Boston Playwrights' Theatre


Boston Playwrights' Theatre is a small professional theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. Led by Artistic Director Kate Snodgrass. Boston Playwrights' Theatre is the home of the Graduate Playwriting Program at Boston University. As a venue, BPT donates their space to host other New England theatre companies who are producing new plays.

History

Founded in 1981 by poet, playwright and Nobel Laureate, Derek Walcott. The program's alumni have been produced in regional and New York houses, as well as in London's West End.

Boston Theater Marathon

Each year since 1999, Boston Playwrights' Theatre has produced the Boston Theater Marathon of 10-minute plays where 50 local theatre organizations showcase the works of New England playwrights. Originally performed at Boston Playwrights' Theatre, the Boston Theater Marathon has been in residence at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts since 2005.

Partnership with Boston University

In 2014, Boston Playwrights' Theatre produced its first season of thesis plays by current MFA candidates under the name @Play Festival of New Work in collaboration with Boston University. In 2016, Boston Playwrights' Theatre made official this partnership with Boston University's School of Theatre and the BU Graduate School of Arts & Sciences on a series of MFA Playwriting thesis plays acting as a showcase for pieces written by graduating students in BU’s MFA playwriting program. In a major change for BPT, almost all of the onstage and backstage talent will be provided by students in BU’s theater school, who work closely with the playwrights throughout the year.
In alternating seasons, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre will resume its practice of featuring three plays, written by alumni or faculty of the program and employing professional actors, designers and playwrights to stage them.

Awards and nominations