New Dramatists

Founded in 1949, New Dramatists has won an Obie and a Tony for the lavish care it expends on playwrights. The organization produces almost 90 readings and workshops every season; almost any playwright who's anyone (Suzan-Lori Parks, Mac Wellman, Lynn Nottage) has had a piece groomed here. The venue itself—a converted church—takes up several levels, which include a basic room with risers (for readings) and a cozy library where writers can hang out and read the work of (each one hopes) their future peers.