to mark this occasion, which center around the World Theatre Day International Message. At the invitation of ITI, a figure of world stature shares his or her reflections on the theme of Theatre and a Culture of Peace. In past years the message has been given by visionaries, such as Vaclav Havel, Ellen Stewart, Augusto Boal, Jean Cocteau and Peter Brook.

To become a member of the NYC World Theatre Day Coalition we request that you:

1. Read and/or distribute the International Theatre Institute’s World Theatre Day Message during your performances March 21st – 27th in a curtain speech or in the program. Or, if you do not have a show you can share the message via e-blast and social networking. (I will send you a one-sheet with both this year’s U.S. and International World Theatre Day messages.)

2. Post a link to our World Theatre Day website (www.nycwtd.com) on your website so your audience can find out about other ways to celebrate.

3. If you are in a producing during the week of March 21^st, give a ticket discount in honor of WTD to be posted on our website. The discount can be anything from $1 off to half price tickets; it’s up to you! Please use the code NYCWTD if you can.

In exchange for joining the Coalition, we will list and promote your organization on our website, in our tweets, and in all other promotional materials. At last year’s inaugural event, we had thousands of hits on our website and we distributed hundreds of flyers. We performed various flash mobs all over NYC and we celebrated with theatre artists from all over the globe.

Now, all you need to do is sign up:

If you’re a company CLICK HERE

If you’re an individual CLICK HERE

In addition to distributing the message, this year the NYC World Theatre Day will…

- Curate a blog with a new guest blogger every day starting on March 1

- Sponsor two to three Spontaneous Live Action Theatrical Performances (aka SPLAT Performances) in the week leading up to March 27^th

- Coordinate Making the Political Personal a brunch panel on March 27^th, to take place during the hotINK Festival of new international plays, moderated by Kevin Bitterman (

- Throw a party to celebrate and read the message aloud at Dixon Place 4pm – 7pm on March 27^th

Created by UNESCO in 1949, ITI is an NGO that seeks to create peace and solidarity across borders and between people through the exchange and co-operation of artists. www.iti-worldwide.org. Theatre Communications Group (TCG) is home to the US-Center of ITI. TCG, the national organization for the American theatre, exists to strengthen, nurture and promote the professional not-for-profit American theatre. www.tcg.org

For additional information about us, visit our website www.nycwtd.com. If you have any questions or if you are interested joining our Planning Committee, please email us at nycwtd@gmail.com.