James Ijames To Appear In PLAYPENN PRESENTS Conversation Series In Philadelphia And New York
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright behind FAT HAM will participate in two PlayPenn Presents events exploring the development of new work.
PlayPenn has announced James Ijames as the first featured guest in its 2026 PlayPenn Presents conversation series. The program brings leading theatre artists into discussion with audiences about the development of new plays and the creative lives of contemporary playwrights.
Ijames, whose play Fat Ham won the Pulitzer Prize, will participate in two events examining his artistic process, the creation of new work, and the trajectory of a career in theatre.
The conversations arrive during a notable season for Philadelphia theatre, with three companies presenting works by Ijames in the same year. Productions include GOOD BONES at Arden Theatre Company, THE MOST SPECTACULARLY LAMENTABLE TRIAL OF MIZ MARTHA WASHINGTON at Wilma Theater, and the upcoming world premiere of WILDERNESS GENERATION at Philadelphia Theatre Company.
The Philadelphia event will take place at the Wilma Theater and will include Ijames in conversation with Nancy Boykin and Kimberly S. Fairbanks, an original cast member of FAT HAM. The discussion will be moderated by PlayPenn Artistic Director Che'Rae Adams.
A second event will be presented in New York at The Drama Book Shop in association with Philadelphia Theatre Company and Blackboard Plays. The program will focus on the creation of new plays and the collaboration involved in bringing them to the stage.
Ijames is a playwright, director, and educator whose work includes SATURDAY CHURCH, GOOD BONES, KILL MOVE PARADISE, WHITE, and THE MOST SPECTACULARLY LAMENTABLE TRIAL OF MIZ MARTHA WASHINGTON, as well as WILDERNESS GENERATION, which will receive its world premiere at Philadelphia Theatre Company.
He is also an Associate Professor of Theatre and Head of the Playwriting Concentration at Columbia University.
Event Schedule
PlayPenn Presents: James Ijames — Philadelphia
Wilma Theater, Philadelphia
Monday at 7:30 p.m.
PlayPenn Presents: James Ijames — New York
The Drama Book Shop, New York
Monday at 7:30 p.m.
PlayPenn is an artist-driven organization dedicated to the long-term development of new plays and playwrights. For more than two decades, the Philadelphia-based organization has supported the work of theatre writers across the United States, including Samuel D. Hunter, J.T. Rogers, Jen Silverman, Bess Wohl, Lauren Yee, and many others.
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