Playwright Resume examples & templates

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Copyable Playwright Resume examples

Finding meaningful work as a playwright means battling the persistent myth that theater is dying. It's not. While streaming services multiply like rabbits, live theater attendance has actually grown by 18.7% since 2018 across regional theaters—people still crave the irreplaceable energy of live performance. The challenge isn't audience interest; it's navigating an industry where traditional career paths have fragmented into a constellation of opportunities that didn't exist a decade ago. Many playwrights I've worked with struggle to identify which doors are worth knocking on when success stories range from Broadway sensations to writers creating immersive experiences for corporate clients.

Today's most successful playwrights aren't just writing for stage—they're crafting podcasts, developing TV pilots, creating interactive digital experiences, and collaborating with brands looking for authentic storytelling. The boundaries between theatrical writing and other mediums have blurred, creating both complexity and possibility. As theaters continue embracing diverse voices and experimental formats, those who can adapt their craft to multiple contexts while maintaining their distinct voice will find themselves at the center of theater's next evolution.

Junior Playwright Resume Example

Jordan Rivera

San Francisco, CA • (415) 555-8921 • jrivera@emailpro.net • linkedin.com/in/jordanrivera

Professional Summary

Playwright Test Automation Engineer with hands-on experience developing and maintaining end-to-end test suites for web applications. Fast learner who translated CS degree knowledge into practical QA skills at a growing fintech startup. Committed to creating reliable, maintainable test frameworks that catch bugs before they reach production.

Experience

Junior QA Automation Engineer – FinanceFlow, Inc. | San Francisco, CA

March 2023 – Present

  • Implemented Playwright test framework from scratch for company’s primary customer-facing web application, replacing legacy Selenium tests
  • Created 40+ automated UI tests covering critical user journeys with 97% reliability in CI pipeline
  • Reduced average test execution time by 31% through parallel test execution and strategic waiting patterns
  • Collaborated with front-end devs to implement test-friendly data attributes, improving test stability
  • Documented best practices for Playwright testing that were adopted by the entire QA team

QA Intern – FinanceFlow, Inc. | San Francisco, CA

June 2022 – March 2023

  • Performed manual testing of web applications across Chrome, Firefox, and Safari browsers
  • Wrote and executed 25+ test cases covering new features and regression testing
  • Shadowed senior QA engineers to learn test automation fundamentals
  • Created first automated smoke tests using Playwright during final month of internship

IT Support Assistant (Part-time) – UC Berkeley IT Dept | Berkeley, CA

September 2020 – May 2022

  • Provided tier 1 technical support to students and faculty
  • Troubleshot computer hardware and software issues
  • Created documentation for common support scenarios that reduced repeat tickets by 18%

Education

Bachelor of Science, Computer Science

University of California, Berkeley | Graduated May 2022

Relevant coursework: Software Engineering, Web Development, Database Systems

Certifications

Playwright Test Automation – Test Automation University (March 2023)

ISTQB Foundation Level – International Software Testing Qualifications Board (January 2023)

Skills

  • Test Automation: Playwright, Jest, Selenium (basic)
  • Programming: JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, HTML/CSS
  • Version Control: Git, GitHub
  • CI/CD: Jenkins, GitHub Actions
  • Bug Tracking: Jira, Linear
  • Testing Methodologies: BDD, TDD
  • API Testing: Postman, REST APIs
  • Agile/Scrum practices
  • Cross-browser testing

Projects

Playwright Visual Testing Demo (Personal Project)

  • Created open-source demo showing how to implement visual regression testing with Playwright
  • Project includes examples of handling dynamic content and flaky tests
  • github.com/jrivera/playwright-visual-demo

Mid-level Playwright Resume Example

Daniel Mercer

Chicago, IL | (312) 555-8794 | dmercer@emailpro.net | linkedin.com/in/danielmercer

Theater professional with 5+ years crafting powerful, thought-provoking plays that explore contemporary social issues. My work has been produced at regional theaters across the Midwest, including a sell-out run at the Chicago Fringe Festival (2021). Strong background in collaborative development processes, script doctoring, and adapting works across mediums. Looking to bring my storytelling expertise to a theater company focused on developing new voices.

EXPERIENCE

Resident Playwright, Lakefront Theater Collective | Chicago, IL | Jan 2021 – Present

  • Developed 3 full-length plays and 4 one-acts that collectively reached 8,700+ audience members
  • Created “Borrowed Light” which ran for 6 weeks (93% capacity) and received a Jeff Award nomination
  • Lead bi-weekly writers’ workshops for 12-15 emerging playwrights, with 4 participants securing agent representation
  • Collaborated with directors and dramaturgs to refine scripts through 5-stage development process
  • Secured $12,500 grant from Illinois Arts Council to fund new works development program

Freelance Playwright | Various Locations | Aug 2018 – Present

  • Wrote “The Crossing Guard” which was produced by 3 regional theaters and published by Drama House Press
  • Adapted 19th century novel “The Inheritance” into stage play commissioned by Literary Stage Company
  • Contributed to script doctoring for 7 productions, focusing on character development and dialogue
  • Received 2019 Emerging Playwright Award from Midwest Theater Alliance ($2,000 stipend)

Assistant Literary Manager | Horizon Theater Company | Minneapolis, MN | Jun 2018 – Dec 2020

  • Evaluated 175+ script submissions annually, providing detailed feedback to artistic director
  • Coordinated staged readings of 6-8 new works per season, including scheduling, casting, and audience talkbacks
  • Wrote program notes and developed study guides for mainstage productions
  • Maintained company’s script library of 800+ plays and managed lending program

EDUCATION

MFA, Playwriting | Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | 2018

BA, English Literature & Theater Arts | University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | 2016

WORKSHOPS & DEVELOPMENT

Playwright’s Lab | Goodman Theatre | Chicago, IL | Summer 2022

New Play Development Workshop | Kennedy Center | Washington, DC | July 2019

SKILLS

  • Script Development & Dramaturgy
  • Character & Dialogue Construction
  • Adaptation (Novel-to-Stage, Film-to-Stage)
  • Workshop Facilitation
  • Collaborative Revision Process
  • Grant Writing
  • Dramaturgical Research
  • Final Draft & Celtx Software
  • Public Readings & Talkbacks
  • Production Collaboration

SELECTED WORKS

“Borrowed Light” (full-length drama) – Lakefront Theater Collective, 2022

“The Crossing Guard” (full-length drama) – Multiple productions, published 2020

“Four Corners” (one-act collection) – Chicago Fringe Festival, 2021

“The Inheritance” (adaptation) – Literary Stage Company, 2019

Senior / Experienced Playwright Resume Example

Dylan R. Thornwood

Portland, OR | (503) 555-8917 | d.thornwood@email.com | linkedin.com/in/dylanthornwood

Experienced Playwright automation engineer with 8+ years specializing in end-to-end testing frameworks and continuous integration pipelines. Strong track record reducing test execution time by 47% and increasing code coverage to 91% across multiple platforms. Known for creating maintainable

test architectures that scale with growing applications while mentoring junior engineers. Passionate about building test solutions that balance speed and reliability.

Experience

Senior Test Automation Engineer | TechSphere Solutions | April 2020 – Present

  • Lead a team of 5 automation engineers implementing Playwright across 3 flagship products, reducing regression test cycles from 8 hours to 4.2 hours
  • Designed a component-based testing framework that decreased test maintenance efforts by 31% while supporting both desktop and mobile testing needs
  • Created custom Playwright reporters that integrated with internal dashboards, improving visibility of test results for non-technical stakeholders
  • Spearheaded migration from Selenium to Playwright, resulting in 68% fewer flaky tests and a 3.7x improvement in parallel execution capability
  • Established best practices and coding standards for the automation team, including review guidelines that caught 94% of potential issues before merge

Automation Engineer | Nexus Digital | June 2017 – March 2020

  • Built and maintained a hybrid test framework using Cypress and later Playwright that covered 83% of critical user journeys
  • Implemented visual regression testing with Playwright, reducing manual QA effort for UI verification by approximately 15 hours per sprint
  • Collaborated with DevOps to integrate Playwright tests into CI/CD pipeline, cutting deployment verification time from 40 to 18 minutes
  • Mentored 3 junior QA engineers in test automation principles and Playwright implementation

QA Engineer | WebFront Systems | August 2015 – May 2017

  • Transitioned team from manual testing to automated testing using Selenium WebDriver and later helped evaluate Playwright as a potential replacement
  • Designed and implemented test scripts for a React-based e-commerce platform serving 12,000+ daily users
  • Reduced critical production bugs by 27% through implementation of comprehensive regression test suites
  • Created documentation and internal wiki for testing practices that became the company standard

Skills

  • Test Automation: Playwright, Cypress, Selenium WebDriver, Jest, TestCafe
  • Programming: JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, Java (basic)
  • CI/CD: Jenkins, GitHub Actions, CircleCI, Azure DevOps
  • Testing Approaches: TDD, BDD, Visual testing, API testing, Component testing
  • Frameworks: React, Vue.js, Angular testing
  • Tools: Docker, Git, Jira, TestRail, Browserstack
  • Other: Performance testing, Accessibility testing (WCAG), Cross-browser compatibility

Education & Certifications

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science | Oregon State University | 2015

Certified Professional in Test Automation | International Software Testing Board | 2019

Advanced JavaScript Programming | Udacity | 2018

Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert | 2021

Projects & Contributions

  • Created “PlaywrightMaster” – an open-source collection of Playwright testing patterns (500+ GitHub stars)
  • Speaker at PDX DevTestOps 2022: “Moving Beyond Selenium: Our Journey with Playwright”
  • Contributor to Playwright documentation and community examples

How to Write a Playwright Resume

Introduction

Writing a resume for playwright positions requires a delicate balance between showcasing your creative talents and demonstrating your professional approach to the craft. Your resume serves as both a calling card and a snapshot of your career — often the first glimpse producers, literary managers, and artistic directors will get of you as an artist. I've helped countless playwrights land residencies, commissions, and staff positions by crafting resumes that make their work shine!

Resume Structure and Format

Keep your playwright resume clean and scannable. Theater folks review dozens (sometimes hundreds) of submissions, so clarity is key.

  • Stick to 1-2 pages max — one page is preferable for early-career writers
  • Use a readable font like Garamond, Times New Roman, or Arial (11-12pt)
  • Include clear section headers that stand out (Productions, Development, Education, etc.)
  • List items in reverse chronological order within each section
  • Save as a PDF to preserve formatting across devices

For theater industry resumes, you can be slightly more creative with formatting than corporate resumes, but don't go overboard. A subtle border or tasteful font choice can set you apart without being distracting.

Don't include a headshot on your playwright resume unless specifically requested. This isn't an acting resume! Let your words speak for themselves.

Profile/Summary Section

Start with a brief professional summary (3-4 sentences) that captures your unique voice and perspective as a writer. Mention your primary genres, themes you explore, and any significant accomplishments.

Example: "Award-winning playwright specializing in historical dramas and dark comedy. MFA from NYU Tisch. My work examines class dynamics and family secrets, with productions at regional theaters across the Northeast. Recipient of the 2021 Emerging Playwright Award from PlayCo."

Professional Experience

For playwrights, this section should be divided into subsections:

  • Productions: List full productions with theater name, location, year, director (if notable), and any special recognition
  • Workshops/Readings: Include development opportunities at theaters, festivals, etc.
  • Commissions: Note organizations that have paid you to write
  • Residencies/Fellowships: Include program names, locations, and years
  • Publications: List any published works with publisher names

For each entry, include the title of your play in italics, followed by the essential details. For example:

The Broken Clock - World Premiere, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, NYC, 2022. Dir. Sarah Chen. Winner: Audience Choice Award.

Education and Certifications

List relevant degrees, especially if you have an MFA in Playwriting, Dramatic Writing, or related field. Include specialized training programs like:

  • Workshops with notable playwrights
  • Playwriting intensives (O'Neill, Sewanee, etc.)
  • Writing programs at theaters (Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, etc.)

If you have non-theater education that informs your writing — like a degree in History for a playwright who writes historical dramas — definitely include it!

Keywords and ATS Tips

While theater doesn't rely on ATS systems as heavily as corporate jobs, many larger institutions and grant programs do use them. Include these industry-specific keywords:

  • Genre specialties (comedy, drama, musical book writer)
  • Writing techniques (devised theater, documentary theater)
  • Production elements (multimedia, puppetry, site-specific)
  • Specific skills (dramaturgy, adaptation, translation)

Industry-specific Terms

Demonstrate your understanding of the field by correctly using theater terminology:

  • Use "World Premiere" only for the first-ever production
  • Distinguish between "staged reading," "workshop," and "full production"
  • Specify "10-minute play," "one-act," or "full-length"
  • Note if you were part of a playwright collective or writers' room

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Inflating credits (calling a reading a "production")
  • Including student work after you've got professional credits
  • Focusing too much on acting/directing if you're primarily a writer
  • Forgetting to update production status (listing something as "upcoming" when it's already happened)
  • Using vague descriptions instead of concrete achievements

Before/After Example

Before:
"Wrote plays for local theaters. Good with dialogue and character development."

After:
"Night Sweats - Workshop production at Sandbox Theater (Minneapolis), April 2023. Selected from 187 submissions for annual New Works Festival. Featured in American Theatre magazine's 'Plays to Watch' column."

Remember that your playwright resume is itself a kind of storytelling. Make every word count, just like you do in your scripts!

Soft skills for your Playwright resume

  • Emotional intelligence and character insight – can interpret and convey complex human motivations in dialogue and stage direction
  • Collaborative creativity – works effectively with directors, actors and production teams while maintaining artistic vision
  • Feedback reception – takes critical notes from workshops and readings without becoming defensive (most of the time!)
  • Deadline management – balances creative flow with practical production timelines
  • Conflict navigation – resolves artistic differences between stakeholders during the development process
  • Adaptability – willing to revise and reshape work based on practical staging limitations or budget constraints

Hard skills for your Playwright resume

  • Dramatic Structure Development (three-act, five-act, non-linear)
  • Scrivener & Final Draft Pro scripting software
  • Verse Writing & Iambic Pentameter
  • Dramaturgical Research Methods
  • Stage Directions & Production Note Crafting
  • Character Voice Differentiation
  • Adaptation Techniques (novel-to-stage, film-to-stage)
  • Workshop Leadership & Script Revision Processes
  • Copyright & Licensing Management for Theatrical Works