Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash
In the years after the COVID-19 pandemic, a few people on staff put together productions with shorter runs in 2023 and 2024. After that, we gained more volunteers and more interest in resuming an entire production season. When we resumed accepting proposals—otherwise known as RFP or Request for Proposals—I took on the work to responsively flesh out an idea for producing new work from the previous year: Works in Progress or WIP. (It’s also sometimes stylized works-in-progress, although that doesn’t look as nice.)
About Works in Progress (WIP)
The focus of WIP is on developing new playwrights and artists who want to join Annex but maybe don’t have a full-length show (or a version of one) that they’re ready to fully produce. Putting on a show at Annex takes a lot of energy, and versions with complete casts and crews and design elements have been the primary style for several years. However, as volunteers burn out while we all attempt to reckon with the ramifications of a global pandemic and forever wars and the ravages of capitalism, we decided to put on some staged and script readings instead.
The exact format for WIP was unknown when we first offered it in the request for proposals. It was developed over several iterations and examples, and continues to evolve as new volunteers pick up the mantle. In 2024 and 2025, inspired by the way a reading of an early version of Jettison to Europa and our first WIP, Mother/Daughter^2 proceeded, I developed a program that continues to grow at Annex.
Developing the Program
For the first season of WIPs, I liaised with playwrights, found directors, ran auditions, created performance and schedules, ran technical rehearsals, and designed marketing for the plays. I also gave feedback on four of the scripts and even directed one.
Looking back over my documents from Annex Theatre, I have a 4-page document that covers what the program looked like and what could be improved. Here are some highlights:
Overview
- WIPs are the latest iteration of small-scale productions at Annex intended to use the off-night performance slots and provide new opportunities for staff, company, and community to put up new work at Annex.
- Scripts do not have to be complete when they are pitched, but should be complete by auditions.
- Design/technical elements should be limited to what can be carried up the stairs.
- In practice, this looked like adding one design element to a production: music tracks, unique lighting, and costumes.
Working with Playwrights
- Playwright needs are being met in this process based on their work. Most playwrights have selected their own directors, but others need support with bringing in someone else.
- The playwright continues to be the main point of contact during the process, but director may take the lead.
Production Meetings, Rehearsal, and Tech
- Three (3) production touch points are needed at minimum, which can be done via meeting or over email:
- Confirm dates and show summary.
- Go over audition requirements and staffing for stage management/lights/sound.
- Pre-rehearsal meeting to coordinate dates and times, final marketing specifications, and space access.
- Additional meetings should of course happen, but those three key touch points are helpful for aligning the playwright (and possibly director) with Annex’s expectations.
- There’s enough time for about 6 rehearsals in the space before performance.
- Allot some time for “tech” to work out lights up/lights down/curtain cal.
- Ideally, tech is minimal and should involve three to four lighting cues, no internal sound cues unless it is a musical, and any additional scenic elements should be limited to 20-30 minute setup.
Feedback and Talkbacks
Each playwright had different goals in mind and different manners for incorporating feedback. Some preferred to restrict it to an online form, and others were open to hosting talkback discussions. One version used audience feedback from the first performance to create a new version that the cast rehearsed and performed the following week. (We had a lot to learn from that iteration in terms of effectively communicating with cast and and the director.)
Overall, it was an enriching experience for the playwrights. I also found it especially useful to further develop my skills as a dramaturg, which had gotten rusty over the years. I adapted my feedback to each playwright depending on the level of involvement they wished, and for some I was able to look at the play holistically whereas others required a more precise look at moments or characters. I did the most shaping and editing for The Genie’s Therapist, which was produced after I moved.
What’s Next?
After a full production season, the Annex Company chose to create a pathway for playwrights and teams involved in WIPs to produce a mainstage version of their show. This means that after a WIP, the Company will choose which one to offer a slot reserved in the mainstage season.
There are several advantages to this method, including maintaining relationships and truly delivering a strong piece of work that is made at Annex. I’m excited to hear how the first one will turn out to summer. It’s an option available only to shows that have gone through the rehearsal and performance process, which will ideally continue to grow as more volunteers participate in the WIP program. My hope is that WIPs (or something like them) will create an appealing entry point for artists to take a chance on Annex and for Annex to take a chance on new artists.