Playwright

A new profile of American playwright Winter Miller, published by American Theatre Magazine, describes how she built a career in theatre largely through her own determination, creating opportunities for her work where none were offered. The piece traces her persistence in getting her plays staged and the circumstances that shaped her path as a writer.

Nadia Hopkins has won the 2026 Relentless Award for her play 'Humane Traps'. The award, established in Honor of Philip Seymour Hoffman and administered by American Theatre Magazine, is one of the largest monetary prizes for an unproduced play in the United States. The announcement, made by American Theatre Magazine, honors Hopkins's work as the year's most compelling new playwriting.

Actor and playwright Ryan J. Haddad says an uncle who loved theater set him on the path to his dream, in a New York Times interview tied to his show 'Good Time Charlie'. The piece traces how family encouragement shaped his career in New York theater and Broadway, drawing warm interest from arts readers.

Gaza-based playwright Ali Abu Yasin has been named recipient of PEN's Writer of Courage award. The honour recognises writers who face persecution or grave hardship for their work, and comes amid ongoing conflict in Gaza. PEN has previously used the award to spotlight writers writing under war, siege or imprisonment.

Palestinian playwright Ali Abu Yasin from Gaza has won an English PEN award for his work, which he describes with the words 'war lives in me'. The recognition highlights writing that emerges from daily life under conflict in Gaza, and is drawing attention to Palestinian literature and theatre at a time when the territory remains devastated by war. Readers are sharing the story as a rare note of cultural recognition amid the crisis.

Australian playwright Suzie Miller, known for Prima Facie and the stage work Inter Alia, speaks to the Guardian about her creative approach. She discusses 'Strong Is The New Pretty', a project she describes as being about how women manage differently and how they dream things into existence, framing it explicitly as a journey that is not the classic hero's journey.

Playwright and performer Melissa Greenspan sat down for an interview about her show B+ MOM (An Enthusiastic Guide to Imperfect Parenting). She discussed the work, which draws on her experiences as a parent and embraces the idea that good-enough parenting beats perfection. The piece spotlights her dual role as writer and performer in the production.

Aston University in Birmingham has been awarded £590,000 in funding to research whether video games can be used as a new way to teach Shakespeare in schools. The project will test how game-based learning might help students engage with the playwright's works, potentially offering an alternative to traditional classroom methods for literature education.

A playwright from Gaza has won a prestigious theatre award in London, telling the audience that 'war lives in me'. The recognition highlights the work of Palestinian artists documenting life under conflict, and is drawing attention to how the Gaza war continues to be processed through art and culture on international stages.

Palestinian playwright Ali Abu Yasin has won an English PEN award, recognised for his artistic resilience in Gaza. According to Al Jazeera, he kept writing for theatre while living amid the destruction of the war, describing how 'war lives in me'. The honour highlights the endurance of Gaza's cultural life under bombardment and displacement.

A programme called "Vietnam en Scène" is bringing Vietnamese theatre to Paris, presenting Vietnamese stage works to French audiences. The event highlights cultural exchange between Vietnam and France and gives Vietnamese playwrights and performers a platform in the French capital. Coverage so far is limited to cultural media, with details of specific productions not yet widely reported.

Theatre company Tg STAN is presenting '1, 2, 3 Poquelin', a series of pieces drawing on the work of Molière, at the Théâtre d'Hérouville in Hérouville-Saint-Clair from 8 to 10 October. The production revisits the playwright's language, with commentators praising the company's inventiveness and recommending the run as a chance to savour Molière's text on stage.

Playwright and actor John Cariani is leading workshops exploring the ideas behind “Almost, Maine,” his popular two-act play set in a fictional Maine town where love manifests in strange, magical ways. The sessions at Middlebury look at the play's themes of light, love and connection, drawing student and campus interest in the craft behind the widely performed romantic comedy.

Chicago's Goodman Theatre is presenting Dead Girl's Quinceañera, a new play that critics are praising as a joyful, vivid celebration of Latina girlhood. A review from Third Coast Review highlights the production's warmth and energy, adding to attention around the show's run. The piece centers a young Latina protagonist and her coming-of-age world, drawing interest from audiences following new work by Latino playwrights on major American stages.

Playwright Lynn Nottage has joined the Pulitzer Prize Board. Nottage, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama for 'Ruined' and 'Sweat', will now help decide future winners of the prestigious awards. Her appointment has drawn attention in theatre circles given her standing as one of America's most celebrated playwrights.

A passage from Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot is being shared among French-speaking readers and the wider book community. The exchanged lines between characters Vladimir and Estragon, about endlessly beginning again and needing to decide, are paired with photography by Andrej Šafhalter. Readers are engaging with the playwright's stark meditation on waiting, repetition and indecision.

A 95-year-old woman has written her first play, which is being staged in the Dayton, Ohio region. The production draws on her personal experience of immigration and celebrates the role of community in starting a new life in America. Local outlets including the Dayton Daily News and Springfield News-Sun are covering the story, highlighting both the playwright's remarkable age and the timely subject matter.

The classic Japanese medical drama 'Furikaereba Yatsu ga Iru', starring Yoji Oda and Ken Ishiguro and written by renowned playwright Koki Mitani, will begin broadcasting on October 14. The 1993 series, famous for portraying the rivalry between two doctors, is considered a landmark of Japanese television drama, and its rerun is drawing attention from fans of retro hits and Mitani's work.

Hampstead Theatre has extended the run of its production of Tom Stoppard's play The Invention of Love, adding more performances due to demand. The revival of Stoppard's 1997 work, which explores the life of poet and classicist A.E. Housman, will now play to audiences for longer than originally scheduled at the London venue.

La Comedia Dinner Theatre is staging a production of the Broadway musical comedy 'Something Rotten!'. The show, set in the Renaissance and centred on rival playwrights vying with Shakespeare, is being performed at the Ohio venue. Local coverage is highlighting the production as a new draw for theatre-goers in the region.