“When one writes a play, one is no longer alone.” -Paula Vogel, Indecent
It all starts with a brand new play, music stands, 3-hole punched scripts, a bare stage, and a team of curious artists. Through our one-day marathon staged readings, Playwrights on Park aims to provide a supportive and passionate environment for playwrights to see and hear their play on its feet. Having an audience is vital to the process; what made them laugh or cry? What will they be talking about when they leave the theatre?
Engaging with new plays is more important than ever to keep theatre a viable industry. After the pandemic, we saw (and are seeing) the shuttering of too many theatres and new work incubators, making opportunities for playwrights scarcer every day. With Playwrights on Park, we hope to foster new voices that will help carry theatre into the future, and to create a community of supporters who will never stop filling seats and sharing their perspectives.
Thank you for your interest in supporting our mission. We hope to see you at a reading soon!
Liv Fassanella
Literary Manager and Dramaturg at Playhouse on Park
Playwrights on Park hosts 4 readings per season, dates announced with Playhouse on Park’s mainstage series. We accept submissions for 1 month each year, in March. On March 1st, submissions will open and be accepted via the Google Form that will be on this page, March 1st, 2027. If your play is selected, you will be offered one of the dates in the series. General submission information below.
Want to attend playwrights on park workshops? Email Liv Fassanella at lfassanella@playhousetheatregroup.org to be added to the mailing list. Dates are announced at the top of the season, and invitations are sent out within a month of the reading via email. Readings are free to attend with an RSVP. Invitees are welcome to bring multiple guests. If you haven't already:
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“Together, the workshop and reading vastly benefitted the script: hearing and watching the actors rehearse, then observing an audience’s reactions, you become aware where words get in the way of rhythm, where beats are too long or unresolved, and where plot clarification is needed…Playwrights on Park offers a phenomenal portal into the deeply communal experience of staging your play.” -Jurgen Riehle, playwright of Eurail
“...My play was finished, but raw, and the only way to make the necessary edits was to get it on its feet in front of an audience. Throughout my experience here, I felt supported in my vision for what I wanted my play to be and challenged to embrace what it might become. I learned so much more about my own play and am ready to make the story even stronger…I had so much fun laughing and joyfully crying with my creative team and building relationships with them that are still thriving today.” -John Mabey, playwright of The Impossible Theories of Us
“I felt well cared for, and my work was treated with the utmost respect throughout the process with Playwrights on Park. The rehearsals were conducted with the kind of collaborative spirit that I really value, and the questions and feedback offered by the cast and crew gave me what I needed to take my piece to the next level. The audience for the reading was enthusiastic and engaged. Overall, a wonderful experience.” -Max Gill, writer of Your Undecaying Flames
Online: Donate by credit card by clicking here. In the "In Honor Of" field, please write "Playwrights on Park."
By phone: Call 860-523-5900 ext. 10 and let the staff member know that you would like your donation designated for Playwrights on Park.
By mail: Send a check payable to Playhouse Theatre Group, Inc. to:
Playhouse on Park
244 Park Road
West Hartford, CT 06119
Please write "Playwrights on Park" in the memo line so your gift is directed to the program.
Liv Fassanella is the Literary Manager and Dramaturg at Playhouse on Park, and proudly runs Playwrights on Park. Select dramaturgy credits include THE AGITATORS, INDECENT, TONI STONE, THE BARONESS, THE MOUNTAINTOP, LIFESPAN OF A FACT, THE WILD PARTY. Outside of Playhouse, Liv is a playwright, director, and freelance dramaturg. She works one-on-one with playwrights to help them bring their play to life and find out what it wants to be. Her plays have been workshopped and performed by organizations such as Playwrights on Park Reading Series, Foul Contending Rebels Theatre Co., and Little Theatre of Manchester. Liv’s creative focus stems from womanhood, its joys, and its horrors. She has a B.A. in playwriting from Bennington College. livfassanella.com LFassanella@PlayhouseTheatreGroup.org
Nothing we do at Playwrights on Park would be possible without our Readers Circle. We receive up to 500 submissions per cycle, and no one staff member can read all those plays by themselves. The Readers Circle is made up of writers, theatre professionals, theatre lovers, story lovers, and anybody who is invested in fostering new and exciting stories. This volunteer position will allow you to get a first-hand look into the process of new play selection, and give you a voice in what you’d like to see in our workshops. If you are interested in joining, email lfassanella@playhousetheatregroup.org
Darcy Parker Bruce, Mary Elizabeth Burns, Rosie Coursey, Chris Diercksen, Benjamin Doolittle, Jennifer Dorn, Robert Duke, Lily Fryburg, Amanda Friedman, Faith Fuerst, Kenneth Galm, Lynne Gannon, Flo Gill, Alder Gogue, Sid Goldstein, Susan Haefner, Patrick Harvey, Marlowe Holden, Ben Jesulaitis, MJ Kirsche, Shari Kovel, Liv Lanteri, Barbara Laurain, Jack B. Levine, Antwain N. Lewis, Dave Macri, Judith Macri, Mike Michaud, Jess McKenna, Emily Milavsky, Laura Melillo, Michelle Meyer, Robert Mintz, Lee Monroe, Cheryl Murray, Benjamin Nurthen, Katelyn Paddock, Rebecka Ray, Bonnie Riedinger, Jeffrey Thomas Roets, Anne Schick, Rachel Spitzig, Erin Striff, Maddie Stallings, Sydney Torres, Sydney Weiser, Alexandra Wahl, Anne Wahl, Nia Weeks, Ada Wennstrom, Joe Zarrella
GHOST STORY, by Lia Romeo
New Works Series, 2022
WEBSTER'S BITCH, by Jaqueline Bircher
New Works Series, 2022
WEBSTER’S BITCH received its world premiere production in the spring of our 2022-2023 season