PlayGround Opens Applications For 2026–2027 Writers Pools

PlayGround has announced a call for applications for its 2026–2027 Writers Pools, with opportunities available for playwrights in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. Applications are open through April 30, 2026.

A total of 112 playwrights will be selected across the four cities to participate in the program and will be eligible to submit work for the 2026–2027 season of Monday Night PlayGround, the organization’s long-running staged reading series. Writers selected for the program will also be considered for Best of PlayGround presentations in each city during spring and summer 2027, as well as the national Best of the Best of PlayGround event.

Founded in 1994, PlayGround has supported the development of hundreds of playwrights through its monthly short-play series and other initiatives focused on new work. Alumni of the program include Lauren Yee, Jonathan Spector, Geetha Reddy, and Cleavon Smith. Writers connected with the organization have received recognition from programs such as the Steinberg Awards, the Will Glickman Awards, the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference, the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, and the New York International Fringe Festival.

How Monday Night PlayGround Works

During the season, PlayGround announces a monthly writing prompt to the Writers Pool members from October through March. Participants have four and a half days to write an original short play of up to 10 pages based on the prompt.

Six plays from each region are selected for public staged readings featuring local actors and directors. Performances are presented in person and streamed online, with free admission.

Scripts not selected for staged readings may be presented in “Recess” cold readings, typically held via Zoom one week after each event.

Writers Pool Details

Twenty-five playwrights and three alternates will be selected in each city. Members are expected to submit scripts for all four Monday Night PlayGround rounds during the season. Writers who do not meet the participation requirement must sit out the remainder of the season and the following season.

Playwrights must submit a properly formatted script of no more than 10 pages in PDF format. Both produced and unproduced short plays are eligible, though excerpts from longer works are not accepted. Short plays derived from longer projects are allowed.

Applications must include the playwright’s name and contact information on the first page, a cast breakdown, and numbered pages. Submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. PT on April 30.

Applicants will be notified of selections by August 1, 2026. Selected writers must attend a mandatory company meeting on August 16.

Over its three decades of activity, PlayGround has developed more than 1,500 original short plays through its programs and supported hundreds of full-length works through commissions, residencies, and its New Play Production Fund.

For information about any of the four Monday Night PlayGround programs, visit PlayGround-SF, PlayGround-LA, PlayGround-NY and PlayGround-Chicago.