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| Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights | |
|---|---|
| Name | Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights |
| Formation | 1990s |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California |
| Region served | Southern California |
Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights is a Los Angeles–based professional organization for dramatists, playwrights, and scriptwriters that advocates for new play development and playwright rights. The organization operates within the Los Angeles theater ecosystem alongside institutions like the Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, and LATC while engaging with national entities such as the Dramatists Guild of America, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kennedy Center, the Public Theater, and the New York Theatre Workshop. Its activities intersect with festivals, commissioning bodies, and academic programs at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, USC School of Dramatic Arts, CalArts, and community theaters across California.
Founded in the 1990s amid a renaissance of regional theater and independent companies, the organization emerged in response to initiatives by groups like Fountain Theatre, Greenway Arts Alliance, Kickstart Theatre, Echo Theatre Company, and artist-driven projects at venues such as the Los Angeles Theatre Center and Cast Theatre. Early collaborations included playwright residencies linked to California Institute of the Arts, developmental workshops with the Shubert Foundation, and grant-supported programs from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. Over time, the Alliance aligned with statewide networks such as the California Arts Council and national networks like the League of Regional Theatres and engaged with prominent practitioners including alumni of Theatre Communications Group, veterans from Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and guest artists associated with Royal Court Theatre and London Theatre Workshop.
The Alliance’s mission emphasizes playwright advocacy, new script development, and professional resources similar to the priorities of the Dramatists Guild, New Dramatists, and Playwrights’ Center (Minneapolis). Activities include staged readings influenced by models from the Public Theater and Roundabout Theatre Company, dramaturgy clinics reflecting practices at the Royal Exchange Theatre, and fellowship programs inspired by Sundance Institute and National Playwrights Conference. Programming often interfaces with commissioning policies modeled on work by the Shubert Organization and residency frameworks comparable to MacDowell and Yaddo.
Membership includes emerging and established writers who have credits at venues such as the Geffen Playhouse, Center Theatre Group, LA Opera, Smokey Mountain Theatre Company, and fringe producers like Road Theatre Company and Ensemble Studio Theatre/Los Angeles. The organizational structure mirrors nonprofit boards seen at Playwrights Horizons and advisory panels similar to those at the Actors Fund and SAG-AFTRA Foundation, with committees for programming, advocacy, and fellowships. Leadership draws on networks connected to UCLA Extension, UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts, California State University, Long Beach, and community organizations like Inner-City Arts.
The Alliance curates staged readings, full production co-productions, and developmental labs that have premiered works later produced at venues like the Geffen Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, Theatre @ Boston Court, Odyssey Theatre, and Blank Theatre Company. Seasonal programs include playwright-in-residence slots modeled on initiatives at La Jolla Playhouse and the Arena Stage and short-play festivals inspired by The 24 Hour Plays, Humana Festival of New American Plays, and New York International Fringe Festival. Training programs for writers employ dramaturges and directors with backgrounds at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Long Wharf Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Asolo Repertory Theatre.
The Alliance partners with local and national institutions such as the Center Theatre Group, LA Stage Alliance, California Arts Council, USC School of Dramatic Arts, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Sundance Institute, and the Dramatists Guild of America, and has engaged guest artists from companies including Royal Court Theatre, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Bush Theatre, and The Old Vic. Collaborative projects extend to film and television entities like Netflix, HBO, Amazon Studios, and casting/production resources connected to IATSE and SAG-AFTRA, facilitating cross-disciplinary development pipelines reminiscent of partnerships between Lincoln Center Theater and screen-focused incubators.
The Alliance administers competitive awards and fellowships analogous to honors from the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater, Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Obie Awards, Drama Desk Awards, and regional accolades like the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards and the Helen Hayes Awards in format. Recipients and affiliates have progressed to national recognition at institutions such as the Tony Awards, Pulitzer Prize, and commissions from the Kennedy Center and Royal Court Theatre. The organization’s impact is acknowledged through grant partnerships with the National Endowment for the Arts, awards panels that include representatives from Playwrights Horizons, New Dramatists, and listings in programs curated by Theatre Communications Group.
Category:Theatre companies in Los Angeles Category:Non-profit organizations based in California