BARN LAB

WHAT IS BARN LAB? BARN LAB is InvulNos’ yearly generative residency in midcoast Maine with a focus on new and unpremiered performance work. It is hosted at Wanderwood, a sustainable farm in Nobleboro. Each week, project originators gather together with access to a company of resident actors drawn from InvulNos associate artists.

Submissions should not have received a full premier and should be actively in process. We are most interested in projects (and language!) that are risk taking and formally ambitious. Participants can expect to be actively in rehearsal for 32hrs or less: BARN LAB is intended as a time for all of us to reset and explore Midcoast Maine as well as to investigate new and exciting ideas. Please note we are unable to host collectives or companies as part of the residency, but will consider writing or devising partnerships of up to two people. We develop both full length plays and solo works as part of the residency; please do not submit short works or film scripts.

The acting company is by invitation and based on projects selected, however we are always happy to meet new actors and welcome introductions/ headshots/resumes at invulnerablenothings@gmail.com . Travel stipends are available to defray costs associated with attending the residency, so please apply from whereever you may be planted! All room and board are provided to participants on farm for the full length of the residency.

Submissions to BARN LAB are currently closed. They will open for the 5th edition January 2025!

HISTORY 2021-2024: In June 2021, Invulnerable Nothings hosted our inaugural BARN LAB. This generative residency in Maine marked the company’s first in person work in over 18 months interpandemic, with lab participants gathering both in person and virtually for the hybrid development of several texts. Our 2021 projects were CJ Turner-McMullan’s THUNDER, an adaptation of John Webster’s The White Devil set in present day Arizona, and Matthew Gasda’s ALL THE MOURNFUL VOICES, a lyrical exploration of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, as well as resumed work on the company’s production of John Ford’s THE BROKEN HEART and Asta Nielsen’s HAMLET. 2021 performers in residence included Lauren Guglielmello, Charlie Munn, George Olesky, Derrick Peterson, Sophie Mae Reppert, Jake Robertson, and Kristin Winters alongside project facilitator C.C. Kellogg and the playwrights.

Our 2022 playtexts in development Week I were Sophie Dushko’s GALATEA 2.0, which combines the Pygmalion myth, love dolls, and incel culture; Pamela Enz's FALLING SIDEWAYS OFF THE EDGE OF THE EARTH, an experimentation in mysterianism; and Joe Zarrow’s HELLMOUTH, a neo medieval mystery play detailing the 1980s Satanic Panic. Our solo focused Week II program supported new projects by Adrian Collins (Your Best Odd Girl Out), Caitlin Gaspar, Joe Medeiros (Odyssey Book 3), and Kristin Winters (Hildegard Von Bingen) and skills building from Vincent Santvoord and Sarah Quigley. The 2022 Barn Lab acting company consisted of River Carlyle, Adrian Collins, Alida Rose Delaney, Vincent Santvoord, Sarah Quigley, and our wonderful playwriting cohort.

Barn Lab in 2023 again developed two scripted projects in its first week, as well as a series of self generated works in the second week. BARN LAB Week I (script and playwright focus) centered on Libby Carr’s CALF SCRAMBLE and Daniel Duren’s COME WINTER. The acting company consisted of Beatriz Castro, Sophie Dushko, Lauren Guglielmello, Maya Moravec, and Sigrid Sutter. Week II (generative project focus) centered on devised by Lauren Guglielmello, John King, Allie Marotta, and Ross Pasquale. The 2023 lab was co-facilitated by C.C. Kellogg and Vincent Santvoord.

The 2024 edition was again co-facilitated by C.C. Kellogg and Vincent Santvoord in a nine day September format. 2024 plays in residence were Gardens @ Glennshead by kanishk pandey and The Cubic by Mallory Jane Weiss; the acting company included Adrian Collins, Katie Kane, Khyati Segal, Nicole Chaffin, and Santvoord. This year’s lab will culminate in two developmental readings generously hosted by Strong Rope Brewery Brooklyn in October and November 2024.