MCC Theater's Literary Programs fuel the theater's mission by discovering new plays that challenge and engage audience and artists alike, setting the stage for exciting and innovative theatrical collaborations. The Literary Department reads over 800 scripts annually. From those, approximately 25 plays a year are chosen for Discovery Readings -- in-house presentations to further explore potential projects -- all to find the three exciting, provocative plays that will become next year's Mainstage season. Our Resident Dramaturg, Stephen Willems, spearheads the development of scripts leading up to and during production, working with the playwright (and eventually, director) to bring each play to the fullest realization of its promise.

MCC's commitment to new work extends beyond our Mainstage. Our Playwrights' Coalition is a diverse group of some of the most talented, compelling playwrights working today. The Coalition's programs give our writers the resources and support to generate, develop, and showcase new work. Through intensive work and roundtable readings, member playwrights develop dynamic and challenging new plays, and our twice-a-year free PlayLab readings series puts these plays in front of an audience, providing a showcase and celebration of the writers' work and bringing the audience into the writer's process. Plays developed through the Playwrights' Coalition have gone on to production at MCC and other notable theaters in the U.S. and abroad.

Membership in the MCC Theater Playwrights' Coalition is by invitation. Interested writers may submit material according to our submission guidelines, noting "attn: Playwrights' Coalition."

Space for readings and development workshops generously provided by Baruch Performing Arts Center.