National Showcase of New Plays Set for Florida Studio Theatre's Keating Theatre, 11/21-23

Playwrights, directors, and agents alike will gather in Florida Studio Theatre's Keating Theatre on November 21, 22, and 23, 2014 for the National Showcase of New Plays. The National New Play Network is the country's alliance of nonprofit theaters that champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays. Six plays will be selected and presented at the showcase. This event is by invitation only. For more information and available updates, please visit floridastudiotheatre.org.

This event showcases new plays, playwrights, and theatres from across the country in a staged reading format. Of the over 60 plays submitted, 23 are currently being read and considered for this opportunity.

FST Artistic Director, Richard Hopkins, shared his thoughts on this upcoming gathering: "I am delighted to host the National New Play Network. This event will give Sarasota the opportunity to see the power of NNPN's creative collaboration at work and up close.

NNPN member theatres will have the chance to see FST and Sarasota at work and at play. NNPN is the joint effort of dozens of theatres working together to create new plays. Most audiences know that every play is a collaboration of extraordinary magnitude involving dozens to hundreds of artists and artisans, working together to craft a unified whole we call a play. Now multiply that times dozens of theatres and the results are multiplied. The result is more new voices entering the American Theatre, and more new plays entering our living, evolving, and contemporary repertoire. NNPN theatres make a difference in the world of new play development, and that means we make a difference to the American Theatre. We're proud to be a part."

FST Managing Director and NNPN Executive Board member, Rebecca Hopkins commented on the scale and timing of this event stating, "The showcase is definitely the biggest undertaking of the year for NNPN. It is more than just the 6 plays, although they are the centerpiece. It is an opportunity for the different theatres to connect and develop multiple partnerships. The result is not only Rolling World Premieres, but other creative collaborations. These have included everything from joint play festivals, dramaturgy, and even solving design elements. We have been in talks to host the event for several years, but wanted to wait until we were finished with our construction project. We are very happy to host all these artists and introduce them to Sarasota. We now have the capability of hosting the showcase in the Keating and Goldstein while our Mainstage and Cabaret operate uninterrupted in the Gompertz and the Court."

This showcase gives a unique and invaluable opportunity for dozens of production-ready new plays to be viewed by artistic directors, literary managers, literary agents, publishers, and independent producers from around the country. In the past eight years, of the more than 100 plays read at the Showcase more than 80% have received their initial production within the next three seasons.

FST Associate Artist, Jason Cannon speaks to the excitement of this upcoming showcase stating, "The NNPN Showcase is an electric jolt of new play energy! Well over a hundred theatre artists and playwrights from around the country will visit FST to explore and celebrate half a dozen new plays culled from over 60 submissions. Based on previous showcases, we fully expect that half or more of these finalist plays will subsequently receive their world premieres at NNPN theatres. FST is a proud core member of NNPN and thrilled to host this exciting event, a collision of playwrights and producers that springs from the heart of our mission to be cutting-edge, contemporary, and accessible."

Executive Director of NNPN, Nan Barnett, further commented on this exciting weekend stating, "National New Play Network is delighted to be bringing our membership and industry guests to Sarasota. The beautiful facilities of Florida Studio Theatre are perfect for this event, our largest each year. The wonderful staff and artists of FST will, I'm sure, make the weekend one of our best ever. This showcase includes more than 100 theater-makers, artistic directors, literary managers, producers, and playwrights from around the U.S. They will all join together to see readings of six as yet, unproduced plays. Sharing updates about the new work they are creating around the country, it's also a time to enjoy the Gulf and all that Sarasota has to offer. We can't wait."

Many of these plays are also presented as NNPN Rolling World Premieres in which a playwright develops a new work with at least three different creative teams, for at least three different communities of patrons. This allows the playwright to be a part of the process. Working on the script with each company during the rehearsal and run, adjustments can then be made based on what is learned from each leg of the "roll." In 2010, FST kept things turning with Shotgun, a Rolling World Premiere in Keating Theatre, and then again in 2012 with Jericho.

This rare behind the scenes congregation happens once a year, and this year, on November 21, 22, and 23, 2014, it all comes to FST. This event is by invitation only. For more information and available updates, visit floridastudiotheatre.org.