Organized by playwrights Marsha Norman and Doug Wright, who is the president of the Dramatists Guild, with Samuel French executive director Bruce Lazarus, the initiative allows playwrights to receive free tickets for seats that remain unsold on the day of performance. Available to both students and professional writers who are Dramatists Guild members, 22 theatres around the country are currently participating in the program. These theatres follow:
Alliance Theatre (Atlanta, GA)
Atlantic Theater Company (NYC)
Berkeley Repertory Theatre (Berkeley, CA)
Center Stage (Baltimore, MD)
Dallas Theater Center (Dallas, TX)
Ford's Theatre (Washington, D.C.)
Geffen Playhouse (Los Angeles, CA)
Goodman Theater (Chicago, IL)
Hartford Stage (Hartford, CT)
Huntington Theatre Company (Boston, MA)
Intiman Theatre (Seattle, WA)
La Jolla Playhouse (La Jolla, CA)
McCarter Theatre (Princeton, NJ)
Paramount Theatre (Aurora, IL)
Portland Center Stage (Portland, OR)
Roundabout Theater Company (NYC)
Shakespeare Theatre Company (Washington, DC)
Seattle Repertory Theatre (Seattle, WA)
Signature Theatre (Arlington, VA)
Theatre Under the Stars (Houston, TX)
Vineyard Theatre (NYC)
Yale Repertory Theatre (New Haven, CT)
“Every piece of theatre begins with a spark of imagination in a playwright's mind,” said Lazarus in a statement. “They stare down the blank page, writing, rewriting and rewriting until it has been shaped into an impactful piece of art. Without their initial creativity and devotion, this art form that we love so dearly would simply not exist. Playwrights Welcome is a new program that allows writers to stand on the shoulders of their contemporaries, learn their craft, and be inspired.”
“It's a perverse truth, but many of the dramatists who fill the nation's stages with vibrant, indispensable new work can't afford the high price of theatre tickets themselves,” added Wright. “Thanks to Playwrights Welcome, that situation is changing. The Dramatists Guild is thrilled that playwrights, composers, lyricists and librettists will soon be able to stay current with the work of their peers, and learn from the masters. It's a huge step toward ensuring the vitality of our profession.”
To learn more about Playwrights Welcome, visit www.SamuelFrench.com/PlaywrightsWelcome.
