Conference Events
Saturday, June 21
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Theatre Puget Sound
1st floor, Armory, Seattle Center
305 Harrison St, Seattle
SCHEDULE
9:00 am: doors open for check-in and coffee hour
10:00 am: welcome address and keynote speech
11:00 am: event (Center Theatre), event (Black Box Theatre)
12:15 pm: event (Center Theatre), event (Black Box Theatre)
1:15 pm: ** lunch break **
2:00 pm: event (Center Theatre), event (Black Box Theatre)
3:15 pm: event (Center Theatre), event (Black Box Theatre)
4:30 pm: closing address
The schedule will be updated as we get closer to the conference.
all day: Exhibitor Space
Check out the growing list of local theatre companies, membership centers, new works programs, community organizations, and writing groups who will be at this year’s conference.
EVENTS
The following list of accepted events for the 2025 SCRiB LAB Playwriting Conference is tentative as we wait to receive confirmation from all event organizers and participants. We may continue to modify this schedule with additional events or substitutions up to the week before the conference.
The SCRiB LAB Playwriting Conference reflects the larger Seattle-area playwriting community, with all of its creativity, enthusiasm, innovation, and diversity reflected on the programming schedule. SCRiB LAB’s mission is to create space for all playwrights to feel welcome, and to that end, we are committed to supporting as diverse and inclusive a range of events as possible. We acknowledge that perspectives put forth by individual programs and speakers may not be shared by everyone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the SCRiB LAB staff, board, organizational partners, sponsors, or each conference participant and attendee.
learn about all our moderators, panelists, and presenters
>>> here <<<
Crossing Genres: a Literary Workshops for Playwrights
From the earliest oral traditions to Shakespeare’s enduring influence, storytelling and theater have been inextricably linked. The techniques used in crafting compelling fiction, poetry, short stories, hybrid, and other forms often mirror those of writing for the stage.
This workshop explores the intersection between creative writing and playwriting. We’ll introduce different theories from different genres, followed by writing exercises and discussion. You’ll leave with a solid understanding of how the literary can inform the dramatic. Bring a pen and get ready to learn, listen, write, and ask questions!
Presenters: Pepe Montero, TBA
Co-Producing Fringe Theatre in Seattle
This panel features producers from Annex Theatre and Theatre Off Jackson—local fringe venues that work exclusively with new work by local playwrights and directors at various levels of development—who have decades of experience producing new work in Seattle. Panelists will discuss the mechanics of producing new plays, opportunities for playwrights to showcase their work, and the longevity and necessity of their production models.
Attendees will learn about local opportunities for collaboration in Seattle and how co-producing offers an alternative option to both the traditional submission process and producing. They will be available to answer questions about the benefits of a staged reading model, ways to be successful in production, and what makes a strong pitch.
Moderator: Lucien Oberleitner; Panelists: Catherine Blake Smith, Emily Fortuna, Pamala Mijatov, Sameer Arshad, Tiger Khokunthod
How to Reject Scarcity Mentality and Get Shit Done
This panel offers a conversation to encourage playwrights at every stage of their craft: how to reject scarcity mentality and create opportunities for yourself. Amy Poisson from Macha Theatre Works (fringe) and Seattle Public Theater (mid-sized) has spent the last 8 years supporting the development of new work, collaborating with theater makers on co-productions, mentoring artists, and building community that includes artists and audience members. Our panelists come from diverse backgrounds with the same common goal: to find opportunities (small and large) to create exceptional theater and connect with our community of artists and audiences. By sharing our experiences, we hope to encourage you to find ways of connecting, collaborating, and having agency to move your work forward and create your own opportunities.
Moderator: Amy Poisson; Panelists: Jenn Ruzumna, Nick Bringhurst, Parmida Ziaei
Navigating Next Steps: from Pitch to Production
You’ve written a play - now what? Whether you’re a first-time playwright or a seasoned writer looking to take your work to the next level, this panel will guide you through the many pathways from pitch to production, including finding the right submission opportunities, marketing your work, self-producing, and staged readings. Panelists will break down the essential and actionable steps to bring your vision to life.
Moderator: Rebecca O’Neill; Panelists: Bryan Willis, Kate Langsdorf, TBA
Playwriting Basics to Look Like a Pro
How do I format a script? How do I figure out how long my play runs? What is a "world premiere"? Can I use lyrics from my favorite song in my play? Do I need to copyright my work? Is it "playwrighting" or "playwriting"?
When beginning the playwriting journey, it can be hard to find the answers—or even know which questions to ask. This workshop will give you lots of tips and tools on how to enter the playwriting world and look like a playwright who knows what they're doing. This workshop will be part seminar/part interactive discussion. Bring your questions! We've got folks with answers!
Presenters: Kate Danley, Maggie Lee
Serving Story: Burlesque, Drag, and Other Nightlife Perspectives in Theatre
When g-strings, drag queens, and scripted narrative meet, audiences flip their wigs. Drag, burlesque, and cabaret are art forms that are often considered lowbrow or lacking in quality—yet these same art forms successfully bring in new audiences. How can non-traditional storytelling forms enliven the American theater?
Moderated by Dr. Edmond Y. Chang (Ohio University), a panel of nightlife storytellers will share what they've learned from their diverse experiences in non-profit theater, self-produced burlesque and drag, devised theater, circus, cabaret, immersive, and more to explore how blending scripted storytelling with nightlife formats can shake up the status quo and bring new audiences to the theater.
Moderator: Dr. Edmond Y Chang; Panelists: Jo Jo Stiletto, Opal Peachey, Sailor St Claire, Willy Nilly, Zheng Wang
Writing a 10-Minute Play—and What To Do With It
10-minute plays offer many opportunities for playwrights and promote creativity. It is a distinctive dramatic form with its own special appeal and guiding principles, including streamlined plots, small casts, minimal sets, mostly single-scene and in real time. But this is a tradition ripe for challenge.
In this interactive workshop, you will learn the benefits of writing 10-minute plays, suggestions for imagining and constructing them differently than longer plays, and why they are an ideal form for self-production. There will also be two short exercises and time for Q&A.
Presenter: David K. Farkas
Writing Youth Theatre: More Than Just Child’s Play
All too often, theatre for youth audiences and actors is dismissed as a playtime activity and not "serious" writing. But this panel of playwrights, directors, and producers will share how creating new youth theatre is both fulfilling and fruitful, and an essential part of inspiring the next generation of theatre lovers and artists. We will discuss the creative challenges of writing for ages from elementary to high school, how commissions work, the practical aspects of balancing educational content with fun storytelling, the differences between writing for youth actors or a youth audience, the importance of sharing the writing process with young artists, and more!
Moderator: Maggie Lee; Panelists: Kate Swenson, Juliet Waller, Mimi Katano, Shana Bestock