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France-Luce Benson

FRANCE-LUCE BENSON

  
Nationality:    African American
email:    Click here to contact     Website:    Click here

Literary Agent:    n/a

France-Luce Benson graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with an M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing, and holds a B.F.A. in Theatre from Florida International University. She is a two-time recipient of the Shubert Foundation Fellowship Award. Her play Fati's Last Dance received the Lorraine Hansberry Award for Playwriting from the Kennedy Center (Honorable Mention), was one of six plays selected for the inaugural Ignition Festival at Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago, a finalist for the theodore Ward prize given by Columbia College, and the winner of the Mary Marlin Fisher Award given by Carnegie Mellon University. Most recently, Fati's Last Dance was featured at Ensemble Studio Theatre's Octoberfest 2010. Also at EST, Risen from the Doughwas produced in Going to the River 2009: River Crosses River Festival, Silence of the Mambo, Destiny's Edge, Ascension, and Floating Under Water have all had readings and/or workshops at previous EST/GTTR festivals, and this year, Ms. Benson was thrilled to have been named a Lifetime Member at Ensemble Studio Theatre. "Healing Roots", a feature length screenplay, was awarded the $10,000 prize in the Alfred P. Sloan foundation. From 2001-2004 she served as the Playwright in Residence for the Negro Ensemble Company, and was commissioned to write Barbara's Keys, which premiered at the Lamb's Theatre. Da Beat Trap, a one woman show written and performed by Ms. Benson, co-produced by NEC, debuted at the Producer's Club as part of the Shakespeare N. Haarlem Theatre Festival. Other credits includeFreedom Sea- workshop at the Atlantic Theatre; Out of Focus - produced at Pittsburgh Playwright's Black and White Festival, Noplace, Somewhere - produced at Bricolage Theatre in Pittsburgh, and D Gme of Luv N Chnc - produced by Ruffled Feathers Theatre. In 2010 Ms. Benson founded and served as Executive Director for CAFe(Caribbean Association for Females in Entertainment) and produced Kijan Pou'N Geri? at the Abe Burrows Theatre to benefit Haiti's Earthquake victims. She has served as a Teaching Artist for Manhattan Theatre Club, the Paul Roberson Theatre, is a Playwriting Workshop Leader for Young Playwrights, Inc., an Adjunct Professor for Lehman College. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America, Inc., and lives in Brooklyn.

Research:    Member of the Dramatists Guild of America

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below is a list of France-Luce Benson's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         Ascension         Barbara's Keys         Boat People         Bright Lights, Tent City         d gme of luv n chnc         Da Beat Trap         Dawn To Dusk         Destiny's Edge         Devil's Salt         Fati's Last Dance         Floating Under Water         Freedom Sea         Learning To Swim         Mr Sunshine And the Radio Dame         Noplace, Somewhere         Out of Focus         Risen From the Dough         Silence Of the Mambo         Talk, The

Ascension

Synopsis:
Ascension follows three generations of Haitian women on a spiritual journey, as they become enraptured by a very passionate yet dangerous Catholic priest. Through the visitation of spirits and their deep faith in family, the women attempt to piece together and lay to rest their complicated past.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Workshop At The Ensemble Studio Theatre, Going To The River Festival    14 Mar 2002

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

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Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Barbara's Keys

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
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1st Produced:
LambS Theatre    -

Organisations:
Negro Ensemble Company

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

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Genre:
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Boat People

Synopsis:
In 1980's Miami, FL the controversy over illegal immigrants is heating up, a young girl hiding the truth of who she is is forced to confront her identity, and a Haitian-American family risks losing the American Dream to protect a refugee/revolutionary who has the power to save the country he left behind.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
[reading] Dwyer Cultural Center. New York, NY    23 Mar 2015

Organisations:
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1st Published:
-   -

Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Bright Lights, Tent City

Synopsis:
It is one year after the earthquake that devastated Port Au Prince, Haiti; what begins as another day at the Daihatsu Refugee Camp turns into a who's who media frenzy as the 2011 Presidential election gets underway.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
one act

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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d gme of luv n chnc

Synopsis:
In an artificial world dominated by texts, tweets, blogs and pseudo-cyber celebrities, a blogger and her queen, a designer and his muse, unwillingly reveal their true identities in the name of love and human connection.

Notes:
a blogger's adventures in romance and online hating

1st Produced:
Ruffled Feathers Theatre, NYC    2010

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
comedy

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Da Beat Trap

Synopsis:
Five woman, five decades, the hottest spot in town. Written and Performed by France-Luce Benson.

Notes:
part of the Shakespeare N. Haarlem theatre Festival

1st Produced:
Shakespeare N. Haarlem Theatre Festival/Nec, New York, Ny    01 Dec 2003

Organisations:
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1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
one woman show

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Dawn To Dusk

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Staged Reading, Circle Repertory Theatre School    25 Jul 1993

Organisations:
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1st Published:
-   -

Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Destiny's Edge

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Produced By Ensemble Studio Theatre/ Riverfest    09 feb 2004

Organisations:
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1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

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Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Devil's Salt

Synopsis:
about Haitian activist Jean Dominique

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
EstS First Light Festival    2013

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Fati's Last Dance

Synopsis:
Can an aging Ballet diva, a princely break dancer, a reality show reject, and Brazilian Guru move a sleeping beauty off the couch and into the spotlight? Fati's Last Dance is an off-beat comedy that tells the story of a young Haitian woman's journey from self-loathing to self-acceptance, and her family's gracefully awkward steps towards overcoming grief.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
[Workshop] Ignition Festival, Victory Gardens Theatre, Chicago    Aug 2008

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Floating Under Water

Synopsis:
On a remote island where lust and fantasy are sold, a young Haitian woman sets out on a journey to uncover the truth of her dark past. She is guided by a Goddess of the sea into a lush world of haunting and healing images that propel her to rise above the surface of emotional bondage, giving birth to an inner strength that had been silenced for years. Using the language of Haitain folklore, surreal imagery, and brutal realism, Floating Under Water is a story of redemption, empowerment, and forgiveness.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Pennsylvania Council For The Arts Summer Festival Of New Plays, Carnegie Mellon University    20 Jul 2007

Organisations:
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1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Freedom Sea

Synopsis:
Three sisters lost at sea risk life and limb to make it to the "promised land"  but what is the price of liberty? An avant-garde examination of the complex political, social, and historic relationships between Haiti, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Workshop At The Atlantic Theatre Company(Ptp) NYC    Jul 2008

Organisations:
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1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
one act drama

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Learning To Swim

Synopsis:
a woman grappling with loss discovers the only way to rise above her grief is to swim through it.

Notes:
the ensemble Studio theatre And Going to the River have lined up some of the most gifted women playwrights of color - some new, some established - for A three-week presentation of nine short, under 10-minute plays in return of the series the River Crosses Rivers. the River Crosses Rivers II mixes established playwrights like Pearl Cleage And Regina Taylor with emerging playwrights France-Luce Benson, Christine Jean Chambers, Naveen Bahar Choudhury, Philana Omorotionmwan, Desi Moreno-Penson, Bridgette Wimberly And Cori Thomas.

1st Produced:

Organisations:
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1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
short play

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Mr Sunshine And the Radio Dame

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Noplace, Somewhere

Synopsis:
Katrina survivors, many years later, contemplate life elsewhere.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Bricolage Theatre In Pittsburgh    14 Jan 2007

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
10 min play

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Out of Focus

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Pittsburgh PlaywrightS Black And White Festival    20 Oct 2007

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Risen From the Dough

Synopsis:
Two Haitian-American women in a bakery kitchen prepare for the impending arrival of the health inspector while they grapple with grief, identity, and the complicated realities of immigrant life.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
In Going To The River 2009: River Crosses River Festival    2009

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
ten min drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Silence Of the Mambo

Synopsis:
Set in Haiti, 1986, one night before the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship. Silence of the Mambo follows the dangerous journey of a woman's fight to protect her family from Duvalier's merciless regime. Through the visitation of Vodun spirits, Silence of the Mambo spins a tragic tale of sacrifice, betrayal, and the bonds of family.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Adunde Theatre Company, Miami, Fl    Feb 1997

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Talk, The

Synopsis:
How does one "rabbit"?

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Fire This Time Festival, New York    2012

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in "he Fire This Time Festival Season Three". http://www.indietheaternow.com/Play/the-fire-this-time-festival-season-three   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Ten minute play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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