PlayPenn to Explore ‘Democracy in Action’ with New Works and Expanded Engagement at 2026 Conference

Sarah Mantell, Roger Q. Mason, and Zoe Palmer. (Photo courtesy of PlayPenn)

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May 21, 2026 American Theatre Editors Leave a comment

PlayPenn to Explores ‘Democracy in Action’ at 2026 Conference

PlayPenn’s 2026 New Play Development Conference will feature new work by Roger Zoe Palmer, Roger Q. Mason, and Sarah Mantell, as well as expanded engagement events.

By American Theatre Editors

PHILADELPHIA: PlayPenn has announced its 2026 New Play Development Conference, with the title “Democracy in Action,” running July 17-August 2 in Philadelphia and New York City. It will feature new plays designed to reconsider the architecture of freedom: Bill by  Roger Q. Mason , a sequel to his play Lavender Men ; The Good Guys by Sarah Mantell , about a group of Civil War reenactors; and Emergence by Zoe Palmer, about a world where a person must choose their body at birth. This year, the conference expands its scope to include an interview with Pulitzer-winning playwright  Eboni Booth , free playwriting workshops for adults, teens, and women over 50, and a public conversation examining constitutional history and civic identity. Registration opens on June 1.

“Curating a conference in Philadelphia during the country’s 250th anniversary means engaging difficult questions about whose stories are protected, whose histories are remembered, and who gets to belong in public life. I hope our events give audiences a way to grapple with those ideas,” said Che’Rae Adams, artistic director of PlayPenn, in a statement. “Roger, Sarah, and Zoe’s plays wrestle with urgent questions about where we belong and what we owe one another. They’re giving us an opportunity for collective dreaming, and that’s exactly what new-play development should do: bring everyone together to build new dreams inspired by the courage of our nation’s playwrights.”

This year’s conference celebrates the nation’s 250th anniversary and features contributions from guest artists and institutional leaders, including Nancy Boykin, Mathilde Dratwa, Tyler Dobrowsky, Danilo Gambini, L M Feldman , Nick Jonczak, James Kern, Taibi Magar, Amrita Ramanan, Rayne ,  Charlie Thursto ) , and Stephanie Kyung Sun Walters, and partnerships with Cannonball Festival, Philadelphia Theatre Company, and Philadelphia Young Playwrights.

Additional programming includes a community workshop for queer theatremakers; a convening on innovation in theatremaking with leaders from Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Cannonball Festival, Pig Iron Theatre Company, Lemonade Stand, and Tiny Dynamite; and an acting lab focused on approaches to new-play development and cross-community exchanges among theatre artists. The complete schedule of events and locations is available at  www.playpenn.org/events .

PlayPenn’s nationally recognized New Play Development Conference is a community-focused approach to new play development that brings together readings of new plays alongside a citywide series of civic gatherings, workshops, artist exchanges, and public conversations focusing on democracy, historical memory, belonging, and collective imagination.

The return of Mantell in particular to PlayPenn is momentous, given the playwright’s history with the organization: In 2020, they were among a group of writers who reported long-standing issues with the organization , including racial disparities and assault allegations, which led to the departure of its founding staff. New leaders were selected the following year .

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Che’Rae Adams Eboni Booth PlayPenn PlayPenn New Play Conference Roger Q. Mason Sarah Mantell Showcase

_Originally reported by [American Theatre](https://www.americantheatre.org/2026/05/21/playpenn-to-explores-democracy-in-action-at-2026-conference/)._