Power to the Playwright

Rain city Projects

About Us

RAIN CITY PROJECTS (RCP) is a non-profit corporation founded in 1991, dedicated to supporting, promoting, and developing professional playwrights and their work in the Pacific Northwest. 

Recognizing the truism, "It is who you know,” we develop projects to raise the profile of the playwright within the working theater community, and build relationships between theater artists and producers.

We are not a producing organization.  Our goal is to empower playwrights with the skills and tools they need in order to find their way to success however they define it for themselves.

Meet the Board

RAIN CITY PROJECTS was founded by Mark Lutwak. Previous board members include Steve Alter, Nikki Appino, Meghan Arnette, Scot Augustson, Lenore Bensinger, Anuhea Brown, Becky Bruhn, Susanna Burney, Morgain Cole, Andrew Lee Creech, Drew Emery, Warren Etheredge, Bret Fetzer, Adam Greenfield, Wier Harmon, John Holyoke, Andy Jensen, Brendan Kiley, Robin Kilrain, Darian Lindle, Tod McCoy, S. P. Miskowski, Paul Mullin, Allison Narver, K. Brian Neel, Madeleine Oldham, Olga Sanchez, Matt Smith, Meg Stevenson, Kristina Sutherland Rowell, Sean Ryan, Stephanie Timm, Montana Von Fliss, and Y York.

Our playwright community encompasses the entire Pacific Northwest. Rain City Projects acknowledges that we work on land that is the ancestral and current home of many Indigenous peoples, recorded and unrecorded. As settlers of this land, we extend our gratitude and respect to their ancestors and elders. Our board members recognize that we are visitors on Duwamish land and commit to making regular contributions at Real Rent Duwamish. We encourage you to take similar action. If you wish to know more about indigenous lands in your area, you can find that information at native-land.ca

Black people matter. Black rights matter. Black lives matter.

As playwrights, we understand the importance of words and storytelling in shaping our world. We recognize that because of a shamefully long history of structural racism, some voices have been amplified while others have been silenced. We pledge to raise up these voices, specifically playwrights who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color. This pledge requires us to identify and work to undo racism in ourselves, our organization, and our community.

What We Do

  • Events

    We ignite solidarity in the Pacific Northwest playwriting community through: SPEED DATING between playwrights and directors-producers-dramaturgs; lively SALONS and BRUNCHES; READINGS to mark the release of our Manifesto Series books; PLAY PARTY CHALLENGES where everyone can be in the show; and CURRATION for local theatre organizations and festivals.

  • Manifesto Series

    The Manifesto Series is not a "greatest hits" anthology -- each editor has an axe to grind, a chip on the shoulder, a vision of how theater would be better if only it had more of THIS. Each editor looks over the body of work written and produced in the Pacific Northwest and chooses plays that embody, articulate, or make manifest that editor's particular THIS. RCP sends out over 500 copies of each book to theatres, libraries, and schools across the nation.

  • Playwright Support

    RCP hosts structured and unstructured writing retreats at studios and coffee shops in the Seattle area, as well as playwriting business workshops led by national leaders in the dramatist community. RCP board members frequently speak on local panels at conferences to share the needs and concerns of local PNW playwrights.

  • New Plays | No Pants Required

    Virtual play readings created in response to the quarantine restrictions. During each of these popular Zoom events, two playwrights share 20-30 minutes of their work with up to the 30 theatre artists, all from the comfort of their homes. Readers volunteer from the virtual audience, RCP board members facilitate, tracking time, and moderating the constructive feedback.

  • (Re)treats

    Rain City Projects hosts writing events. Participants bring a laptop or notebook, grab a hot beverage and sustenance, join other playwrights around a table (or Zoom virtual room) for a group writing session. We provided writing prompts, but some writers work independently on their own plays. It's an excuse to write, sure, but we all need deadlines.

  • Salons / Brunches

    Theater is often a very social environment. Not so for the lonely playwright, isolated in the corner writing dialogue, often into the wee hours of the morning. Our purpose is to bring these artists together in a room to talk about craft, current projects, gossip, whatever. May the weather be superb or dreadful (we've been known to operate in snowed-in conditions), the food will be delectable, the company splendid. Join us!

  • Speed Dating

    Much like an actual speed dating event, where one goes to find the person they would love to date, our Speed Dating is set up to help artists find others with whom they'd love to work. We also hope to simply get a variety of theater artist chatting about their work with people they might not normally have the opportunity to talk with. 12 directors and 12 playwrights meet up. Each has one minute to talk about their work (with a couple of extra minutes to shoot the breeze). At the end of the night each had contact information for everyone in the room and hopefully some sparks for new working relationships!