Fluid Motion's commissioning program, START THE STORY, is a unique program that connects writers and patrons during the genesis of a new play. Our aim to create a community of artists and enthusiasts who believe in working together to create work that will change the way we view the world.

2006 marked the inaugural year for Fluid Motion's START THE STORY program. The first two START THE STORY commissions were awarded to:

• South Asian American playwright Mrinalini Kamath for The Quest (aka The Golden Fleece Project), a new adaptation based on the stories of the Argonauts in the Quest for the Golden Fleece. (Sponsored by the Nancy Quinn Fund and Maria-Teresa A. Gamboni)

• African American playwright Katori Hall for Gone (w.t.), her adaptation of Antigone in the contemporary setting of post-Hurricane Katrina Louisiana. (Sponsored by Ayanna Lonian)

• Asian American playwright Michi Barall for The Secret History of Chingghis Khan: A Puppet Odyssey (w.t.), her adaptation of the 13th century Uighur text, The Secret History of the Mongols. (Sponsored by Wickshaw Productions)

To learn more about getting involved with a writer and "start the story," email info@fluidmotiontheaterfilm.org.