Impact

New Dramatists’ impact on the field is strikingly evident over our seven-decade history, from the sheer numbers of award-winning writers who have passed through our doors to the profound impact this place can have on a single writer’s inner life, only understood over time: August Wilson drafted Joe Turner’s Come and Gone while staying in our residence rooms in 7th Heaven decades ago, and Lucas Hnath penned multiple plays now running at theatres across the country while sitting in his favorite chair in the Michaela O’Harra Library. New Dramatists enriches the field immeasurably with its blend of personal and professional support for resident playwrights.

When granted the resources of time, space, and tools to use at their discretion, playwrights push the boundaries of what’s possible— on the stage and in their own work and processes. They step outside their comfort zones, try new methods, and create ambitious new works that leave indelible marks on the field. Some of the works of current residents that premiered this past year, developed in part with New Dramatists’ support, include:

Dance Nation by Clare Barron
Playwrights Horizons (NYC), April 2018; Almeida Theatre (London, UK), August 2018;
Awarded the 2017 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.

Draw The Circle by Mashuq Mushtaq Deen
Mosaic Theatre Company (Washington, D.C.), December 2017;
Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre (NYC), February 2018.

The Eva Trilogy by Barbara Hammond
Magic Theatre (San Francisco), October 2017.

A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath
Broadway, April 2017. Nominated for 2017 TONY ® Award for BEST PLAY.

Click here for a compilation of productions by residents, alumni, and fellows taking places across the country during 2017-2018.

Click here for a list of prestigious awards received by our resident writers and alumni.

Clare Barron's Dance Nation at Playwrights Horizons.