Flashback Theater Co. (FbTC) is proud to announce Amber Frangos as the Resident Playwright 2017-18. The residency will provide Frangos with office space and resources to develop new work while also fulfilling the goal of creating an Artistic Development department at FbTC.
Amber Frangos
The goal of the playwright residency is to support the writing and development of new plays that fit the mission of FbTC and thus be considered for future production. While this will primarily be accomplished through the direct support of the playwright, the residency also provides an opportunity to establish FbTC as a go-to resource for regional playwrights.
“It allows me visibility in the community, and gives me a writing space and comfortable working environment,” comments Frangos. “It also provides an environment for other playwrights to gather and exchange ideas, tips, and general experiences that we can share and grow from.”
The residency is a natural progression of the process that developed Frangos’ most recent work, Rosies. Frangos and Schoch collaborated so well on that project that the play will be part of Flashback’s upcoming season, and will be the debut production of FbTC’s new home at 400 East Mt. Vernon Street next May.
But a single production is not what either Frangos or Schoch expect to be the sole accomplishment of the residency, with Frangos citing several goals for the residency.
“I hope to accomplish several drafts, completed or nearly completed, of plays that can be workshopped and then go on to full production. We also want to build a solid network with other playwrights across Kentucky that strengthens our presence in the nation as a home to quality theater. And we anticipate building this into a program that will become a sought after program to enrich the potential of playwrights in the future.”
Flashback Theater’s mission is to explore our present relationship to the world through the lens of our past interactions as a community and through the passionate pursuit of theater that speaks to the soul. Sommer Schoch, Producing Artistic Director, quickly realized that in order to tell our community’s stories, they must be developed from within.
“We have so much history around us, and while there are plays that reflect our relationship to the world easily, there are not a lot that look at our community’s past specifically,” says Schoch. “By making space for a playwright in our new location, we are able to support what she does best and prepare new work that matches our mission.”
Rosies will be a prime example of that support but audiences should expect to see more work coming out of the residency in the form of readings, workshops, and community discussions centered around other works-in-progress.
Frangos comes into her role as a playwright following a career as an educator, time spent as a freelance and ghost writer, and spending time as a performer with Flashback Theater.
“The culmination of her unique experiences puts her in the perfect position of telling stories that speak to our community’s soul,” says Schoch. “I am honored to have her with us as the resident playwright for the next year.”
Flashback Theater is grateful for season sponsor, Applied Behavioral Advancements LLC, for making the passionate pursuit of theater possible all season long.
The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, also provides operating support to Flashback Theater Co. with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.