SLIDING SCALE AND PAYMENT PLANS ARE AVAILABLE FOR ALL SERVICES
New Play Dramaturgy
I have been deep entrenched in the world of new plays for the past 10+ years as a skilled dramaturg, avid reader (for pleasure and major institutions) and have been a trusted advisor to artists including college instructors, award-winning playwrights and even a Tony-winning Broadway producer.
I have worked on all kinds of plays when it comes to both form and content but my specialties are:
- Absurdist/experimental pieces
- Plays that look at harms done by religious institutions
- Plays about people that aren’t normally seen on the average regional theatre stage
- Plays about communities outside of urban settings
- Plays about messy individuals dealing with addiction and sobriety
Some things I haven’t gotten to work on much but would very much like to are:
- Musicals
- Plays with music
- Ensemble pieces that are over 2 hours long
- Genre plays (especially horror)
- Solo shows
- Theatre based on someone’s journal entries
So if you would like to hire me to read your work and share what questions I have about it, what my favorite lines and moments are and any advice I have for future development…..
For $150, I’ll read your play and we’ll have a 60 minute chat about it where I’ll listen to your concerns, ask my questions, suggest next steps and whatever else the play may need.
For $200, I’ll read the play and take extensive notes that I will organize into a Google Doc file that I’ll share with you.
For $250, I’ll read the play and take extensive notes that I will organize into a Google Doc file that I’ll share with you and we can also have a 60 minute call.
If you want to work more together beyond that, I am available for dramaturgy at $50 an hour.
To inquire about any of these services, send me an email at ShaunLeisher@gmail.com.
Testimonials from Past Clients
“Shaun’s deep enthusiasm and encouragement are so helpful. He gives generous feedback, is attentive to your goals, and has a talent for recognizing what’s special about your play.”- Nic Adams (NYC-based playwright, educator and Producing Director of Exponential Fest)
“Shaun is very skilled at tailoring his dramaturgy to your specific needs as a playwright/the parts of your project that you feel require the most attention. He approaches discussing your work with enthusiasm and a willingness to help shape the best possible next draft.”- Mollie Gordon (New Jersey-based playwright and member of the 2025 QueerSpeech Cohort with The Cult Collective)
“Shaun has a unique ability to understand a play exactly as it is and, in talking about his experience with the script, illuminate any weaknesses and underline all it’s strengths. He is endlessly supportive and willing to engage in a true conversation about any piece.”- Brooks Gillespie (NYC-based playwright and music journalist)
“Shaun’s passion for playwriting is electric and imbues the penetrative and compelling conversations he has with creatives. Not only is he a voracious reader with an encyclopedic knowledge of all things theatre, but he exercises the same passion and investment in following up with collaborators, caring for and supporting their journey.”- Anelga Hajjar (Chicago-based actor and playwright)
“Shaun Leisher’s great gifts as a dramaturg are the depth of his knowledge of new plays and his love of process. Because he is so immersed in contemporary work, from the traditional to the experimental, he comes into each new piece with an absolutely open mind and focuses on what each play is trying to be, rather than trying to fit it into a pre-existing box. Shaun understood my work and what I am trying to do with it immediately, in a way that I’ve rarely experienced except with long-time collaborators.
Talking with Shaun about my play was casual and fun- it felt more like talking to an old friend, although we’ve only met recently. During our conversation, I worked through one of my thorniest questions about my play-in-progress, without Shaun ever pushing me in one direction or the other. I would absolutely recommend that playwrights take advantage of the opportunity to work with Shaun, particularly if you are looking for an open-ended conversation that may take you in surprising directions.”- Savannah Reich (Philadelphia-based playwright and assistant professor at Drexel University)
“Shaun’s wide breadth of knowledge in multiple fields allows him to connect with the nuances in your plot and setting. He can always recognize what is present and voice what is missing. He’s always at the top of my list for a pair of eyes on a first draft.”- Alex Ledgewood (Chicago-based playwright and comedian)
“More than anything else, Shaun is someone who cares so very deeply about this art form— a quality that I have found disturbingly absent in a lot of theater makers these days. Shaun does what he does and does it well because he loves it. In every encounter, he has talked about my work with such respect and care, and I’ve been able to tell just how he loves plays in every interaction. He has an ability to make you feel championed in a way that is rare, and is always down to just talk things out with you if you’re having trouble with a component of a script. The world— and especially the theatre— needs more Shaun Leishers.”- Leo James Osborn (NYC-based playwright)
Application Advising
Besides reading plays for fun and to work on myself, I also have had the pleasure of being invited to read for various commissions, festivals, conferences and awards including Breaking & Entering Theatre Collective, Clubbed Thumb, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Seven Devils, Digital Development Project, The Terrence McNally Recovery Commission and The O’ Neill’s National Playwright’s Conference. Due to these experiences, I have gained skills and insights involving what makes a successful application. I would love to share those insights with writers that want to feel more confident in all the materials they are sending out to organizations that could lead to the next phase of development for their play.
For $75, I will read your application materials (including a script sample if requested but not a full-length) and have a 45 minute call with you where I will share my notes and constructive feedback.
To inquire about this service, send me an email at ShaunLeisher@gmail.com.
Testimonials from Past Clients
“Shaun’s help drafting a play submission cover letter was invaluable. He has involved experience with submissions and an encyclopedic memory for new plays. He asked precise, insightful questions while still allowing me and my ideas to take the lead. I will be keeping his comments in mind for future cover letters and submission essays.”- Ally M. Lardner (LA-based playwright and Script Coordinator for ABC’s General Hospital)
New Work Finding
This is basically what I do when I find actors at Drama Book Shop distressingly searching through an anthology of scenes and/or monologues for new material to work on.
For a fee of $40, you hop on a 30 minute call with me and we talk about your history with acting, what you love about it, the kind of theatre that excites you, what kind of things you want to work on, etc… AND IN REAL-TIME I will find 6 new plays for you to reignite or keep stoking your passion for your craft.
To inquire about this service, send me an email at ShaunLeisher@gmail.com.
Testimonials from Past Clients
“Shaun is an incredibly well read and well versed artist and is so generous with his time and knowledge. I was so appreciative of his profound encyclopedic knowledge of plays and writers. Shaun worked diligently to learn my taste and my own artistry to see how he could guide me and opened up doors for me. Beyond his own knowledge he’s a truly kind person who clearly loves this work and the people who have chosen to commit time to this artform. I highly HIGHLY recommend working alongside Shaun.”- Bianca Rogoff (NYC-based actor, The Winter’s Tale at The Public)
