ABOUT US
SCRiB: the Latin root meaning write
LAB: an abbreviation of the Medieval Latin laboratorium
Our mission:
To eliminate the barriers for playwrights to experiment in their work and connect with their community by creating open, honest, brave, playful spaces.
What we stand for:
ACCOUNTABiLiTY: taking responsibility for our actions and their consequences, respecting others who do the same
COMMUNiTY: making space to support, respect, encourage, and connect with our peers
EXPERiMENTATiON: brainstorming ideas and attempting possibilities
JOY: sharing and celebrating one another’s successes
OPENNESS: actively welcoming new people, new knowledge, new ideas, and new experiences
A little history:
SCRiB LAB was started in February 2021 by Miriam BC Tobin as a space for writers to gather and share ideas during a time of isolation. She hosted virtual study halls (now called WRiTiNGlab) to promote community and accountability. As more writers joined, Miriam invited fellow writers to lead labs (workshops and classes), book clubs, author readings, writing sessions, and play readings in a variety of writing genres (fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry, hybrid, playwriting). In total, SCRiB LAB has hosted over 2 dozen writers as instructors (we like to call them SCRiBBERS), including students from the MFA Creative Writing program at Goddard College who are fulfilling their teaching practicums.
As the world started to open back up, Miriam, a playwright herself, started connecting SCRiB LAB to her local Seattle-area theatre community. Partnered events have included playwriting workshops with Seattle Rep, get togethers and community conversations with the Dramatists Guild, and a mini-playwriting summit with Copious Love Productions. Writers’ salons have been hosted at Seattle Rep, Seattle Fair Trade, and Nook & Cranny Books.
In April 2024, SCRiB LAB rebranded as a playwriting organization with a focus on the Seattle community. Partnered events include a Playwright’s Center pop-up and the first-ever Seattle Playwriting Conference with Parley Productions. Online labs continue, including the monthly WRiTiNGlab for writers of all genres and playwriting groups for dramatists across the country.
Learn more about Miriam, our amazing SCRiBBERS, and the board members who support SCRiB LAB here.