Playwrights Project

What Playwrights Project does

Playwrights Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1985 and headquartered in San Diego, California. It operates a portfolio of community-based playwriting programs and theatre productions that reach over 6,000 people annually, serving youth in San Diego schools alongside underserved populations including incarcerated individuals, people in substance use recovery, seniors, foster youth, immigrants, and active military and veterans. The core engagement model is direct service delivery through teaching artists trained in trauma-informed practices, with programs delivered via school residencies, correctional facility workshops, recovery center partnerships, and community-based settings. Producing arm activities include the annual Plays by Young Writers Festival (42nd edition scheduled for February 2027), Beyond Prison Walls (annual staged reading at San Diego State University, now in its 12th season), and the Mosaic annual community production.

The organization's core technology is its specialized teaching methodology rather than a software platform. Notable proprietary components include trauma-informed teaching practices for sensitive populations and a specialized Arts in Corrections methodology that combines restorative circles, group theatre activities, creative writing exercises, and professional actor performances of participant scripts. The product portfolio spans the California Young Playwrights Contest (with 200+ scripts staged since 1985), in-school Creative Drama and Playwriting Residency programs, Professional Development for Educators, Youth Playwriting Camps, and specialized community programs (Healing Through the Arts, Out of the Yard, Act Two, Lifestages, Telling Stories, Border Lines/Líneas de la Frontera, About Face, Returned Writers Circle, Second Saturday). Productions are staged at partner venues including Joan B. Kroc Theatre, SDSU Conrad Prebys Theatre, The Old Globe, and La Jolla Playhouse.

The business model is contributed-income driven. Revenue streams include individual donations (via PayPal, mail, and stock gifts), foundation and government grants (James Irvine Foundation, Prebys Foundation, California Arts Council, City of San Diego, Tippett Foundation, Sidney E. Frank Foundation, Sheila and Jeffrey Lipinsky Family Fund), ticket sales ($50 per ticket with Pay What You Can options), and workshop fees ($60 per Second Saturday class with partial scholarships). The organization has operated without debt or deficit since inception. Distribution is regional, concentrated in San Diego County with extensions to California state prisons. Distribution channels include public performances at partner theatres, correctional facility programs, school residencies, and recovery center programs. Marketing relies on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), the PLOTLINE email newsletter, earned media coverage, and community events.

Name

Playwrights Project

Legal name

Playwrights Project

Website

https://playwrightsproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Playwrights Project is a San Diego-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1985 that delivers community playwriting programs and theatre productions to over 6,000 people annually, serving youth, incarcerated individuals, people in recovery, seniors, foster youth, immigrants, and military veterans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Education and Theatre Productions

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Playwriting & Scriptwriting Workshops (Stage) (EDAMAMAD), Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG), Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)

Keywords

• Community arts education
• Youth playwriting programs
• Arts in corrections
• Theatre arts nonprofit
• Creative writing workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization relying on contributed income from individual donors. Accepts online donations via PayPal, mail-in checks, and stock gifts.
2. Ticket Sales: Revenue from festival performances and productions. One ticket for 42nd Annual Plays by Young Writers is $50 per individual with Pay What You Can options.
3. Workshop and Class Fees: Second Saturday drop-in playwriting class costs $60 per session with partial scholarships available.
4. Foundation and Government Grants: Funding from foundations including James Irvine Foundation (community programs), Prebys Foundation, California Arts Council, and City of San Diego operating support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Playwrights Project delivers playwriting education programs and produces live theatre for youth and underserved populations across San Diego County. Offerings include school residencies, the California Young Playwrights Contest, the annual Plays by Young Writers Festival, trauma-informed community programs (Healing Through the Arts, Out of the Yard, Act Two, Lifestages, Returned Writers Circle, Telling Stories, Border Lines/Líneas de la Frontera, About Face), and staged reading productions (Beyond Prison Walls, Mosaic, Community Performances).

Product overview

Playwrights Project is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of playwriting programs and theatre productions. The core offerings include the California Young Playwrights Contest and Plays by Young Writers Festival for youth, alongside community programs including Healing Through The Arts (for recovery), Out of the Yard and Act Two (for justice-involved populations), Lifestages (for seniors), and Returned Writers Circle (for formerly incarcerated adults). Productions include Beyond Prison Walls, Mosaic, and Community Performances. All programs empower individuals to voice stories through theatre, with productions serving over 6,000 people annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Plays by Young Writers: Annual festival of new plays by winners of the California Young Playwrights Contest featuring professionally produced plays at a theatre in San Diego
• Beyond Prison Walls
• Mosaic
• Returned Writers Circle
• Healing Through The Arts
• Act Two
• Lifestages
• Second Saturday

Products and services

• California Young Playwrights Contest Annual contest open to all Californians under age 19 that evaluates entries with theatre professionals; winning plays receive full productions in the Plays by Young Writers Festival.
• Plays by Young Writers Festival Annual festival featuring full professional productions of winning plays from the California Young Playwrights Contest at a renowned San Diego theatre; the 42nd Annual is scheduled for February 2027.
• Creative Drama School-based program introducing dramatic arts to students through creative activities delivered by teaching artists.
• Playwriting Residency In-school program where teaching artists guide students through playwriting workshops and development, culminating in performances.
• Professional Development for Educators Training programs for teachers to integrate playwriting techniques into their curriculum.
• Youth Playwriting Camps Summer and seasonal camps where students explore playwriting outside of school settings, culminating in performances by professional actors.
• Healing Through The Arts Program for individuals with substance use disorder conducted in recovery centers using trauma-informed playwriting practices with teaching artists to develop emotional coping and social skills.
• Out of the Yard Arts-in-corrections program empowering personal growth for adults in correctional settings through playwriting workshops and culminating performances.
• Act Two Joy-focused playwriting program in reentry facilities for individuals returning from incarceration.
• Lifestages Program for adults ages 55 and up, including Recollections workshops that help seniors dramatize life experiences into original scripts performed by professional actors.
• Returned Writers Circle Community support group for individuals returning home after incarceration, offering writing sessions, theatre outings, and public readings of scripts.
• Second Saturday Drop-in hybrid class for beginner playwrights held monthly, providing writing prompts, peer feedback, and community building; $60 per session, partial scholarships available.
• Beyond Prison Walls Annual staged reading at SDSU featuring scripts written by incarcerated individuals in the Out of the Yard program, performed and directed by SDSU theatre students; in its 12th season in partnership with San Diego State University.
• Mosaic Annual professional production featuring plays written by participants in community programs, validating experiences of adults from disenfranchised communities; inaugural production was Soul Fire in 2018.
• Community Performances Public performances of scripts from playwriting programs featuring professional actors, presented as free staged readings at various venues with talkbacks.
• Telling Stories Program giving voice to foster youth and alumni of care, creating theatre from life experiences of current and former youth in care.
• Border Lines/Líneas de la Frontera Program creating fictional plays based on real life experiences along the U.S.-Mexico border to break down barriers and honor immigrant experiences.
• About Face Program engaging active military and veterans in creating theatre about their military experiences through fictionalized moments from their lives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Programs reach over 6,000 people annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• San Diego State University (SDSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual co-production of Beyond Prison Walls, featuring scripts written by incarcerated individuals. SDSU School of Theatre, Television, and Film students direct and perform the short plays. Partnership since 2012, now in its 12th season.
• The Old GlobemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through The Old Globe's 360 Project featuring staged readings from Playwrights Project programs including Shifting Perspectives.
• La Jolla PlayhousemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWithout Walls Festival presenting Artists Everywhere films from formerly incarcerated writers in 2025.
• Richard J. Donovan Correctional FacilitycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArts in corrections program conducting weekly playwriting workshops with incarcerated individuals at this California state prison.
• Centinela State PrisoncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArts in corrections program conducting weekly playwriting workshops with incarcerated individuals.
• New Village ArtsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner theatre venue for Mosaic productions and community performances.
• Diversionary TheatreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner venue for What Goes Unsaid Black playwrights showcase in 2023.
• MOXIE TheatreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner venue for Finding Our Way production in 2019.
• Trinity Theatre CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partner for Jewels Returned Writers Circle performances.
• Salvation Army Kroc CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue for Lights Up! reception events and performances.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cornerstone Theater Company: Los Angeles-based community-engaged theater company that creates original work in collaboration with underserved communities, using devised playmaking and long-term community residencies — a near-direct analog to Playwrights Project's community playwriting model.
• The 52nd Street Project: New York City nonprofit that creates original theater with youth from underserved neighborhoods through mentorship with professional playwrights and actors — directly comparable to Playwrights Project's youth playwriting residency model and Plays by Young Writers festival.
• Alliance Theatre: Atlanta-based regional theater with a strong education and community programs division serving schools and underserved youth — comparable in combining professional productions with K-12 residencies and community playwriting.
• New Victory Theater: New York City's only full-time performing arts theater for kids and families, with extensive theater-education programming for NYC public school students — directly comparable to Playwrights Project's youth playwriting residencies and student matinees.
• Pregones Theater / Puerto Rican Traveling Theater: Bronx-based bilingual theater company producing original work with and for Latinx communities — closely comparable to Playwrights Project's Border Lines/Líneas de la Frontera immigrant program and community-specific storytelling model.
• Penumbra Theatre: St. Paul, Minnesota community-centered theater with a mission-driven focus on stories from Black and underrepresented communities — comparable to Playwrights Project's community-specific programming and trauma-informed practice.
• Berkeley Repertory Theatre: Bay Area regional theater with a major new-play development focus (The Ground Floor) and extensive in-school and community education programs — comparable as a regional theater combining new-play commissioning with community/education work.

Broad incumbents

• The Old Globe: San Diego's flagship regional theater and an active partner venue for Playwrights Project (360 Project, Shifting Perspectives) — comparable in mission-adjacent new-play development but at substantially greater scale and capitalization.
• Center Theatre Group: Los Angeles's largest nonprofit theater operator (Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson, Kirk Douglas) with a robust community and education arm — comparable scope to Playwrights Project but at much greater scale and with broader programming.
• La Jolla Playhouse: Tony Award-winning La Jolla theater that hosts Playwrights Project's Artists Everywhere screenings (Without Walls Festival 2025) — a peer as another San Diego-based new-play commissioning theater, but operating at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PlaywrightsProject
• Facebookfacebook.com/PlaywrightsProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/playwrights-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/playwrightsproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Playwrights Project