The Writers Lab launches new TWL EUROPE program!

It’s so exciting to be able to share that The Writers Lab now joins other great cinema trilogies like Lord of the Rings and Toy Story….by creating a THIRD Lab! TWL Europe applications are open Janaury 6th.

This newest Lab will support up to 15 women and non-binary screenwriters age 40, pairing them with an amazing group of mentors for the Lab and subsequent development and marketing support.

Mentors and guests include Susanne Bier (The Night Manager), Jasmila Žbanić (Quo Vadis, Aida?), producer and writer Jantje Friese (Dark), and playwright and writer Christina Ham (Them), among many others.

TWL Europe will be produced by TWL co-founders Elizabeth Kaiden and Nitza Wilon and partner Untamed Stories, lead by Julia Berg and Ruth Spencer. A UK and Ireland version of the lab supported by Cate Blanchett’s Dirty Films launched earlier this year. The US iteration started in 2015, produced by NYWIFT, counts Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman among its supporters.

I love the work I do with this amazing organization and the women who run it, and can’t wait to dive into a new batch of features and TV pilots early next year!

"...PEABODY" Returns to the stage in January!

I’m thrilled to announce that The Honorable Herbert Peabody will return to the stage, with a newly revised and expanded script and full production. There are just 4 performances, coinciding with the APAP Conference, January 12-15th on The Chain Theatre Mainstage! Tickets will go on sale mid-December. Can’t wait to see you there!

Producing The Writers Lab's 4-day Screenwriting Retreat

Keynote speaker, playwright and screenwriter Amy Herzog.

What a thrill to produce The Writers Lab’s 2021 U.S. Lab this past week!

Supported by Meryl, Oprah and Nicole (no last names needed!) TWL is the only program in the world devoted exclusively to script development for women-identifying writers over 40. The ongoing uncertainty of Covid meant this year’s retreat was virtual, but that fact allowed TWL to select 17 writers (versus the usual 12) to participate. Juggling 17 writers, 17 mentors, 22 industry guests, and 40 alumni writers was no small feat, but a great producing team (on 2 continents!) pulled it off without a hitch.

2021 Lab participants

And check out just a few of this year’s incredible mentors and guests!

• Priya Amritraj - VP of Television and Film, Hyde Park Entertainement

• Michael Arndt - writer, Little MIss Sunshine, Star Wars VII, Toy Story 3

• Amy Herzog - writer, HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage, Obie winning plays Mary Jane and 4000 Miles

• Rita Hsiao - writer, Mulan, Toy Story 2

• Riva Marker - producer, Beasts of No Nation, The Kids are Alright

• Michelle Satter - founder, Sundance Institute Feature Film Program

• Tracy Scott WIlson - writer, Respect, Fosse/Verdon, The Morning Show)

• Mary Jane Skalski - producer, The Station Agent, The Visitor

• Frida Torresblanco - producer, Pan’s Labyrinth, Rudo y Cursi

You can see the full list of 2021 Lab Participants and scripts—as well as Finalists and semifinalists (selected from over 1,000 submissions!)— HERE

The Lab is presented by co-founders Elizabeth Kaiden and Nitza Wilon, with New York Women in Film & Television, and in collaboration with the Writers Guild of America, East, with in-kind support from The Black List, Falco Ink, Film Fatales, Filmarket Hub, Final Draft, and Roadmap Writers.

Advising Directing students in the U.K.

If you watch as much British TV as I do, you know that “A Levels” refers to a 2-year, pre-university program for students looking for an “Advanced Level” of experience and focus in a particular subject. One of the requirements for A levels is that schools make 'meaningful links' with careers contexts for their students, and I’m excited to have been asked to be “Linked Director” for the A Level Drama & Theatre program at Hereford Sixth Form College.

Today, via the magic of Zoom, Head of Drama Cheri Whitehouse and I had a conversation about my background and career path, and my process and perspective as a director. Going forward I’ll act as a guest advisor as each student prepares their own approach to a staging of Marlowe’s DOCTOR FAUSTUS, using the techniques of renowned British theatre company Punchdrunk. I can’t wait to see what these young artists come up with, and hopefully spark and inspire them as so many teachers and mentors have done for me!

Join the Honorable Herbert Peabody's (IndieGoGo) Campaign!

After successful runs at three different festivals over the past several years, THE HONORABLE HERBERT PEABODY has gotten a seed grant, and a chance to return to the stage in NYC (...and maybe even beyond)! We've got big plans for early 2022, and just need a little help to see them through. It’s been almost three years since writer/Performer Kirk McGee and I began working on this very funny solo show—one that also asks very important questions about the systems of abuse that gave rise to the #MeToo movement, and how we can work together to make a safer and more equitable world.

Help us spread the humor and the heart of this fantastic play—check out the IndieGoGo campaign, and chip in a few bucks if you can!