About Us

Chicago Dramatists, a not-for-profit organization, is the only comprehensive playwright development center of its kind in Chicago. We give playwrights an artistic home no matter where they are in their development. Our award-winning playwrights are regularly produced in Chicago, on Broadway and at regional theaters throughout the country. Our playwrights are also shaping writers’ rooms in LA, sending our Chicago stories to living rooms across the world.

For over 40 years, Chicago Dramatists has supported playwrights at all levels of development – from apprentices of the craft, to masters. Workshops, readings, classes, and special programs, provide opportunities for beginning and established dramatists to develop their work, expand their professional affiliations, showcase their plays and collaborate with actors, directors, and audiences during the creative process.

Our Mission

Chicago Dramatists is an inclusive community dedicated to nurturing dramatic writers at every stage of their evolution. We are committed to dynamic exchange and experimentation, leading to new and innovative works for the American stage and screen.

Statement of Values

Everyone involved or associated with Chicago Dramatists, including the board, volunteers, staff, playwrights, associate artists, actors, directors, producers, teachers, and students assumes the responsibility of representing Chicago Dramatists’ values in words and action. This includes:

1. Believing in the mission to support the development of new plays and new playwrights.

2. Meeting high standards of honesty and integrity in every task and interaction.

3. Instilling and supporting a positive, supportive and collaborative work environment.

4. Maintaining high levels of respect for people regardless of sex, creed, ethnicity, identity or sexual orientation, which prohibits bullying or intimidation of any form.

5. Instilling a no-bullying and no-intimidation policy for the board, the staff, the resident playwrights, playwright alumni, associate artists, teachers and any and all actors and directors of readings and productions with which we are associated.

6. Embracing diversity and actively supporting Chicago Dramatists nondiscrimination policies.

7. Treating each other with respect and refraining from making disparaging remarks about other members in the community.

8. Safeguarding Chicago Dramatists assets, its reputation and the reputation of its artists.

Casting

Chicago Dramatists makes every effort to cast appropriately according to the requirements of each play, but due to the shifting nature of actors careers and schedules, as well as CD ensemble needs, we often must rely on age/color/gender blind casting. This is also in the spirit of our development programming – these are workshop readings for the benefit of the playwright as they continue to develop their work.