NNPN National Showcase of New Plays 2024

2024 Showcase Registration Timeline

Hotel Booking Deadline: 3/25/24

Registration Platform: Eventbrite

Early Bird Registration (20% off) - $100 

• Opens 12/22/23 

• Closes 1/19/24 

General Registration - $125 

• Opens 1/20/24

• Closes 4/5/24

Late Registration - $150 

• Opens 4/6/24 

• Closes 4/17/24 

Day Pass Registration  - $25

• Opens 4/18/24 

• Closes 4/21/24 

About the Event

NNPN Member Theaters, Affiliated Artists, and Ambassadors are invited to the 2024 Showcase & 25th Anniversary Celebration of National New Play Network! Long a tentpole gathering of NNPN’s community, the 2024 National Showcase of New Plays will be held April 19-21, 2024 at Queens Theatre in Queens, NY.

Since 2002, NNPN’s National Showcase of New Plays has been a source of connection and collaboration and the launching pad for the development, production, and future life of new plays. Over the past two decades, as the Network has grown and changed, so too has this annual gathering. Now, after an intensive evaluation process, NNPN is piloting a suite of changes to Showcase aimed at centering connectivity, sharing a wide variety of artistic work, increasing transparency throughout the process, and aligning all aspects of the event. Showcase 2024 will be the first under this new model.

Attendees will experience first-hand the work of seven talented playwrights. Some of the playwrights will have their plays presented in a traditional music stand-style reading; others will have their work featured in a “Showcase Sharing,” a shorter, flexible format aimed at introducing a writer and their voice (rather than a particular play) to the Network. Gone are the days of spending a whole weekend in a different theater! Having multiple modes of presentation aims to better serve the artists whose work is being shown and the producers considering the work, but it will also create a more dynamic entertainment experience for all attendees.

Format isn’t the only thing that guests will find variety in; the selected plays will represent a wide range of content, theatrical form, playwright voices, nomination sources, and stages of development.

Between Readings and Sharings, facilitated activities, shared meals, and unstructured time will create opportunities for attendees to connect, share ideas, and plant the seeds for future collaboration. These engagement events will definitely include NNPN’s beloved Pitch Session and featured introductions of NNPN’s Producers in Residence and may also include affinity spaces, regional groups or a Queens-specific activity.

And, for those who are unable to join us in person, never fear! Wraparound activities are designed for virtual engagement, in lieu of or in addition to in-person attendance. Please hop on your computer for…

• Virtual Finalist Playwrights Slam: Thursday, March 28 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT/4pm AKT

  • An opportunity to be exposed to more than just the six Showcase plays, this fun and casual virtual gathering for Member Theater Staffers will feature excerpts of the Showcase Finalist plays straight from the source.

• Postscript: The Post Showcase Social: Thursday, May 9 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT/4pm AKT

  • A recap and celebration for all who participated in Showcase in some way – whether you read and evaluated scripts, attended the Virtual Finalist Playwrights Slam, joined NNPN in Queens, or all of the above.

Showcase Plays:

• The Invisible Hand of God Touched Me in a Bad Place by David Davila

• Homeridae by AZ Espinoza

• fire work by Mary Glen Fredrick

• Nerve by Minita Gandhi

• Bad Books by Sharyn Rothstein

• The World to Come by Ali Viterbi

• Close to Home by Sharifa Yasmin

View Full List of Selections & Finalists

Showcase Schedule:

Friday, April 19

• 1:00 PM: Orientation & Pitch Session

• 4:30 PM: The Invisible Hand of God Touched Me in a Bad Place and other work by David Davila

• 5:30 PM: Homeridae and other work by AZ Espinoza

• 6:30 PM: Dinner

• 8:00 PM: Close to Home by Sharifa Yasmin

Saturday, April 20

• 8:30 AM: Breakfast

• 9:30 AM: ‘New Perspectives on New Play Producing’ feat. NNPN’s Producers in Residence

• 11:00 AM: fire work by Mary Glen Fredrick

• 1:00 PM: Lunch

• 2:00 PM: The World to Come by Ali Viterbi

• 4:00 PM: Connectivity & Engagement Event

• 5:45 PM: Nerve and other work by Minita Gandhi

• 6:30 PM: Dinner

• 8:00 PM: Bad Books by Sharyn Rothstein

• 9:30 PM: Farewell Reception

Hotel Information

NNPN’s designated hotel for the 2024 Showcase is with the Hotel Indigo Flushing - LaGuardia. The NNPN discounted rate deadline has passed, but you can still book directly!

About Queens Theatre

Queens Theatre is the premier performing arts venue in Queens. Queens Theatre’s mission is to provide quality and diverse performing arts activities that are economically and geographically accessible to the 2.2 million residents of Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in the nation, and the surrounding metropolitan region. To foster greater cultural awareness and appreciation, the Theatre presents and produces programs that reflect this diversity and features international, national and local artists.

Learn more at queenstheatre.org.

Venue COVID Policy & Mask Mandates

As of September 12, 2022, Queens Theatre will recommend but no longer require masks to attend public events at Queens Theatre. Proof of vaccination requirements were dropped in April of 2022.

The continuing health of our community is important to us, and we will continue distributing free COVID test kits from our box office Tuesday-Friday 12pm-6pm. Additionally, masks will be available by request for any patrons attending a performance at Queens Theatre.

Queens Theatre reserves the right to amend and adjust its policies in response to local COVID transmission levels and requirements by local, state, and federal government agencies.

If you have any questions about your registration or attendee communications for Showcase, please contact NNPN Communications Associate Terry Li at terry@nnpn.org. Please allow up to 48 hours for a response.

If you have any questions about Core Member Theater reimbursements for Showcase travel expenses and/or booking your lodging at the Hotel Indigo, please contact NNPN Administrative Manager Rose Figueroa at rose@nnpn.org. Please allow up to 48 hours for a response. 

If you have any questions about programming, content, and virtual events for Showcase, please contact NNPN Programs Director Anne G. Morgan at anne@nnpn.org. Please allow up to 48 hours for a response.