CURTAIN RISING
Applications are now closed! Thank you to everyone who applied.
Winners will be announced March 10, 2025,
with the final presentation taking place on April 26, 2025.
Purpose
CURTAIN RISING is a Mini-Reading Festival dedicated to uplifting early-stage playwrights and their untold stories. This initiative creates an inclusive platform for diverse voices, fostering dialogue on themes of alienation, reconciliation, and humanity. We aim to inspire empathy, compassion, and social change through thought-provoking theater.
Presented by NewYorkRep and Sea Dog Theater
Awards & Benefits
Development Opportunity: Winning plays receive a 29-hour Equity developmental presentation with entire creative teams.
Financial Stipend: Winners are awarded the Gayle Waxenberg Award and a financial stipend.
Industry Exposure: Plays will be presented before theater patrons and professionals.
Festival Structure
Venue: Sea Dog Theater at St. George's Episcopal Church, 209 E. 16th Street, NYC.
Event Format: Two staged developmental readings with an intermission, followed by a celebratory award ceremony.
Dates:
Submissions Open: December 3, 2024
Submissions Close: January 10, 2025 (or upon reaching 25 accepted entries)
Winners Announced: March 10, 2025
Rehearsals: April 21–26, 2025
Final Presentation: April 26, 2025