PDC's Programs

A play is chosen. A cast is assembled. But only the director knows who the complete cast of the show is. The actors memorize their lines and meet with the director three times. Over the course of the rehearsal process the actors never meet one another. On the night of the show the actors show up to the theatre dressed in plain clothes and behave just as if they were members of the audience. The play begins and as each character's entrance is reached that actor stands up from the audience and makes their way to the stage to join the performance. For announcements regarding this annual event, please join PDC's Email Club by clicking here.

A 10 minute script-in-hand play reading series that blurs the lines between a staged reading and a full production. This isn't your father's play reading series in which you see a group of actors sitting in a half circle with their faces buried in a script that they are reading cold. In Primary Stages we rehearse, move and use simple costumes, props, lights, and sound. We know it sounds crazy, but at Primary Stages... we even act! Be sure to visit our events calendar so as not to miss out on Philly's coolest 10 minute play showcase.

PDC2 is the laboratory arm of PDC. Programs launched under PDC2 do not draw support from PDC's modest annual budget. However, the boundaries that govern what can happen in PDC2 are very, very loose... Previous incarnations of PDC2 have included Ozona Project: The Serial Drama, Ozona Project: The Musical, Ozona Project: The Town Meeting, and numerous shows in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.

This is for playwrights who have further developed their work and are now ready for audience reaction. Readings In Restaurants is free and open to public and are held at Abbraccio's. There is a moderated talkback after the reading. To find out the schedule of upcoming Readings in Restaurants, please visit our events calendar.

Athletes workout to keep themselves fit and ready for their sport. We think it's important for playwrights to do the same thing, but our gym works a little differently. Participants meet for four hours: the first half is devoted to reading a play or reading about a theory of the theatre; the second half is devoted to writing a play based on the lessons you observed through the first part. We think this is an innovative way to keep sharp and learn more about the craft of playwriting. To find out the schedule of upcoming Gym Sessions, please visit our events calendar.

Circle affords playwrights the opportunity to hear their works-in-progress read aloud and critiqued by their peers. Playwrights bring in excerpts of usually not more than twenty pages of material. To find out the schedule of upcoming Writer's Circles, please visit our events calendar.

Writer's Table gives playwrights a chance to hear cold readings of longer material than can be accommodated in Writers Circle. Sitting at a table, playwrights and actors read entire full-length or one-act plays or possibly acts and scenes from full-length plays. These readings are developmental and attendance is by invitation only. They are followed by a question and answer session with those gathered around the table.