The East Village is full of theaters, galleries, restaurants, murals, and street art. It is one of the neighborhoods where New York’s artistic energy is constantly reinventing itself. This weekend, however, my destination is IATI Theater’s Cimientos Play Development Program.
Anyone who has worked in the performing arts knows how much time, labor, and financial investment are required to bring a play to the stage. Before a production reaches audiences, it often passes through months—and sometimes years—of workshops, revisions, conversations, and experimentation. Cimientos serves as a bridge between the writing process and a fully realized production, allowing playwrights to hear their work performed before a live audience and receive valuable feedback.
For more than two decades, the program has provided emerging and established playwrights with a space to develop new work through workshops, mentorship, and artistic exchange. This year’s cohort brings together writers from across the United States, Latin America, and Africa, offering audiences an impressive range of voices, cultures, and theatrical styles.
One of the most rewarding aspects of Cimientos is witnessing the early life of a play. Some of the works presented in previous editions have later gone on to full productions at IATI and other theaters. Over the years, I have had the opportunity not only to attend these readings but also to interview some of the playwrights. Those conversations have provided insight into both the creative process and the challenges of bringing new stories to the stage.
I often recommend Cimientos to artists working in other disciplines. Recently, I suggested the program to a friend who performs as a magician and writes screenplays. Even though his work is not primarily theatrical, I believe there is much to learn from watching a story tested before an audience. Observing how a script evolves through performance can be invaluable to any storyteller.
This weekend’s readings include works such as La Resurrección de Mictlán by Orlando Rodriguez , Move on by Onyeka Iwuchukwu and Juana Estrellada by Natalia Buyatti, among many others. Whether you are a theater lover, a writer, or simply someone curious about new voices and ideas, Cimientos offers a unique opportunity to experience plays at a crucial stage of their development.
If you find yourself in the East Village this weekend, consider stopping by IATI Theater. You may discover a play that, in a few years, will be appearing on a larger stage, and you will be able to say that you were there at the beginning.