Chicago Writers' Bloc is a playwright development 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit group that focuses on presenting new plays developed in monthly sessions and regular new play festivals.  Membership is open to all individuals who have had at least one play that has received at least one staged reading, workshop or production at an existing theatre.  

Aspiring playwrights who have a completed script should contact us at info@writersblocfest.org. We will invite them to attend our monthly zoom meetings. If they are interested in joining we will request a list of past productions and/or staged readings and workshops or a draft of at least one completed script that they wish to develop for a staged reading or workshop.

On the basis of that script, or at least a record of a staged reading, workshop or production, they will be invited to join Chicago Writers' Bloc. They will be asked to pay their annual membership fee. They will then be entitled to participate in the annual short play festivals and the semi-annual new play festival of staged readings held next in May of 2024. This festival is co-produced by individual members of CWB and invited directors and stage managers. Chicago Writers' Bloc is not a producing theater but rather a play development organization. In our 30 years we have helped to develop over 100 new plays. Several of them have gone on to productions in the Chicago area and beyond 

All members are encouraged to use our monthly meetings and certain additional evenings to zoom portions of their developing works. The 2024 festival will consist of plays by CWB members that have been developed between September 2023 and  May 2024. Membership in Chicago Writers' Bloc is $50.00. 

We encourage you to zoom into one of our monthly meetings the second Monday of every month between 7 P.M. and 9 P.M. or request a meeting invite at info@writersblocfest.org.