Announcing our 2024 Season!
New plays, new playwrights,
and new opportunities!
Ashland New Plays Festival is expanding its offerings in 2024 with a new Community Playwriting Retreat, designed to give writers of any level a chance to develop their craft among fellow artists. The retreat will take place April 26-28 in beautiful downtown Ashland, Oregon. Join host playwright and teacher E. M. Lewis for a long weekend of writing and community building. “We’ll cover everything,” Lewis shares. “Come with an idea, or just an open mind — and leave with the first pages of your new play!”
Next up, ANPF will partner with Play On Shakespeare to present a developmental reading of UNIVERSES’ translation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, in early June at the Southern Oregon University Main Stage Theater. "We're excited to work with ANPF again,” says Play On Shakespeare President Lue Douthit. “The process to create these translations incorporates all the elements of new play development, and we know that UNIVERSES will benefit from ANPF's stewardship."
Finally, ANPFs centerpiece, the annual Fall Festival, will take place from October 16-20, also on SOU’s Main Stage. Named by Oregon Arts Watch writer Brett Campbell as his “most memorable theatre experience of 2023,” the festival is a longstanding Rogue Valley tradition, bringing new works to the stage through dramatic readings. The reader process leading toward the selection of winners is currently underway—with more than 60 reader volunteers reading 350 submissions from around the world.
For the full season announcement, click here.
Explore Our Events
Fall Festival
A celebratory week-long festival featuring public readings, talkbacks, a playwriting workshop, and more.
New Play Workshops
New play development intensives culminating in public readings and talkbacks
New Voices
An annual retreat for emerging playwrights, with a focus on craft and community building.
Inside ANPF
Inspiring conversations with theatre artists about the process and productions that make up ANPF.
Become a Reader
We are currently accepting reader applications for the 2024 Fall Festival. Our deadline for applications has been extended to 11/19/23. Visit our Work with Us page to learn more and to apply!
Listen Now
Our podcast features a collection of audio recordings of compelling new plays and engaging conversations with theater artists. We are a year-round festival of new plays available on demand.
Submit a Script
Playwrights, we look forward to reading your new works. We accept new plays starting July 15 through December 1, or until we reach 500 submissions. Read our guidelines here and see if the submit button is live!
Support
Donate today or become a member of ANPF and join a passionate community of theater lovers as we support playwrights and take part in the creative process of bringing new works to the stage.
Ashland New Plays Festival began in 1992, when a group of theatre enthusiasts came together and launched a unique collaboration among local theatres and playwrights. The objective was to present new works, giving audiences, actors, and playwrights a role in the evolution of a new play. The objective remains the same today. ANPF works with new and past Festival winners as well as invited playwrights, to come to Ashland and enjoy a fertile week of workshopping their play with world-class directors, actors, and artistic team members. Our enthusiastic audiences and dedicated volunteer readers make ANPF what it is: a unique community-based theatre organization. Our readings, talkbacks, playwriting workshops, podcast play recordings and conversations provide a rich theatrical experience for audiences and theatre artists alike.
Engaged Community
Expert Guidance
World-Class Talent
Exceptional Cohorts
Community Feedback
I love new theatre and this is a tremendously vibrant festival.
What an inspiring experience to see a play in its developing form. Hearing the ideas and intentions expressed directly by the playwright adds another layer of insight and appreciation for the audience.
I didn't know what to expect walking into the play, but I was pleasantly surprised. The performances were incredible and I really connected to the story despite never having seen a play so early in development. I really enjoyed it!
Strong performances bring rich life to already exciting and well-crafted new plays.
Great theater is good words plus good actors. The rest is detail. You have it all.
Hearing artists speak on their art is fascinating. It's pleasurable to be part of artistic development.
We love our community and our community loves us.