About the Program

Under the leadership of previous Directors of New Works Mark Armstrong and Jeremy Stoller, the Playwrights Lab brought together 3 three mid-career playwrights each season to develop a new, full-length play inspired by Keen's mission.

Readings, open to industry and the public, took place each December. In launching the Keen Playwrights Lab in 2014, the company focused on mid-career playwrights specifically, as they are under-served in the theatrical community. While there are numerous programs available for new and emerging playwrights, as well as established playwrights with significant success, a six-year study by the Theatre Development Fund and Todd London’s resulting book "Outrageous Fortune: The Life and Times of the New American Play" cites the mid-career as a crisis point for American playwrights. The Playwrights Lab was Keen’s response to that crisis. Over the past decade, we are proud to have welcomed 27 playwrights into the company, learning how to better support new play development, and creating a home for new work at Keen Company. Learn more about the program’s history.

Now, 10 years into the program, Keen Company has taken the time to survey past participants and industry professionals to better understand the current landscape. With a deeper knowledge of modern needs, Keen has decided to refocus our resources and shift the Playwrights Lab away from its current format. We are looking forward to reimagining our model to best serve the needs of mid-career playwrights today. Keen’s new Director of New Work, Zachariah Ezer, will lead our new work initiatives and spearhead the next chapter. Currently, we are focusing our efforts on supporting alumni playwrights with ongoing development of specific projects as well as the multi-year commissioning of a new musical by Adam Gwon.