Ojai Playwrights Conference

10/09/2026

OPC Playwrights Night Out in LA!

OPC alum met up in LA - together with members of Rogue Machine’s playwrights group, The Engine Room - to see and celebrate Samuel D. Hunter’s OPC-developed play, A CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD (OPC 2020) at Rogue Machine Theatre!

09/17/2026

Congratulations Kimberly Belflower! JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN (developed at OPC, 2019) is this year’s most-produced play!

Read the American Theatre magazine article at: bit.ly/ATM-most-produced

Jeremy Cohen
Hannah Wolf

Kimberly Belflower’s popular drama will be the most-produced play in the 2026-27 season (apart from ‘A Christmas Carol’), and Wilson will be the most-produced author (aside from Shakespeare).

09/09/2026

As part of our commitment to making OPC’s new play development programs more accessible, we are thrilled to share that we will again have an open application process for our 2027 Summer Conference & New Works Festival.

It's almost time! The application window will be open from September 11 - 18, 2026.

For submission guidelines and instructions, visit ojaiplays.org/play-submissions

08/28/2026

Congratulations OPC Playwright Harrison David Rivers on receiving the 2026 Dr. Kerry English Artist Award!

This annual award is given to one Conference playwright, committed to giving voice to diverse and underserved communities, bringing awareness and activism to the social, cultural, and political issues of the day, and promoting humanitarian values.

Established by OPC board member Olga Garay-English in honor of her late husband, former OPC board member and theater enthusiast Dr. Kerry English, the award provides financial support for the playwright and their OPC new play development experience.

Learn more at ojaiplays.org/dr-kerry-english

08/25/2026

Thank you for supporting Education & Mentorship at OPC—together we raised $30,000 for the future generation of artists!

Thanks to generous matching donors, who matched every donation up to $15,000 during the Festival—and your tremendous support... we met our goal!

Your support directly funds hands-on education and mentorship through our Youth Workshop and Internship programs. You help us keep these vital programs thriving today, tomorrow, and for years to come. We are so grateful!

Missed your chance to donate? It's not too late - support OPC today at ojaiplays.org/support-opc

photo credit: Rob Hoffman Photography

08/20/2026

THANK YOU FOR AN INCREDIBLE PLAYWRIGHTS CONFERENCE AND
NEW WORKS FESTIVAL!

A huge thanks to our phenomenal writers, directors, dramaturgs, festival producers and associate festival producers, housing hosts, meal hosts, community partners, staff, interns, youth workshop participants, volunteers, and of course YOU—our incredible audience and supporters—for making the 2026 OPC Playwrights Conference and New Works Festival truly magical.

This couldn't have happened without the support, time, resources, and care of so many people in our amazing community. From the bottom of our hearts: THANK YOU.























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08/04/2026

DAY 4 of OPC’s New Works Festival… We closed out the Festival with two powerful plays: THE LOYAL OPPOSITION by Keith Bunin and THE COLLECTIVISTS by Jaclyn Backhaus. Then we said farewell for now, with full hearts and so much appreciation. Thank you for a Festival to remember!

08/04/2026

Day 3 of the New Works Festival was incredible! What a day with EXCEPT THAT IT IS GOD by Harrison David Rivers and CLOSING COSTS by Grace McLeod. And a powerful conversation with all of the 2026 OPC Playwrights...

08/02/2026

THE COLLECTIVISTS by Jaclyn Backhaus
Sun, August 2, 3pm at Thacher

Get Pay What You Can Tickets & Festival Passes - link in bio
ojaiplays.org

Director: Andrew Scoville
Dramaturg: Annie Jin Wang
Stage Manager: Lydia Runge
Casting Director: Nicole Arbusto
Intern: Clio Calvin

CAST
Shell: Elizabeth Alderfer
James: James Morrison
John: Zach Villa
Cathleen: Jacqueline Wright
Margot: KT Vogt
Maggie: Kimberly Scott
Stage Directions: Clio Calvin

About the Play:
A young woman cares for her elderly father who has dementia, an intentional live-work farm prepares for their annual harvest festival, a stranger shows up. Who will mind the sheep? What time does the lunch bell ring? And what about that lost vision of utopia? A moving new play exploring caregiving and community.

08/02/2026

We sat down with 2026 OPC Playwright Jaclyn Backhaus to talk about theatre-making at OPC. The reading of her new play THE COLLECTIVISTS will be held Today, August 2 at 3:00pm at Thacher in Ojai as part of OPC’s New Works Festival. Tickets available at the link in our bio!