2025 PlayPenn New Play Development Festival
PlayPenn, a nationally recognized new play development organization, proudly announces the full lineup of free public readings for its 2025 New Play Development Conference, running July 5 - 20 at venues throughout Philadelphia.
Our 20-year conference brings bold, boundary pushing new plays to life through public staged readings featuring some of the region’s most exciting playwrights, directors, dramaturgs, actors, stage managers, artists, and producing partners. Each conference offers audiences a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the development journey of new plays in progress.
In 2025, that journey features the work of playwrights Lori Felipe-Barkin, L M Feldman, Bee Kanofsky (Bee is our first-ever young playwright!), Chaz T. Martin, Zahra Patterson, Andrew Saito, and Lex Thammavong as their plays take shape before a live audience.
In a groundbreaking expansion of its traditional format, this year’s conference will stretch across four Philadelphia County districts, thanks to an unprecedented collaboration between PlayPenn and InterAct Theatre Company, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Philadelphia Young Playwrights, Power Street Theatre, Theatre in the X and Wilma Theater. All readings and community events are free and open to the public, but reservations are required to attend each reading.
