How It Works:
New Voices for the Theater is a statewide playwriting competition that provides an opportunity for Virginia 9th-12th grade students to develop their submitted one-act plays in collaboration with theater professionals and their peers.
In the spring SPARC selects six youth playwrights to participate in the two-week New Voices program. The first week features virtual playwriting workshops led by a professional playwright as facilitator and mentor. In the virtual workshops students will revise their winning plays, develop new works, and learn about the craft of playwriting.
In week two of the program SPARC brings the playwrights together for a live, shared experience in Richmond, VA hosted by SPARC. Here, the chosen playwrights will work side by side in rehearsal with professional theatre directors and actors in preparation for live, in-person staged readings of their winning plays at SPARC’S Sara Belle November Educational Theater. This second week of the program is an overnight residency, where student playwrights spend the night on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.
All playwrights who submit to the program, regardless of their selection status, will receive meaningful feedback from SPARC to support the further development of their plays.
New Voices 2026 will take place from June 15 to 28, 2026. The first week (June 15 to 18) will take place via virtual workshops. The second week (June 21 to 28) will take place as an in-person residency at VCU, facilitated by SPARC in Richmond, VA.
Helpful Information for New Voices:
When is the deadline to submit a one act play?
January 5, 2026
How many plays can I submit?
If you have more than one story to tell, you can submit as many plays as you like! All scripts must be original. Please do not submit adaptations of other authors’ work, film screenplays, or musicals.
Will I receive feedback on my play?
Yes. Each play submission is evaluated by a script committee member, and their written feedback will be shared with the playwright. Please note that scores will not be divulged to the student playwrights.
When do I find out if I am a finalist?
Finalists are announced in the spring of each year, around April or May. Winners are chosen from among the finalists.
How are the finalists and winners selected?
Each one act play submission is read by members of the New Voices for the Theater Script Committee. Members have expertise in both theatre and creative writing. The scripts are evaluated on a number scale and the highest scoring plays are passed along to the Playwright-in-Residence to select six winners.
If my play is selected, will there be a fee to participate?
No fees! SPARC is pleased to offer this program free to all participants.
What happens during the virtual workshops in first week of the program?
The first week is concentrated on developing and editing the winning plays with the Playwright-in-Residence’s guidance and mentorship. All workshops will take place virtually.
What happens during week two, with the in-person rehearsals?
The second week, student playwrights will relocate to Richmond to participate in the staging of their plays. They will be in the rehearsal room with professional directors, student actors, and student stage managers in preparation for the Festival of New Works. SPARC will cover the cost of lodging and meals for the youth playwrights.
How are the plays that will be produced at the Festival of New Works selected?
The selected plays will be minimal in nature with small cast sizes, limited scene locations, simplistic technical needs, etc.
What is the Festival of New Works?
A culmination of the playwrights’ hard work in collaboration with the directors, actors, stage managers, and actors. The 36th Festival of New Works will take place in late June 2026 at Henrico Theatre. After each play there will be a talk back with the playwright for audience members to learn more about the playwriting process and the New Voices program.
Is there a cost to the Acting Company or Stage Management Cohort?
There is no cost to participating in New Voices as an actor or stage manager.
Major funding for New Voices for the Theater is provided by:
E. RHODES AND LEONA B. CARPENTER FOUNDATION
Additional Support Provided By:
Altria, Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, Dominion Energy Foundation,
the R.E.B. Foundation, Robins Foundation, and Holly Rice & Vince Gilligan
Behind the Scenes:
