PlayPenn New Play Development

Thank you for an amazing 2025 and for your continued support in 2026 and beyond. Here’s to another 20 years of creation, collaboration, and imagination.

Your support of PlayPenn this year empowered more than 200 theatre writers to move the American theatre forward.

Tuition-Free Playwrights Cohort Renamed The Playwright Entrepreneur Program, PlayPenn Announces 2026 Cohort Formerly known as The Playwrights Cohort, PlayPenn’s Playwright Entrepreneur Program (PEP), is a first-of-its-kind, tuition-free professional development program designed to help playwrights build…

“There is no separation between business and creative. Theatre writers are running small businesses and must treat themselves with the respect of not only an artist but of a business-mind arts worker ready to handle the real-world implications of what it means to be a writer in the 21st-century. "

The Foundry at PlayPenn Announces Class of 2028, Continuing a Legacy of Philadelphia Playwrights Impacting Stages Nationwide The Foundry at PlayPenn, Philadelphia's preeminent playwrights collective for emerging professional writers, welcomes Rayne, Siddarth Anand, and Monica Flory as new Foundry members and its Class of…

The Foundry at PlayPenn, Philadelphia's preeminent playwrights collective for emerging professional writers, welcomes Rayne, Siddarth Anand, and Monica Flory as new Foundry members and its Class of 2028.

Writers and Art Workers Need Health Insurance: Here’s a Lifeline That Can Help A new guide aims to help performing arts professionals without employer or union health plans navigate the complex world of health insurance.

Affordable health insurance for artists? Yes, it’s possible. As independent contractors, theater workers are particularly vulnerable when it comes to accessing health insurance. A new guide from United Hospital Fund & Venturous Theater Fund is aiming to change that.

PlayPenn Brings Its New Play Development Intensive to New York City for the First Time After multiple sold-out intensives, PlayPenn's Artistic Director, Che'Rae Adams, returns with an in-person six-hour workshop in New York City, an experience designed for playwrights struggling to find...

Past students often say the excursuses help them see their play in an entirely new way. Breakthroughs tend to center around clarity, purpose, and intent, the foundational elements that transform a draft into a meaningful dramatic journey.

Promotional graphic for a PlayPenn online class titled “Rewrite in Reverse.” White distressed typewriter-style font reads: “rewrite in reverse.” Subtext says: “Unlock the ability to reshape your script drafts from end to start, revealing hidden depth and breakthroughs.” A blue sticky note-style block states: “Mondays Online, Oct 13 – Jan 5.” Below it: “Instructor: C. Julian Jiménez.” On the right side, the vertical PlayPenn 20th anniversary logo is displayed. The bottom right features a black-and-white headshot of instructor C. Julian Jiménez against a blue gradient background.

Unlock the ability to reshape your drafts from end to start, revealing hidden depth & breakthroughs.

"Rewrite in Reverse" begins Oct 13, 2025

All PlayPenn classes are delivered online and open to participants worldwide.

www.playpenn.org/classes

Announcing PlayPenn's Fall 2025 Classes: Your Creative Journey Begins October 13 As the leaves turn and inspiration ignites, PlayPenn welcomes a new semester of professional development classes for playwrights and theatre creators. Since 2015, PlayPenn has offered a dynamic roster...

Calling all playwrights, composers, lyricists, dramaturgs, directors, actors, and other theatre artists! Take your theatre-practice to the next level with PlayPenn’s fall/winter classes starting October 13!

www.playpenn.org/classes

Lex’s play is tonight at 7pm. The Company requests your attention to the matter. Almost sold out! TICKETS ARE FREE!!!!

www.playpenn.org/2025-confere...

Zahra’s play is tonight at 7pm. Are y’all ready? Few seats left. TICKETS ARE FREE!!!!

Talking to Og
by Zahra Patterson

Reading Co-Produced by Philadelphia Theatre Company as part of PlayPenn’s 2025 New Play Development Conference.

www.playpenn.org/2025-confere...

Chaz's play is today at 1pm. You don't want to miss this.......the reading is almost sold out. TICKETS ARE FREE!!

I'll Eat You Whole
by Chaz T. Martin

Reading Co-Produced by Philadelphia Theatre Company as part of PlayPenn’s 2025 New Play Development Conference.
www.playpenn.org/2025-confere...

From PlayPenn 2020 to Broadway’s biggest night at the Tony Awards!

We’re proud to have supported Jonathan’s sharp, timely, and fearless voice through the development of his play "This Much I Know" at PlayPenn 2020.

Congratulations to Jonathan and the "Eureka Day" team on this incredible journey.

This summer, we’re throwing open the doors. Five Philly theaters. Free public readings. No fluff — just raw, electric work-in-progress from playwrights you’ll want to remember.

Be there at the start of something.

Tickets dropping soon.

www.playpenn.org/2025-confere...

July 5 - 20 in Philadelphia
The new plays want to see you…
www.playpenn.org/2025-confere...

The new plays are coming…
www.playpenn.org/2025-confere...

The new plays are coming….
www.playpenn.org/2025-confere...

In 2024, PlayPenn received news that we were awarded a $15,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts — the first since 2022.

The grant was intended to help fund our 2025 New Play Development Conference.

Our application was withdrawn May 2, 2025.

www.playpenn.org/nea-new-init...

#NEA

PlayPenn Announces Reimagined and Expanded New Play Conference This summer's 2025 iteration will bring new plays into communities through collaborations with Philadelphia theatres.

www.americantheatre.org/2025/04/01/p...

We are proud to announce the seven play selections for our upcoming summer 2025 New Play Development Conference, taking place from July 5th to July 20th.

Join our conference mailing list today at www.playpenn.org/2025-confere...