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Open Meadows Foundation is a grant-making organization seeking projects that promote gender/racial/economic justice. We fund 501c3 organizations and individuals. We do not give grants to businesses.
Please note: We are currently re-organizing and are not accepting new applications. We will update our website when we are ready to announce our new programming.

Open Meadows Announces 2020 winners for the Nancy Dean Lesbian Playwriting Award

Open Meadows Foundation is proud to announce three awards to playwrights honoring works focusing on lesbian voices and viewpoints.

Monica Palacios-I Kissed Chavela Vargas, $5000

Monica describes I Kissed Chavela Vargas as, “ a memory play with music that revolves around three generations of Chicanas. A performance piece about performing, aging, healing, female sexuality and about grace. Mother, daughter, and granddaughter struggle with their relationships with one another and with life. They sing, they dance, they fight and ultimately, they find love.” The characters dance off the pages of this submission and demand a stage performance for the public.

Alexandria Espinoza- HOMORIDAE, $2500

In this highly theatrical play, Alexandra explores what it is like to be a black student and a black professor at an Ivy League School. Nessa questions her identity as a woman of color and the significance of her interest in Classics Studies. Professor Esmond finds himself talking to a statue of Homer. A made-up ancient language and reimaging of ancient history enhance the storytelling.

Barbara Khan- Verzet: Amsterdam (Resistance Amsterdam), $1250

Barbara imagines conversations among artist working for the resistance in Amsterdam during WWII. Using their artistic talents, the characters (Jewish, queer, immigrant, communist) create identification cards and organize underground networks to secure the escape of targeted populations from the occupying German forces and their collaborators.

The Nancy Dean award for Lesbian Playwrights is to honor a woman who was at the forefront of Lesbian, queer, gay, genderqueer, gender-nonconforming, trans, intersex and people of color movements. We honor her focus and writing on Lesbian relationships before the time of the Stonewall rebellion. Her writings were the precursor to social change. In that spirit of struggle and often hidden desire we encouraged the submission of new plays that address the conflict of lesbian, queer or gay, trans and nonbinary women struggling to live and love their best lives. In these times of social definition and refinement the age-old conflict of acceptance and the right to live our true lives as we truly are is still our continuing fight which is refined and embolden by each new generation. We understand people have their own language for their gender and sexuality. We are open to submission from women who are lesbian, queer or gay, trans and nonbinary. The award includes a contribution from the Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation in memory of Dr. Donna R. Barnes.

Congratulations to the award winners and we look forward to the production of these inspirational plays.

Please e-mail questions or comments to openmeadowsfdn@gmail.com