Some innovative not-for-profit theatres around the country -- including New York's Drama Dept. and Washington, D.C.'s Woolly Mammoth -- have joined forces to develop and produce new theatre.

The National New Play Network, an alliance whose mission is to cultivate new plays, working relationships among artists, sources of funding, and audiences, has been launched with 13 charter members: Actors Express (Atlanta), The Actors Gang (Los Angeles), Annex Theatre (Seattle), Borderlands (Tucson), The Drama Dept. (New York City), Horsecart Theatre (Denver), Interact Theater (Philadelphia), Kitchen Dog (Dallas), Mixed Blood Theater (Minneapolis), PROP THTR (Chicago), Unicorn Theater (Kansas), Woolly Mammoth (Washington, D.C.), and The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center (Waterford, Conn.).

Each member represents a different part of the country, and all the theatres are committed to developing new plays and playwrights. NPNN also hopes to facilitate and exchange new works among members and other theatres around the country and the world.

Seattle's Annex is kicking off its involvement with NNPN by sponsoring "Hothouse '99," a two-week program in May that will unite six regional playwrights with local directors and actors to create new works. The program culminates with three public performances on the Annex mainstage.

Projects must be between 15 minutes and one hour, have a cast of 3 to 10 actors, and may be in any stage to development. Work on the project must then take place with the actors and directors on site within the two-week time frame. To apply, send 10 to 20 pages of script text and a letter of interest addressing (1) why you want to participate in the project; (2) how you propose to use the projects, including your goals, your way of working within such a structure, and your ideal relationship with a director/dramaturg/facilitator; and (3) riff on what you know about the Annex or your impressions of the Annex and why you¹re interested in working there.

Send applications to Bruce Hall, Company Administrator, Annex Theatre, 1916 Fourth Ave., Seattle, WA 98104. Call (206) 728-0933 for further information. Applications must be postmarked by March 10, 1999

-- By Diane Snyder