NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT

The Blyth Festival is proud of its success in developing and producing new Canadian plays.

We have shepherded projects by celebrated and award-winning playwrights like Anne Chislett (Quiet in the Land, 1981; Another Season’s Harvest, 2006) and Michael Healey (The Drawer Boy, 2000; The Nuttalls, 2009), local and first-time playwrights like David Scott (There’s Nothing in the Paper, 1997; Ballad of Stompin’ Tom, 2006) and Denyse Gervais Regan (The Thirteenth One, 2005), as well as new works by Beverley Cooper and Paul Ciufo, both finalists for the Governor General's Award for Literature.

Before a new play can make its debut on stage it demands endless attention from the playwright, as well as from the creative team that provides direction and encouragement each step of the way. The Blyth Festival New Play Development Program is designed to work closely with playwrights to prepare their scripts for full-fledged production at producing theatres, not exclusively for production at the Blyth Festival.  

The number of new plays in active development with the Blyth Festival varies according to how each project is funded. Some projects are commissioned and developed directly through the Festival’s new play development budget. Others are supported by arts councils and foundations that offer funding directly to the playwright. In these cases, the Blyth Festival still supports the development by covering expenses for workshop readings and dramaturgy.

The play development process may include a reading, staged reading, or workshop, with dramaturgical guidance and support at each stage of the process. Due to the volume of submissions, the Blyth Festival does not accept unsolicited scripts.  Please refer to the Playwright Submissions page for guidlines.

Theatre Creators’ Reserve program

The Blyth Festival is pleased to announce that it has again been invited to participate in the Ontario Arts Council’s Theatre Creators’ Reserve program. Designed to provide funding for Ontario playwrights, the Theatre Creators’ Reserve is a third-party recommender program, administered by the Ontario Arts Council. Under this program, a number of Ontario’s professional theatres are given the opportunity to recommend writing or creation grants to professional theatre artists. This year, the Blyth Festival’s allocation of $9000 will be recommended to artists who demonstrate a clear understanding of the playwriting process. The minimum grant recommendation is $1000 and the maximum is $5000. 


In addition to the OAC Theatre Creators’ Reserve application form, please send a description of your project to:

Eric Coates, Artistic Director
Blyth Festival
P.O. Box 10
Blyth, ON
N0M 1H0

The description should include a synopsis, or an outline of the play’s possible direction. More importantly, it should articulate the aesthetic of the play. Is it realistic, etc? The entire description need not exceed a single page. Decisions will be made based on artistic interest and connection to Blyth’s constituency. If you have any questions, please contact Eric Coates at the festival. 

Theatre Creators’ Reserve program guidelines and applications are available on the OAC website: http://www.arts.on.ca

Please allow for the following dates:

Deadline for submissions to the Blyth Festival is January 9, 2012. All applications will be reviewed within seven (7) days of the deadline.

Deadline for the Blyth Festival recommendation(s) to the OAC is February 1, 2012.