Four new plays.
Four live readings.
One winner.
ON STAGE | New Play-Reading Festival
11th Annual New Play-Reading Festival 2021-2022
Festival Information & Submission Guidelines
The Growing Stage – The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey is committed to expanding the canon of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) through our New Play-Reading Festival. This program provides a wonderful opportunity for artists to have their unpublished and unproduced work presented before a family audience by a cast consisting of both professional and amateur actors. Four finalists will be selected and one script will be presented as a fully mounted production in the Growing Stage’s 2022-2023 season.
2022 Festival Timeline:
Round 1: March 4th – 6th, 2022
- Staged Play Reading
- Post-Reading Talkback with Audience, Performers and Playwright (if present)
- Printed Feedback provided by audience and artistic team
- Private Video Recording of Reading (for playwright only)
Round 2 FINALISTS SHOWCASE: Saturday, April 23, 2022
- Each finalist will present 20 minutes of selected scenes.
- Written critique will be provided by our educational and artistic teams to each finalist.
- Winner will be chosen.
Submission Guidelines:
- Plays should be intended for young audiences through high school age.
- Minimum performance length of approximately 45 minutes.
- Musicals are eligible. Accepted submissions must include a sample recording of the music and lyrics. Please do not send a written score.
- BIPOC plays and playwrights are encouraged.
- Adaptations must include proof that permission has been granted from the author to adapt their work.
- All scripts must be unpublished and not committed to publication.
- No supporting materials accepted.
- Two scripts maximum submission.
How to Apply
STEP 1:
To apply for our festival, please email: newplays@growingstage.com and provide the following details in the body of an email:
- Play title
- Brief synopsis
- Approximate running time
- Cast breakdown
- Intended audience. (i.e. Elementary, Middle School, High School, Family)
- Script aligns with The Growing Stage mission. (View Mission)
- Development History (i.e. previous reading, production, etc.)
Note: Please do not submit your full script with initial inquiry.
Submission Deadline: Midnight, December 31, 2021
STEP 2:
If your initial submission is accepted for our festival, a full script will be requested. When submitting your full script, please follow these guidelines:
Playwright’s name must not be visible anywhere on the script. Please include your name, address, phone, and play title in your email submission cover letter.
Playwrights shall allow the release of their names, addresses, and play titles to The Growing Stage.
If you have any questions about the submission guidelines or festival, please contact Danny Campos, Festival Director at newplays@growingstage.com.
SUBMISSIONS ARE Now Open!
For More Information, contact: newplays@growingstage.com or call (973) 347-4946
Our New Play-Reading Festival celebrates its 10th Anniversary this season and features four brand new plays for young audiences, chosen from the over 100 submitted works annually. Each piece is carefully read by a select committee comprised of directors, performing and teaching artists, educators and young people. The four finalists are provided two readings during the season, read by professional and community artists in a casual setting. Following each reading a discussion of the work with our professional team and the playwright. Lastly, one of the four plays will be selected to become a fully mounted production next season.
Past Winners:
With Two Wings (2012)
Secret Life Of Hubie Hartzel (2013)
And Then Came Tango (2014)
The Book of D (2015)
Box of Stories (2016)
Boy Sees Flying Saucer (2017)
John Henry (2018)
Bunnyboy (2019)
Boogie (2020)
