Jewish Plays Project

The Jewish Plays Project puts bold, progressive Jewish conversations on world stages. The JPP’s innovative and competitive development platform is a unique tool for Jewish agencies and forward-thinking donors to engage emerging artists in their Jewish identity while simultaneously securing mainstream production opportunities for the best new plays and musicals.

The JPP is a boutique new play development house for R&D for Jewish theater. We work from Idea to Page, matching emerging writers with...

The Jewish Plays Project puts bold, progressive Jewish conversations on world stages. The JPP’s innovative and competitive development platform is a unique tool for Jewish agencies and forward-thinking donors to engage emerging artists in their Jewish identity while simultaneously securing mainstream production opportunities for the best new plays and musicals.

The JPP is a boutique new play development house for R&D for Jewish theater. We work from Idea to Page, matching emerging writers with Jewish thought leaders as they create; and from Page to Stage, advancing the best new shows to production in New York and around the country.

The JPP has created “Jewish Dramaturgy”, a one-of-a-kind process that bridges secular culture and Jewish wisdom. With each project we develop, 6-10 young Jewish artists work together to test Jewish ideas and content through active artistic work and hands on advice from Jewish thought leaders (clergy, scholars, professionals and lay leaders).

Our Vision: Over the next 10 years, the JPP will develop 120 new plays and musicals featuring over 1,000 actors, directors, playwrights and designers, and advocate for their work with major theaters across the country. The result: 10 new Jewish plays and musicals will enter the canon of world dramatic literature.

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  • Jewish Plays Project congratulates VARIATIONS OF CROSSING THE ALPS for receiving our COMMENDED status for the 15th National Jewish Playwriting Contest in 2025. Commended plays received strong advocacy for consideration through our signature Jewish Artistic Democracy community reading process out of the 315+ plays we received. Our readers appreciated the exact feeling of needing to know a Holocaust family member's story and what bubbles up in the present due to generational trauma.

    Jewish Plays Project congratulates VARIATIONS OF CROSSING THE ALPS for receiving our COMMENDED status for the 15th National Jewish Playwriting Contest in 2025. Commended plays received strong advocacy for consideration through our signature Jewish Artistic Democracy community reading process out of the 315+ plays we received. Our readers appreciated the exact feeling of needing to know a Holocaust family member's story and what bubbles up in the present due to generational trauma.

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    Jewish Plays Project congratulates GOOD MOURNING for receiving our COMMENDED status for the 15th National Jewish Playwriting Contest in 2025. Commended plays received strong advocacy for consideration through our signature Jewish Artistic Democracy community reading process out of the 315+ plays we received. Our readers appreciated the reflections on the traditions of shiva and we hope this plays further development on its journey to production.

    Jewish Plays Project congratulates GOOD MOURNING for receiving our COMMENDED status for the 15th National Jewish Playwriting Contest in 2025. Commended plays received strong advocacy for consideration through our signature Jewish Artistic Democracy community reading process out of the 315+ plays we received. Our readers appreciated the reflections on the traditions of shiva and we hope this plays further development on its journey to production.

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    Jewish Plays Project congratulates CATATONIC for receiving our COMMENDED status for the 15th National Jewish Playwriting Contest in 2025. Commended plays received strong advocacy for consideration through our signature Jewish Artistic Democracy community reading process out of the 315+ plays we received. Our readers appreciated the depth and nuance granted to each character's perspective as well as the empathetic approach to such difficult conversations.

    Jewish Plays Project congratulates CATATONIC for receiving our COMMENDED status for the 15th National Jewish Playwriting Contest in 2025. Commended plays received strong advocacy for consideration through our signature Jewish Artistic Democracy community reading process out of the 315+ plays we received. Our readers appreciated the depth and nuance granted to each character's perspective as well as the empathetic approach to such difficult conversations.

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    Jewish Plays Project congratulates L'DOR V'DOR for receiving our COMMENDED status for the 15th National Jewish Playwriting Contest in 2025. Commended plays received strong advocacy for consideration through our signature Jewish Artistic Democracy community reading process out of the 315+ plays we received. Our readers appreciated in this newly revised version of a 3-part play, we are taken through generations through the eyes of bi-racial bat mitvah Sarah, digging into family secrets & history.

    Jewish Plays Project congratulates L'DOR V'DOR for receiving our COMMENDED status for the 15th National Jewish Playwriting Contest in 2025. Commended plays received strong advocacy for consideration through our signature Jewish Artistic Democracy community reading process out of the 315+ plays we received. Our readers appreciated in this newly revised version of a 3-part play, we are taken through generations through the eyes of bi-racial bat mitvah Sarah, digging into family secrets & history.

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    Jewish Plays Project congratulates A PUNCHLINE for receiving our COMMENDED status for the 15th National Jewish Playwriting Contest in 2025. Commended plays received strong advocacy for consideration through our signature Jewish Artistic Democracy community reading process out of the 315+ plays we received. Our readers appreciated the story of how humor is used to process trauma, weaving the bitter & comedic, and the examination of how we remember & tell stories.

    Jewish Plays Project congratulates A PUNCHLINE for receiving our COMMENDED status for the 15th National Jewish Playwriting Contest in 2025. Commended plays received strong advocacy for consideration through our signature Jewish Artistic Democracy community reading process out of the 315+ plays we received. Our readers appreciated the story of how humor is used to process trauma, weaving the bitter & comedic, and the examination of how we remember & tell stories.

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