PRESS RELEASE: HIBERNIAN HALL PROUDLY SHOWCASING LOCAL PLAYWRIGHTS TONIGHT & APPRECIATES MASS CULTURAL COUNCIL’S SUPPORT

06.24.2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 24, 2021
Media Contact:
Madison Park Development Corporation
Kelly Ransom, Director of Communications & Public Affairs
617.721.9306, [email protected]
HIBERNIAN HALL PROUDLY SHOWCASING LOCAL PLAYWRIGHTS TONIGHT & APPRECIATES MASS CULTURAL COUNCIL’S SUPPORT
JUNE 24, 2021 – ROXBURY, MA – Hibernian Hall at Madison Park Development Corporation received a grant of $2,500 from the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, through its Cultural Investment Portfolio Projects Program. The grant recognizes that Madison Park Development Corporation provides significant public value through its programs and services. This particular grant was awarded in support of Hibernian Hall’s 2nd Annual Play Writing LAB (or HHTC2) for aspiring playwrights, led by playwright Jecenia Figueroa, a Puerto Rican playwright, poet, and author born in Boston.
Out of 32 applicants, we selected eight multi-dimensional and talented playwrights from various backgrounds. With the help of TC Squared Theatre Company (TC2), each playwright had the chance to work with a director and actors to bring their play to life. Every Thursday from 6 pm to 9 pm for six weeks, the playwrights would log in online, share their work, and receive feedback from the instructor and the class. The exercises, conversations, and curriculum allowed them to polish their writing and complete their projects.
“To be a part of the HHTC2 Play Writing LAB was truly gratifying. I was able to work with a multi-talented group of artists, some of whom were completely new to playwriting. What a humbling experience to be able to welcome them into the magical world of theatre,” Jecenia reflects.
The final Showcase will be live-streamed TONIGHT, June 24th, 2021. You can sign up to view the virtual Showcase at http://bit.ly/HHLABShowcase. The event will also be recorded and shared on MPDC & Hibernian Hall’s social media pages, so feel free to watch it anytime.
Martha Kingsbury, an author and playwriting instructor at TC2, notes, “The Spring PlayLab at Hibernian Hall flew by, and as always, when writers gather, the conversation was amazing and generous. The plays grew, the playwrights grew stronger with their craft, and once again, my dreams were full of scenes and characters I had never before imagined. La Chaim!”
Mass Cultural Council has a budget of $15.7 million, including an appropriation of nearly $14 million from Massachusetts and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources. The agency also runs the Mass Cultural Facilities Fund in partnership with MassDevelopment.
Mass Cultural Council funds reach every community in the Commonwealth. Its mission is to promote excellence, education, access, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and sciences, to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents, and contribute to the vitality of our communities and economy.
We are proud to have the support of Representative Jon Santiago, who mentioned, “I am proud to support the Massachusetts Cultural Council and was thrilled to see the legislature fund the MCC at its highest level in decades during this last budget cycle. It’s especially heartening to see these funds being used in our community to support a storied institution like Hibernian Hall to fund the playwriting lab. Now is the time to be investing in our arts and culture, and I am grateful to the folks at Hibernian Hall for making that a reality.”
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