PlayPenn, an artist-driven non-profit organization dedicated to the development of new plays and playwrights, has announced Che’Rae Adams as their new Artistic Director.

For the past seventeen years, PlayPenn has been dedicated to supporting the needs of the writer and the demands of the play in an ever-evolving process within which playwrights can engage in risk taking, boundary-pushing work.

Adams has acted as Producing Artistic Director at the LA Writers Center for the last fifteen years, where she focused on local playwrights and new play development.

“I am thrilled to take up the baton that has been entrusted to me by everyone at PlayPenn,” said Adams. “My entire career I’ve worked hard to reach new audiences by telling stories that truly reflect the diverse world in which we live in. Now is the perfect time for us to embrace our role as storytellers to our community, making inclusive and compelling work that is as relevant as it is excellent.”

Among her top priorities is the relaunching of the annual PlayPenn Conference, which is slated for July 2022 and will have a renewed commitment to diversity and inclusion. 

On Adams’ appointment, PlayPenn Board President Nancy Boykin said she is looking forward to PlayPenn moving into a new era.

“At its heart, PlayPenn is a group of artists who come together with a mission to develop the work of new playwrights, encouraging new voices, telling stories that speak to the community, and engaging our audiences,” said Boykin. "Our organization needed amendment overhaul and that change has been critical to getting us back to our true mission."