Parley 

 
The term parley derives from the French verb  parler  to speak. Historically, a parley was a meeting between adversaries in order to negotiate an end to battle.  To signal a willingness to talk peaceably, armies would run up a white flag.  Writing is a solitary act.  It's easy for playwrights who feel isolated to become defensive. Our group seeks to cure that condition. By committing to a process of reading, discussing, and producing one another's work, we surrender the lone struggle and move creatively forward together. 
 
Parley is a diverse collective of Seattle playwrights committed to the long-term development of one another's work.  We provide a protected space in which to welcome the unguarded, authentic expression of our differences on the stage. 
 
What we're about. 
 
Parley, a new home for playwrights in Seattle, was created in 2014 by Rebecca Tourino Collinsworth, who teaches playwriting at Freehold Theatre Lab and through her home studio, Salvo. Parley is a hybrid writing workshop and production entity that meets weekly. Parley invests deeply in its associate playwrights and sustains its support of them over months and years: from the false starts and tender beginnings of a scene to the completed manuscript and on through casting, rehearsal, revision, production, and beyond. Parley produced 12 world premiere workshops in 2016 alone.  Parley’s process is unique in Seattle. 
 
Parley is accessible as an organization to gifted local playwrights seeking long-term writing support and development, as well as a passionate public audience for their works-in-progress. 
 
Our artists love the simple immediacy of good storytelling. We limit our design elements so the text can reach the viewer with minimal distraction; to encourage imaginative transformation (the most exciting part of live theater); and to keep production costs down so everyone can afford to come. 
 
Parley is fiscally sponsored by Shunpike.  Shunpike is the 501(c)(3) non-profit agency that provides independent arts groups in Washington State with the services, resources, and opportunities they need to forge their own paths to sustainable success. 
 
 
Who am I? 
Rebecca Tourino Collinsworth  
A mother of two, I’m a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California, Irvine (MFA, Acting), and the Pacific Conservatory Theatre.  I made my professional acting debut as Hero in Much Ado About Nothing at the rebuilt Globe Theatre in London, and have since acted in regional theaters all over the United States. As a teaching artist, I've worked with the Claire Trevor School of the Arts; the Alliance Theater in Atlanta; the New York Film Academy in Soho; Seattle University; Meadows School of the Arts at SMU; Freehold Theatre Lab/Studio and its Ensemble Training Intensive; and I served for three years as Resident Playwright at the Washington Correctional Center for Women as part of the Engaged Theater Residency.  My plays have been produced in New York, Los Angeles, and elsewhere at venues such as the American Theatre of Actors, Center Stage, and the Barrow Group.  As a director, I've focused almost exclusively on developing new work. Since I founded Parley in 2014, I have mentored, directed, and produced 34 world premieres in Seattle.  I currently teach playwriting, voice and speech, and acting at Freehold Theatre Lab and at my home studio, Salvo. 
 
How we will use the money? 
 
All funds raise support our outlay of general expenses: whatever it takes to bring you fresh, diverse, relevant new art.  Generally, a production runs approximately $775 before tickets sales $475 after.  The breakdown is roughly: 
•  Venue:  $450  
•  Programs: $60  
•  Postcards: $60  
•  Artist stipends: $125  
•  Props/ticketing items: $60  
•  Design clipart: $20  
Other annual cost: 
•  Printer paper/toner/office supplies (script binding materials): $360 a year ($30 per production) 
•  TPS membership: 134.20 per year ($11.2 per production) 
•  TPS generals auditing: $90 per year  ($7.5 per production) 
•  Website and domain: $150 per year ($12.5 per production) 


Why now? 
 
The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. The arts bring us joy, help us express our values, and build bridges between cultures. The arts also are a fundamental component of healthy communities, strengthening them socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even in difficult social and economic times.