Conceived more than 20 years ago, the New Works Festival invites novice and experienced playwrights from all over the world to submit their un-produced plays to the Playhouse's New Works Literary Committee. Members of the committee then read the 100+ scripts that are submitted.

Four winners and four finalists are selected for the two-week festival. Winning plays receive a staged reading and the finalists, a cold reading. The playwrights hear their words brought to life by actors and receive feedback from the audience.  Winning playwrights receive detailed written critiques by professional theatre critics.

In the past, readings were held over a four-month period. For 2012, we are moving the New Works Festival to two weeks in August. The new dates are: August 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26, 2012. 

The lineup is as Follows:

Friday, August 17 @ 8pm: Refuge, by Marc Kornblatt (Staged Reading)

Saturday, August 18 @ 2pm: Lost in History, by Adam Siegel (Cold Read)

Saturday, August 18 @ 8pm: The Salt Prince, by Ernest Kearney (Staged Reading)

Sunday, August 19 @ 2pm; American Dames, by Susan Hefti (Cold Read)

Friday, August 24 @ 8pm; Yellow Jack, by William Baer (Staged Reading)

Saturday, August 25 @ 2pm; Provenance, by Daniel Weber (Cold Read)

Saturday, August 25 @ 8pm; The Polish Book of Karma, by William Missouri Downs (Staged Reading)

Sunday, August 26 @ 2pm; Fifteen Men in a Smoke-Filled Room, by Collin Crowley (Cold Read)