Founded in 1949 by a playwright, Michaela O'Harra, New Dramatists is a unique resource for the American theatre. The company is dedicated to the playwright and serves as an artistic home, research and development center, and national writers colony. The company finds and nurtures new talent through a competitive membership selection process and a seven-year playwright development program tailored to the writers' individual needs.
New Dramatists gives writers the tools that they need -- time, generous theatre space, a pool of talented and experienced actors and directors, writing equipment, meeting space, and a gifted peer community -- to grow artistically and strengthen their commitment to theatre. The company augments this central focus on artistic growth through programs that advocate and distribute each writer's work to theatre producers, through grants and fellowships, and with annual playwriting retreats in Lake Placid, New York and Key West, Florida.
Writers pay nothing to join and participate in New Dramatists. The program is made possible largely through contributions from the theatre and entertainment community. In return for this gift of time and resources, member playwrights write and create new works for the theatre. The company organizes an average of 100 readings and workshops of new plays and musicals by its members each season.
This unique organization has fostered the work of over 500 playwrights early in their careers, such as: August Wilson, William Inge, Robert Anderson, John Guare, Maria Irene Fornes, John Patrick Shanley, Emily Mann, Horton Foote, James Baldwin, Donald Margulies, Paula Vogel, Mac Wellman, and Joe Masteroff.
Resident playwrights and alumni have won 12 Pulitzer Prizes, including the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Drama to alumna Suzan-Lori Parks, 24 Tony® Awards, 59 Obie Awards, 17 Drama Desk Awards, and 11 Susan Smith Blackburn Awards. On June 3rd 2001, New Dramatists was the recipient of a special Tony® Honor for Excellence in Theatre.
Browse plays by New Dramatists member playwrights and alums
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