Residency Dates: May 12, 2019 - June 01, 2019
Application Deadline: December 02, 2018
James Lecesne is a Pabst Endowed Chair for Master Writers
James Lecesne wrote the short film TREVOR, which won the 1995 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short and inspired the founding of The Trevor Project, the only nationwide 24-hour suicide prevention and crisis intervention Lifeline for LGBT and Questioning youth. He has created several solo shows, including Word of Mouth (Drama Desk, Outer Critic Circle Awards) and The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey (Outer Critics Circle Award). The NYTimes has ranked him among “the most talented solo performers of his (or any) generation.” He starred in Extraordinary Measures, written and directed by Eve Ensler, written three novels for young adults, and created The Letter Q, a collection of letters by Queer writers to their younger selves. Lecesne was the executive producer of After The Storm, a feature length documentary film about 12 young people living in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He was a writer for Will & Grace, a story consultant for the UK TV show, Vicious and he adapted Armistead Maupin’s Further Tales of the City for Showtime (Emmy nomination). An actor as well as a writer, he has appeared on and Off Broadway in The Best Man, Cloud 9, and the 30th anniversary production of Boys in the Band. For more information, please visit http://www.jameslecesne.com/.
RESIDENCY STATEMENT
I’m interested in working with anyone who has a story to tell and who also has some experience doing this in the theatre, TV, film or prose. During our morning sessions together, we will review the basic elements of story so that we all have a common language, and then discuss how those elements apply to the play, A Streetcar Named Desire. As you present your own original story to the group, we will support you in puzzling out the underlying conflict, illuminating the characters, uncovering your deeply held beliefs and creating a vivid map of your story. You will have time on your own in the afternoons and evenings to develop your ideas further and write deeper into the work. We’ll come together to present our work to one another and continue mapping out the structure of the overall work. The idea is to be familiar with the landscape of your story by the end of the three weeks and to have a clear idea of where to dig.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Applicants should submit a writing sample of no more than 10 pages of either fiction or poetry, along with a bio or resume and a personal statement describing what you hope to accomplish during this residency. (.doc, .docx or pdf file format)
RESIDENCY FEE: $900
Includes a $100 administration fee, weekday meals and housing; does not include artist materials, transportation, or weekend meals.
SCHOLARSHIPS / FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Only accepted Associate Artists may apply for financial assistance. For details, please visit the master artist details page.