Garden State New Play Festival Opens Submissions for 2026 Festival

Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) and The New Jersey Play Lab (NJPL) have announced the return of the Garden State New Play Festival (GSNPF)—a bold, collaborative, and deeply human approach to new play development. Submissions for the 2026 Festival are now open through August 15, 2025. To submit or learn more, visit www.njplaylab.org. For questions, email submissions@njplaylab.org.

Now in its second year, the Garden State New Play Festival provides an innovative model for how communities, artists, and institutions can come together to develop powerful new theatrical works that speak to issues of social justice, civic engagement, and the human condition. The 2026 Festival will culminate in a series of public presentations running May 1–17, 2026, but the development process begins long before, with curated dramaturgical guidance, community engagement opportunities, and advocacy partnerships tailored to each participating playwright.

“We believe that plays can do more than entertain—they can build bridges, deepen empathy, and create space for meaningful dialogue,” said Cheryl Katz, Founder and Senior Dramaturg at New Jersey Play Lab. “The Festival is an invitation to both playwrights and communities to imagine a better world—one story, one conversation, one page at a time.”

A Festival Built on Four Core Pillars:

• Community and Advocacy – Engaging New Jersey's artists, organizations, audiences, and activists in a shared dialogue about theatre as a vehicle for change.
• Awareness and Connectivity – Exploring how local and personal narratives connect to broader global movements.
• Artistic Equity and Exchange – Supporting a diverse cohort of artists across all career stages through a process rooted in learning, collaboration, and mutual respect.
• Craft and Excellence – Promoting best practices in new play development and serving as a resource for professional theaters across the state.

Unlike many traditional development festivals, GSNPF emphasizes process over product. Playwrights receive individualized dramaturgical support and are encouraged to work in close collaboration with communities through workshops, classroom visits, and facilitated conversations. The aim: to foster a more inclusive, reflective, and responsive model of theater-making.

“At JCTC, we are committed to stories that matter—stories that challenge, that illuminate, that bring us together,” said Olga Levina, Executive Producer at Jersey City Theater Center. “This Festival reflects our belief that the act of making theatre is also the act of building community. We are honored to be co-stewards of this transformative initiative.”

Call for Submissions: Open July 1 – August 15, 2025

The Garden State New Play Festival welcomes submissions from playwrights of all career levels residing in New Jersey, New York City, or the Philadelphia metropolitan area. There are two submission categories:

• Early Career – Writers who may be new to playwriting or have limited professional experience
• Emerging or Professional – Writers with a portfolio of work and development or production experience

Each selected playwright will engage in a months-long process (November 2025 through May 2026), including dramaturgical meetings, public engagement opportunities, and presence at festival events in and around Jersey City.

To submit or learn more, visit www.njplaylab.org. The deadline for submissions is August 15, 2025. For questions, email submissions@njplaylab.org.

New Jersey Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. THE LITTLE MERMAID (HOWELL PAL THEATRE COMPANY)

3.3% of votes

2. HAIR (Vanguard Theater Company)

2.9% of votes

3. GREASE (Plays-in-the-Park)

2.9% of votes

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