Front and Centre Presents the New Play Festival

Front and Centre:

A New Work Initiative

Who Are We? 

Centre Stage is a professional theatre in the heart of Downtown Greenville, SC. We have been in Greenville for 40 years and in our current location for 25 years. Our goal as an organization is to captivate, cultivate, and inspire. Our new work program is an important component of our mission as we cultivate playwrights who are striving to create new stories that will captivate and inspire audiences for years to come.

What Do We Do? 

Centre Stage produces professional theatre, providing opportunities for young professional artists to work along side seasoned professionals. New work has been a crucial component to what Centre Stage does. We allow Greenville audiences to engage with new work from the southern region, playwrights to hear their work allowed, and continue to develop new work in preparation for production—both at Centre Stage and in theatres around the country. 

What Is Centre Stage’s Commitment To New Work? 

Centre Stage has produced their Annual New Play Festival for 20 years. Doug McCoy believed in the importance of new work and the festival was a key way Doug displayed that commitment. Today, Centre Stage is still just as committed to developing new work as the day Doug started the festival. 

Can I Send Centre Stage My Play? 

Yes! Please send us your play! We want your play! However, due to the rigorous production schedule that Centre Stage there are certain ways to send us your play that will be more beneficial than others. Centre Stage will continue to hold our Annual New Play Festival, when submissions open, please submit your play through submittable. You can also send your play to our New Work Coordinator, David Veatch (david.veatch@centrestage.org). 

What is the New Play Festival? 

The New Play Festival is an opportunity for playwrights to submit their plays for production. We open submissions in the Spring and have a panel of judges read them over the summer. Then, Semi-Finalists are chosen and from that point, the Centre Stage staff reads the plays and determines a Final 3. This final 3 is determined by the quality of text, set needs, 

What Other Things Does Centre Stage Do With New Work? 

We are always looking for plays for our Fringe Series, as well as other development opportunities. We also will help a playwright develop a text by coordinating and providing feedback through a private workshop. Most recently, playwright Mario Suarez received a reading of his new musical La Zafra. This is an important step in the development process and Centre Stage is committed to helping playwrights hear their work aloud as they prepare for further revisions.

21st  Annual New Play Festival 

Centre Stage is excited to announce the 21st Annual New Play Festival as the inaugural event of Front & Centre!

Dates are Nov. 6-9, 2023

Centre Stage is committed to developing new work and is excited to carry on the tradition of the New Play Festival.  The festival will accept up to 100 plays from South Carolina Affiliated Playwrights for the 21st Annual New Play Festival. Of these submissions, 10 semi-finalists will be selected and 3 finalists will be given readings the week of the festival, one script will be chosen as the winner of the 21st Annual New Play Festival! The winner will receive a cash prize and the opportunity to be considered for production as part of our 2024-2025 Season. During the festival, each reading will be followed by a talkback led by Centre Stage Managing Artistic Director, Laura Nicholas.

Click on the Submittable link below to submit your plays!

Guidelines for submission:

Submissions are open to any South Carolina affiliated playwright or playwright’s representative

• Multiple entries per playwright/playwright’s representative is permitted.
• Playwrights must submit a cover letter along with their script that includes a brief summary of the play, a description of the playwright’s connection to South Carolina, and a suggestion of the unique perspective or experience provided by the playwright’s body of work.
• NO entries may be previously published.
• Likewise, NO entries may have previous fully realized, regionally produced performances through the dates of the Centre Stage New Play Festival 2022 (previous readings and workshops are acceptable).
• Entries may have NO more than seven (7) performers required.
• All entries must be no more than 120 pages, but one-act and full-length plays are welcome.
• Scripts must be in the Traditional or Modern format for plays as defined by the Dramatists Guild.
• While screenplays and 10 minute plays will NOT be accepted, musical and plays with music may be submitted.

Click HERE to submit your plays via our Submittable platform. 

If you have any questions please email our New Work Coordinator, David Veatch at david.veatch@centrestage.org