Circle X Theatre Co. Reveals 2025/2026 Evolving Playwrights Group Participants

Circle X Theatre Co. has announced the next cohort of playwrights and artists-in-conversation for our 2025-2026 Evolving Playwrights Group. The Evolving Playwrights Group is a new play development program dedicated to supporting the development of brave, impossible new works for the stage by groundbreaking and provocative playwrights. The cohort was selected after a competitive application process by the Circle X Theatre Co. literary staff and includes Cris Eli Blak, Weston Gaylord, AJ Layague, Julia Lederer, Dana Schwartz, and Veronica Tijoe.

"We are excited to introduce this year's exceptional group of writers joining the Circle X family. We look forward to supporting their creative journeys as they explore challenging theatrical territories in their new works. These playwrights are each delving into subjects that blend intimate personal experiences with themes that speak to our shared human experience," says Artistic Director of Circle X Theatre Company Jen Kays. "We are delighted to be able to support these playwrights to connect, challenge, and grow with each other, and we can't wait to see how these plays push the needle further in what we imagine is possible on stage."

Each writer is paired with another theater artist who acts as mentor, collaborator, and resource throughout their time as an Evolving Playwrights Group member and beyond. Cris Eli Blak is paired with Ramiz Monsef, Weston Gaylord is paired with Jim Leonard, AJ Layague is paired with Jon Lawrence Rivera, Julia Lederer is paired with Jennifer Chambers, Dana Schwartz is paired with Elizabeth Harper, and Veronica Tijoe is paired with Diana Wyenn.

The Evolving Playwrights Group meets bi-weekly to share new pages and receive feedback from their peers and the Circle X artistic staff. Playwrights have the opportunity to hear their pages read, discuss craft and relevant topics, and meet with experts, while Circle X provides each playwright with the resources for two developmental readings, as well as opportunities to discuss craft and relevant topics with expert theater artists. The six new plays developed by this year's playwrights will culminate in a free public reading series in January 2026 featuring professional actors and directors.

An evolution of Circle X Theatre Co.'s long history of developing new work by writers in Los Angeles, the Evolving Playwrights Group aims to identify and support provocative and diverse voices in the Los Angeles community to develop ambitious new work.

Artist bios and more information: https://www.circlextheatre.org/evolving2025

Circle X Theatre Co. is a not-for-profit ensemble of artists dedicated to highly provocative, boldly theatrical productions of new and rarely-seen plays and the development of new works for the stage. We believe in imagination over budget, adrenaline over inertia, irreverence over convention and excellence over all.

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