Upcoming Events
Winning playwrights of the Third Annual Juried Emerging Playwright Competition will share their thoughts on writing for the theater with host Laura Womack. Playwrights Adam Richter, Jim Moss and Jeff Stolzer will share the mic. One of our judges, John Augustine, will join the conversation. Tune in to hear the techniques, passions, frustrations and more of the inner world of playwriting up close and personal from award-winning writers.
John Augustine’s plays have been produced in New York City at The Zipper, HERE, Naked Angels, All Season’s Theatre Group, Expanded Arts, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Miranda Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, and 59E59 Theaters.
His anthology of 20 short plays, Augustine’s Confessions, is published by Playscripts.com. He is also published in the short play anthologies Take Ten and The Best American Short Plays of 1993-94. His play PeopleSpeak is published in Shorter, Faster, Funnier. The New York Times wrote of this play, “PeopleSpeak” (is) a witty and acerbic play that is the best of the Summer Shorts festival.” He and playwright Willy Conley were commissioned by the National Theatre of the Deaf to write OH! FIGARO! which toured the United States. For television, Mr. Augustine wrote for the Fox TV show Titus and for Encore! Encore! with Nathan Lane and Joan Plowright. He has taught playwriting at Sarah Lawrence College, New York University, The 42nd Street Collective, and Playwrights Horizons Theatre School. He is a Revson Fellow in Playwriting, and a member of The Writers Guild of America, The Dramatists Guild, SAG and AEA.
Some acting credits include the Young Playwrights Festival at Playwrights Horizons, Mac Wellman’s satire on government censorship, “SEVEN BLOWJOBS” at Soho Rep, Heather McKutcheon’s WALK ON LAKE ERIE at HOME; and the original productions of Christopher Durang’s NAOMI IN THE LIVING ROOM at Home for Contemporary Theatre, and Bill Russell’s ELEGIES FOR ANGELS, PUNKS & RAGING QUEENS. He is half of “Dawne” in the satiric nightclub act CHRIS DURANG AND DAWNE, which has played at the Criterion Center, Caroline’s Comedy Club, Williamstown Summer Cabaret, and the Triad, winning a 1996 Bistro Award.
LAURA WOMACK – Moderator
Laura hosted her own syndicated show in Virginia before joining WAMU in Washington, D.C., where she also contributed to NPR. Laura became involved in the arts while living in Singapore, where she worked as a docent and developed an interest in textiles. Today, Laura is a weaver and chair of the Phillips’ Mill Art Show committee.
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Congratulations to the 2020 winners of the Phillips’ Mill Emerging Playwright Competition:
Nick DeSimone, New York, N.Y. for Close Your Eyes
Adam Richter, West Reading, Pa. for Eye Contact
Jeff Stolzer, New York, N.Y. for The New Abnormal
J.B. Heaps, New York, N.Y. for Go Gently Into the Night
Far From Providence – Jim Moss, Branchburg, N.J. for Far from Providence
Kimberly Kalaja, New York, N.Y. for Acts Without Words
The Phillips’ Mill Community Association is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of the arts and the preservation of the artistic and cultural heritage of the Bucks County area.
The Association is active in the following areas (click on the applicable icon for details):
Art Exhibition
The Phillips’ Mill juried art exhibition, long-recognized as the most prestigious art show in the Delaware Valley, holds its exhibit each year in the fall. First held in 1929, the show attracts the best work of hundreds of artists living within a 25-mile radius of the Mill. Over a thousand people visit the show each year. All art is for sale–oils, watercolors, mixed media, pastels, and drawings as well as sculpture. The Art Exhibition Committee invests a great deal of time and energy to ensure the continued success of this historic exhibition.
Drama
Each year, the Drama Committee invites the public to enjoy their wildly popular productions, which include original musical comedies and cabarets featuring the music of well known song-writers. Seating is cabaret style and guests are invited to bring their own snacks and libations. The shows are produced by the Drama Committee, a group of enthusiastic thespians, singers and dancers who are having as good a time as the audience.
Photography
Each spring, the enthusiastic members of the Photographic Exhibition Committee hold the annual Phillips’ Mill Photographic Exhibition, fondly known as PMPE. It is the premier annual juried photography show in Bucks County, with many hundreds of visitors each year. PMPE is unusual because it has no annual theme, resulting in a wide variety of images, including digitally altered photographs. It receives both framed and digital submissions from artists across the country.
Forum
The Forum is an annual event at the Mill at which topical issues are presented by experts for discussion and debate. Recent subjects have included the need to honor civil discourse, protecting local waterways, the impact of social media and the impact of emotions on physical health. The public is invited to participate in this always interesting event.
Children & Youth Activities
Children’s theater occurred at the Mill for many years, years ago. Recently, some very talented Mill members have revived that tradition by staging productions of both well-known and original musicals. In addition, the Mill hosts a Youth Art Exhibition in January for high school students whose schools elect to the participate in the show.
The official registration and financial information of the Phillips’ Mill Community Association (PMCA) may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1 (800) 732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. The Internal Revenue Service has determined that the PMCA is an organization described in §501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Therefore contributions to it are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
