Now in its 14th year, The Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group brings together six to eight emerging and culturally diverse playwrights each season. The Group meets weekly to share and receive constructive feedback on the development of their new work along with the Primary Stages Artistic Director, Associate Artistic Director and Literary Manager.
The work developed during the eight weeks in The Group is presented at the The Dorothy Strelsin Fresh Ink Reading Series. The Series lasts a full week with each night dedicated to a workshopped presentation of a playwright's work.
Since its inception, over 50 full-length plays have been written in The Group, many of which have been produced by prominent local and national theaters, including The Long Wharf, Blue Light, South Coast Repertory, The New Group, New York Stage and Film, Cherry Lane Theater, MCC and of course, Primary Stages.
L to R: David Caudle, Darren Canady, Bekah Brunstetter, Tommy Smith,
Adam Szymkowicz, Maria Alexandria Beech
Current Members
- Courtney Baron has been produced at many theaters across the country including MCC, the Guthrie and Actors Theater of Louisville. She recently workshopped Leave, her play with music, at Primary Stages.
- Maria Alexandria Beech is the Recipient of the Aspen Theatre Masters Visionary Award. Her play Breaking Walls was produced at Cherry Lane Theater in 2006. Other plays include Lima Beans, Black Roses and Your Face.
- Bekah Brunstetter's plays include Be a Good Little Widow , OOHRAH!, To Nineveh and is currently working on a commission for the Roundabout Underground, Naked Angels, and Playscripts / The Keen Company
- Darren Canady is an alum of the Juilliard School. His credits include the award-winning False Creeds, He Was Mine and the opera libretto How Theo Changed His Name.
- David Caudle is the award-winning author of The Sunken Living Room, Likeness, Visiting Hours and The Others. He adapted his one-act Feet of Clay into a short film directed by Carrie Preston.
- Tommy Smith's plays include Beautiful Night, White Hot, Air Conditioning, Caravan Man, among others. 2008 awards: Page 73 Playwriting Fellow, Sloan Grant, MAP fund, Creative Capital.
- Adam Szymkowicz was a founding member of the Ars Nova Play Group and his plays include Deflowering Waldo, Open Minds, Anne, The Art Machine, Pretty Theft and Nerve.
Past Members
- David Lindsay Abaire
- Tanya Barfield
- Neena Beber
- Brooke Berman
- Andrew Case
- Cusi Cram
- Janis Astor del Valle
- Bruce Faulk
- Josh Fox
- Jessica Goldberg
- Daniel Goldfarb
- Rinne Groff
- Stephen Adly Guirgis
- Katori Hall
- Jerome Hairston
- Rolin Jones
- Julia Jordan
- Rogelio Martinez
- Dan O’Brien
- Edwin Sanchez
- Julian Sheppard
- Lucy Thurber
- Sheri Wilner
