The South Carolina New Play Festival (SCNPF) announced that it will move from a summer-only festival to a year-round festival with a summer and winter season.
During the Summer of 2027, SCNPF will present two private developmental workshops along with the SC’s Next Broadway Star Scholarship Contest and their annual Summer Broadway Cabaret, which will star TONY-winner Santino Fontana.
During the Winter of 2028, SCNPF will produce two World-Premiere Productions, their annual festival of 4 Staged Readings, a Late-Night Variety Show, and will add a Valentine’s Day Winter Broadway Cabaret.
“We are expanding the SCNPF developmental pipeline with Summer Workshops primed to become World Premiere Winter productions,” said Executive Director West Hyler. “We will continue our city-wide festival of staged readings, now in the winter, when local audiences and national industry leaders can more easily join us in championing the new voices that are shaping the future of the American theatre,” said Artistic Director Shelley Butler.
The South Carolina New Play Festival “Summer Season” will run from August 5-8, 2027. SCNPF will bring together creatives and actors to workshop two new musicals in consideration for a full production the following winter, allowing writers and directors more time to explore their shows prior to a full production, and including actors in the developmental period when the focus is more on process than on product. Festival donors and community partners will be invited to observe the workshops on Thursday, August 5, and Friday, August 6. To become an SCNPF VIP, and access the special workshop presentations, go to www.scnpf.org/become-a-vip
The 2027 SCNPF summer season will continue South Carolina’s Next Broadway Star, a scholarship program supporting talented teens across the state. Finalists will perform in a public competition before industry and educational leaders on Sunday, August 8. Applications for the 2027 Next Broadway Star Scholarship Competition will open November 20 and remain open until May 1.
Due to the enormous popularity of the Broadway Cabaret, SCNPF will now produce two Broadway Cabarets, a Summer and a Winter Cabaret. The Summer Cabaret will take place on Saturday, August 7, starring Tony Award winner Santino Fontana, whose 10 Broadway credits include his Tony-winning performance in Tootsie, his Drama Desk Awardwinning role in Brighton Beach Memoirs, and his Tony-nominated portrayal of Prince Topher opposite Laura Osnes in Cinderella. Other notable credits include playing the titular Hamlet at The Guthrie Theater as one of the youngest Hamlets in American theatre history and winning a Lucille Lortel, Obie, and Outer Critics Circle Award for Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Sons of the Prophet. He might be best known to worldwide audiences as Prince Hans in the Disney smash-hit animated film, Frozen. Other film and TV include starring roles in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Sisters opposite Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, Shades of Blue opposite Jennifer Lopez, and several TV Shows including The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Mozart in the Jungle, Fosse/Verdon, The Good Wife, Nurse Jackie, and Royal Pains.
The SCNPF “Winter Festival” will run for three weeks, from January 27 to February 14, 2028 with two World-Premiere productions running inside the historic Cristal Palace Spiegeltent. During the second weekend of the festival, Feb 3-6, four staged-readings of unproduced work by some of the best playwrights in America will be presented, and on the closing weekend, February 12-13, the festival’s featured acrobats will come together for a Late-Night Variety Show.
Finally, on February 14, SCNPF will present a very-special Valentine’s Day Broadway Cabaret.
Tickets for the World Premiere productions, Late Night Variety Show, Summer and Winter Cabarets, and Next Broadway Star will go on sale at a later date. Winter staged readings will remain free, with general admission tickets released one month before the festival on a firstcome, first-served basis.
Patron and VIP benefits extend across both the Summer and Winter festivals, including exclusive access to the Summer Workshop presentations, guaranteed seating to the Winter Staged Readings, and early access to tickets for the Broadway Cabarets. Become an SCNPF VIP now to enjoy a full year of SCNPF presentations while supporting the development of new plays and musicals at www.scnpf.org.
The South Carolina New Play Festival is led by Executive Director West Hyler, Managing Director Morgan Patterson, Artistic Director Shelley Butler, and Associate Artistic Director Kimberly Colburn. Casting is by Merri Sugarman, C.S.A. For full festival details, visit www.scnpf.org.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here