Heather Helinsky (she/her) is a literary manager & freelance dramaturg based in Philadelphia. From 2019-2024, was the LM for Playwrights Foundation and the Jewish Plays Project, concurrently. She’s known for her community-centered anti-bias script reading practices, creating abundance over scarcity mindset, and deep care for the playwrights who applied. Thirteen years as a teaching artist for the Kennedy Center. Freelance work: Great Plains Theatre Conference & PlayPenn, & reader for Sundance, O’Neill, Seven Devils, and NNPN. Caridad Svich’s Guapa (2013), Tira Palmquist’s Two Degrees (2017), & Elana Dykewomon's final creative work, How to Let Your Lover Die (2022). In Pittsburgh (2008-2012), resident dramaturg at Pittsburgh Public and PICT, and was Visiting Assistant Professor for Carnegie Mellon's BFA dramaturgy training program. Training: M.F.A. in Dramaturgy from the A.R.T./Moscow Art/Harvard (’07) & the O’Neill Critics (’16). LMDA member since 2006, currently VP of Membership.
