The Magnetic Theatre is dedicated to the support and cultivation of local and national playwrights. The goal of our New Play Development Program is to provide writers with opportunities to hone their craft and to work on plays collaboratively, with directors, dramaturges, designers, and actors, before having the pressure of a full production.
With The Magnetic Theatre’s New Play Development Program (NPDP), we do things differently.
“The Magnetic Theatre is playing a fundamental role in shaping the world by creating a context in which conversations about difficult issues are innovative and creative. They are creating a brave space that empowers people like me to share their stories in their own voices with their own words.”
When a playwright is accepted into the NPDP, we enter into a process comprised of the following steps:
Each playwright is personally interviewed by the Co-Artistic Directors to find out about their background, writing interests, and desire for collaboration. This initial evaluation is used to create goals for the playwright and to get a sense of their personality and working style.
A director / dramaturg team is partnered with the playwright for a development process spanning anywhere from a few months to a couple of years, depending on what the play and playwright need.
The playwright then receives a 1-2 week workshop with their director, dramaturg, and a group of actors, culminating in a staged reading. This gives writers the experience of seeing their work presented in a public forum, and to get valuable feedback from the audience and the production team.
A post-reading interview finalizes the process, in which the playwright and the Co-Artistic Directors review the development process, the working dynamics of the artists involved, and the potential for the play going forward. Some projects then continue development and become full productions in The Magnetic Theatre’s Mainstage Season.
“Having a play selected for The Magnetic’s New Play Development Program has changed my theatre career. I’m an outsider, always have been. So having such a talented group of people invite me into the world of professional theatre and the process of script-to-stage is an absolute dream.”
Our New Play Development Program application is open from September 1 at 10am ET - October 31 at 11:59pm ET annually.
Please note: we only accept one play per playwright for each round of submissions.