2020-779-E Arts Commission-Greg Tarlton arts grant

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DocuSign Envelope ID: B1579636-03B0-47BA-90E1-40E69950FE82 Project Start Date October 15th, 2020 (no earlier than July 1 , 2020) Project End Date (no November 6th, 2020 later than June 30, 2021) Project/Program Should I be awarded an Orange County Artist Project Grant, I would Summary use the funding to produce a Zoom production of my play, "sons that wear dresses and mothers that love sweet potatoes." Unfortunately, we cannot come together in person, but we can come together in spirit. Having been workshopped with The Kennedy Center, UNC- Chapel Hill, and PlayMakers Repertory Company, I believe it is finally ready for it to have an audience. What better time for it to find that audience than now, when so many of us are yearning for community. As of now, I've set a tentative performance date for November 6th. From the 15th of October up until this performance, I plan to work with director Jameeka Holloway-Burrell, local of Durham, to rehearse with a group of actors from all over the country, culminating in a live Zoom production of the play. The project budget would include compensation for the actors, creative team, as well as a subscription to Zoom so that as many audience members are allowed to watch (I am not interested in the inaccessibility of theatre; I wish to make my plays open to all.) As a recipient of the Arts Everywhere Student Innovation Award, this play would be produced in collaboration with ArtsEverywhere and the Orange County Arts Commission. Community Impact This play is about Southernness. It's about Southern womanhood, Southern queerness, Southern cooking, Southern living, all of the the things that make up the communities of North Carolina. This play has been workshopped with The Kennedy Center, UNC-Chapel Hill, and PlayMakers Repertory Company. After working on this play for nearly 2 years, I believe it is finally ready for it to find an audience. With finances used for marketing, I would want our advertisements to target the demographics that this play represents, which are residents of the Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill areas, specifically Black residents. At its core, this play gives voice to a Black family, and it is my hope that as many Black families of Orange County, and surrounding counties, will tune in to see themselves reflected on screen. And what better time for it to find that audience than now, when so many of us are desperate to find community? The timeline of the project directly reflects that of the play;this play takes place over the week of Thanksgiving, a time of togetherness, which is why the performance is scheduled for November.