About Playwrights @ Work (P@W)

Playwrights @ Work is a unique group within The 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 premiers four original one-act plays from among its members in a Festival every July. If you are a budding playwright or wish to help read and give feedback on new scripts please email us today and we’ll let you know when our next meeting takes place.

Their next event is Fall Shorts & Sweets, which will be held on October 22nd @ 7 pm. Shorts & Sweets is typically six (6) short ten-minute plays that will be performed as staged readings (script in hand with some basic blocking) where the playwrights get directed feedback from the audience – this is accomplished through interactive questions with the audience after each one act as well as taking paper surveys at the completion of the event (if you wish to remain more anonymous). This event is free but we highly encourage donations at the door.

A Brief History of P@W

Playwrights @ Work (P@W) was founded in 2002 by Thomas Astin, John Reddy, Barbara Schmitt and Myron Stein. The mission of 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 they 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 beginning in October of 2010 they held their first Shorts & Sweets, which they’ve continued to hold every year. In September of 2020, thanks to the pandemic, they held their first Playwrights In The Park event (thanks to our friends at Nativity Episcopal Church) and returned the following spring in May of 2021 to a crowd of 200 patrons. This year, 2022, marks their 20th year in existence and they continue to meet at least once a month (usually twice) to read and develop plays.

Upcoming Events

April 22, 2023 – Shorts & Sweets

Shorts & Sweets are staged readings of six original plays by members of P@W. Audience members will be able to provide feedback on the shows directly to the playwrights – there is usually a brief Q & A after each reading as well as forms patrons can fill out if they prefer more anonymity.

Annual One Act Festival – Save the Date: July 28 – 30, 2023

Playwrights @ Work in affiliation with Birmingham Village Players present their annual One Act Festival: four fully produced original one act plays by members of Playwrights @ Work. This is a unique event put on each year featuring the premiers of fun, original and entertaining plays. Tickets are general admission for $10 and will go on sale in June.

NOTE: Auditions with take place Friday, June 2, 6:00 pm; Sunday, June 4, 6:30 pm. Announcement of plays and audition notice mid-May 2023.