Premiere Play Festival Program Description
The Premiere Stages Play Festival encourages and develops the work of American dramatists living in the greater metropolitan area (New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut). In a time when the majority of professional theaters are producing revivals, Premiere Stages ensures that emerging dramatists are afforded the opportunity to have their work developed and produced in a safe and nurturing environment. In addition, Premiere Stages mounts one New Jersey premiere as part of each season in collaboration with the Kean Theatre Department. The Play Festival features the following five components:


Premiere Spring Reading Series
Professional playwrights are invited to submit original scripts that have not been professionally produced or published. Full plays are accepted from agents or through professional recommendation; unsolicited submissions are accepted in the form of a synopsis. A panel of arts professionals review submissions, and through a thorough evaluation process, three plays are selected for a public reading. The playwrights attend the rehearsals and the readings and participate in post-performance discussions with the audience and panel. Evaluation forms are distributed to patrons and a more detailed evaluation form is distributed to the panel. Casts for the readings are comprised of Equity professionals and Kean students. The panel meets with the Producing Artistic Director at the conclusion of the readings to discuss the plays and select two of the three for continued development. The three playwrights selected for readings each receive a cash royalty. All of the playwrights submitting scripts receive written evaluations of their work, upon request.


Kean Student Readings
Kean University students enrolled in Playwriting conclude their class with public readings of the work created in class. Premiere Stages produces the readings and casts them from a pool of Kean acting majors and Equity professionals. The Reading Series creates a collaboration between the Theatre Department and the English Department. A brief discussion with the audience follows each of the readings, held over two or three evenings. A post-performance reception is held for all of the participating playwrights on the final evening. Premiere Stages supplies professional playwrights as mentors to the students throughout the process.


Equity Staged Reading
One of the three spring finalists is selected for an Equity Staged Reading of his/her work. The play is rehearsed for ten days and is staged "book in hand" with full costumes, sound and lights. Sets are representational. The Staged Reading is performed over a long weekend. A talk-back with the audience follows each reading. At the end of the process, it is expected that the playwright will be one step closer to a full production of the play. As the presentation is a "work-in-progress", critics are not invited to the performances.


Regional Premiere
The spring finalist deemed to be the most advanced in its development is selected for a fully produced Equity production. This play is produced with Equity actors and, when age appropriate, Kean University students. The play is rehearsed for two and half weeks and runs for fifteen performances. The play is reviewed by the Star-Ledger and by local papers throughout the region. Talk-backs are held with the audience and an opening night reception is held to honor the playwright. New York publishers and producers are invited to the production. Kean University students receive Equity Membership Candidacy credits for their work as actors, understudies, and production assistants.


New Jersey Premiere
Premiere Stages and the Kean University Department of Theatre collaborate to produce a joint production to open the fall semester. The production features a cast comprised of Kean students and Equity professionals. The artistic team is comprised of outside working professionals and in-house professionals on the Faculty. The play is fully produced and is reviewed by the Star-Ledger and local papers. Through a special arrangement with Actors Equity Association, an Equity card is offered to a participating student (performer or stage manager) should the Theatre Department consider the student ready for professional affiliation.