___Cultural Conversations was created in March of 2007 in order to foster and promote new works dealing with themes of local and global diversity. For playwrights, this festival is an opportunity to workshop new works. For PSU students and faculty, this festival is an opportunity to work with professional playwrights outside of our program. For the community surrounding PSU, this festival affords the opportunity of witnessing conversations that define specific cultures. Cultural Conversations is the only university play festival in the United States devoted to issues of local and global diversity. Beyond new plays, Cultural Conversations is also the home of new dance pieces, both professional and student generated, as well as student generated one-acts on themes of diversity. During the festival, The Pavilion Theatre, the 125-seat home of Cultural Conversations, becomes an art gallery presenting new works from the PSU Visual Arts Department, and these works visually unify a theatrical space devoted to alternative dialogues.

      Following the two-week festival, one of the new plays is taken to The York Theatre, New York City’s premiere Off–Broadway theatre, where it is presented alongside one selection from PSU’s New Musicals Festival. This relationship with The York Theatre, yet again, sets the Penn State School of Theatre apart from any other theatre program in the United States. The benefits of this relationship afford a unique visibility for both playwright and PSU actor alike.

"The Play's The Thing"