Tisch Asia’s Dramatic Writing Program, in only its second year, was a force in The Singapore Short+Sweet Festival.  Of the 40 plays presented, eight were written by faculty and students in Dramatic Writing Program — Joshua Billig, David Chang, Wendy Hammond (faculty),  Drayton Hiers, Jill Karkosak, Dean Lundquist, William Kovacsik (faculty), Li Linn Wee.   Ms. Hammond also directed the play by Ms. Wee, a wonderful collaboration of faculty and student.  William Kovacsik and Dean Lundquist were finalist for the Judge’s Picks awards, and Josh Billig was a finalist for The People’s Choice Awards. Short+Sweet Theatre is the biggest festival of ten minute theater in the world, held annually in ten different theaters in Australia and Southeast Asia.  Watch out next year!

On Wednesday (21 April),  literary agent Morgan Jenness spoke to Tisch Asia Dramatic Writing students about her experiences that have shaped her into a unique theater professional and her contribution to contemporary American theater. Dramatic Writing faculty, Bill Kovacksik led the discussion during this two-hour session at the Black Box Theater.

From left, Morgan Jenness and Bill Kovacsik.

Dramatic Writing students listen intently to the discussion.

The premiere reading of “K-9″ by Jill Karkosak, final year Dramatic Writing student marked the first ever thesis reading for the department. The reading featured Bill Kovascik as Dr. Ben Stark, Mary Beth Dickerson as Christine McIntyre, Kyle Haskett as Ricky Baxter and Josh Billig on stage directions. VIP guests include famed literary agent Morgan Jenness, Mark Dickerman and Wendy Hammond. It was definitely an eventful Monday night for Tisch Asia‘s Department of Dramatic Writing.

The writer of “K-9″, Jill Karkosak was full of excitement.

From left: Wendy Hammond, Morgan Jenness and Mark Dickerman.

The cast for the night. From left: Mary Beth, Bill, Kyle and Josh.

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For more Thesis Readings at Tisch Asia:

Tuesday, 20 April 2010, 8:00pm
“Running Back” by Garrett Lander

Wednesday, 21 April 2010, 7:30pm
“Grace” by Ken Kwek

Venue: Black Box Theatre, Level 2 @ Tisch School of the Arts Asia

Thursday – 12 March, 2010

by Christa Yeo

Photo Credit: Chessa Lim

An America student at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts Asia, which is located in Singapore, has won a playwrighting contest in the United States with a piece of work that started out as a class assignment.

Josh Billig’s one-act play, Outside Sitka, won the 24th annual Tennessee Williams Literary Festival 2010 Playwrighting Contest. The festival is an annual five-day celebration held in New Orleans in late March to honour the late Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tennessee Williams.

(more…)

Third-year film student Gavin Ramoutar takes us on a tour of the sights and sounds of Singapore.

Congratulations to Tisch Asia Dramatic Writing student Josh Billig for winning the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival’s One-Act contest with his play “Outside Sitka”!

The festival is held March 24 – 28 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

For more information click here.

The Artistic Director of NYU Tisch Asia

Oliver Stone

Will present an all-school session on
WALL STREET I and II

Friday Jan 29th
Stage II
2-6pm

The NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia Dramatic Writing Class of 2011 presented an evening of new works in the Black Box Theatre to the Tisch Asia community and invited guests on December 15. A total of 10 readings and two acts were performed by actors and a few Dramatic Writing faculty members.

Several productions of plays by Tisch Asia Dramatic Writing student Dean Lundquist will be performed at a host of international theater festivals in the coming months. Dean is a first year student in the MFA Dramatic Writing program at Tisch Asia (Class of 2011). You can find out more information about Dean by visiting his website.

Below are a list of his upcoming productions:
I CAN TELL YOUR HANDBAG IS FAKE
Three women with identical designer handbags board a train only to discover a genuine common fantasy.
/Short+Sweet Singapore Festival/, Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore – June – July 2009
/The 34th Annual Samuel French Off Off Broadway Festival/, Playwrights Horizons, New York, NY July 2009
/Short+Sweet Brisbane Festival/, Brisbane, Australia – September 2009
/Ten x 10/, SOACT, Wagga Wagga, Australia – September 2009

FINGER FOOD
A fork and spoon fear for their future in a world increasingly dominated by finger food.
/If the Shorts Fit II/, Curtain Call Theatre, Braintree, MA – June 2009
/Summer Shorts 2009/, Playwrights Round Table, Orlando, FL – August 2009
/One Act Series XVI/, The Renaissance Guild, San Antonio, TX – October 2009

GIFTED
A mother desperately wants her only son to attend a school for the gifted, but the school psychologist tries to teach her that every child is a gift.
/The Singapore Writers Festival/, The Arts House, Singapore – November 2009

FAITH IN THE SUPER BOWL
An expectant couple debates the future of their unborn child’s religious beliefs. She puts her faith in the Lord. He puts his faith in the NFL and a mystical bowl of breakfast cereal.
/Future Ten 6/, Future Tenant, Pittsburgh, PA – November 2009