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THE DRAMATISTS GUILD OF AMERICA INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 132509465 · Form 990 · FY2023 · NTEE S41 · Community Improvement · Medium ($1M-$10M) · dramatistsguild.com
revenue
$2.5M
expenses
$3.0M
net assets
$4.4M
employees
21
volunteers
71
mission · from form 990

COMMUNITY OF PLAYWRIGHTS, COMPOSERS AND LYRICISTS DEDICATED TO PROTECTING, INFORMING, AND PROMOTING THE INTERESTS OF DRAMATISTS EVERYWHERE.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Dramatists Guild of America is a national trade association for playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists. It protects and advances the rights of dramatists through advocacy, contract support, and professional development. The organization promotes authorial control over creative work and provides resources, community, and legal guidance to theater writers across the United States.

named programs · 7 · from sources

What they call their work

Contract Bootcamp
Workshop series helping dramatists understand and navigate contracts, including the Revised Model Collaboration Agreement.
Dramatists Guild National Silent Writing
Online silent writing sessions hosted by regional representatives and volunteers to provide communal writing time and accountability.
Emergency Grants
Financial assistance program providing emergency funding to theatre writers in need.
Gulf Coast Theatre Writers Circle
Virtual writing group where dramatists can submit up to 10 pages of work to be read aloud and receive feedback in a supportive environment.
Housing Assistance
Support program offering housing resources and aid to theatre writers facing housing insecurity.
Plays in Progress (PIP)
Program offering professional feedback on play or musical drafts from selected mentors.
Playwrights Welcome
National ticketing initiative offering free tickets to DG members at participating theaters.
activities · 12 groups

What they do

  • Free Expression Defense & Advocacy 2 activities
    • Advocacy for dramatists' rights and interests
      Engages in advocacy to protect dramatists globally, including opposing censorship, challenging restrictive federal policies, and defending intellectual property rights. This includes filing amicus briefs, responding to unauthorized use of members' works (e.g., on SCRIBD), and promoting authorial rights in theatrical production.
    • Publishing civil rights resources for dramatists
      Published the guide "Rights and Resources for Dramatists in the Age of ICE" to support writers facing civil rights violations.
  • Professional Association Capacity Building 2 activities
    • Offering services for industry professionals
      Provides business subscriber programs and resources for agents, managers, and lawyers serving theatre writers.
    • Providing contract review and negotiation support
      Offers contract review services to members and hosts educational events like Contract Bootcamp to guide dramatists on the Revised Model Collaboration Agreement and negotiation best practices.
  • Emerging Filmmaker Support Programs 1 activity
    • Building capacity for emerging and student writers
      Offers membership and resources to unproduced, amateur, and student writers at all levels, including high school, college, and graduate students, through dedicated programs and educational support.
  • Literary Events & Workshops 1 activity
    • Facilitating writing groups and silent writing sessions
      Hosts ongoing online writing groups and free silent writing sessions open to members and non-members nationwide, facilitated by Regional Representatives, Ambassadors, and volunteers.
  • New Play Development Programs 1 activity
    • Guiding authors in devised theatre collaborations
      Provides resources and education on the role of dramatists in devised theatre, including how to manage relationships with non-authorial collaborators.
  • Arts Education Professional Development 1 activity
    • Hosting educational and informational sessions
      Hosts educational sessions on topics including authorial rights, financial services through partnerships (e.g., Actors Federal Credit Union), and distinctions between authorial and non-authorial collaborators in theatre.
  • Arts Professional Advocacy & Equity Initiatives 1 activity
    • Offering professional development and community programs
      Provides professional development, mentorship, and community-building opportunities for playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists at all career stages, including the Plays in Progress mentorship program and Playwrights Welcome ticket access initiative.
  • Artist Support Grants 1 activity
    • Providing emergency financial and housing assistance to theatre writers
      Offers emergency grants and housing assistance to dramatists in need, supporting their stability and continued creative work.
  • Literary and Cultural Publishing 1 activity
    • Publishing a quarterly journal for theatre writers
      Publishes _The Dramatist_, a quarterly journal focused on the business and craft of writing for theatre, as a membership benefit and public resource.
  • Community Safety and Conduct Enforcement 1 activity
    • Supporting dramatists facing workplace harassment or discrimination
      Provides resources, reporting tools, and guidance to theatre writers who experience harassment, abuse, or discrimination in professional settings.
  • Youth Theater Arts Education 1 activity
    • Supporting educators and inclusive classroom practices
      Provides a resource hub for educators featuring guides, webinars, articles, and curated lists of inclusive theatre works for use in teaching.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Conducting research on theatre industry demographics
      Produces "The Count," a statistical report that analyzes and publishes data on representation and demographics in American theatre productions.
    • Protecting intellectual property through takedown guidance
      Supports members by providing guidance on takedown procedures for unauthorized postings of their work, such as on SCRIBD.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$2.49M
Contributions & grants$10K0%
Program service revenue$1.39M56%
Investment income$252K10%
Other revenue$841K
expenses
Total expenses$3.01M
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$1.65M
Grants paid out$60K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$7.53M
Cash$0
Investments$4.96M
Liabilities$3.18M
Net assets$4.35M
Liquid reserves19.8 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue -4.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
RALPH SEVUSH ED OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS 40 $221K
EMMANUEL WILSON ED OF CREATIVE AFFAIRS 40 $143K
board members · 23
  • ADAM GWON — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • ALAN MENKEN — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • ALFRED UHRY — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • AMANDA GREEN — PRESIDENT
  • ANDREW LEE CREECH — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • ANDREW LIPPA — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • AUSTIN PENDLETON — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • BESS WOHL — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • BRANDEN JACOBS-JENKINS — VICE PRESIDENT
  • CHERYL COONS — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • CHISA HUTCHINSON — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • CHRISTINE TOY JOHNSON — TREASURER
  • CORI THOMAS — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • CRAIG CARNELIA — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • DANIEL GOLDFARB — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • DAVID AUBURN — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • DAVID HENRY HWANG — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • DAVID LINDSAY-ABAIRE — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • DAVID SHIRE — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • DEBORAH ZOE LAUFER — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • DIANA BURBANO — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • DONALD MARGULIES — COUNCIL MEMBER
  • DOUG WRIGHT — COUNCIL MEMBER
relationships · 22

Who they work with

  • Actors Federal Credit Union Partner — Credit union partner that provides financial services to Dramatists Guild members and their families.
  • Agents, managers, and lawyers Partner — Industry professionals can access specific Guild programs through business subscriber options.
  • Albert Sellars LLP Government — Legal firm representing amicus partners in the filing of a brief challenging NEA funding restrictions.
  • Ambassadors Partner — Volunteer ambassadors who support and lead writing group sessions.
  • Authors Guild Partner — Co-signed amicus brief challenging NEA funding restrictions based on gender ideology.
  • City of New York Government — Recognized the centennial of the Minimum Basic Agreement with an official mayoral proclamation.
  • Dramatists Guild Foundation Network — National charity supporting theater writers at all career stages, part of the Guild's network.
  • Dramatists Legal Defense Fund Partner — Committee of the Dramatists Guild focused on defending the legal rights of writers.
  • Dramatists Legal Defense Fund Partner — Committee that advocates for writers facing censorship, operating within the Guild's network.
  • Electric Literature Partner — Co-signed amicus brief challenging NEA funding restrictions based on gender ideology.
  • Honor Roll! Partner — Co-hosts an affinity silent writing session for women+ playwrights over 40.
  • Jessica Lit, Esq. Partner — Director of Business Affairs leading educational programming.
  • Jessica Lit, Esq. Partner — Organizer of the Contract Bootcamp event.
  • Leesa Fenderson, Esq. Partner — Business Affairs Consultant co-leading educational programming.
  • Leesa Fenderson, Esq. Partner — Organizer of the Contract Bootcamp event.
  • National Coalition Against Censorship Partner — Collaborated on filing an amicus brief challenging NEA funding restrictions based on gender ideology.
  • PlayPenn Partner — Administers classes formerly offered through the Dramatists Guild Institute.
  • Poets & Writers Partner — Co-signed amicus brief challenging NEA funding restrictions based on gender ideology.
  • Regional Representatives Partner — Volunteer representatives who host and facilitate writing group sessions.
  • SCRIBD Partner — Platform where members' works may be posted without consent, prompting the Guild to issue alerts and takedown guidance.
  • Samuel French, a Concord Theatricals company Partner — Co-created the Playwrights Welcome national ticketing initiative with the Dramatists Guild.
  • Tony Awards Partner — Recognizes achievements of Dramatists Guild members through annual awards.
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Authorial Control as Creative and Legal Protection
    methodology: contract-based advocacy
    By securing and enforcing playwrights' copyright ownership and approval rights, the organization protects artistic freedom and prevents censorship, because legal control over intellectual property reduces self-censorship and enables dramatists to resist political or institutional pressure.
  • Collective Advocacy Through Guild Model
    methodology: guild_model
    By organizing dramatists as a professional guild rather than a union, the organization advances industry standards and protects creative rights through unified advocacy, because shared identity and non-adversarial structure enable broader influence and sustained engagement across career stages.
  • Community-Based Creative Development
    methodology: community-based writing support
    By creating decentralized, volunteer-led writing communities that emphasize inclusion and mutual accountability, the organization sustains creative output and reduces isolation, because communal engagement increases motivation and supports writers across all career stages.
  • Legal Empowerment Through Education
    methodology: legal-education-workshops
    By providing educational workshops and resources on legal agreements and business practices, the organization increases dramatists' ability to protect their rights and collaborate effectively, because understanding contracts and copyright enables proactive defense of creative work.