PLAYWRIGHTS WELCOME National Ticketing Initiative to Relaunch

Concord Theatricals and The Dramatists Guild of America are relaunching their Playwrights Welcome program. This national ticketing initiative asks theatres to offer tickets that would otherwise go unused (free of charge) to playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists.

Theatre can be cost-prohibitive to those who create it. Professional dramatists require professional tools; authors of new plays and musicals need to interact with other works, finding inspiration in the craft of their fellow artists, but this expenditure is often beyond their means.

That's why Playwrights Welcome was developed for Dramatists Guild of America members by Samuel French, a Concord Theatricals company, along with input from other publishing and licensing houses. By providing available tickets (free of charge) to dramatists, theatres and arts organizations can remove cost barriers and share their productions with artists who may not otherwise be able to see these shows.

First launched in 2016, this program was founded on the belief that attending live theatre is an integral part of how writers learn their craft and grow as theatre artists. For more information on how to participate, see below or visit www.concordtheatricals.com/resources/playwrights-welcome.

With over 90 theatres already participating in Playwrights Welcome, writers can use their physical or virtual DG member card to access free tickets in 27 states and the District of Columbia. Participating theatres include: Alliance Theatre (Atlanta, GA), Atlantic Theater Company (New York, NY), Bishop Arts Theatre Center (Dallas, TX), Goodman Theatre (Chicago, IL), Guthrie Theater (Minneapolis, MN), La Jolla Playhouse (La Jolla, CA), McCarter Theatre Center (Princeton, NJ), Pittsburgh Public Theater (Pittsburgh, PA), Portland Center Stage (Portland, OR), Roundabout Theatre Company (New York, NY) and Woolly Mammoth Theatre (Washington, D.C.). See the full list of participating theatres on the Playwrights Welcome website.

"Seven years and a pandemic since the program's original launch, it is really encouraging to see how many theatres have remained enthusiastic participants of Playwrights Welcome," said Abbie Van Nostrand, Senior Vice President of Client Relations and Community Engagement at Concord Theatricals. "We are even more energized to work with the Dramatists Guild towards our shared goal: building a larger network of theatres willing to offer free theatre access to playwrights, lyricists, composers and librettists."

"What I especially appreciate with Playwrights Welcome is its national and local scope; inviting us to see theatre in our hometowns, or across the state, or across the country," shared playwright Karen Zacarías. "Staying connected to the art form and audiences is vital in our profession...and free access to see what is on stage wherever I go helps inform both my craft and my resolution to make a difference in our field. Playwrights Welcome encourages me to explore."

According to Teresa Coleman Wash, founding artistic director of Bishop Arts Theatre Center, "The Playwrights Welcome program is an extension of our commitment to help playwrights hone their craft. Our theatre is among the first that transplants connect with when they relocate to Dallas, which provides us with an influx of continual, innovative new talent and perspectives."

How to Participate: Writers

All Dramatists Guild members are encouraged to take advantage of this benefit. For a current list of participating theatres, visit https://www.dramatistsguild.com/theatre-tickets. Dramatists are encouraged to contact box offices prior to their visit to confirm the theatre's Playwright Welcome policies. Please note that writers must be members of the Dramatists Guild in order to participate in this program.

Dramatists are also encouraged to ask their local theatres to join Playwrights Welcome, and to spread the word about the program to fellow writers so more artists can access free theatre.

How to Participate: Theatres

Becoming a Playwrights Welcome theatre is easy: simply sign up at www.concordtheatricals.com/playwrights-welcome. Once registered, theatres will receive a welcome packet complete with recommended marketing assets and language, including digital logos and a box office window cling.

Playwrights Welcome tickets are offered solely at the discretion of the theatre on a per-production and performance basis. Theatres may offer these tickets at their box office for day-of performances or create their own ticketing reservation system. The only requirement is that playwrights present their Dramatists Guild card to claim their ticket.

Concord Theatricals is the world's most significant theatrical company, comprising the catalogs of R&H Theatricals, Samuel French, Tams-Witmark, and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, plus dozens of new signings each year. Its unparalleled roster includes the work of Irving Berlin, Agatha Christie, George & Ira Gershwin, Marvin Hamlisch, Lorraine Hansberry, Kander & Ebb, Ken Ludwig, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dominique Morisseau, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Thornton Wilder and August Wilson. Concord Theatricals is the only firm providing truly comprehensive services to the creators and producers of plays and musicals, including theatrical licensing, music publishing, script publishing, cast recording and first-class production.

Since its inception in 1919, the Dramatists Guild of America has been the professional trade association for playwrights, librettists, lyricists and composers writing for the American stage. With over 10,000 members around the world, the Guild is guided by a governing council of writers who each give their time, interest and support to advance the rights of dramatists everywhere, including the right for dramatists to own and control their own copyrighted work. The Guild's advocacy, programs, events, publications and other services provide dramatists with the resources, the community and the support they require to protect their property, their livelihoods and their unique voices in the American theatre.