Finalists for Annual New Works Festival Announced

Gulfshore Playhouse is thrilled to announce the ten finalists from which three winners will ultimately be chosen to participate in the Tenth Annual New Works Festival. 

Each New Works Festival submission is reviewed during a months-long anonymous process by a committee of theatre professionals. The ten finalists are then chosen by the Gulfshore Playhouse artistic team, and ultimately three winners will take part in the week-long Festival.

The Annual New Works Festival will take place at Gulfshore Playhouse from September 14 through September 17, 2023. The Festival will include developmental workshops for the winning plays and will culminate with staged readings.

The ten finalists are: 

Blood of the Lamb by Arlene Hutton

BUZZ by Hope Villanueva

Circle Forward by Deb Hiett

Cracked Pots by Kristen LePine

Emergency Protocol Camouflage by Erin Osgood

Hrdza by F.J. Hartland

Stockade by Andrew Rosendorf

The Gentle Life-Changing Magic of Burning it All Down to the Ground by Heather Beasley

The Lion Tamer by Ivan R. Lopez

Westminster by Brenda Withers

“As a member of the League of Resident Theatres, we believe it is our duty to contribute to the creation of new work,” said Kristen Coury, Founder, CEO and Producing Artistic Director. “I was really impressed with how well-crafted this year’s submissions were, plus they all had something important to say. The ten finalists chosen stood out not only in how well they tell a story, but in their uniqueness.”

Each of the winners chosen during the months-long selection process will receive actor input, revision time, and a staged reading that will help in its development. These are plays that Gulfshore Playhouse may or may not produce, but the Playhouse feels it important to contribute to the creation of new work by providing feedback that a professional director, talented cast, and invested audience can provide.

In addition to the three winners, who will each receive 16 hours of rehearsal which will culminate in a staged reading, Gulfshore Playhouse will also be workshopping one or two other shows that it has interest in specifically developing for future production. These shows have been selected for development by the artistic team at Gulfshore Playhouse and will receive a full two-week workshop. These shows will also be performed as staged readings with light blocking and some props alongside the three winners. A post-performance Q&A with the playwright of the show will follow each performance. This gives the playwright an opportunity to receive feedback from an audience, a vital part of a play’s development process. Tickets to the staged readings are available to be purchased at www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org.

Tickets are now on sale for $20. Three, four and five-show packages are also available at discounted rates. Tickets can be ordered online (gulfshoreplayhouse.org) or by phone (239-261-PLAY).