The History of The Playwrights' Center
The Playwrights' Center was founded in 1971 by five playwrights looking for moral and professional support in the creation, development, and eventual production of their work. These playwrights conceived of The Playwrights' Center as a place where writers could have the rare opportunity to hear their work read aloud by professional actors, to hear comments and criticism from peers and audience members, and to develop their scripts with the help of artistic collaborators and working professionals.

37 years later, the Center has grown into a national resource for script development, and currently provides a range of services for writers at all stages of their careers. Members of The Playwrights' Center include nationally distinguished artists such as Lee Blessing, Ping Chong, Barbara Field, Paula Vogel and Jeffrey Hatcher. The work of Center playwrights has won every major recognition the field offers, including two Pulitzers, the Tony, the Olivier, numerous Obies (NYC), Joseph Jefferson awards (Chicago), The Princess Grace Award, Helen Hayes Awards (DC), New York Dramatists Critics Circle Best New Play Award (NY), and Dramalogues (LA), as well as fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and major foundations and state arts councils.

In 2001, the Center completed a $1.1 Million construction project on its existing building which includes a state-of-the-art 120-seat theater, part of a larger, ongoing initiative to connect audiences to playwrights.

In 2007, the Center welcomed the Workhaus Collective, a playwright-driven professional ensemble formed at the initiative of Center fellows, as its official company-in-residence.

The work of Center playwrights is supported by a Board of Directors consisting of eighteen members, a national Advisory Board of theater professionals, and a staff of nine full-time, and three part-time employees.