New Play Development
Amplifying the voices of theater artists
As a producer of compelling new works, we are committed to championing the stories from new and established artists alike, amplifying the voices of emerging playwrights through our deeply collaborative programs and initiatives. We cultivate plays and musicals from over three dozen artists each year through developmental programs such as our Amplified Reading Series, Launch Commissions, and summer MixFest, celebrating writers from specific cultural communities.
The Judith Champion MixFest
MixFest is a festival of new plays that focuses on artists from specific cultural communities. Beginning with Latino MixFest (2010-2014) and continuing with Asian-American MixFest (2017), Middle Eastern MixFest (2018), Immigrant MixFest (2019), and African Caribbean MixFest (2021), First Gen MixFest (2022), and (Writ)ual Mix: Traditions of the Diaspora MixFest (2023), this collaboration explores and celebrates the wealth of diverse stories in the American theater and brings these artists into the Atlantic family.
Caribbean MixFest 2024, a series of free readings co-curated by theater artists Cristina Angeles and Patrice Johnson Chevannes and co-produced by Jean Carlo Yunén A, ran at Atlantic Stage 2, September 14 – 20, 2024.
Commissions Support
Atlantic’s robust commissioning program supports a range of writers from early career (with our Launch Commission program) to established writers such as Doug Wright (Posterity). Through our various commissioning opportunities we are thrilled to support ambitious, robust stories from a diverse group of writers.
Launch Commissions are offered annually to early-career playwrights who have not yet had an Off-Broadway production and have fewer than three commissions from mid-to-large size theater companies.
In addition to Launch, Atlantic has commissioned several artists that we greatly admire and are excited to work with.
Current commissioned artists
Jonathan Ames
Annie Baker
Isabelle Barbier (Judith Champion Launch Commission)
Jocelyn Bioh (Launch Commission)
France-Luce Benson (supported by New York State Council on the Arts)
Stephen Brown (Judith Champion Launch Commission)
Matthew Capodicasa (Judith Champion Launch Commission)
Kelley Nicole Girod (Launch Commission)
Lily Houghton (Launch Commission)
Stefani Kuo (Judith Champion Launch Commission)
Paola Lazaro (Launch Commission)
Shayan Lotfi (Judith Champion Launch Commission)
Martyna Majok (supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation)
Gloria Majule (Judith Champion Launch Commission)
Nikki Massoud (Judith Champion Launch Commission)
Qui Nguyen
Brian Otaño (Launch Commission)
a.k. payne (Judith Champion Launch Commission)
Deepa Purohit (supported by New York State Council on the Arts)
Abby Rosebrock (Launch Commission)
Melissa Ross (supported by New York State Council on the Arts)
Tori Sampson (Launch Commission)
Heidi Schrek (supported by Kenyon College)
Sanaz Toossi (supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation and Launch Commission)
Arun Welandawe-Prematilleke (Judith Champion Launch Commission)
Maxwell Yu (Judith Champion Launch Commission)
Institutional Support get in touch
All of Atlantic’s new play and musical development activities are made possible, in part, by leadership support from the Howard Gilman Foundation and The Tow Foundation, with additional funding from the Axe-Houghton Foundation, the Barbara Bell Cumming Charitable Trust, the Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, and the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
Atlantic productions and programs are also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, as well as the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.