Artistic Development & Commissions

As part of our commitment to supporting a new generation of American playwrights, we offer commissions and artistic development to a wide range of theatre artists every year.

Center Theatre Group fosters and develops a broad range of new theatrical work from artists within the diverse communities of Los Angeles as well as from across the nation and abroad.

We commission new plays and musicals by individuals as well as ensembles who develop company-created work. We also offer commissions to artists working on a wide array of non-script-based or devised work. In addition, we give completion commissions to ensembles and artists who have started to develop a collectively created new work elsewhere and need additional resources to complete it.

Our commissions provide both financial and artistic support via readings and workshops throughout the year in Los Angeles, New York, and other locations.

Artists currently working on Center Theatre Group commissions include Luis Alfaro, Jennifer Haley, Richard Montoya and Roger Guenveur Smith, Luis Valdez, and Tracey Scott Wilson.

Edgerton Foundation Playwrights Initiative

In 2017, Center Theatre Group launched the Edgerton Foundation Playwrights Initiative. The program allows for separate co-commissioning partnerships with four internationally renowned theatres— Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, London’s Royal Court Theatre and National Theatre, and New York’s Second Stage Theater. Each organization is individually collaborating with Center Theatre Group to commission multiple works over the next decade. Co-commissioned playwrights include Jon Robin Baitz, Will Eno, Danai Gurira, Lisa Kron, Young Jean Lee, Lynn Nottage, Qui Nguyen, Al Smith, and Paula Vogel.

Read more about the Edgerton Foundation Playwrights Initiative.