Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre

RATTLESTICK PLAYWRIGHTS THEATER is a multi-award-winning 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and recipient of the 2007 Ross Wetzsteon Memorial Obie Award, which recognized us for work and our mission: developing and producing innovative new plays.

Rattlestick%u2019s core operations are composed of its mainstage Off- Broadway productions. In addition to our Mainstage season our Emerging Playwrights Program, run through our literary department, organizes 40-50 public and private readings, followed by talkback sessions for the playwright with our artistic director and literary managers. This enables writers to develop their plays further and provides networking opportunities with directors and actors. We also offer week-long workshops for writers and have recently added a ten-day retreat at the Westin Theatre in Vermont during July where writers can go to workshop their plays.

We have produced over forty-five world premieres in the past seventeen years. Now in our 17th Season, Rattlestick has introduced new writers and received critical acclaim for its innovative work. Rattlestick%u2019s Advisory Board participates in The Emerging Playwrights Project, which matches a new playwright with an established artist for an experienced eye and creative support. Playwright and artist mentors have included Edward Albee, Jon Robin Baitz, Zoe Caldwell, Arthur Kopit, Craig Lucas, Joe Mantello, Terrence McNally, Marsha Norman and Adam Rapp. Previous plays include, among others: Two Boys in a Bed, Message to Michael, Carpool, Volunteer Man (Obie award), A Trip to the Beach, Ascendancy, Stuck, Vick%u2019s Boy, The Messenger, Saved or Destroyed (Obie award), Neil%u2019s Garden, Faster, The Last Sunday in June (GLAAD Award-nomination), St. Crispin%u2019s Day, Where We%u2019re Born, Five Flights, Boise, Finer Noble Gases, The Pavilion (Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Play of 2005) God Hates The Irish: The Ballad of Armless Johnny (Drama Desk Award nomination), Miss Julie, Acts of Mercy: passion-play, Cagelove, It Goes Without Saying, Dark Matters, Stay, American Sligo, War, Steve & Idi, Lady (Drama Desk Award nomination), Geometry of Fire, That Pretty Pretty; Or, The Rape Play, The Amish Project, Slipping, Killers and Other Family, Post No Bills and The Aliens (Obie award).