Our Playwrights

Congratulations to the New Members of the Resident Company

New Dramatists, an artistic home and developmental laboratory for professional playwrights, is proud to announce the addition of seven writers to its illustrious, dynamic resident playwright company: Haruna Lee, Shayan LotfiDeepa Purohit, Jordan Seavey, Phillip Christian Smith, SM Shephard-Massat, and Bryna Turner. They will be in-residence through June, 2030. These adventurous theatre artists were selected by a seven-person committee of New Dramatists current residents, alumni, and outside theatre professionals from 369 applicants after undergoing a highly competitive, ten-month review and consensus-based decision-making process. New Dramatists will kick off their seven-year residencies with an evening of readings and celebration at the annual New Playwright Welcome in the fall. 

Latest

Active Listening, Season Three has launched!

Welcome to Season Three of Active Listening, a New Dramatists program conceived of and produced by resident playwrights Karinne Keithley Syers and Melisa Tien, and featuring the inspired work of five marvelous playwrights including current resident playwrights Jaclyn BackhausKirk Wood BromleyC. Julian Jiménez, and Matthew Paul Olmos, and Lucas Baisch, the 2021-2022 Princess Grace Fellow.

Three years ago, this program was born of the need to create outside of our communal spaces. As we return to in-person work rooms, the audio platform continues to offer members of the New Dramatists company of playwrights another artistic opportunity to exercise creative agency and latitude to experiment with form and content through sound.

Each piece comprising Season Three is an intimate adventure: several into interior landscapes of memory and longing; one uses nature as a primary collaborator. Some of the writers give voice to their own words while others invited collaborators to join them in their sonic forays. Some of the pieces capture a moment in time; others portend a glimpse of the future. There is sweetness and mystery, and collectively, they share themes of connections and misconnections.

The appeal and beauty of Active Listening is that it invites us into a theatrical space that plays out in the boundless venue of our imaginations. Listen and be transported!

Active Listening is made possible with the generous support of the Venturous Theater Fund, and is available NOW on our website, iTunesSpotifyStitcher, and wherever you listen to podcasts!

Library Closed

The library remains closed to the public, as we restore in-person programming for writers and their teams of collaborators. Please visit playwright profiles to learn more about New Dramatists playwrights and their work. For script inquiries, please email @email.

NEW DRAMATISTS' 71st ANNUAL SPRING LUNCHEON

On May 30th, New Dramatists honored the Tony® Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, and ND alumna, SUZAN-LORI PARKS.

Recipients of the 33rd Annual Kleban Prize

The Kleban Foundation announces the recipients of the 33rd annual Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre, administered by New Dramatists. The 2023 Kleban Prize for the most promising musical theatre lyricist has been awarded to Ryan Scott Oliver. The 2023 Kleban Prize for the most promising musical theatre librettist has been awarded to Ethan Lipton. Click here for more information about the winners. 

Honoring Isobel Konecky

With broken hearts, the playwrights, board and staff of New Dramatist mourn the passing of our beloved friend, champion and Board President Emerita Isobel Robins Konecky. Please visit our tribute page to learn more about her legacy.

Coming to a Theater Near You