National New Play Network

Across the country, hundreds of new plays by emerging and established writers are developed each year, yet only a handful receive full productions on the regional professional theatre circuit. Among the plays that do receive world premieres, only a fraction go on to second, third, and fourth productions.  The economic concerns of the large regional theatres prevent them from taking artistic risks in their programming, pushing them to focus on a more tried-and-true theatrical repertoire.  As a result, emerging playwrights find greater success in working at small-to-midsize theatres which have a greater capacity to try new, daring theatrical ideas.

Woolly Mammoth is a charter member of The National New Play Network (NNPN), an alliance of small-to-midsize not-for-profit professional theatres that champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays for the American theatre.  NNPN members are the vanguard of a new revolution in American theatre through programs such as the Continued Life Fund.  CLF projects guarantee a new play three full productions that will allow the script to develop to its full potential as well as create momentum for the playwright across the country.  As the NNPN enters its tenth year of existence, we have already witnessed how powerful this collaborative effort can be, how it can help playwrights and theatres, how it can change audiences and the course of the American theatre.

For more information about NNPN’s programs visit their website at http://www.nnpn.org/.

NNPN 5th Annual National Showcase of New Plays

Woolly Mammoth hosted the 10th Annual Showcase in November, 2007. Plays presented at the Showcase included:

Jump/Cut (2003)

The Gigli Concert (2006)