New Play Lab

Fostering bold new voices through mentorship, community, and conversation.

The Players’ Ring is committed to supporting new play development and elevating emerging voices as part of our mission as a nonprofit arts organization in Portsmouth, NH.

Through our RING-WORKS program, we select promising plays from our annual Mainstage submissions—works we believe have great potential but may benefit from further development before being considered for a full production. Additional projects may be nominated for inclusion by our staff, Board, or community members familiar with the program. 

Each selected playwright is paired with mentor Leslie Pasternack, a local playwright, director, and dramaturg, for one-on-one feedback and guidance. The script is then shared with our Ring Readers’ Club, a community of theatre lovers who participate in moderated Zoom-based discussions with the playwright in attendance.

The process culminates in a live staged reading and talkback at the theatre, where the audience plays a vital role in shaping the play’s next steps.

This program is made possible thanks to the generous support of The Eppes-Jefferson Foundation

and Kennebunk Savings | Community Promise

These are the works developed through our Season #34 New Play Lab:

Moms the Musical by Jennifer Lake

Beast of Eden by Will Saxe

Things Get Ugly by Doug Brendel

We are currently in the process of selecting the works that will be part of Season #35. Stay tuned for the announcement in May—new voices are stirring.

If you’re a curious audience member who wants to take part in the creative process, sign up below to join our Ring Readers’ Club and help shape the future of local theatre.