Working Title Playwrights, Inc.

What Working Title Playwrights, Inc. does

Working Title Playwrights (WTP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit new play incubator headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in the early 2000s (firmographics cite 2002; company-published history cites 2004), the organization has operated for more than 20 years supporting playwrights through structured development programs. WTP serves a community of more than 100 affiliated playwrights and approximately 95 Acting Ensemble members, augmented by individual donors, master class attendees, and dramaturgy clients.

WTP's core programming portfolio includes the Monday Night Development Workshop series (peer-driven play readings and feedback), Ghost Light (one-act production festival, launching 2025), the Ethel Woolson Lab, the Table Series, the Fornés New Play Dramaturgy Conference (scheduled for August 21–24, 2025), paid dramaturgy services, master classes, and named scholarship programs (Rosalind Ayres-Williams Memorial Scholarship launched 2018; Barbara Molette Scholarship founded 2022). Workshop and class delivery includes virtual (Zoom-based) participation, allowing playwrights outside the Atlanta metro to engage with the incubator's programming.

The business model is a diversified nonprofit revenue stack: individual donations (largest typical component for arts nonprofits of this scale), annual memberships priced at $125 per year, fee-based master classes, and fee-for-service dramaturgy engagements with individual playwrights. WTP also cultivates institutional partnerships with peer organizations including Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), New Dramatists, and Playwrights Realm to extend reach and credibility. Operations are lean, with a staff of 1–10 employees — consistent with community-based arts nonprofit scale and indicative of a volunteer- and member-supported operating model rather than a capital-intensive growth posture.

Name

Working Title Playwrights, Inc.

Legal name

Working Title Playwrights, Inc.

Website

https://workingtitleplaywrights.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Working Title Playwrights is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit new play incubator in Atlanta, Georgia, serving 100+ playwrights and 95+ acting ensemble members through development workshops, festivals, dramaturgy services, and scholarships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Development Services

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

akta.pro primary industry

Playwriting & Scriptwriting Workshops (Stage) (EDAMAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Writing Retreats & Intensive Bootcamps (EDAMAMAK), Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

Keywords

• New play development
• Playwright incubation
• Dramaturgy services
• Community theater programs
• Staged reading workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

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. Donations and Contributions: WTP is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that relies on tax-deductible donations from individual donors, foundations, and government funders. Donations can be made via PayPal or by mailing contributions to the Atlanta office.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership is priced at $125 for the fiscal year (July 1-June 30), with pro-rated fees for memberships activated December-June. Students receive a 50% discount at $62.50 annually.
3. Master Classes and Intensives: WTP charges for master classes and the New Play Dramaturgy & Playwriting Intensive. Master classes are $75 for members and $125 for non-members. The intensive runs March-September with applications required.
4. Dramaturgy Services: WTP offers dramaturgy services with One Session Package (5 hours over 1 month) and Three Session Package (15 hours over 3 months). Reduced rates are available for members as a benefit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Working Title Playwrights is a nonprofit new play incubator and service organization based in Atlanta that supports playwrights through developmental readings, staged-reading workshops, dramaturgy services, master classes, and scholarships. Its programs provide playwrights with structured feedback from trained dramaturgs and a vetted Acting Ensemble, taking early drafts through table reads to public staged readings. The organization supplements development programs with paid dramaturgy services, intensives, and an annual membership that unlocks core programming access.

Product overview

Working Title Playwrights is a new play incubator and service organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, offering a portfolio of interconnected programs for playwright development. The core offerings include the Monday Night Development Workshops (bi-monthly work-in-progress readings), The Table Series (bridging workshops to full productions), and the Ethel Woolson Lab (a 29-hour intensive culminating in staged readings). Additional programs include the Ghost Light one-act festival and the Fornés Conference. Supporting services encompass paid Dramaturgy Services (one and three-session packages), Master Classes & Intensives (New Play Dramaturgy and Directing programs), membership ($125/year with member benefits), and Leadership Opportunities including apprenticeships and scholarships (Rosalind Ayres-Williams and Barbara Molette). The Acting Ensemble provides vetted actors for development work. Together, these programs serve over 100 playwrights and engage 95+ ensemble members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ghost Light: A one act staged reading festival. A ghost light is a single light left on a dark theatre stage, representing how new play incubation brings light to story.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ playwrights have developed work through WTP
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Theater Emory, Emory UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic theater partner hosting WTP events and providing venue space. Advisory council member Celise Kalke (Managing Director of Synchronicity Theatre) and board member Caitlin Hargraves (Lecturer and Artistic Director of Theater Emory) connect WTP to this partnership.
• Windmill ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue partner for WTP events including Monday Night Development Workshops (held live on 3rd Mondays) and Ethel Woolson Lab staged readings. Located at 2823 Church St, East Point, GA 30344 with free parking.
• SheATLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister festival to SheNYC that works to build community among and uplift voices of women and nonbinary playwrights. WTP Associate Artistic Director Kayla Ibarra is a Co-Producer of SheATL, creating a collaborative relationship between organizations.
• Actor's ExpressminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtlanta theater where WTP playwrights have developed and produced work. Advisory council member Freddie Ashley is Artistic Director of Actor's Express.
• Synchronicity TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner theater where WTP Managing Artistic Director Amber Bradshaw has worked since 2006. Advisory council member Celise Kalke is Managing Director.
• Alliance TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Atlanta theater where WTP playwrights including Lee Osorio and Hank Kimmel have received residencies through the Atlanta Artists Reiser Lab program.
• I.D.E.A. ATL (Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in the Arts Atlanta)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollective of artists committed to providing J.E.D.I. education, facilitation and training. WTP Managing Artistic Director Amber Bradshaw and board member Maya Lawrence are co-founding members.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Actors Theatre of Louisville: Louisville-based theater and home of the Humana Festival of New American Plays, a premier national new work incubator. Comparable new-play-development mission at larger scale; shares producer-of-new-plays DNA with WTP's Ethel Woolson Lab and Ghost Light.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago-based theater ensemble known for developing and producing new plays through its New Play Lab and Front Bar programming. Comparable new-play development mission at a meaningfully larger scale than WTP.
• Alliance Theatre: Atlanta's largest producing theater and home to the Kendeda/Atlanta Artists Lab where WTP playwrights (Lee Osorio, Hank Kimmel) have received residencies. Functions as both a downstream placement venue and a strategic partner to WTP.
• Dramatists Guild of America: National professional association serving playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists with resources, advocacy, and contract support. Operates at national scale where WTP operates regionally; Pamela Turner (Dramatists Guild SE Rep) sits on WTP's advisory council.

Direct peers

• The Playwrights Realm: NYC theater dedicated to developing and producing new work by early- to mid-career playwrights. WTP advisory council includes The Playwrights Realm's Associate Artistic Director Alexis Williams, suggesting explicit programmatic overlap and shared new-play development focus.
• Eugene O'Neill Theater Center: Connecticut-based national playwright development institution that runs the National Playwrights Conference. WTP alumni have moved into O'Neill programming, positioning them as a regional feeder into this larger national incubator.
• New Dramatists: New York City nonprofit dedicated to supporting playwrights through residencies, workshops, and dramaturgical support. Identical model of long-term playwright development and dramaturgy services; WTP's advisory council even includes New Dramatists' Artistic Director Emily Morse.
• The Playwrights' Center: Minneapolis-based nonprofit offering playwright development programs, fellowships, and dramaturgy services. Directly mirrors WTP's new-play incubation model, including funded development opportunities and master-class-style intensives for working playwrights.

Regional players

• Synchronicity Theatre: Atlanta theater company with a focus on new work and underrepresented voices. Managing Artistic Director Amber Bradshaw has worked with Synchronicity since 2006, and Managing Director Celise Kalke is on WTP's advisory council.
• Actor's Express: Intimate Atlanta theater company and longtime venue partner of WTP. Artistic Director Freddie Ashley serves on WTP's advisory council, and WTP playwrights have developed and produced work there.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/workingtitleplaywrights
• Instagraminstagram.com/workingtitleplaywrights
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/working-title-playwrights-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Working Title Playwrights, Inc.