Playwrights Foundation Reveals Finalists/Semifinalists For 46th Bay Area Playwrights Festival

Playwrights Foundation, the West Coast's premier launchpad for exceptional new plays and playwrights, has announced the semifinalists and finalists for the 46th Bay Area Playwrights Festival (BAPF), which will be presented in a hybrid festival (both in-person and streamed attendance options) April 12-21, 2024, per Playwrights Foundation's recent announcement to shift to a biennial festival structure. BAPF continues to uphold its legacy as one of the oldest and most successful new play festivals uplifting playwrights' new works early in their career. 

The festival received 614 applications from playwrights across the United States. Applicants underwent a thorough evaluation process and were reviewed by Playwrights Foundation staff in collaboration with 189 committee readers–local and national theatre professionals serving as evaluators, with 57% who identify as playwrights. From this pool of 614 applicants, 148 semifinalists were carefully chosen based on the writer's voice, skills, and the play's potential. Applicants were narrowed down further to 45 finalists encompassing unique voices, under-represented narratives, and bold theatrical forms  across various levels of experiences. Ultimately, five playwrights will be selected among the finalists and announced at a later point.

“The current landscape of contemporary playwriting is so vibrant. There is an abundance of writing which blooms with strong points of view, memorable plots and characters, and risk-taking moments of stagecraft.” says Literary Manager Heather Helinsky. “Our community of readers were highly engaged by a wide range of theatrically innovative styles, compelling narratives, and poignant issues and themes. The semifinalists and finalists are deserving of reaching audiences in need of catharsis—from communal grieving to a good laugh.”

Bay Area Playwrights Festival is one of the oldest and most successful new play festivals for new works in their early stages. Established in 1976 by acclaimed director Robert Woodruff, the festival has built a respected reputation for uplifting original and distinctive new voices in the theater, investing in the development of their work, and launching storied careers. Among the first writers developed at the inaugural BAPF was the young Sam Shepard. Since then, more than 500 prize-winning, nationally significant playwrights have received one of their first professional experiences at the BAPF, including Pulitzer Prize winners Nilo Cruz, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Paula Vogel, and Annie Baker; and acclaimed playwrights Lauren Gunderson, Rajiv Joseph, Katori Hall, Christopher Chen, Lauren Yee, and Marcus Gardley. BAPF's ongoing success in supporting and amplifying exceptional, newly emerging writers and launching their ground-breaking new work is its enduring legacy.

“We are excited to spotlight these talented playwrights and incredible plays in this year's BAPF semifinalists and finalists,” says Executive Artistic Director Jessica Bird Beza. “There are an abundance of powerful narratives included on the list that made for an incredibly difficult selection process. We want to uplift and advocate for the dynamic work of this next generation of playwrights to other theatermakers and hope to see them on stages around the country.” 

After listening closely to playwrights and other constituents, Playwrights Foundation recently announced that the Bay Area Playwrights Festival model will shift from an annual festival to a biennial hybrid festival in order to expand the pre-festival program from 4 to 12 months. This change will allow staff to be more intentional and responsive to each playwright's needs and increase the amount of time, care, and resources dedicated to each playwright. 

“The past few years have been a time for reflection and growth at Playwrights Foundation, resulting in newly expressed purpose, vision, and values,” said Beza. “We move forward with a deeper commitment to center and empower the playwrights we serve, guided by a strategic plan co-created with significant playwright representation, and the 46th Bay Area Playwrights Festival program model changes reflect this.”

45 FINALISTS FOR THE 46th BAY AREA PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

• Calley N. Anderson, The Alligator 

• Jennifer Barclay, Behave Yourself 

• Nikki Brake-Sillá, ReWombed 

• Karen Marguerite Caronna, Dream of a Marginal Deity

• Sam Chanse, Fellowship

• Sean-Joseph Choo, otou-san 

• Avery Deutsch, The Last Beach Day 

• NJ Draine, The Housing Situation on Neptune

• Lisa Sanaye Dring, Seven Hoshi

• Jahna Ferron-Smith, Are We There Yet? 

• Noa Gardner, Nan 

• Sara Guerrero, Have to Believe We Are Magic 

• Mya Ison, Laure

• Hasti Jafari, Superposition: A Crawling Play in Two Parts 

• Alicia Kester, Water Spirits

• Garrett David Kim, Belligerency 

• Claire Koenig, DYKER BYKES

• Molly Olis Krost, Nanay

• Melissa Leilani Larson, A Form of Flattery 

• Minna Lee, My Home on the Moon 

• Jeffrey Lo, Balikbayan Box 

• Ethan Luk, Flight of a Legless Bird 

• Zizi Majid, They Came in the Night

• Nick Malakhow, Optional Boss Battle 

• Divya Mangwani, Vigil-Auntys

• Schaeffer Nelson, Hottest Church Dads

• Miles Orduña, Lola

• Rena Patel, Pyar aur Coffee

• a.k. payne, Dwellers

• Aidaa Peerzada, Children of the Wise 

• Phanésia Pharel, R&B 

• Eliana Pipes, Cowboy and the Moon 

• Christina Pumariega, Her Math Play 

• Ankita Raturi, Fifty Boxes of Earth

• Aurora Real de Asua, The Pride Before

• Harrison David Rivers, maybe the saddest thing 

• Nia Akilah Robinson, The Great Privation: How to flip ten cents into a dollar.

• TyLie Shider, Whittier

• DeAndre Short, At Ease

• Phillip Christian Smith, Riverside Drive

• Caridad Svich, Chelsea & Ivanka

• Jason Tseng, Fear & Wonder

• Emma Watkins, Elizabeth is Going into the Ground

• Madison Wetzell, The Body Play

• David Zheng, Ching Chong Maka Haya

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