Stage Partners Launches Second Year Of New Play Commissions

Stage Partners, an independent theatrical publishing company, has announced the continuation of two new play commissions. The first, in conjunction with the Educational Theatre Association, will be awarded to playwright Peter Gil-Sheridan, to write a one-act play that will be workshopped the 2025 International Thespian Festival (ITF).

The second, in partnership with California Thespians, will commission a new one-act play from playwright Weston Scott, which will premiere in early 2026 at the California Thespian Festival. Both partnerships will give students and teachers the opportunity to participate in new play development, while offering playwrights resources to create a new play that will receive a public performance, and subsequent publication and licensing by Stage Partners. These unique commissions are both returning for their second year. The inaugural commissions resulted in the productions and subsequent worldwide releases of both TJ Young's Reel Times at Somerset High and Min Kahng's The Fullest.

"After a successful first year, we are thrilled to working with Peter and Weston on these brand-new plays through our educational partnerships. By continuing these commissions, we further our commitment to connect playwrights with theatre groups for the benefit of all the artists involved," says Stage Partners Co-founder and Artistic Director Jason Pizzarello.

CA Thespians Executive Board Member Michelle Richarson adds, "We love that we can make this happen again! It was a great experience for the school to have the playwright come and see their performance. Overall, it was a positive experience at the LA/Inland Play Festival."

Peter Gil-Sheridan's play Retreat will receive a premiere workshop reading at this year's ITF in June 2025. Students attending the festival will have the opportunity to participate in the workshop, helmed by Maria McConville, Director of Education and Engagement at Stage Partners. Application and audition information can be found on the ITF website. This is the second year this commission is taking place. Last year's festival culminated in a successful workshop of TJ Young's Reel Times at Somerset High, which was published by Stage Partners.

Playwright Weston Scott will develop an original one-act play for a California high school theatre troupe to premiere at the State Thespian Conference in 2025. Applications for the opportunity will open March 24, 2025, and the selected California school will have the opportunity to work directly with Scott on the development of the script, which will premiere as part of the state festival in January 2026. Weston Scott shares: "As a playwright, nothing is more electrifying than tailoring a piece for a specific group of actors. I'm thrilled to collaborate with the cast to create a riveting, original play that exhibits their unique artistic strengths."

Stage Partners is an independent play publisher dedicated to making exceptional new plays accessible to all theaters and schools. Founded and run by writers experienced in theatrical licensing, Stage Partners aims to make finding the perfect new play easy, engaging, and exciting, whether you are a new drama teacher or an experienced artistic director. With scripts that are always free to read, lightning-fast licensing, and a passionate staff, Stage Partners is committed to offering industry-best services to both its customers and its playwrights. www.yourstagepartners.com

Weston Scott is a playwright and lyricist who loves the fine line between horror and comedy. As a playwright, Wes wrote Cannibal and Deaths We Don't Sing About, and is the current Resident Playwright at Exit Pursued by a Bear on California's Central Coast. As a lyricist, Wes worked on Shoshana in December (NEA ArtWorks recipient) and Tinderella; the modern musical, which received nine Bay Area Critics' Circle nominations and was named a Theatre Bay Area Finalist for Outstanding World Premiere Musical. And as a general comedy boyo, Wes created JFK 'n Me and Green Eggs... and Man? with Adam KuveNiemann as part of the comedy duo Wes & Adam. Theaters where Wes has created or developed new work include Z Space, FaultLine Theater, Custom Made Theater Co., Stumptown Stages, and PianoFight. Wes is a Resident YouthStage Director at the Berkeley Playhouse and the founder of the Hapgood Theater Project in Lompoc, CA. He is an Associate Artist of FaultLine Theater and a proud member of the Dramatists Guild.

Peter Gil-Sheridan is a Cuban-American playwright whose play This Space Between Us had its world premiere off-Broadway with Keen Company. The play was developed by The New Harmony Project and Page 73 Productions as part of the P73 Residency. Cockfight, originally written at Soho Rep's Writer/Director Lab, was developed by PlayPenn and recently produced as a podcast by The Parsnip Ship. His play Useful People was developed by Powerhouse. His newest play, Maybe When You're Older, was developed at PlayLabs as part of their 20/20 Commission program and had its world premiere there. Topsy Turvy Mouse was produced by the Cherry Lane Mentor Project and Borderlands Theatre and was the winner of The Smith Prize, awarded by NNPN for outstanding political work. Residencies include the Jerome Fellowship, Stillwright, The Sundance Institute, The Millay Colony, The Ucross Foundation, and the Tofte Lake Residency. He's performed his solo piece People Tell Me Things at several venues across the U.S., including Ars Nova's ANTFest, Identity, Inc. in Farmington, NM, Ucross in Wyoming, and Martha's Vineyard. Peter is the Playwriting professor at Vassar College. MFA: Iowa. BA: Fordham.