The Knox College Department of Theatre has announced a call for submissions for New Plays Festival V, set to take place in the spring term of 2025. This festival, held every three years following Repertory Term, celebrates the creative talents of Knox students, alumni, and faculty.

The idea for the New Plays Festival was first proposed by Smith V. Brand Distinguished Professor of Theatre Liz Carlin Metz in response to the burgeoning interest in playwriting among students in 2012. The arrival of Associate Professor of English and Theatre and Writer-in-Residence Sherwood Kiraly ’07 further fueled student enthusiasm. "We have always had strong writers creating new works— Tim J. Lord '98, Jennifer Ward '94, Ross Kelly '03, Nikki Acton '16, Aidan Murphy '18, and Maddie Mondeaux '15 all wrote Honors Projects that mounted original plays or adaptations," Metz said. Lord went on to obtain his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California at San Diego, while Ward obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree from The A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University. These are among many other alumni who went on to have career success in theatre. 

The department expanded from hosting one weekend of new play readings annually to having readings every term. The demand for playwriting courses also surged, leading to the introduction of three sections of Introduction to Playwriting and multiple advanced-level sections, all of which are consistently oversubscribed.

The New Plays Festival is a natural progression for the department, offering invaluable experiences for actors, stage managers, and directors. Even those who love theatre but don’t consider themselves playwrights can join the festival via the play reading committee. The committee reviews plays as they arrive and confer via Zoom. "New works are essential for keeping the art of theatre evolving—new plays bring new topics, new faces, new voices, new styles, new challenges, and new reflections of ourselves as human beings," Kiraly added.

To date, the festival has received 215 submissions, performed 95 scripts, and cast a total of 280 roles across all festivals.

How to Submit

Submit to: NewPlaysFest@knox.edu

Submission Closing Date: January 16, 2025 

Who can submit: Knox College-affiliated playwrights only

What to submit: Comedy, drama, satire, screenplays (Musicals will not be accepted at this time)

Length: No limit

Selection Notification Date: March 1, 2025

Festival Performance Dates: April 1-30, 2025 (Friday and Saturday nights)

Questions: Reach out to emetz@knox.edu or skiraly@knox.edu