NEWARK, N.J.: Audible, Inc. has announced the third group of playwrights selected to receive support from its emerging playwrights fund. To better support playwrights, especially those who lost work because of the pandemic, this latest class has been increased by 50 percent.

“We’re especially thrilled to increase the size of the third cohort by 50 percent to provide additional opportunities to artists, especially those who lost essential employment, first productions, and/or showcases due to the COVID pandemic,” read a statement from Audible. “This class comprises 53 percent women playwrights and 60 percent BIPOC playwrights; Audible is committed to granting at least 50 percent of emerging playwright commissions to artists of color and women for each new class.”

The selected playwrights are Will Arbery, Vichet Chum, Philip Dawkins, Noah Diaz, Mathilde Dratwa, Amy Evans, Afsaneh Gray, Diana Grisanti, Jessica Huang, Paul Kruse, Yilong Liu, Christina Quintana, Michael Shayan, Amanda Wilkin, and Alexandra Wood.

The playwrights will receive financial support in addition to creative and logistical resources to support their projects. The fund will also support the audio production of each commission, and a live stage component for some of the projects. To date, Audible has released seven emerging playwright commissions on audio and two as stage productions at the Minetta Lane Theatre in New York City. Upcoming releases include Madhuri Shekar’s Evil Eye, which is being adapted for film by Amazon Prime Video, and Elinor Cook’s ISLANDERS, which will be performed by Daisy Ridley on Audible this fall.