New Play Festival

The Annual New Play Festival (NPF)听features new works,听which听have not been听professionally produced or published, by University of Colorado听Boulder undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff, and recent alums. There are听four听categories: Full Length, 1 Acts, 10 Minute plays, and Performance Scenarios. All selected works receive staged readings and are offered a feedback session during the festival.听

Tenth Annual New Play Festival

April 14鈥19, 2025

Admission is free, open to the public, and first-come, first-served.

All readings will be in the Loft.

With lighting design by Rory Smith

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MONDAY April 14th at 7:30

The Ostrich, by Kevin Finkelstein

Directed by Camden Hornor

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TUESDAY April 15th at 7:30

One Life Left Behind, by Amaara Alikhan

Directed by Kasra Mirfattahi

It Belongs to the Wall, by Em Bartles

Directed by James Early

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WEDNESDAY April 16th听at 7:30

Pond, by Aaron Klass

Directed by Sam Collier

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THURSDAY, April 17th听at 7:30

Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt, by Mady Ekstrom

Directed by Edie Roth

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FRIDAY, April 18th听at 7:30

The Light That's Left, by Sam Collier

Directed by Aaron Klass

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SATURDAY, April 19th听at 7:30

There's Still Time, by Connor George

Directed by Connor George

Solar Flares, by Marie-Antoinette Banks

Directed by Jadeyn Dugger

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  • 6:00pm ORBITING, by Marie-Antoinette Banks. Directed by Ashlyn Barnett.
  • 7:00pm THE GUEST HOUSE, by Christian Canoni. Directed by Ben Stasny.

Tickets are Free, and will be first come first serve at the door. We hope to see you there!

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Submissions & Eligibility

All听CU Boulder undergraduate or听graduate students, faculty, staff, or听alums are eligible to submit work to the New Play Festival. Submissions must be turned in by the deadline; no late work may be accepted.

Please submit PDF documents only. Scripts need to be turned in with no identifying information about the playwright,听except听for a mandatory cover page containing the playwright鈥檚 name, contact information, and title of the script. Plays will be reviewed by at least 2 readers blindly and chosen by a selection committee. If a听play听was submitted for a past听festival听but not chosen, it must be substantially rewritten to be eligible for resubmission.

Full-Length Plays:听Full-length plays must be of substantial length (normally somewhere between 60-120 pages in standard manuscript form), and must not have been previously professionally produced or published. Accepted plays may be developed by the playwright in collaboration with the director and actors over 8-10 rehearsal hours.

One-Act Plays:听One-act plays must be somewhere between 11-60 pages in standard form, and not have been previously produced professionally or published.听Accepted plays may be developed by the playwright in collaboration with the director and actors over 6-8 rehearsal hours.

10-Minute Plays:听10-minute plays must be around 10 minutes in length (normally around 10 pages in manuscript form), and not have been previously professionally produced or published. Accepted plays may be developed by the playwright in collaboration with the director and actors over 4-6 rehearsal hours.

Performance Scenarios:听Recognizing that not all theatrical events are text-based, we accept performance scenarios for site-specific work (particularly interesting to explore during these Zoom days), an immersive work, a spec-actor scheme, etc. that is organized around design, an experience, an event, rather than starting with text. The 5-10-minute presentation of the performance concept can be in any form.

Directors and Actors: We need you all! More information to come in the New Year!

Frequently Asked Questions

Recognizing that not all theatrical events are text-based, NPF can also feature presentations by individuals (or groups) of scenarios for site-specific work, an immersive work, a spec-actor scheme, etc. that is organized around design, an experience, an event, rather than starting with text.听The 5-10 minute presentation of the performance concept can be in any form, but PechaKucha is encouraged.

If a play was submitted for a past festival but not chosen, it must be substantially rewritten to be eligible for resubmission.

Feel free to submit to as many of these calls as you want! Only one full-length, one 1 act, one 10-minute play, and one Performance Scenario submission per person, please.

All submissions will be reviewed by at least 2 readers blindly and chosen by a script selection committee.

Yes! All works may be developed by the playwright in collaboration with the dramaturg, director and actors. Rehearsal time varies based on the submission:

  • Full Length Plays:听8-10 rehearsal hours
  • 1 Act Plays:听4-6 rehearsal hours
  • 10 Minute Plays:听2-4 rehearsal hours
  • Performance Scenarios:听听2-4 rehearsal hours

If selected for the festival, expect to hear back within approximately 2 weeks of the submissions deadline.听

In the Acting Studio, room C240, in the University Theatre Building.听

The New Play Festival is an opportunity for playwrights to hear their work performed for the first time. All performances are staged readings with minimal props, scenic and lighting elements, and costumes. We want to focus on the spoken word.

All performances are free and open to the public!听 For more information on how to get 鈥渇ree tickets,鈥 go to .

Auditions are typically held in the Design Studio in late February. There is no need to have anything prepared, and auditions usually听only take a few minutes.

Stay Connected

If you'd like to receive updates about upcoming festivals, please email听cubouldernpf@gmail.com听or follow our听.

The Shape of Love by Amanda Eisenburg A Book of Modern Prayer by Matara Hitchcock The Philosopher, Wittgenstein by Tristan Skogan Great Bends by Sarah Powers Dead Soldiers by Oliver Gerland Pendulum by Nolan Carey

Questions?