Playwrights Unit | Prairie Theatre Exchange

Prairie Theatre Exchange has always been, and continues to strive to be, a “home” for theatre artists – a place where new ideas can be explored, and creativity can be supported and encouraged.

In 2007, led by artistic director Bob Metcalfe, PTE formed a Playwrights Unit. PTE became a home for these playwrights, setting aside an office dedicated to them and their work where they can find a quiet place to work, or to think. PTE also hosts the feedback meetings, provides readings and workshops when appropriate, acts as an advocate for the members’ work, and, most importantly, provides access to all the resources at PTE, from printing and photocopying to advice from the Managing Director on grant-writing.

In November of 2018, current PTE artistic director Thomas Morgan Jones announced the creation of the PTE Emerging Playwrights Unit, in partnership with Manitoba Association of Playwrights (MAP) and their Executive Director Brian Drader. This relationship with MAP and these new playwrights built on the principals of the first unit, with the goal of helping to develop these playwrights’ voices and stories.

In 2023, the unit was renamed the PTE/MAP playwrights unit to honour the collaborative nature of the relationship between our two organizations and the support we are both offering the participating playwrights.

Because the playwrights in our units are not confined to writing only for PTE, they have seen a number of plays produced on other stages here in Winnipeg and across the country. PTE feels that this is a win-win situation – our community’s playwrights are given the opportunity to pursue their craft with encouragement and support, and PTE is able to more fully realize our goal to foster the creation of theatre and to nurture theatre artists.

We are a contemporary theatre company focused on developing new plays and serving as a home for playwrights. As such, we are deeply grateful to these playwrights for their trust in us and are honoured to have them as a part of our company.

Supported by the Richardson Foundation

We are proud to introduce the current members of the
PTE/MAP Playwrights Unit:

Anika Dowsett

Anika Dowsett aka Petty Davis is a queer playwright, performer, and drag artist. They are interested in making people who are used to being comfortable uncomfortable, challenging oppressive hierarchies and eating homemade food.

As Petty Davis, Anika has been performing and occasionally hosting at Club 200 and Fame since 2019. During the pandemic they have been part of online drag shows from Vancouver (The Big Top) to Waterford, Ireland (Disgraceful Cabaret). Petty Davis starred in Karen Asher’s A Sad Slow Dance and performed with Sarasvati at the 2020 International Women’s Day Cabaret ofMonologues.

Anika spent 4 years at the University of Winnipeg bouncing between film and theatre but truly found their voice taking Playwriting 1 and Playwriting 2 with Brian Drader.

Anika Dowsett was a finalist in Sarasvati’s 2020 Bake Off and was a performer and co-creator of To Kill a Lizard in Sarasvati’s 2019 Launchpad Program. They were apprentice stage manager for Manitoba Theatre for Young People’s Spelling 2-5-5 and continues to work at MTYP as an instructor, teaching assistant, administrator and box office attendant.

Samantha Machado