Playpenn Expands 2023 Programming To Support More Local Playwrights

PlayPenn announces its return to The Drake Theatre in July with readings of six brand new, full-length plays. For a second consecutive year, the focus will be on uplifting Philadelphia playwrights. Four of the readings will feature work by graduating members of The Foundry: Robynne Graffam, Griffin Horn, Devin Randall, and Megan Schumacher. In addition, there will be two independent PlayPenn Workshop presentations, both consisting of a week-long rehearsal process.

The first of the two will be in partnership with The Sol Project (recent recipient of the Obie Grant from the American Theatre Wing in recognition of outstanding achievement in Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway theater during the 2020-2022 season) and will center a local Latiné writer. For the second, PlayPenn will present an online reading of “I” is for Invisible by DeLanna Studi, Artistic Director of Native Voices and citizen of the Cherokee Nation. All six readings will be free and open to the public.

PlayPenn’s newest initiative, The Playwrights Cohort at PlayPenn, will be a year-long professional development program open to emerging Philadelphia playwrights and will focus on navigating the industry. This program will be in partnership with the Dramatists Guild. Emmanuel Wilson, the Executive Director of Creative Affairs at the guild says, “Understanding your craft is important, but craft without building the necessary skills to understand commerce and self-advocacy breeds far too many situations where a…