Playwright

A theatre director has described holding auditions in which young actors read work written by young playwrights, noting the performers' effort to win roles. The director called the day cathartic and even healing, striking a warm note about the process. The remarks come amid ongoing conversation in theatre circles about creating opportunities for emerging talent both on stage and behind the page.

The New York Times profiles actor and playwright Ryan J. Haddad, tracing how an uncle who loved theater inspired his path to the stage and his show 'Good Time Charlie'. The piece explores his journey toward realizing his dream of performing, drawing interest from theater readers following his latest work.

A 95-year-old from the Dayton, Ohio region has written her first play, drawing on themes of immigration and community. Local outlets report the production is being staged in the area, celebrating a debut author who waited nearly a century to bring her story to the stage and highlighting immigrant experiences for local audiences.

Nadia Hopkins's play 'Humane Traps' has won the 2026 Relentless Award, the prize established in honor of playwright Philip Seymour Hoffman and administered by American Theatre. The award, billed as the largest annual cash grant for an unproduced play in the United States, is closely watched in the theatre world as a marker of promising new voices.

The Australian Theatre Festival NYC has wrapped its seventh season, described as record-breaking, with photos from the season's productions now circulating among theatre audiences. The festival showcases Australian playwrights and performers in New York, and its seventh edition reportedly drew its biggest turnout and attention yet, cementing its place in the city's off-Broadway calendar.

The Baillie Working Group is hosting a free online public reading and discussion of Joanna Baillie's 1810 play The Family Legend on 21 November. The drama, often called Baillie's 'Highland play', is regarded as an early example of the Scottish National Drama and explores themes of clan loyalty and conflict in the Scottish Highlands. Scholars and theatre enthusiasts are invited to join the virtual event.

London's only public Shakespeare library has opened at Shakespeare's Globe on the Bankside, giving the public free access to a dedicated collection devoted to the playwright and his era. The opening gives researchers, students and theatre fans a rare public resource focused entirely on Shakespeare in the city where his plays were first staged.

Gaza-based playwright Ali Abu Yasin has received the PEN Writer of Courage award, honouring a writer working under extreme hardship. The announcement, reported by The New Arab, recognises his continued literary work amid the devastation of Gaza, where artists have faced immense danger and loss. The prize highlights PEN's tradition of defending writers at risk worldwide.

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.

The Lucian Blaga National Theatre in Cluj-Napoca is holding the 15th edition of its International Meetings festival from 16 to 18 October, under the theme "Contrasts". The programme includes seven performances, debates with theatre critics and a book launch in the former apartment of playwright Radu Stanca, drawing attention from Romanian theatre audiences.

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.

A playwright originally from Louisiana's Acadiana region, whose work has earned recognition in New York, is staging his acclaimed play in his home region. The Advocate reported the homecoming production, highlighting the significance of bringing work praised in the country's theater capital back to the communities that shaped him. Further details about the play, venue and dates were not provided.

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.

Furman University's theater department has announced a season made up entirely of plays written by its own graduates. The lineup highlights the work of alumni playwrights, giving former students a professional stage at their alma mater. The choice also underscores the department's effort to showcase the careers its programs helped launch.

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.

Quebec playwright Michel Tremblay is the subject of a McGill News Magazine feature examining how his work became a fixture of Scottish theatre. The piece calls him contemporary theatre's great melancholy realist and says he "fits Scotland like a glove," reflecting the playwright's long-standing resonance with Scottish audiences and translators of his working-class dramas.

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.

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.

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.