National Endowment for the Arts FY 2017 Fall Grant Announcement

To support a production of "Blues for an Alabama Sky" by Pearl Cleage and a festival celebrating the Harlem
Renaissance on Chicago's South Side. Cleage depicts a lively 1920s Harlem, New York, as the creative spirit of the
Harlem Renaissance gives way to the harsh realities of the Great Depression. Court Theatre's Resident Artist Ron
OJ Parson will direct the production. To capture the play's historical context and to celebrate a cultural period in
which many art forms were evolving around the country, the theater will program a festival celebration of the
Harlem Renaissance in Chicago. Younger audiences will be introduced to the play through student matinees and
post-show discussions will further engage students and adults.
Crowded Fire Theater Company (aka Crowded Fire)
$10,000 San Francisco, CA
To support the development and premiere of "A Tale of Autumn" by Christopher Chen. A modern-day fable
explores themes of political power, notions of cultural hierarchy, and the power of corporate personhood in
present day capitalism. Chen unveils the psychology of a one-time altruistic corporation whose seemingly benign
tactics destroy a people over time. A Machiavellian and intricate power network of characters aspire for
leadership and an insurgent populace is devastated by the collateral damage of the "corporate game." The
commissioned work is inspired by Shakespeare's "Richard III" and "Macbeth" and popular "quest-for-power" TV
shows.
Deaf West Theatre Company, Inc. (aka Deaf West Theatre)
$15,000 N. Hollywood, CA
To support the production of Edward Albee's "At Home At The Zoo" at The Wallis in Beverly Hills, CA.
Denver Center for the Performing Arts (aka DCPA)
$20,000 Denver, CO
To support the premiere of "The Book of Will" by Lauren Gunderson. The story follows the heroic attempts by
two actors to preserve and publish all of William Shakespeare's plays in a single volume, the First Folio, after his
death. The production will commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. The Folger Library in
Washington, D.C., will transport a copy of the First Folio to the University of Colorado at Boulder's Art Museum.
Educational programming for students will complement the production.
Double Edge Theatre Productions, Inc. (aka Double Edge Theatre)
$20,000 Ashfield, MA
To support the development and premiere of "Invention of Reality." Designed for touring, the ensemble work
will explore themes of migration, ancestry, memory, and the transformative power of storytelling. The work is
inspired by "Where the Bird Sings Best" by Chilean-Jewish writer Alejandro Jodorowski and the tradition of
magic realism in Latin America and Eastern Europe. Music and folk cultures from both regions, dances, and
large-scale puppetry are all central to the aesthetic of the piece. An immersive musical set design inspired by
"Calder's Circus" by Alexander Calder will be created. Artistic Director Stacy Klein may direct with artistic
collaborators including Argentine Co-Artistic Director Carlos Uriona, Russian composer Alexander Bakshi, and
Argentine musician/dancer Micaela Farias.
En Garde Arts
$10,000 New York, NY
To support community engagement activities accompanying the tour of "Wilderness" and the commission and
production of a new work by Jimmy Maize. Wilderness combines performance, music, film, and integrated
projection design to explore the effects of available inexpensive street drugs, ubiquitous technology, and
escalating education costs on families. Developed through firsthand interviews and field research, the work is
Some details of the projects listed are subject to change, contingent upon prior Arts Endowment approval. Information is current as of
December 7, 2016.