A global play writing competition based in Orlando is calling for new works written in Spanish. Open Scene is the arts organization behind the competition – called Escena Abierta, or Open Scene in Spanish – and it’s accepting submissions until May 31st.
Mariela Saad with Open Scene says the group, which operates out of the Art and History Museums of Maitland, specializes in producing and performing arts and cultural experiences from around the world. She says the Spanish-language play writing competition is a part of Open Scene’s multicultural mission.
“We are looking for voices that are different that present unexpected ideas and perspectives,” said Saad.
Saad pointed out that while each of the previous five years’ worth of competitions have produced plenty of innovation, she has begun to spot trends in topics and writing methods that are not limited to any one country.
“Like last year, it was very common to receive plays that would follow mise en abyme,” Saad said, referencing the French phrase for “a play within a play” narrative structure. “That was very interesting, that most of the plays were writing about a play.”
“If we want to talk about themes,” she added, “we had a whole bunch that would talk about gender violence, but mostly we received many plays that would talk about governmental systems, war, and dictatorships. Another theme was mental health, or loneliness, like how lonely some of the characters were, and they would present mental health issues.”
In Saad’s experience, it’s rare to find a Spanish-language playwriting competition in the US, but she said it’s an important avenue for new voices and ideas.
“And it’s part of who we are, right? We are a very diverse country, we are multicultural, and that's one of the things that make us great,” she said. “When I have the opportunity to talk to people from other countries that come and visit, one of the things that they are amazed by is by how diverse we are here in the United States. So I think it's very, very important to be proud of who we are.”
Saad also pointed to the major role Spanish plays in Florida’s history, specifically. “Spanish is part of our core. If you see many of our cities have names in Spanish, even our own state. ‘Florida’…is Spanish.”
The playwriting competition is just one of Open Scene’s creative projects throughout the year. The organization is in its sixth year of producing an October arts festival, and will soon be moving into having production seasons instead of the once-a-year festival model.
“Our goal is to connect communities through the arts, to connect them to different perspectives, experiences, voices,” Saad said. “So, when you come to Open Scene, you are going to experience the world in the city. You might hear from Hispanic artists, you might hear from Middle Eastern artists, you might hear from American artists. You're going to explore all this universe.”
