We are delighted to announce that, once again, the number of playwrights submitting to Block A – PTC’s popular program for emerging writers – has exceeded our expectations, so four sessions are being convened, two in the fall and two in winter.

The fall 2018 cohort has six writers who will work with playwright mentor Jan Derbyshire for ten weeks starting October 15, 2018 and six who will work with PTC AED Heidi Taylor for ten weeks starting October 17, 2018.

The writers with Jan Derbyshire are Diana Bang, Belinda Bruce, Zaffi Green, Liam Monaghan, Leslie Palleson, Megan Stewart and Melanie Yeats. The writers working with Heidi Taylor are Mariam Barry, Henry Beasley, Jasmine Chehil, Sangeeta Wylie, Linda Quibell and Jesse DeCoste.

Block A focuses on opportunities for emerging writers to develop the basic tools of plot, characterization and dialogue while exploring the elasticity of theatrical forms. They will work on their own projects while offering and receiving support from a talented cohort in a supportive environment.

The winter cohorts, who will begin ten weekly sessions with dramaturg mentors David Geary and Leanna Brodie in mid-January 2019 have also been selected.  They are Michael Markowsky, Sabrina Auclair, Iain Coates, Allyson Fournier, Michelle Travis, Jackson Tse, Wendy Chan, Olivia Etey, Ariel Martz-Oberlander, Diane Haynes, Nancy Jean Ross and Tess Trach.