The Annual New Play Festival (NPF) features new works, which have not been professionally produced or published, by University of Colorado Boulder undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff, and recent alums. There are four 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. The “winner” of the NPF becomes incorporated into the Department of Theatre & Dance's next season as a full production!
6th Annual New Play Festival
This year the New Play Festival will be held virtually, with pre-recorded readings being released nightly through CU Presents.
Deadlines for Submission
- Submissions for the 6th Annual New Play Festival will open Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020
- The submission deadline is Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021
Feel free to submit to as many of these calls as you want, but we will be restricting playwrights to one accepted submission this year. Please submit PDF documents only. Only one submission per length genre please.
Submissions & Eligibility
All CU Boulder undergraduate or graduate students, faculty, staff, or 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.
Scripts need to be turned in with no identifying information about the playwright on the actual pages of the script, but please include a cover page with the playwright’s name, contact information, and title of the script. Upload your cover page and script as a PDF in the google form (made available when deadlines are posted).
- Full Length Plays: between 50-120 pages in standard manuscript form
- 1 Act Plays: between 11- 49 pages in manuscript form
- 10 Minute Plays: around 10 pages in manuscript form
- Performance Scenario: 5-10 minute presentation. Proposal may be 1-2 pages long
Submit Now
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. 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: 8-10 rehearsal hours
- 1 Act Plays: 4-6 rehearsal hours
- 10 Minute Plays: 2-4 rehearsal hours
- Performance Scenarios: 2-4 rehearsal hours
If selected for the festival, expect to hear back within approximately 2 weeks of the submissions deadline.
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! For more information on how to get “free tickets,” go to
CU Presents.
Auditions are typically held in the Design Studio in late February. There is no need to have anything prepared, and auditions usually only take a few minutes.
Stay Connected
If you'd like to receive updates about upcoming festivals, please email cubouldernpf@gmail.com or follow our Facebook page @CUBoulderNPF.
