about the New Play Festival

The Baldwin New Play Festival at UCSD (bnpf) is produced each Spring by the UCSD Theatre and Dance Department. In this exciting time, the resources and creative energies of the entire department are focused on producing three or more full-length plays and one or two one-act plays written by students in the UCSD MFA Playwriting Program.

The bnpf is the culmination of new play development that began in September with readings of the first drafts of the plays that are premiered in April.  Early December, each play had a weeklong workshop.  Our MFA actors, directors, stage managers, and designers who make up the companies for each production also participate in the readings and workshops.  La Jolla Playhouse Associate Producer Shirley Fishman and the Playhouse’s Literary Manager Adam Greenfield serve as dramaturges to the five productions.

BNPF is performed in three theatres over two weeks in late April. The second weekend, our Guest Weekend is a three-day event attended by a dozen theatre professionals from across the country including artistic directors, literary managers, agents, and playwrights. These Guests see all the plays, participate in small seminars and sit on a   panel in a discussion open to the public.  

The Festival is made possible by the generous support of
Ken and Ginger Baldwin.