Free Staged Readings of New Plays
January 30 – February 27, 2027
Following the success of our previous WinterWorks Play Reading Series, Third Avenue PlayWorks is leveling up its new play development in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
The expanded WinterWorks New Play Festival which is sponsored by Joseph and Gwenn Graboyes, spans the entire month of February and features workshop readings on Saturdays at 7 p.m. of three new plays, as well as two other readings of new and contemporary plays.
2027 WinterWorks New Play Festival is Sponsored by
Joseph and Gwenn Graboyes
New Play Submissions
Submissions for the 2027 WinterWorks New Play Festival will be accepted July 6 – August 2, 2026.
Our play reading committee will read all submissions following the close of the submission deadline and plays will be selected in early fall to move forward. Projects selected for the festival will receive a professional full workshop. Playwrights will be provided with transportation, housing, and a $600 honorarium.
There will be a public announcement with the selected plays in November.
Submission Requirements
Artistic Statement: Please detail:
- What development has the script undergone thus far? What are the elements of the script you’re still exploring? (Suggested word count: at least 250 words).
- Please provide a short synopsis of your current draft (Suggested word count: at least 100 words)
Artistic Résume (PDF format)
Complete Draft of the Play or project that you wish to develop (PDF format), with your name and the play title on the cover page.
Submission Tips
- We are not able to support the development of musicals through this program at this time. (However, we love musicals and would love to hear about your small cast show!)
- There is no limit to the number of cast members, however we are a theatre with very limited housing, operating in a rural community. Precedence for consideration will be given to plays with a cast size less than six (6).
Exploring New Work with WinterWorks
Third Avenue PlayWorks has a history of producing impactful new work. Jennifer Blackmer’s I Carry Your Heart with Me world premiere at TAP in 2023, went on to receive a Steinberg/America Theatre Critics Association New Play Citation in 2024. World premiere productions provide a unique and memorable experience for audiences as they help to shape the play for subsequent productions while supporting the creative process and new artists, and it all begins with the play reading process.
“We’ve made a commitment to making new things here and it can really raise the profile of our organization, our region, and the artists who work in it,” says Jackie and Steve Kane Artistic Director Jacob Janssen. “And our audience can see the world premiere full-stage production of Brian James Polak’s The Call List this season,” Janssen went on to say.
Past WinterWorks play readings include Alec Silberblatt’s Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night, which we went on to produce as a world premiere in our 2025 season, The Flying Corpse written by UWGB’s Thomas Campbell, and Ushuaia Blue by Caridad Svich.
