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 New Play Lab, 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, 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 SCRIPTs developed through our Season #35 New Play Lab:

An Empty Sky | Written by Newburyport-based playwright Joshua Faigen, “An Empty Sky” depicts a love relationship struggling to blossom “in a time of political strangeness”, grappling with many current themes in an imaginative and humane way.

Ring Readers Zoom Conversation: Tuesday | September 17 at 7 PM (free admission)
>>> Sign up at this link <<<

Staged Reading and Talkback: Tuesday | October 27 at 6:30 PM ($10 admission)
>>> Secure your tickets <<< 

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