Playwrights Unit

Since its founding in 1925, Goodman Theatre has maintained a commitment to producing new plays. Works like Ruined, American Buffalo, Seven Guitars and Spinning Into Butter premiered at the Goodman before receiving productions across the nation as well as widespread recognition as some of the most important works of our era.

The process of creating a play, from inception to fully realized production, is often long and arduous, and writers typically revise their work through a series of workshops and readings. Among the many ways in which the Goodman supports and develops new plays is the Playwrights Unit, which is comprised of four local writers who meet twice per month to discuss their plays-in-progress.

This season’s Playwrights Unit members are Philip Dawkins, Nambi E. Kelley, Elaine Romero and Martín Zimmerman. All four of these writers possess unique voices, and each approaches writing differently; it is precisely this diversity which leads to fruitful discussions. At each meeting, two of the writers come prepared with the latest installment of the play they are working on, and they provide each other with feedback and support. The fruits of their labors—four new, fresh plays–will each receive a staged reading, with three days of rehearsal and a director, dramaturg, and full cast of actors. Please join us for these FREE staged readings of our exciting works-in-progress.

Playwrights Unit

Tickets are free, but reservations are required.

Jun 15 2012

The Solid Sand Below

The Solid Sand Below

By Martín Zimmerman | Directed by Eric Hoff
June 15, 2012 | 7pm

Julian Flores narrowly escapes a prison sentence and lands in Iraq where he’s anything but a model soldier. But when an I.E.D. blast nearly costs him his life, something changes for Flores. Soon the adrenaline, clarity, and intimacy of battle become something he can’t live without—even after he returns home. Reserve tickets
Jun 16 2012

A Work of Art

A Work of Art

By Elaine Romero | Directed by Henry Godinez
June 16, 2012 | 3pm

Sabrina lost her brother Kirk to the war in Vietnam and the course of her life was changed forever. Now, at a crossroads, she must do battle with her past and the ghosts that continue to haunt her. This achingly beautiful new work about the burden that families are asked to carry is part of a trilogy of plays about the U.S. at war. Reserve tickets
Jun 16 2012

Stutter

Stutter

By Philip Dawkins | Directed by Stuart Carden
June 16, 2012 | 7pm

Rosemary lives a quiet, unassuming life, teaching piano in a small Iowa town. But her world is turned upside down when she learns a secret about her past—a terrible injustice which happened not only to her, but to other vulnerable children. When she’s asked to join a class action lawsuit, Rosemary must decide where her responsibilities lie—and whether to let her past invade her present. Reserve tickets
Jun 17 2012

For Her as a Piano

For Her as a Piano

By Nambi E. Kelley | Directed by Devon de Mayo
June 17, 2012 | 3pm

Weaving together the stories of three generations of women through the eyes of a childless woman, Sarah, For Her as a Piano spans time, reality, and memory to look at the things that get passed down from mother to daughter – for better or for worse. Rendered with striking theatricality through language and song, this new play by Nambi E. Kelley is a stunning portrait of love, ancestry, and survival. Reserve tickets

Playwrights Unit