Since 2005, Center Theatre Group has invited a cohort of local playwrights to spend a year researching and writing new works with feedback from the artistic staff and their fellow writers.

"Back East" by Maddox Pennington
A prodigal trans son faces down his extended family in the Cherokee Nation, as he attempts to win custody of his cousins. Jay must navigate his changing relationship, his eavesdropping ancestors, and his own imperfect sense of purpose.

"The Shameful (Untrue) Story of Herbie Gregory Morgan" by Kevin Douglas
What happens when you start the job of a lifetime, only a bus ride away, the same week as the birth of the Montgomery Bus Boycotts? The Shameful (Untrue) Story of Herbie Gregory Morgan is the story of a Black man who secretly rides the bus in order to get to the job of his dreams.