Playwright Development Program
The Chicago Dramatists Playwright Development Program is the only comprehensive development program open to any and every aspiring and professional playwright.
Our program offers a complete pathway for playwrights and other writers—from curious beginners to seasoned professionals—to develop their craft, build their artistic community and take their work from the page to the stage.
Pathway from Beginner to Professional
01
Take Classes
02
Become a Member
03
Level Up Skills
04
Become a Resident Playwright
05
Qualify for Advanced Development
06
Graduate to Active Alumni
Classes
Students learn and gain feedback from working theatre professionals who are also expert teachers in workshop classes in everything from core theatrical concepts to marketing their plays.
Membership
Young playwrights join our NextGen Dramatists or Early Career cohort to experience some of their first opportunities to develop work and present it on a professional stage.
Network Playwrights enjoy ample opportunities, including juried Festivals, to hear their plays read, gain feedback from peers and theatre professionals, present their work to the public and potentially prepare to join our Resident Playwright program. Many of our most successful Network Members regularly see their work produced in readings, festivals and workshops throughout the country.
Residents
Our Resident Playwrights, selected by our Artistic Directors, are some of the most recognized and respected professional playwrights in the country. In our program, they gain the comprehensive support they need--including table reads, workshops and staged readings in the storied Russ Tutterow Theatre--as their careers progress. Together, they form a vibrant and varied artistic community, providing inspiration and support to their peers, mentoring rising Network Members and lending their expertise to our classes, programs and services.
Our Advanced Development Program, offered yearly to one or two Resident Playwrights, provides additional services as well as dedicated fundraising for the development of promising new work.
Alumni Playwrights stay involved and connected to CD, continuing to present their work on our stage and taking advantage of varied opportunities to offer their wisdom and expertise to a new generation of playwrights.
