In a year that has closed doors to playwrights and theatre-makers around the world, Crow’s Theatre is launching two initiatives aimed at expanding opportunities for creators in theatre, film, television and other media, as well as augmenting the company’s own producing vision. The first is the Crow’s Theatre/Mongrel Media Loughborough Lake Writer’s Retreat, a stage-to-screen writer’s retreat launched in partnership with Mongrel Media, a leading independent film distributor, and its founder, Hussain Amarshi. The second is an open call for multi-platform submissions for creators telling stories on stage, television, film, and other digital formats.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Mongrel as we launch the first of two new initiatives that will will create pathways for theatre creators to make or adapt work for the digital, film and media spaces,” says Crow’s Theatre Artistic Director, Chris Abraham. Hussain Amarshi, Founder of Mongrel Media adds, “The Loughborough Lake Writer’s retreat will help create more visibility and advancement opportunities for dramatic writers at a time when stages are darkened.”

The Loughborough Lake Writer’s Retreat is a stage-to-screen incubator and lab for writers and creators. Held biannually, the week-long lab is open to artists from across Canada and will take place at a newly constructed private retreat on Loughborough Lake, three hours from Toronto. The retreat fosters skill development through guided workshops, individual and group-based story-editing sessions, as well as networking opportunities aimed at forging relationships between creators and visiting industry professionals. The retreat will accept 10 artists every iteration. The inaugural iteration will take place May 30, 2021 – June 4, 2021 and will be led by Canadian playwright and screenwriter, Daniel Goldfarb.

Daniel made his Broadway debut with MARTIN SHORT: FAME BECOMES ME. His plays include LEGACY (Williamstown Theatre Festival), CRADLE AND ALL and SARAH, SARAH (Manhattan Theatre Club), THE RETRIBUITIONISTS (Playwrights Horizons), MODERN ORTHODOX (Dodger STages), and ADAM BAUM AND THE JEW MOVIE (Blue Light). On television, Daniel is a writer/producer on seasons two, three, and four of Amazon's Emmy and Golden Globe winning The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and his pilot, Julia, for HBOMax is set to shoot, starring Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child. Daniel is a graduate of The Juilliard School and NYU's Department of Dramatic Writing at Tisch (BFA, MFA), where he is an Assistant Arts Professor and was Area Head of Playwriting from 2013-2017.

Daniel has been Emmy-nominated this year for Season 3 of THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL. 

As part of our commitment to inclusive storytelling, 50% of the individuals selected to attend the retreat will be drawn from IBPOC communities, with additional priority placed on creators representing other equity-seeking groups.

Applications Open: Now!

Deadline to submit: October 4^th, 2020 @ 11:59pm.