American Playwrights News

PROFILE THEATRE premieres Claudia, A Viral Love Story, a 5-episode audio play by 9 astounding writers, known for their work in theatre, film and TV. Each writer was given prompts to create a scene and was asked to hand over their scene to the next writer to build on.

PlayGround, San Francisco's renowned theatre development lab, is currently in the midst of hosting the nation's largest fully digital new play festival, PlayGround Zoom Fest. Already running and continuing through June 14, 2020, the ambitious five-week online event gathers leading voices in American Theatre including Lauren Yee, Jonathan Spector, Aaron Loeb, Geetha Reddy, Kent Nicholson, acclaimed actors, theatre journalists, designers, and more from across the country, to present and discuss a panoply of new works and celebrate PlayGround's 25th anniversary. BroadwayWorld caught up this week with PlayGround's Artistic Director Jim Kleinmann and the much-in-demand playwright Lauren Yee in separate phone conversations. Yee is just coming off a huge success with the New York run of her newest play, Cambodian Rock Band. She participated in PlayGround's Writers Pool as a young playwright and will be part of the festival's Zoom Town Hall panel on June 8th.

With the current theatre world on hiatus, I have created a Spotlight Series on Broadway World which features interviews with some of the many talented artists who make our Los Angeles theatre community so exciting and vibrant thanks to their ongoing contribution to keeping the Arts alive in the City of the Angels. And just like all of us, I wondered how they are dealing with the abrupt end of productions in which they were involved. This Spotlight focuses on Julia Buis, an L.A. actor who traveled the world entertaining before settling in Hamburg, Germany.

Audio publisher Fabler Audio has announced the lineup of its inaugural 'theater-for-your-ears' initiative: Fabler Files, a collection of original short-form audio plays by Italian and American playwrights. Six playwrights received commissions to create original audio plays on the theme of 'Togetherness.'

We continue our series with theatre professionals by interviewing ATG's Producing Artistic Director, Jim Vagias about the company and the future.

The Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of writers on New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers and national publications, today announced its plans for honoring the 2019-2020 season of Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley, Artistic Director Designate Tim Bond, and Executive Director Phil Santora announced changes to TheatreWorks's 2020-21 Season, which is now scheduled to begin in October 2020.

Carole Rothman, Artistic Director and President of Second Stage Theater, has been elected to the 2020 class of The American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Second Stage Theater was founded by Rothman in 1979 and operates three New York City venues, exclusively dedicated to producing living American playwrights.

While the theatre community continues to adjust to a spring without Broadway, what would have been the 2020 Awards season approaches... with some major adjustments already in place. Which ceremonies will go on (digitally) and which have postponed or canceled entirely? We've got the full list!

The Outer Critics Circle has announced its plans for honoring the 2019-2020 season of Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.

Town Hall Theatre Company has announced four compelling plays and musicals for its 76th 2020/21 Season, entitled GROWING UP.  

Chicago Dramatists has welcomed five new resident playwrights. Read the announcement below:

Chicago Dramatists has announced its new slate of resident playwrights.

At Undermain, we're planning for the future. For our 37th year of cutting-edge performances, Undermain is pleased to announce the season of the feminine hero. Plays about women will comprise the four central productions that make up the season.

This week, I asked representatives from ten theatrical nonprofits in New York to speak with me. Most said yes, but many asked to speak off-the-record because the situation is changing so rapidly they didn't want to be quoted on something that would be incorrect by the time the piece ran. Unlike my usual in the weeds piece, this is purposely a more reflective one.

Irish Repertory Theatre announced today a new digital initiative to bring the best of Irish theatre directly to their audiences over the coming weeks.

Florida Studio Theatre announces its 38th annual Richard and Betty Burdick New Play Festival, presenting three staged readings of new works by contemporary American playwrights.

The Ojai Playwrights Conference is coming to Los Angeles for the first time with a benefit celebration, a?oeImagining America,a?? to take place on Saturday, May 2, 2020, at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. 

Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater announces its 2020 Summer Theater Season, featuring five plays performed on the Julie Harris Stage. Performances start June 10 and run through October 18.

An extraordinary setting for an extraordinary show! The American Theater Group (ATG) is currently presenting the New Jersey premiere of a new musical, Till staged at the historic St. Andrew's Church in South Orange. Directed by Cezar Williams, written by Leo Schwartz and DC Cathro, Till will be performed through March 8.