Ruby Rae Spiegel News

The Ojai Playwrights Conference (OPC), one of the most acclaimed new play developmental programs in the country, announces its 18th season with an extraordinary program of playwrights, new play workshops and special performance events from August 2 through 9, 2015 in Ojai, California.

Dorset Theatre Festival will be opening its annual New Play Reading Series with a piece by Polish-born, New Jersey-raised playwright Martyna Majok who recently won the David Calicchio Emerging American Playwright Prize.

Continuing its 21st anniversary year, Jermyn Street Theatre today announces two plays for the summer months and gives a sneak preview into the autumn season.

Colt Coeur's Play Hotel reading series will present a free staged reading of Need to Know, by Jon Caren, directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, Sunday May 10th at 6pm at SoHo House in Manhattan. The cast for the reading includes Katya Campbell (Disgraced, Broadway), Michael Cyril Creighton (Stage Kiss, Playwrights Horizons), and Michael Esper (The Last Ship, Broadway). The event is hosted by Sam Goldberg.

The Wilbury Theatre Group's Founding Artistic Director Josh Short has announced the Group's 2015-16 season, including a new drama from one of New York's most promising young playwrights, the world premiere of a new play by Wilbury playwright-in-residence Ben Jolivet, two of the most acclaimed off-Broadway musicals of the last few years, an irreverent new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, and the New England premiere of Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) just announced the fourth annual Roundabout Underground Reading Series, a five-night event that includes nightly readings of new plays written and directed by emerging artists, curtain speeches by Roundabout Underground artist alumni and post-show receptions.

Celia Keenan-Bolger (The Glass Menagerie) will join Adrienne Campbell-Holt (Dry Land, Colt Coeur), Genesis Oliver (Everything is Ours, Colt Coeur), Matt Stadelmann (SEVEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN, Colt Coeur), Katya Campbell (How to Make Friends and then Kill Them, Rattlestick) and other Colt Coeur company members in a performance of new plays by Brooklyn public school students ages 11 to 15.

The Wilbury Theatre Group's Founding Artistic Director Josh Short has announced the Group's 2015-16 season, including a new drama from one of New York's most promising young playwrights, the world premiere of a new play by Wilbury playwright-in-residence Ben Jolivet, two of the most acclaimed off-Broadway musicals of the last few years, an irreverent new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, and the New England premiere of Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem.

Labyrinth Theater Company has announced the line-up for the second half of their 16th Annual Barn Series, the award-winning company's free play reading series. Running March 23-30, the Barn Series lets audiences encounter new plays written by or starring Labyrinth Company Members.

Thanks to the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Brooklyn-based theatre company Colt Coeur (Dry Land by Ruby Rae Spiegel, Everything is Ours, by Nikole Beckwith) has commissioned playwright Amelia Roper to create an original play over the next year, with an eye towards production in the company's 2015-2016 season.

The 2015 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize was awarded to Tena Stivicic for her play 3 Winters yesterday, March 2, in a celebration hosted by New York's Playwrights Horizons. Scroll down for photos from the ceremony!

The 2015 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has been awarded to Tena Stivicic for her play 3 Winters. Today, March 2, New York's Playwrights Horizons hosted a celebration of the winner and finalists of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, marking the 37th Anniversary of the international prize, which is based in Houston, New York and London. The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize is the oldest and largest prize awarded to women playwrights.

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize previously announced 12 Finalists for its prestigious playwriting award, the oldest and largest prize awarded to women playwrights. The winner of the 2014-2015 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize will be named at the Awards Presentation today, March 2 in New York City.

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has announced 12 Finalists for its prestigious playwriting award, the oldest and largest prize awarded to women playwrights. Chosen from over 150 nominated plays, the Finalists are:

This past year, a brand-new organization called The Kilroys solicited nominations from over 140 theatre professionals (primarily artistic directors and literary managers) for their favorite new plays by female-identified playwrights. In June they published The List -- the top 46 of these plays. Dry Land was one of the most recommended, and many playwrights Colt Coeur has collaborated with in the past were also on the list. In the spirit of continuing to champion gender parity in the theatre, we are hosting a Festival of Readings of plays by women during the run of Dry Land. The plays included are as follows:

Dry Land, written by Ruby Rae Spiegel and directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, is a haunting new play about female friendships and abortion-a hilarious, savage, and deeply truthful portrait of the fears, hopes, and friendships of teenage girls. It is as gut-wrenching as it is funny, and while the play's characters may be young, the challenges facing them are ageless.

The Ojai Playwrights Conference (OPC), one of the most acclaimed new play developmental programs in the country, announces its 17th season with an illustrious program of playwrights, new play workshops and special performance events. For the first time, the OPC Summer New Works Festival will take place over two weekends from today, August 2 through 10, 2014 in Ojai, California.

New York Stage and Film and Vassar College, this summer celebrating the 30th year of their Powerhouse Theater collaboration, previously announced that Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Kyra Sedgwick would lead the cast of Academy Award and Tony Award winner John Patrick Shanley's new play The Danish Widow, which premieres today, July 16, and continues through July 27, 2014 at Hallie Flanagan-Davis Powerhouse Theater at Vassar College. Shanley also directs the cast which also includes multitalented Broadway vets Craig Bierko and Matt McGrath, as well as stage and screen actress Annika Boras.

The Ojai Playwrights Conference (OPC), one of the most acclaimed new play developmental programs in the country, announces its 17th season with an illustrious program of playwrights, new play workshops and special performance events. For the first time, the OPC Summer New Works Festival will take place over two weekends from August 2 through 10, 2014 in Ojai, California.

New York Stage and Film and Vassar College, this summer celebrating the 30th year of their Powerhouse Theater collaboration, announced that Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Kyra Sedgwick will lead the cast of Academy Award and Tony Award winner John Patrick Shanley's new play The Danish Widow, which will premiere July 16-27, 2014 at Hallie Flanagan-Davis Powerhouse Theater at Vassar College. Shanley also directs the cast which also includes multitalented Broadway vets Craig Bierko and Matt McGrath, as well as stage and screen actress Annika Boras.