August Wilson Playwrights Project

August Wilson Playwrights Project
Name	August Wilson Playwrights Project
Type	Nonprofit arts organization
Founded	2007
Founder	Todd Kreidler
Location	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Focus	Playwright development, new plays, African American theater

August Wilson Playwrights Project The August Wilson Playwrights Project is a Pittsburgh-based organization dedicated to nurturing playwrights, developing new plays, and preserving the legacy of August Wilson. Founded in the early 21st century, the Project links regional theater, national commissioning programs, and community initiatives to support dramatic writers and productions. It operates within a landscape that includes major institutions such as the Kennedy Center, Public Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Lincoln Center, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

History and founding

The Project was established after dialogues among stakeholders including representatives of the August Wilson Center for African American Culture, the estate of August Wilson (playwright), and cultural leaders from institutions like the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh, and the Community Book Center. Its founding involved collaboration with artists and administrators connected to figures such as Elder Josephine Baker, Ruby Dee, Denzel Washington, Charles S. Dutton, and dramaturgs who had worked with companies like Arena Stage and Goodman Theatre. Early initiatives received support from funders including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Pew Charitable Trusts, positioning the Project alongside national programs at the Guthrie Theater and New York Theatre Workshop.

Mission and objectives

The organization's mission aligns with the cultural stewardship associated with August Wilson (playwright) and with objectives similar to those of the National Playwrights Conference and the O'Neill Theater Center. Core objectives include commissioning work from writers such as Suzan-Lori Parks, Lorraine Hansberry, Tennessee Williams, Tony Kushner, and contemporaries like Katori Hall, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Dominique Morisseau, and Lynn Nottage; developing scripts through residencies akin to those at the MacDowell Colony; and amplifying voices connected to communities represented in productions at venues like the Allegheny County Courthouse and neighborhood stages supported by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh.

Programs and activities

Programs mirror practices at institutions like the Humana Festival and the BAM Next Wave Festival, offering playwright residencies, staged readings, playwright labs, and commission series. Activities include script workshops with guest artists who may have affiliations with the Actors Studio, American Conservatory Theater, Royal Shakespeare Company, or film adaptations with production partners linked to Netflix, HBO, and Amazon Studios. Educational outreach collaborates with local schools, libraries, and cultural hubs such as the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, running mentorships patterned after programs at the New Dramatists and the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York.

Notable playwrights and productions

The Project has incubated work by emerging and established writers associated with national stages including Second Stage Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, The Public Theater (New York), and regional houses like The Wilma Theater and Center Theatre Group. Playwrights who have participated include names that resonate with theaters producing socially resonant drama and musicals linked to creative teams who have worked with Stephen Sondheim, Lin-Manuel Miranda, August Wilson (playwright), Arthur Miller, and August Wilson (playwright)’s collaborators. Productions developed through the Project have gone on to readings and full productions at venues such as the Alley Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, and festivals like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Partnerships and community engagement

Collaborative partners have included universities and conservatories such as Yale School of Drama, Juilliard School, Northwestern University; cultural institutions like the Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian Institution; funders and advocacy organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, Theatre Communications Group, and the Mellon Foundation. Community engagement strategies draw on models employed by the Cultural Districts Program (Pittsburgh), neighborhood arts councils, and municipal arts offices, coordinating with corps such as the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and labor organizations connected to the Actors' Equity Association.

Impact and recognition

The Project has contributed to the careers of playwrights who later gained attention from institutions that award honors like the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award, the Obie Awards, the MacArthur Fellowship, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation. Its work has been cited in discussions among scholars at conferences such as the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and publications associated with the Modern Language Association and the American Theatre Magazine. Recognition includes partnerships with civic leaders in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and programming profiles at national gatherings hosted by entities like the Kennedy Center and the Aspen Ideas Festival.

Category:Theatre in Pennsylvania Category:Non-profit organizations based in Pittsburgh