Chicago Dramatists

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Chicago Dramatists is a theatre in River West, West Town, Chicago, Illinois, USA, focused on nurturing playwrights and developing new plays. It was founded in 1979 by Russ Tutterow and is notable for its Network Playwright Program, which offers classes, readings and critiques to writers of all abilities, and readings of new works for the general public. In 1998, the theatre received a special Jeff Award for its almost two decades of developing plays and playwrights in a manner that has enhanced Chicago's reputation for being a cradle for new theatre works. The theater space itself is small and intimate, seating 77.

As well as nurturing new playwrights, Chicago Dramatists lists many established playwrights as part of its community. Resident playwrights have included Keith Huff (whose award-winning play A Steady Rain was developed at Chicago Dramatists), Lydia R. Diamond, Kristiana Rae Colón, Sandra Delgado and Mary Ruth Clarke.^[1] The current^[when?] artistic director is Carson Becker.