What is Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative?

Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative (CPI) is a grassroots non-profit arts organization of Tri-State playwrights, directors and actors dedicated to developing new plays written by local playwrights.  Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative is a member of the League of Cincinnati Theaters (LCT).  Since 1997, CPI in conjunction with the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) annually sponsors a series of public staged readings of new plays, New Voices Series.  CPI strives to provide a forum for playwrights to explore the possibilities contained within their work by providing a community of playwrights within which individual initiative can seek its fullest expression.

The History of CPI

Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative (CPI) was started in the fall of 1996 by Norma Jenckes, a faculty member from the University of Cincinnati and the director of the Helen Weinsberg Center for Drama.  The organization was an outgrowth of a group of playwrights who met informally to discuss and critique their work.  A guiding principle of the newly formed group was that the playwrights themselves would take the initiative in organizing staged readings and advancing their work.  The organization would then support the initiative of its playwrights by providing help, guidance, and a place to hold staged readings.

CPI developed a partnership with the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) that allowed the organization to stage its first play reading at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, Fifth Third Bank Theater, in January 1997.  Since that first staged reading, CPI has presented the original plays of more than 80 Tri-State playwrights to audiences in the Aronoff Center, Fifth Third Bank Theater, the V.A. Medical Center in Cincinnati, and the Carnegie Arts Center in Covington, KY.  Several members and alumni of the New Voices Series have gone on to full-scale productions, locally as well as in New York and Los Angeles.

CPI joined forces with the Ohio Theatre Alliance and presented a playwright’s workshop in February 2000.  CPI also became an active participant in the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT), a collaborative of Cincinnati theatre organizations. 

CPI officially obtained a non-profit status in 2001.

Our newly elected board of officers (June 8, 2008): Alan Jozwiak, President and Acting Treasurer; Pauline Smolin, Vice President; and Sandi Kivkovich, Secretary.

The future of CPI looks bright as the organization seeks to further its original mission. 

The Organization:  Structure, Meetings and More

CPI officers are elected to a 2-year term (June 2008-June 2010): 

President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary.

Current Officers of CPI:

           President:                    Alan Jozwiak

           Vice President:            Pauline Smolin

           Treasurer:                    Thomas Spanja

           Secretary:                    Sandi Kivkovich

Current CPI Executive Board:

           Alan Jozwiak, Pauline Smolin, Thomas Spanja, Sandi Kivkovich, Philip Clayton and Kalman Kivkovich

CPI has several ongoing committees, headed by committee chairs.  

Primary committees are:

Play-Reading Committee

Publicity

Cold-Reading

Playwriting Salon

Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative holds monthly business meetings, attended by the elected officers, the various committees and other CPI members who wish to attend.   The meetings take place on the second Sunday of every month at 7:00 PM, on the 4th Floor of French Hall (Room 4428) on the University of Cincinnati campus on Jefferson Avenue. 

Visitors and new members are always welcome.

Membership & How to Join

CPI Membership is open to all playwrights, actors, directors, producers, and supporters who live in the Tri-State area. 

• Dues amount $15 per year.
• Year is defined as 12 months from the date a new member joins.
• Do not send cash.

For the $15.00 annual dues, members are entitled to submit one full-length play or three one-acts.  

The check, payable to CPI, can be mailed to:  CPI, P.O. Box 19969, Cincinnati, OH 45219-0969.

Refer any questions about dues and membership to Thomas Spanja, Treasurer tspania@cinci.rr.com 513-231-4517

Playwriting Salon

CPI Playwriting Salon is a new “initiative” for Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative: to explore the feasibility of providing a creative forum that focuses on the issues and challenges of vital interest to members -- the art and craft of playwriting.

Informal Cold Reading* / Gest Actors / Feedback

Guest Spealers

Creative Cabaret - A night of 'anything goes

Exploring Co-Production

Festival of New Plays

Playwriting Workshop (for Members only)

And much more

CPI Playwriting Salon (members and nonmembers) every 4th Sunday of the month (7-10 PM).

Location: French Hall, University of Cincinnati, off Jefferson Ave, 4th Floor, Room 4614.

Contact Kalman Kivkovich kivi1@cinci.rr.com 513-861-0004

Informal Cold Readings *

Cold Reading, or rather, Informal Cold Reading:the latter available free service is one of the first indispensable worthwhile rewards of joining CPI. Playwrights know how important it is to hear their own creation. Whenever possible we will use guest actors to read the scripts, but we can also use CPI fellow playwrights. After the reading participants provide feedback. Naturally, reciprocating is the large KEY; we all need this service to advance our scripts to ultimately staged-production level.

CPI Informal Cold Readings will take place as part of the CPI Playwriting Salon every 4th Sunday of the month (7-10 PM). While to submit a script for the Cold Reading, you must be a CPI Member, the event is open to the Public.

Location is: French Hall, University of Cincinnati, off Jefferson Ave, 4th Floor, Room 4614.

Members who wish to have their script read are to submit e-mail requests for appropriate scheduling.  Cold Reading Chair Kalman Kivkovich will advise the playwright as to the procedure.

Contact Kalman Kivkovich kivi1@cinci.rr.com 513-861-0004

Public Staged Readings

Staged readings are an important step in the development of new plays.  The audience is encouraged but not required to join in the collaborative process of bringing a new play to life.  Staged readings allow playwrights, actors and directors to receive feedback from the audience about the play-in-progress.  Public staged readings also allow a playwright public exposure with interested parties who may want to promote or produce the play.

CPI in conjunction with the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) annually sponsors a series of public staged readings of selected new plays-New Voices Series-at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, Fifth Third Bank Theater.  The series season runs from September to May or June.  All events, nearly ten, are on the 2nd or 3rd Tuesday of each month and begin at 7:30 PM.

Tickets are only $7 ($4 students) at the door on night of performance. Reservations and purchases may be made in advance at Aronoff Center Box Office, or by calling 513-621-2787, or online at

http://www.cincinnatiarts.org/index.jsp?eventDetail=1&event_id=993

CPI By-laws

CPI is guided by its By-laws (available to Members upon request).

CPI Actors / Directors List

CPI maintains a list of Actors and Directors who are willing to volunteer their time and talents to participate in the New Voices Series.   Being on the list does not assure the artists’ acceptance to hop on board.   It is up to the playwright to contact the directors and actors and convince them to join the project.   The list is available to Members only.  To receive an updated list, contact Publicity Chair Kalman Kivkovich.

Here's a great big THANK YOU to all CPI's sponsors, partners, actors, directors, and patrons who continue to support our mission, nurturing new local talent, encouraging new voices, bringing to the local scene new stage works by up and coming local writers, performed by local actors.  Please support the theaters large and small in our area and the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) of which CPI is a proud member.

                            Please visit our CALENDAR for upcoming events

                            Manuscripts Wanted.  Please visit SUBMISSIONS

                            Please visit our PRESIDENT’S CORNER

                            Please visit our MEMBERS’ NEWS

                            Please visit our NEW VOICES ARCHIVE

         For more theater news go to: