Ojai Playwrights Conference New Works Festival at Ojai Playwrights Conference

OPC’S 2025 New Works Festival will include presentations of fresh new work and unique events designed to foster connections between the playwrights of today, the artists of tomorrow, and YOU. Playwrights receive a two-week workshop to develop their new plays, culminating in a public performance of their work at OPC’s New Works Festival, July 31 - Aug 3 in Ojai, California. For the Festival, five writers will be joined by professional actors and production teams who help bring their vision to life; all eight of the playwrights will participate in events as part of the OPC artist community.

Playwrights and their plays to be presented in the Festival include award-winning playwrights: Lisa D’Amour, Heléne; Marvin González De León, Madre de Dios; JuCoby Johnson, The Red Man; Deepak Kumar, Stories in Mother Tongues; and Regan Moro, burn for You.

OPC’s Writers-in-Residence also receive new play development support at the Conference, and participate in the Festival as part of the artist community. 2025 Writers-in-Residence will include celebrated playwrights Vivian J.O. Barnes, Shayan Lotfi, and Jennifer Maisel.

Directors for the Festival include:  Lindsay Allbaugh (burn for You), Jennifer Chang (Heléne), Khanisha Foster (The Red Man), Kimberly Senior (Stories in Mother Tongues), Laurie Woolery (Madre de Dios).

Dramaturgs include: Adrian Centeno (burn for You), Sonia Desai (Stories in Mother Tongues), Sarah Rose Leonard (Heléne, Madre de Dios), Jeff Liu (Writers-in-Residence), Naysan Mojgani (The Red Man).

The Festival’s company of actors includes stars from shows such as The Bear, Grimm, 24, The Rookie, Total Recall, Atypical, and The L Word: Generation Q. The full company includes: Mia Barron, Parvesh Cheena, Nik Dodani, Kai A. Ealy, Edwin Lee Gibson, Danny Gomez, Kanoa Goo, Joe Holt, Nicole Javier, Donna Simone Johnson, Rachel Keller, Meera Rohit Kumbhani, Anna LaMadrid, Michael Manuel, Bayardo De Murguia, Nija Okoro, Gita Reddy, Meera Simhan, Nedra Snipes, Rachel Ticotin, Jacqueline Toboni, Will Tranfo, and Bruce Young.

In addition to the five new plays, the Festival will include an evening celebrating new work by artists across the OPC community, including the 2025 Writers-in-Residence and students in the Youth Workshop and Intern programs. The weekend will also include a conversation with the playwrights, led by OPC Producing Artistic Director, Jeremy B. Cohen.

Festival passes and single tickets are available now. 

Festival Passes range from $80 - $400; all passes include preferred seating and meal options. Single tickets are general admission and donation-based (pay what you can). Schedule, play descriptions, and ticket/pass info at: ojaiplays.org/2025-new-works-festival.