TCG, La Mama hands out honours

Dizzia Thesps John Douglas Thompson and Maria Dizzia are among individuals landing fellowships from legit nonprofit Theater Communications Group, that has named a slew of grant readers. Meanwhile, Mike Shepard has drawn on Matthew Paul Olmos to become the emerging playwright whose work will receive a showcase at downtown venue La Mama, included in that theater's recently inaugurated Ellen Stewart Award, which Shepard was the very first recipient. Included in its Fox Foundation Resident Stars Fellowships for professional development, much-famous Off Broadway regular Thompson ("Othello," "The Emperor Johnson") has snagged 1 of 2 distinguished achievement honours alongside Peter Howard. Thompson and Howard will get $25,000 each, with $7,500 visiting the theaters that the stars works. Thompson uses to funds to prep for playing lead roles in Shakespeare comedies with Theater for any New Audience, while Howard, with L.A.'s Cornerstone Theater Company, will write and execute a piece according to travels to 6 towns which have located Cornerstone previously. Dizzia ("Within the next Room, or even the Vibrator Play"), combined with Yale Repetition, is just one of three thesps to obtain an remarkable potential fellowship for early or mid-career stars. Dizzia will visit China to review voice. Sandra Delgado, using the Goodman Theater in Chicago, will study interview-based theater while Miriam Silverman, with Washington's Shakespeare Theater Company, will build up her very own method of voice and verse acting. This version from the fellowship hands out $15,000 to every recipient, with as many as $10,000 more open to be placed toward student financial loans. TCG also named readers of their New Decades grant program, with five pros set to mentor industry newcomers at orgs including NY Theater Workshop and Cornerstone. Another arm of this grant program funds aud development at legit nonprofits, with gold coin this season likely to companies including Gotham's Foundry Theater and Washington's Woolly Mammoth. At La Mama, Shepard's choice of Olmos is an element from the theater's Ellen Stewart Award, named following the downtown mainstay's late founder. Included in the kudo, Shepard was assigned with selecting a youthful scribe who'd produce a new try to be presented by La Mama. Olmos, a author who's also around the staff in the Lark Play Development Center, has composed plays including "Monkey" and "I Place the Anxiety about Mexico in Them." Writer's new play is going to be created at La Mama next season. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com