Community Engagement
We’re so excited to meet you!
At Playwrights Horizons, we pride ourselves on being a writer’s theater. But who is a writer without their audience? Your participation is crucial to ensuring each new play is the best version of itself. Much like our work, our audience is risk-taking and adventurous.
Join us this season to participate in workshops, enjoy great food, be in amazing company, and experience one of our new plays. Whether you’re attending a Relaxed Performance, exploring the stage on a Touch Tour, or joining a community workshop, you’re helping us build a theater that is truly for everyone. Dare to be a pillar of the playwriting process.
Upcoming Events
DEGENERATES Talkback w/ HMI | Sept 22
Following the performance, there will be a special Post-Performance Discussion featuring the playwright Else Went, director Emma Rosa Went, Playwrights Horizons' Associate Artistic Director Natasha Sinha, and a guest panelist, Spencer Olson, Drama Therapist from the Hetrick-Martin Institute, where they will discuss the process of the show and themes related to mental health among LGBTQ+ youth.
This event is free and open to all performance attendees.
When: Tuesday, September 22nd, 2026
Where: Playwrights Horizons | 416 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036
Buy tickets for the September 22nd Performance of Degenerates HERE. If you would like to attend but the ticket price is a barrier, email community@phnyc.org.
RIPPLE Block Party | October 29
90s HIP-HOP BLOCK PARTY
Keep the night flowing after the show! Join us in the Mainstage Lobby for a ’90s hip-hop–inspired block party celebrating community, memory, and the people who carry us home. Come dressed in your best ’90s looks and enjoy music, complimentary snacks and drinks, and plenty of good vibes!
This event is free and open to all performance attendees.
When: Thursday, October 29th, 2026
Where: Playwrights Horizons, Mainstage Lobby | 416 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036
Tickets on sale soon! If you would like to attend but the ticket price is a barrier, email community@phnyc.org.
RIPPLE Talkback | November 2
Featuring playwright Christina Anderson, director Tiffany Nichole Greene, Playwrights Horizons Associate Artistic Director Natasha Sinha, and a special guest speaker, this post-performance discussion will explore the making of THE RIPPLE, THE WAVE THAT CARRIED ME HOME alongside the histories, experiences, and questions that ripple beyond the stage.
Together, we’ll consider how stories of family, community, activism, race, and access to water continue to shape our understanding of the past and the conversations we are having about our communities today.
This event is free and open to all performance attendees.
When: Monday, November 2nd, 2026
Where: Playwrights Horizons | 416 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036
Tickets on sale soon! If you would like to attend but the ticket price is a barrier, email community@phnyc.org.
Free Playwriting Workshop @ Snug Harbor, SI | OCTOBER
TBA Soon!
When: End of October
Where: Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden | 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301
DEGENERATES Anime + Cosplay Happy Hour | Sept 18
Calling all anime obsessives, cosplay icons, and lovable degenerates: join us for an Anime + Cosplay Happy Hour. Enjoy complimentary drinks and small bites, meet your fellow fandom, and then see this darkly funny show. Cosplay is welcome and encouraged!
This event is open to all.
When: Friday, September 18th, 2026
6:00 - 7:00 PM | Anime + Cosplay Happy Hour
7:00 PM | Performance of Degenerates
Where: Playwrights Horizons, Mainstage Lobby | 416 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036
Buy tickets for the September 18th Performance of Degenerates HERE. If you would like to attend but the ticket price is a barrier, email community@phnyc.org.
Community Workshops
We believe in breaking down barriers and creating equity in live theater, and we invite you to be part of this important work.
By joining our Playwrights Horizons Community Engagement initiatives, you'll gain access to free and discounted tickets to special events, workshops, and performances, all while supporting our mission to advance bold and visionary contemporary playwrights by increasing representation and uplifting artists and audiences representative of the people of New York City.
Through our program, your organization can become a community partner and join the growing network of organizations that share our vision. Partners are recognized for their ongoing support and collaboration, contributing to the future of live theater in our community. You'll be proud to share the stage alongside organizations that believe in the power of live theater to inspire change.
Playwriting Workshops
While our other initiatives work to bring folks to our Manhattan theater, our playwriting workshops do the inverse – span NYC’s boroughs, bringing theater directly to the community.
We host free playwriting workshops throughout New York City — in Queens, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Harlem, and Lower Manhattan. We've partnered with the American Museum of Natural History, Caribbean Social Club, Pregones/PRTT, The Bronx Music Hall, Brooklyn Community Pride Center, Sinergia, MAI House Studio, and more!
Playwrights have included Arturo Luíz Soria, Christin Eve Cato, Ungrateful Black Artist, and more.
Get Involved
To become part of our Community Engagement Program, email us at community@phnyc.org to express your interest and learn more about how we can collaborate. Whether you are an individual artist, an individual theater lover, an arts organization, or a community-based group, we welcome you to join us in creating a more accessible, inclusive, and representative off-broadway ecosystem.
Why Join Us?
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Free and Discount Tickets: We are committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has the opportunity to experience and participate in live theater.
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Through our Community Engagement program, we aim to make live theater affordable for all, breaking down financial and systemic barriers that often prevent people from engaging with cultural experiences.
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Diversity & Accessibility in Live Theater
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Nothing About Us Without Us: Our program centers the voices, realities and lived experiences of, and not limited to, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and d/Disabled people, both on stage and in our audiences. By becoming part of our community, you will have the opportunity to build community across cultures, social identities and more.
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LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ACCESSIBILITY OFFERINGS →
- Reciprocity: Our program isn’t just about short-term collaboration; it’s about building meaningful, long-term partnerships. By participating as an individual, or by becoming a community partner as an organization, you’ll help us create sustainable, reciprocal relationships that benefit theater artists, audiences, and organizations alike. Together, we will shape a more inclusive and vibrant theater community.
Find Out More
Support for the Community Engagement Program is generously provided by the J.L. Greene Arts Access Fund in The New York Community Trust.