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 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.

Hudson Hall, the historic arts venue in Hudson, New York, has published an open letter addressed to performer and playwright Taylor Mac, written in the form of a love letter. The piece, featured in Chronogram's arts and music coverage, celebrates Mac's work and the venue's connection to the queer artist. It reads as both a public tribute and a signal of admiration ahead of Mac's ongoing performing career.

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.

Actor and playwright Ryan J. Haddad, currently associated with the show 'Good Time Charlie,' is profiled in a New York Times theater piece about how an uncle who loved theater shaped his path to a stage career. The interview traces his childhood introduction to live performance through his uncle's enthusiasm and how that early encouragement carried him toward work on Broadway. Readers in theater circles are sharing the profile as a warm personal story behind a working artist.

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.

A collection of eight Scots translations of Michel Tremblay's plays is drawing attention, with critic Mark Fisher arguing that hearing the Québécois playwright's work in Scots has given English-speaking audiences an insight into his writing that standard English versions never quite achieved. The translations, featured in the journal Critical Stages, suggest Scots and Quebec French share a similar colloquial texture.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Theatre Odyssey's One-Act Play Festival is returning to Sarasota, bringing short-form theatre back to the Florida city. The festival, known for staging new one-act works, gives local playwrights and actors a platform and draws audiences interested in original regional theatre. Further details about dates, venues, or this year's lineup have not been reported.

Arkansas State University's theatre program is presenting a production of Shakespeare reworked as a comedy, drawing coverage from local outlets including Jonesboro Right Now and NEA Report. The staging puts a humorous spin on the classic playwright's material, giving students a chance to perform updated interpretations of his work for Jonesboro audiences.

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 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.

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.

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.