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A Lover’s Guide to American Playwrights: Ellen Maddow and Paul Zimet
Essay
A Lover’s Guide to American Playwrights: Ellen Maddow and Paul Zimet
by Todd London
16 May 2024
On Collaboration
Podcast
On Collaboration
by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder, Jennifer Goff, Padraic Lillis
14 May 2024
World Voices
Video
World Voices
Displacement Plays from Uganda, Lebanon, West Africa, Haiti and Ukranian Playwrights Project
Monday 13 May 2024
New York City
a slide comparing the number of white directors versus directors of color from 2007-2017
Playwrights of Color, White Directors, and Exposing Racist Policy
Essay

Playwrights of Color, White Directors, and Exposing Racist Policy

29 August 2019

Nicole Brewer examines a prominent racist policy in theatre—when plays written by people of color are staged by white directors—through the lens of actors, theatregoers, and playwrights themselves.

a photographer photographing a seated person
On Forgetting and Theatre’s Impermanence
Essay

On Forgetting and Theatre’s Impermanence

27 August 2019

Eric Marlin reflects on theatre’s ephemerality, connecting the notion to capitalism, technology, legacies, 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.

two actors onstage
Confessions of a Sexist Playwright
Essay

Confessions of a Sexist Playwright

25 July 2019

Jerrod Bogard talks about sexism, theatre, and unpacking his invisible knapsack.

The Afro-Atlantic Playwright Festival Closing Roundtable
orange background with white text P W C
Playwrights' Center
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 lone dancer against a black background
A Manifesto for Staging Gendered Violence
Essay

A Manifesto for Staging Gendered Violence

11 July 2019

Sharanya shares her thoughts on restaging gendered violence, including how the representation of sexual violence has the power to be scripted and also to script, the importance of de-spectacling violence, and more.

four actors onstage
Try Not to Make a Mess When You Smash That Window In Protest
Essay

Try Not to Make a Mess When You Smash That Window In Protest

8 July 2019

Rebecca Benzie Fraser uses Her Naked Skin as an example in the exploration of the different decisions made when it comes to staging violence by women and staging violence against women.

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.

four actors onstage
Directing and Embracing Open Texts
Essay

Directing and Embracing Open Texts

11 June 2019

Kate Bergstrom investigates the open text, looking at how theatremakers approach the form, the balance between respect for the script and unique interpretation, and more.

three actors onstage
Disability, Identity, and Representation
Essay

Disability, Identity, and Representation

Notes from a Dramaturg

27 May 2019

Andrea Kovich talks about the glaring need for more disabled theatremakers, the importance of new plays and musicals, and working with a disabled dramaturg during a new work’s development.

Suzan-Lori Parks portrait
Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work from The Public Theater, New York
yellow block with orange text PUBLIC
Public Theater
Video

Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work from The Public Theater, New York

A playwriting masterclass

Monday 20 May 2019
New York City

Watch Me Work is a play with an action and dialogue — it’s also a meta-theatrical, free writing class! Come join us. Livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 20 May 2019 at 2 p.m. PDT (Vancouver) / 4 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 5 p.m. EDT (Montréal) / 22:00 UTC +0 (London).

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.

Suzan-Lori Parks portrait
Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work from The Public Theater, New York
yellow block with orange text PUBLIC
Public Theater
Video

Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work from The Public Theater, New York

A playwriting masterclass

Monday 13 May 2019
New York City

Watch Me Work is a play with an action and dialogue — it’s also a meta-theatrical, free writing class! Come join us. Livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 13 May 2019 at 2 p.m. PDT (Vancouver) / 4 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 5 p.m. EDT (Montréal) / 22:00 UTC +0 (London).

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.

Pen American World Voices Festival 2019 logo
The PEN World Voices International Play Festival
Segal_Centre_Logo
Segal
Center
pen america in red text box
PEN World Voices
Video

The PEN World Voices International Play Festival

at the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center

Monday 6 May to Thursday 9 May 2019
New York City

The Martin E. Segal Center presented the PEN World Voices: International Play Festival 2019 livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv from Monday 6 May to Thursday 9 May 2019.

Suzan-Lori Parks portrait
Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work from The Public Theater, New York
yellow block with orange text PUBLIC
Public Theater
Video

Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work from The Public Theater, New York

A playwriting masterclass

Monday 6 May, 2019
The Public Theater, New York City

Watch Me Work is a play with an action and dialogue — it’s also a meta-theatrical, free writing class! Come join us. Livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 6 May 2019 at 2 p.m. PDT (Vancouver) / 4 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 5 p.m. EDT (Montréal) / 22:00 UTC +0 (London).

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).

origin k c new works festival logo
New Works Panels from the ORIGINKC New Works Festival
K C Rep logo
KCRep
Video

New Works Panels from the ORIGINKC New Works Festival

at Kansas City Repertory Theatre

Saturday 4 May 2019
Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City Repertory Theatre presented two New Works Panels from the ORIGINKC New Works Festival livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Saturday 4 May 2019.

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.

Harry Newman headshot
Harry Newman’s Dry Time
Segal_Centre_Logo
Segal
Center
Video

Harry Newman’s Dry Time

at the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center

Monday 29 April 2019
New York City

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center in New York City presented a reading of Harry Newman's Dry Time livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Monday 29 April 2019 at 1:00 p.m. PDT (San Francisco) / 3:00 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 4:00 p.m. EDT (New York).

Pacific Playwrights Festival logo.
2019 PPF Playwrights Panel: Playwrights and Institutional Change
black and white palm tree logo
South Coast Repertory
Video

2019 PPF Playwrights Panel: Playwrights and Institutional Change

South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa

Sunday 28 April 2019
Costa Mesa, California

South Coast Repertory presented the 2019 Pacific Playwrights Festival Playwrights Panel: Playwrights and Institutional Change livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Sunday 28 April at 9 a.m. PDT (San Francisco) /11 a.m. CDT (Chicago) /12 p.m. EDT (New York) / 16:00 GMT / 5 p.m. BST (London).

Suzan-Lori Parks portrait
Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work from The Public Theater, New York
yellow block with orange text PUBLIC
Public Theater
Video

Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work from The Public Theater, New York

A playwriting masterclass

Monday 22 April 2019
The Public Theater, New York City

Watch Me Work is a play with an action and dialogue — it’s also a meta-theatrical, free writing class! Come join us. Livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 22 April 2019 at 2 p.m. PDT (Vancouver) / 4 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 5 p.m. EDT (Montréal) / 22:00 UTC +0 (London).

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.