From the
page to the stage, the Southern Writers' Project celebrates the rich
cultural heritage of the southern storyteller. By fostering plays that
delve into Southern issues and the African-American experience, SWP
contributes nationally significant works to the American theatre canon.
Presented by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, this new play program
culminates each year with a lively three day weekend that promises an
irresistible menu of stimulating theatre, delicious food, Southern
hospitality and great opportunities to mix and mingle with friends and
theatre professionals.
The nationally-acclaimed, award-winning Southern Writers' Project was founded in 1991 as an exploration and celebration of the South's rich story-telling tradition. Today SWP commissions, develops and produces new plays that explore Southern issues and the African-American experience. Through SWP, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival seeks to fulfill its mission of creating theatre that speaks specifically to the people of the region. The Southern Writers' Project is committed to both known acclaimed Southern and African-American writers, such as Keith Josef Adkins, Doris Baizley, Carlyle Brown, Horton Foote, Lee Smith, Ernest Gaines, Keith Glover, Barbara Lebow, Romulus Linney, Richard Marius, James McLure, Sena Jeter Naslund, John Henry Redwood, Kia Corthron, Eric Schmiedl, Regina Taylor, and Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder, as well as to more regionally based writers such as Dennis Covington, Randy Hall, Linda Byrd Kilian and Janece Shaffer.
