
Philadelphia, PA – Following a review of applications, PlayPenn is excited to share the names of the 29 emerging writers that make up the very first Playwrights Cohort at PlayPenn (in alphabetical order): Siddarth Anand, Gabriella Balsam, Ang(ela) Bey, Marjorie Bicknell, Bastion Carboni, Santiago Castro, Jacob Cowan, Leon Jackson Davenport, Dave Ebersole, Rodrick Edwards, Monica Flory, Steven Goldman, August Hakvaag, Griffin Horn, Toby Inoue, Keenya Jackson, Jeffrey James Keyes, Nimisha Ladva, Dylan Lewis, Sheridan Merrick, Michelle Pauls, Alison Scaramella, Megan Schumacher, Matthew Sekellick, Michael Serratore, Will Vence Jr., Catherine Weingarten, and Julie Zaffarano. Rose Farrell will serve the cohort’s volunteer assistant.
The first session, The Playwright as the CEO: Understanding Power Dynamics with Emmanuel Wilson, Dramatists Guild’s Executive Director of Creative Affairs, will kick off the program on May 24.
In partnership with the Dramatists Guild, The Playwrights Cohort at PlayPenn is a year-long professional development program for emerging playwrights. Each month, experts in their sector will engage the cohort on subjects such as entertainment law, building a portfolio, finding representation, having agency in the rehearsal room, managing personal finances, and more. The Cohort will operate on a hybrid model, holding monthly meetings in person and online.
The program is free of charge and is only open to playwrights living in Philadelphia. More information is available on PlayPenn’s website.