Relaunching Playwrights Welcome
Concord Theatricals and the Dramatists Guild are thrilled to announce the relaunch of their Playwrights Welcome program. This national ticketing initiative asks theatres to offer tickets that would otherwise go unused (free of charge) to playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists.
Theatre can be cost-prohibitive to those who create it. Professional dramatists require professional tools; authors of new plays and musicals need to interact with other works, finding inspiration in the craft of their fellow artists, but this expenditure is often beyond their means.
That’s why Playwrights Welcome was developed for Dramatists Guild of America members by Samuel French, a Concord Theatricals company, along with input from other publishing and licensing houses. By providing available tickets (free of charge) to dramatists, theatres and arts organizations can remove cost barriers and share their productions with artists who may not otherwise be able to see these shows.
First launched in 2016, this program was founded on the belief that attending live theatre is an integral part of how writers learn their craft and grow as theatre artists. For more information on how to participate, see below or visit www.concordtheatricals.com/resources/playwrights-welcome.
With over 90 theatres already participating in Playwrights Welcome, writers can use their physical or virtual DG member card to access free tickets in 27 states and the District of Columbia. Participating theatres include: Alliance Theatre (Atlanta, GA), Atlantic Theater Company (New York, NY), Bishop Arts Theatre Center (Dallas, TX), Goodman Theatre (Chicago, IL), Guthrie Theater (Minneapolis, MN), La Jolla Playhouse (La Jolla, CA), McCarter Theatre Center (Princeton, NJ), Pittsburgh Public Theater (Pittsburgh, PA), Portland Center Stage (Portland, OR), Roundabout Theatre Company (New York, NY) and Woolly Mammoth Theatre (Washington, D.C.). See the full list of participating theatres on the Playwrights Welcome website.
“Seven years and a pandemic since the program’s original launch, it is really encouraging to see how many theatres have remained enthusiastic participants of Playwrights Welcome,” said Abbie Van Nostrand, Senior Vice President of Client Relations and Community Engagement at Concord Theatricals. “We are even more energized to work with the Dramatists Guild towards our shared goal: building a larger network of theatres willing to offer free theatre access to playwrights, lyricists, composers and librettists.”
“What I especially appreciate with Playwrights Welcome is its national and local scope; inviting us to see theatre in our hometowns, or across the state, or across the country,” shared playwright Karen Zacarías. “Staying connected to the art form and audiences is vital in our profession...and free access to see what is on stage wherever I go helps inform both my craft and my resolution to make a difference in our field. Playwrights Welcome encourages me to explore.”
According to Teresa Coleman Wash, founding artistic director of Bishop Arts Theatre Center, “The Playwrights Welcome program is an extension of our commitment to help playwrights hone their craft. Our theatre is among the first that transplants connect with when they relocate to Dallas, which provides us with an influx of continual, innovative new talent and perspectives.”
Visit our website for details: www.dramatistsguild.com/theatre-tickets ●
DG supports the WGA Strike
The Dramatists Guild wholeheartedly supports the Writers Guild in its strike to preserve the livelihoods of its 11,000+ members who are facing dire economic circumstances due to changes in their industry. In doing so, we reaffirm and celebrate the right of WGA writers and all workers to negotiate for equitable pay and better working conditions.
Unlike screenwriters, however, theatre writers don’t share the same essential right to collectively bargain and so often have to rely on their movie and TV work to pay their bills and obtain health insurance. We hope that the parties can find an equitable way forward with all due speed.
The Dramatists Guild will subsidize the dues of members who require such accommodations, including those impacted by the strike, for its duration. ●
From the Dramatists Guild Foundation
Dramatists who are WGA members facing economic hardship during the strike, please reach out to the Dramatists Guild Foundation, a national nonprofit within our writing community, which has an Emergency Grant Program that provides immediate financial support to theatre writers facing exigencies in connection with housing costs, medical expenses, family and child care, and other life essentials. dgf.org. ●
New DG Guide for Theatre Educators
Calling all theatre educators! We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our new DG publication: Can I Do That? A Helpful Guide to Performing Plays and Musicals in a Classroom or an Educational Environment! We recognize the importance of your work as an educator, and we want to support you as you inform, guide, and cultivate the next generation of theatremakers. That’s why we’ve created this new guide, specifically designed to answer your questions and to make your job easier.
Download our new guide from our website: www.dramatistsguild.com/news/new-dg-publication-can-i-do-that. ●
