A Message from Pamela Turner
,
Well, I don't know where the time went. One minute it was 2007, and I was a sparkling new Rep agonizing over what to write for a self-introduction in  The Dramatist . 
The Regional Rep Program was equally new, as the Guild made a momentous decision to acknowledge the power and impact of theatre outside NYC and, putting action to intention, set up a new information highway that was finally able to connect us more as a cohesive, pulsing, nation-wide community. It was pretty amazing from the start, and we were in a constant state of figuring out who was doing what kind of work, and how the Guild and the Reps could advocate and help. Among the most exciting developments was the rise of dedicated programming in the growing number of Rep "centers" (it started as five), and the change in membership rules that allowed for committed writers to join the Dramatists Guild without such a high bar of professional productions. 
 
Now it's nearly 13 years later, and I'm agonizing even more about what to say upon my stepping down. I guess this is my "extroduction," and truly the hardest part is trying to sum up what all of you writers and composers have meant to me, in terms of community, creativity, friendship, and learning. There is such exciting new work happening in the Atlanta metro area and beyond, into the rest of our state, and the cool part is that so much of it is the product of individual artists grabbing the reins. With all of the gifts I've gotten personally from the Guild, right up there is the tough-love notion that we writers and composers can't wait for someone to discover us. I co-founded two companies before becoming a Rep - ArtPlay.inc and multiShades.atlanta - but I still didn't entirely believe it. Now I do.
 
I can't wait to see who you glorious Atlanta Region members nominate and elect as your next Rep, and plan to be a major cheerleader for what they can bring to the table. And since I'll remain part of the DG family as a member of Council, you can bet I'll be thinking of all of you every time I suggest or vote for some Guild endeavor. So, keep in touch, 'cause I'm still at the same address, and working, just like you, to keep skin in the game of theatre.

Pamela
Nominate Your Next Regional Rep
We hope that you'll join us at the Dramatists Guild in celebrating all of the work and sustained programming tha t Pamela Turner has done to support playwrights and DG members in her region. Nominations for our next Atlanta Regional Rep will be due on Thursday, June 25 at 11:59pm Eastern Time.
Following that deadline, nominees will be contacted to accept or decline their nomination. We will then collect bios from the nominees, so that members in the region can consider each candidate. Once this process is complete, a ballot will be assembled, and sent out shortly thereafter, thereby enabling all members in the Atlanta region to participate in a general election.

The Dramatists Guild promotes the core belief that the theatre should be a diverse and inclusive place that holds a mirror up to the world, endorsing the principles of equal opportunity for all who work in the theatre. To these ends, we encourage the nomination of persons of every race, color, culture, age, gender, physical disability, and sexual orientation, in order to move towards achieving a theatre industry, both on and off stage, that reflects the full diversity of American society. We encourage our members to make this a priority when submitting nominations.
Benefits of Becoming a DG Regional Rep:
  • Complimentary Dramatists Guild membership during your elected three-year term (Click here for a full list of DG membership benefits);
  • Opportunity to submit nominees for the Lanford Wilson Award;
  • Ongoing engagement, training, and skill-building with the Dramatists Guild staff;
  • Ongoing opportunities for community engagement and community building;
  • Strengthening relationships with other writers in your area;
  • Learning more about the resources, opportunities, and incentives available to you, and to members in your region, from the Dramatists Guild;
  • Partnering and engaging with other Regional Representatives and Ambassadors across the world to learn about what might be possible to help writers in your region;
  • Visibility as a national representative of the Dramatists Guild;
  • The opportunity to communicate with Regional Council members, who weigh in on organization-wide decisions;
  •  Strengthening relationships and improving the standards for dramatists with theatres and artistic organizations within your community, with the aid of the Dramatists Guild staff.

Requirements of a DG Regional Rep:
  • Commitment to a three-year term;
  • The programming of regional Dramatists Guild events, such as meet and greets, readings/Friday Night Footlights, or town hall meetings. You will also be required to submit the information about programming to the DG’s national office in New York, from where it will then be distributed to the membership;
  • The sharing of information and ideas related to opportunities and challenges regarding the state of new writing in your region;
  • The managing of a regional budget for the facilitation of events and programming;
  • The submission of three Regional Reports per year, to be published in The Dramatist, and to also be distributed via social media;
  • Attendance at monthly online meetings with other Regional Reps across the nation, and with Dramatists Guild staff;
  • Community strengthening and member outreach.
Manager, Regional Rep Program