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Playwright Residencies

Having a playwright-in-residence at a theatre or other organization can have huge benefits for the writer, the organization, and the community. Much of the content in this section is about or generated by participants in the National Playwright Residency Program, which HowlRound administers in partnership with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Don’t miss this series of conversations between playwrights in the program discussing what they’ve learned from being embedded within a theatre company.

The Latest

What Is the African Diaspora?
Video
What Is the African Diaspora?
A Conversation About Afro-Atlantic Culture with Playwright Zainabu Jallo and Africana Scholar Maboula Soumahoro
Sunday 15 October 2023
Minneapolis, MN
A Cypher Among Theatremakers from the Laotian Diaspora
Essay
A Cypher Among Theatremakers from the Laotian Diaspora
by Saymoukda Vongsay, Ova Saopeng, Samson Syharath, Kaysone Syonesa, Lidet Viravong
7 September 2023
On Collaborative Evolution with Friendship at its Core
Essay
On Collaborative Evolution with Friendship at its Core
by Carlyle Brown, Noël Raymond
21 August 2023
actor hugging a child with text Earthrise Kennedy Center
Musical Theatre w/ Lauren, Kait Kerrigan + Brian Lowdermilk
Video

Musical Theatre w/ Lauren, Kait Kerrigan + Brian Lowdermilk

with playwright Lauren Gunderson

Friday 10 April 2020
United States

Playwright Lauren Gunderson presented a conversation Musical Theatre w/ Lauren, Kait Kerrigan + Brian Lowdermilk livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Friday 10 April 2020 at 9:30 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 11:30 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 12:30 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

photo of laptop with notebook, mug, and an image of Shakespeare
A Playwrighting Class
Video

A Playwrighting Class

with playwright Lauren Gunderson

Wednesday 8 April 2020
United States

Playwright Lauren Gunderson presented a free playwrighting class livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 8 April 2020 at 12 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 2 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 3 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

Segal Center logo.
SEGAL TALKS: Taylor Mac & Kristin Marting
Video

SEGAL TALKS: Taylor Mac & Kristin Marting

Daily Live Online Conversations with US and Global Theatre Artists

Monday 30 March 2020
New York City

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented SEGAL TALKS: Taylor Mac & Kristin Marting livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 30 March 2020 at 9 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 11 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4) / 5 p.m. BST (London, UTC+1).

two actors onstage
Writing Comedy and Wielding Power
Essay

Writing Comedy and Wielding Power

27 January 2020

Madeleine George and Mike Lew talk about writing comedy for theatre, vulnerability as playwrights, working with different aesthetics, and more.

two actors onstage
Playwrights Nurturing Cultural Community
Essay

Playwrights Nurturing Cultural Community

Pearl Cleage and Vera Starbard in Conversation, Part II

15 January 2020

In part two of their conversation, Vera Starbard and Pearl Cleage—playwrights-in-residence at Juneau, Alaska’s Perseverance Theatre and Atlanta, Georgia’s Alliance Theatre, respectively—talk about different cultural practices, the white gaze, moving away from anger, and more.

three actors onstage
Vocalizing Difficult Issues as Playwrights in Residence
Essay

Vocalizing Difficult Issues as Playwrights in Residence

Pearl Cleage and Vera Starbard in Conversation, Part I

14 January 2020

In part one of their conversation, playwrights Vera Starbard and Pearl Cleage talk about their respective residencies—at Juneau, Alaska’s Perseverance Theatre and Atlanta, Georgia’s Alliance Theatre, respectively—race and representation at their institutions, not writing for a white audience, and more.

three actors onstage, one jumping in the air.
On Bicultural Comedy
Essay

On Bicultural Comedy

An Interview with Herbert Sigüenza

5 January 2020

Matthew McMahan talks to playwright Herbert Siguenza about branching out as a solo writer after years as a member of Culture Clash, writing bilingual comedy, and more.

two actors embracing onstage
Connection, Influence, and Impact as a Playwright-In-Residence
Essay

Connection, Influence, and Impact as a Playwright-In-Residence

11 December 2019

Carlos Murillo and Kira Obolensky talk about their National Playwright Residency Program residencies, creating work for a specific theatre’s audience, playwrights not being part of the sea change of artistic director turnover, and more.

three actors onstage
"Dream Bigger"
Essay

"Dream Bigger"

Developing Artistic Ambition as Playwrights in Residence

27 November 2019

Rehana Lew Mirza and Melinda Lopez talk being playwrights as well as actors and teachers, critiquing their own work, their individual work processes, and more.

actors seated by a table.
Building Community in Artistic Processes
Essay

Building Community in Artistic Processes

Four Boston Theatremakers in Conversation

30 October 2019

Ilana M. Brownstein talks with Dawn Simmons, Summer L. Williams, and Kirsten Greenidge about collaborating on new plays, creating healthy communities, vulnerability, and more.

Cambridge Friends School's logo.
Our Deepest Concerns: A Conversation on Anti-Racism in America
Video

Our Deepest Concerns: A Conversation on Anti-Racism in America

presented by Cambridge Friends School in Cambridge, Massachusetts 

Wednesday 16 October 2019
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge Friends School presented the panel Our Deepest Concerns: A Conversation on Anti-Racism in America livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network on Wednesday 16 October 2019 at 3:30 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 5:30 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 6:30 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

four actors onstage
"We’ve Got to Protect Our Art"
Essay

"We’ve Got to Protect Our Art"

Celebrating the Artistic Journeys of Two Latino Playwrights

18 September 2019

Luis Alfaro and Herbert Sigüenza talk about their experience in the National Playwright Residency Program, learning about the inner workings of theatre companies, portraying Latinx people in a positive light, the importance of comedy, and more.

taylor mac in costume on stage
A Conversation with Taylor Mac
Video

A Conversation with Taylor Mac

at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts

Sunday 15 September 2019
Worcester, Massachusetts

Arts Transcending Borders at the College of the Holy Cross presented “A Conversation with Taylor Mac,” moderated by Scott Malia, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Theatre and Dance, livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network on Sunday 15 September 2019 at 5 p.m. EDT (New York) / 4 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 2 p.m. PDT (Los Angeles). 

four actors onstage
Bringing the Playwright's Perspective to the Table
Essay

Bringing the Playwright's Perspective to the Table

3 September 2019

Playwrights Kirsten Greenidge and Peter Nachtrieb talk about what it means to be an artist in residence, how theatres constantly work on their mission, connecting with the community, and more.   

eight people posing together
The Power of Local
Essay

The Power of Local

Building Community While Building Plays

25 August 2019

Playwrights Will Power and Jonathan Norton talk about what being an artist in residence looks like, championing local playwrights, rejection letters, and more.

two people posing together
Finding Creative Freedom Through Commitment
Essay

Finding Creative Freedom Through Commitment

Reflections on a Six-Year Residency

8 August 2019

Playwright Peter Nachtrieb and artistic director of San Francisco’s Z Space, Lisa Steindler, talk about the National Playwright Residency Program, getting out of your comfort zone, making a living as a writer, and more.

The Afro-Atlantic Playwright Festival Closing Roundtable
Video

The Afro-Atlantic Playwright Festival Closing Roundtable

Hosted by the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis

Sunday 14 July 2019
Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Playwright's Center in Minneapolis presented the Afro-Atlantic Playwright Festival Closing Roundtable livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network on Sunday 14 July 2019 at 11 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 1 p.m. CDT (Minneapolis, UTC-5) / 2 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4) / 18:00 UTC+0.

A group of people posing for a photograph
Reimagining the Relationship Between Playwrights and Institutions
Essay

Reimagining the Relationship Between Playwrights and Institutions

Announcing an Open Call for the Third Round of the National Playwright Residency Program

5 July 2019

Applications for the third round of the National Playwright Residency Program, an intervention into the traditional relationships between artists and institutions, are now live!

five women of color in colorful dresses
Calling in the Spirits
Essay

Calling in the Spirits

How Theatre Can Help Us Tell the Truth

20 June 2019

Playwright Pearl Cleage discusses playwriting, activism, and how theatremakers can help save the world in this excerpt from her keynote speech at the 2019 TYA/USA National Festival & Conference.

actors onstage
Discovering Your Authentic Voice As a Playwright
Essay

Discovering Your Authentic Voice As a Playwright

19 May 2019

Herbert Siguenza, co-founder of the Latino performance troupe Culture Clash, talks about his unconventional writing path, his time working with the collective, and finding his unique voice.

two Black actresses sit on a couch
The Gift
Essay

The Gift

The Importance of Difficult Conversations Between Collaborators

12 May 2019

Playwright Pearl Cleage reflects on the power of truth-telling to find common ground and discusses how Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA is working to confront the legacy of Southern racism.

a lake surrounded by mountains
What Does the Play Need?
Essay

What Does the Play Need?

Why I Cancelled a Workshop in Favor of a Two-Week Trip Through Rural Alaska

6 May 2019

Playwright Vera Starbard (Tlingit/Dena’ina) reflects on her journey through rural Alaskan Native communities to reawaken the ancestral spirit of her work, Native Pride (and Prejudice).

two actors onstage
On Seeing and Being Seen
Essay

On Seeing and Being Seen

30 April 2019

Playwright Kirsten Greenidge talks about what it means to see and be seen in theatre.

a table with a scone, coffee, and spilled coffee beans
Buy a Scone, Feed a Playwright
Essay

Buy a Scone, Feed a Playwright

9 April 2019

Mora V. Harris offers suggestions for what organizations can do if they can’t afford the travel costs associated with bringing an artist from out of town.

two actors in costume
Laughing Matters
Essay

Laughing Matters

How Comedy Tells Us Who We Are

14 February 2019

Professor Matthew McMahan talks about the importance of understanding comedy’s theatrical history: how it has evolved, what it says about a society, and why the genre shouldn’t be forgotten in the American theatre.