WinterWorks New Play Festival Submissions
February 2027
What We Are Looking For
The WinterWorks New Play Festival supports the presentation and development of engaging, intimate plays that serve as a catalyst for conversation within our community. As a theatre operating outside of a major metropolitan hub, we believe the American narrative is vast, and varied. We are seeking plays that explore the true multiplicity of the American experience; stories that reflect the diverse textures, complex histories, and distinct voices of communities across the country.
We ask our script readers to look for plays they cannot wait to talk about; stories that demand to be heard and refuse to leave you after the lights go down.
- Cast Size & Scale: We are seeking intimate, small-cast scripts (ideally
6actors or fewer) that prioritize character-driven storytelling. We welcome creative doubling and lean, imaginative production demands that maximize emotional impact. - Genre and Style: There are no aesthetic boundaries here. We welcome plays of any genre, style, or structure—from hyper-realism and sharp-witted comedy to non-linear narratives, magical realism, and experimental forms. If it excites your imagination, we want to read it.
- Community Engagement: Most importantly, we are looking for work that actively bridges the gap between the stage and the public. We are deeply interested in plays that speak directly to people who may not consider themselves “theatre-goers” yet.
Submissions Should Be
- Full length plays that stand alone as a full evening of theater.
- Complete drafts – not incomplete or treatments.
- Plays that have never had a professional AEA production; readings and workshops are fine.
- And most importantly: plays you are interested in actively advancing in a developmental environment.
Submissions Should NOT Be
- Incomplete drafts or treatments
- A play that has received a professional AEA production
- A play that you consider “done” or “finished”
- A play that you “just want to hear read out loud”
Submission Deadline: August 2, 2026
How To Submit Your Play
What you will need to complete your submission:
- Artistic Statement (PDF format) 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.
Please note:
- Please format your PDF submissions in the following format: [Lastname, Firstname-Title of Play.pdf], etc. Please use the same format for artistic statement, and resume as well.
- This is not a blind submission process: please be sure your name is on your play.
- We can ONLY accept plays and resumes in PDF format. Using any other format will only delay the processing of your script.
- Once you have uploaded and submitted your materials, you will not be able to make changes.
- Please do not include additional materials.
Submit Your Play
FAQs
Final decisions about which plays we will be developing will be made in November at the latest.
Three playwrights will be invited to participate in the WinterWorks New Play Festival.
A team of readers which includes staff and theatre professionals who are familiar with our new play process evaluate each script sent in and provide a recommendation to the Festival leadership. Leadership then ranks the recommendations to develop a finalist list. Finalists will be asked to have a brief (15 min) video chat with staff about their goals for development. Offers will be made after the interview round.
Notices don’t necessarily go out all at the same time. We don’t want you to wait any longer than you have to. If you haven’t heard from us, it means you’re still somewhere in the process. The final selection is expected to be made by November 30th at the latest.
The 2027 WinterWorks New Play Festival will take place at Third Avenue PlayWorks in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin over the last three weeks of February. You should potentially be available for all three weeks when you apply, but each playwright will only be in residence for one week if they are offered a workshop. Workshops offered in the festival are successive, not concurrent.
Once invited to participate, playwrights are assigned a director and a dramaturg, with a company of actors joining the team when the festival begins. During the rehearsal process, playwrights are welcome to rewrite the play as much as they would like.
Selected playwrights will be provided with transportation to and from Sturgeon Bay, housing accommodations, and a $600 honorarium.
The plays in the WinterWorks New Play Festival are presented as staged readings.
Selection in the WinterWorks New Play Festival is not a guarantee of a full production.
Don’t worry about which one you think we might want, what you think a Door County audience will like, or even what’s “marketable” – that’s not what we’re here for. We’re interested in the play that you are most passionate about working on right now. We’re interested in your voice and your vision.
We are only accepting one submission per playwright. We’re looking for what you’re most passionate about working on right now!
We are not accepting musicals at this time. (But we are happy to talk about your small cast musical at another time.)
Yes, if you have received the rights to adapt it or the piece you are adapting is in the public domain, and the play fits all other criteria.
We can only accept submissions from playwrights authorized to work in the United States. We cannot sponsor visas at this time.
Yes, we love solo performances. If you intend to perform the play as well, please make that clear in your artistic statement. Before offering a slot in the festival we may request an additional conversation to determine developmental needs for your project.
Shoot an email to Jacob Janssen, Jackie and Steve Kane Artistic Director at Third Avenue PlayWorks and producer of the WinterWorks New Play Festival.