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About the Digital Development Project
Founded in 2023, DDP is a group of dramaturgs from around the world specializing in new play development. Through process-based initiatives, we are on a mission to create more opportunities for emerging playwrights and emerging dramaturgs to work together beyond geographic barriers.
Our ongoing initiatives include The Match, Playshare Evolution, and partnership opportunities. Learn about our inaugural Apprentice Circle here.
Our History
In early 2023, our founding dramaturg, Suzi Elnaggar, launched the vision for creating a new play development space where emerging playwrights and dramaturgs could come together and collaborate.
Suzi brought together a group of six fellow emerging dramaturgs – Emma Bilderback, Caili Crow, Jihye Kim, Kemi King, Arly Rubens, and Ally Varitek – based across the US and internationally, to help shepherd this vision into reality.
Our group has worked together in various ways over the past few years, connected by our affiliation with LMDA (Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas, a professional association of dramaturgs and literary managers from across North America and abroad). LMDA’s emphasis on community, equitable practices, and support for opportunities for artists at all stages of their career has been a guiding model for our process.
Our Vision
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To create equitable for emerging playwrights and emerging dramaturgs to hone their craft and creative voices, with mutual collaboration at the center of the work.
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To foster community for these emerging artists, who are uniquely poised to shape the future of theatre.
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To be led by process over product, with focus on innovation, artistic growth, and models of best practice
Dramaturgy of the Process
The Digital Development Project is launched as a remote program, using technology to transcend locational barriers, expand community, and make it possible to explore new perspectives and collaborative partnerships.
We use horizontal practices and group decision making processed to build structure of our program offerings.
Feedback is a crucial step at all stages of our process, as we seek to create models of best practice and serve our community of emerging artists.
We are a funded project. For Phase 1, funding covers dramaturg compensation and allows us to deliver our program at no cost to playwrights. We hope to keep expanding our offerings.
Our Initiatives
Playwrights 🤝 Dramaturgs
The Match is an inaugural DDP initiative that matches playwrights to dramaturgs for free dramaturgy sessions over the span of three months. Applications are now closed, but stay tuned for Phase II for our digital reading series!
Playshare Evolution
Playwrights 🤝 Readings
Playshare Evolution is a two month digital play lab with two formats: one week Digital Table Reads and a two week Digital Workshop which culminates in a digital staged reading.