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| New Plays Exchange | |
|---|---|
| Name | New Plays Exchange |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Kate Gaich (co-founder) |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Services | Playwrights' database, script hosting, licensing, dramaturgy resources |
| Website | (omitted) |
New Plays Exchange New Plays Exchange is an online platform that connects playwrights, theaters, literary managers, and producers by hosting scripts and facilitating submissions. The service serves as a repository and discovery tool linking American and international dramatists with regional theaters, festivals, educational institutions, and commissioning bodies. Operating at the intersection of contemporary playwriting, theatrical production, and digital libraries, it has been referenced by artists and organizations across the performing arts sector.
New Plays Exchange was established in the early 2000s during an era when digital archives and online submissions began transforming the practices of theatrical institutions such as the Public Theater, Royal Court Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, and National Theatre in London. Founding activity drew upon networks of playwrights associated with ensembles like Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Ensemble Studio Theatre, LaMama Experimental Theatre Club, Theatre for a New Audience, and academic centers such as Yale School of Drama, Juilliard School, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and Brown/Trinity Rep MFA. Early adopters included dramaturgs and literary managers from institutions including Arena Stage, La Jolla Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and festivals like the Humana Festival of New American Plays and Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The platform evolved alongside initiatives such as Playwrights Horizons commissioning programs, collaborations with service providers like Dramatists Play Service and Samuel French (Concord Theatricals), and policy changes in organizations like the Authors Guild concerning digital rights and licensing. Its growth reflected shifts visible in events like the Obie Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama which spotlighted new plays and playwrights seeking professional productions.
The stated mission emphasizes access, discovery, and facilitation of new dramatic work for companies such as Roundabout Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, The Old Globe, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and educational theaters including Baltimore School for the Arts and Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. Services include searchable script hosting used by literary offices at institutions such as Lincoln Center Theater, American Conservatory Theater, Mark Taper Forum, and regional networks like League of Resident Theatres (LORT). The platform supports submission processes for festivals and competitions run by entities like Theatre Communications Group, National New Play Network, Sundance Institute Theatre Lab, and academic playwriting prizes associated with PEN America and other arts organizations.
The service also facilitates rights inquiries and evaluations relevant to licensing houses such as Theatrical Rights Worldwide, connects with residency programs like O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, and aids dramaturges affiliated with artists in the orbit of companies like Bangarra Dance Theatre or collectives such as The Wooster Group.
Technically, the platform operates as a centralized digital repository providing metadata, search filters, and version control similar to archival practices at institutions like Library of Congress and university libraries including Columbia University Libraries and Harvard Theatre Collection. Its architecture integrates content management patterns used by arts databases like Playbill and ticketing/production workflows referenced by organizations such as Ticketmaster and Eventbrite for scheduling and outreach. Security and rights-management features mirror approaches from publishing services used by Oxford University Press and Random House to protect playwrights’ intellectual property.
The interface supports queries by playwright, title, theme, and production-ready status, enabling literary managers and artistic directors from companies such as Seattle Repertory Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Alliance Theatre, and Minneapolis Playwrights Center to discover work. Analytics and reporting tools inform commissioning decisions in laboratories and institutions like Berkeley Rep's Ground Floor Development Program and foundations such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Membership tiers accommodate individuals and organizations, with accounts used by playwrights affiliated with unions like Actors' Equity Association or writers connected to agencies such as Creative Artists Agency and ICM Partners. Institutional subscriptions are common among regional theaters, university departments, and festivals including Z Space and Boston Court. Access protocols reflect common contractual arrangements seen in agreements from Dramatists Guild of America and professional membership bodies including Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
The platform’s policies have been discussed in contexts alongside submission platforms used by New York Theatre Workshop and The Vineyard Theatre, shaping standard practices for blind submissions, fee structures, and archival retention.
Plays discovered or promoted via the platform have entered production pipelines at theaters like A Contemporary Theatre (ACT), McCarter Theatre Center, Long Wharf Theatre, and educational productions at Northwestern University and University of California, Berkeley. Partnerships include collaborations with festivals such as FringeNYC, residencies at The New Victory Theater, and organizational initiatives operated by National Endowment for the Arts grant recipients. The platform has been used by companies programming seasons for venues such as St. Ann's Warehouse and New York Theatre Workshop.
It has also interfaced with playwright development programs at institutions like The Juilliard School and The Old Vic, and with licensing partners connected to Concord Theatricals for bridging script discovery and commercial production.
Critical reception among dramaturgs, literary managers, and playwrights has noted the platform’s role in democratizing access to scripts for entities from Off-Broadway houses to community theaters and university programs. Commentators have likened its utility to digital transformations spearheaded by organizations such as Smithsonian Institution and arts service groups including HowlRound. Evaluations by cultural funders and critics referencing awards like the Tony Awards and Obie Awards have underscored its contribution to the pipeline feeding contemporary theater seasons and new-play ecosystems.
Category:American theatre organizations