A local launchpad for new theatrical work that nourishes the community and fosters civic dialogue
For Writers
Development Opportunities
PIC is a collective of empowered theater artists centering stories that have the potential to spark community conversation through a highly collaborative, unique play development process. PIC artists (actor-dramaturgs, directors, stage managers, designers, and more) work with the incoming local writer(s) to identify the most beneficial next steps in the development of their piece: a customized approach tailored to their specific needs. We are dedicated to building long-term collaborative relationships with all artists we work with, providing a safe space to experiment with new ideas and concepts on an ongoing basis.
We have four different development offerings for playwrights:
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A 9-month long Incubation Residency for scripts that only have an outline or partial draft. Submissions are open to playwrights who we have worked with in the past on Development Workshops and/or PIC PIPS
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The Development Workshop 8 hours of worksessions spread over the course of 3 days followed by a public reading and dramaturgical conversation. It is designed for full drafts that would benefit from polishing with the help of actors and other artists. Submissions are open to anyone within a one hour radius of Hampshire County Mass once a year and go through an robust review process to determine if they meet our criteria.
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PIC PIPS (Plays In Progress Series) which offers a public reading followed by a dramaturgical conversation with the audience. Submissions are open to anyone within a one hour radius of Hampshire County Mass once a year and go through an robust review process to determine of they meet our criteria.
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The Salon and Social where playwrights can share a 10 minute excerpt from a work in progress. Submissions are welcomed on a first come first served basis provided the piece fits the given criteria.
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Now accepting Submissions for 2025 PIC PIPS and Development Workshops
These opportunities are not about performance or production. These are opportunities to develop the text. PIC supports pieces that lead with curiosity and an invitation to engage in conversation.
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE ON OCTOBER 18TH.
What is PIC PIPS? PIPS stands for Plays In Progress Series. These are readings of new work in front of an audience. PIC casts full length plays from our roster of artists who come together on the day of the presentation for a live reading of the script in front of an audience. The playwright and an assigned dramaturg work together to develop questions to share with audience after the reading, and in this way the audience serves as a sounding board for further development of the piece. This is reserved for scripts in a variety of developmental stages.
​What types of pieces are a good fit for PIC PIPS?
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Plays that have a full and complete draft. The draft could be in its first or final draft, or anywhere in between but, regardless of stage, the playwright would benefit from seeing how it sits with an audience.
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A play written a while ago that would benefit from a new/modern audience
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A full draft the playwright has had for awhile and would benefit from hearing it one last time before sending it off into the world for potential production.
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What is the Development Workshop? Development Workshop is reserved for pieces that have a first full draft and could use an intensive period of writing and hearing the work out loud with actors. This opportunity provides developmental worksessions with actors and other support artists over the course of a number of consecutive days, culminating in a reading and developmental discussion with an audience.
What types of pieces are a good fit for the Development Workshop?
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A full draft that needs an overhaul which could be achieved by having actors and other artists in the room. The necessary work could be on the entire script or specific sections.
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A play that was written a long time ago and needs an update for a modern audienceA script by a playwright interested in what actors’ perspectives will provide for the characters
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A script that needs further development of character arcs
2024 Offerings
We are no longer accepting new submissions for 2024.
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In 2024, PIC will be holding free, monthly PIC PIPS (Plays In Progress Series) at
The Workroom (33 Hawley St, Northampton) featuring readings of new work in front of an audience. The full-length readings will be followed by a developmental discussion between the playwright and audience.
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Salon and Socials
Our Salon and Socials have passed for this year. We look forward to returning to this event in 2025.
