About Playwrights @ Work (P@W)
Playwrights @ Work is a unique group within Village Players that promotes play writing among its members. The group meets monthly to provide support, feedback, encouragement, and direction to fellow playwrights. Throughout the year, P@W presents staged readings and annually the group selects and premieres four original one-act plays from among its members and presents them in a Festival every July. If you are a budding playwright or wish to help read and give feedback on our scripts, please email playwrights@birminghamvillageplayers.com today and someone will reach out to you.
SAVE THE DATE
Spring Shorts & Sweets
April 11, 2026
This year the Spring Shorts & Sweets will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2026. Shorts & Sweets is typically six short ten-minute plays that will be performed as staged readings (script in hand with basic blocking and minimal sets or costumes). The playwrights receive direct feedback from the audience. This is accomplished through interactive questions with the audience after each play as well as paper surveys collected at the end of the event for anyone who may want to be anonymous. The event is free but donations at the door are greatly appreciated.
SAVE THE DATE
One Act Festival
July 24-26, 2026
P@W’s annual One-Act Festival is tentatively scheduled for July 24-26, 2026. Friday and Saturday shows begin at 7:30 P.M. with a 2:00 P.M. matinee on Sunday. The One-Act Festival features four original one-act plays written by our members. All four plays are presented each night during the festival. Auditions will be held approximately eight weeks before opening night and audition information will be posted as soon as it is available. The playwrights receive direct feedback from the audience through interactive questions asked after each play as well as paper surveys collected at the end of the event for anyone who may want to be anonymous. There is a minimal charge for tickets ($15 each includings a $2 ticketing fee) and the seating is general admission.
Audition info will be posted soon!
DATE TBD
Fall Shorts & Sweets
October 2026
A Brief History of P@W
Playwrights @ Work was founded in 2002 by Thomas Astin, John Reddy, Myron Stein, and Barbara Schmitt. According to the Playwrights Handbook, P@W is a playwriting critique group whose mission is to foster the writing, development and production of professional quality plays of its members. The group meets regularly to read works in progress and give each other feedback on how to improve their scripts and make them production-worthy.
In 2004 P@W started producing staged readings and in 2005 they put on their first production (off-book) of One Acts. They performed one or two nights of staged readings a year and held their first Shorts & Sweets in October of 2010. In September of 2020, due to the pandemic, they held their first Playwrights In The Park event (thanks to their friends at Nativity Episcopal Church). They returned to producing at Village Players the following spring to a crowd of 200 patrons.