
NEC’s Cutting Edge Playhouse Presents: Emerging Playwrights Competition
Four plays by skilled and creative artists staged in May 2022
All performances held at Urban Stages
Overview
The Negro Ensemble Company will solicit scripts from emerging playwrights who are at this point unproduced. The objective in producing NEC’s Cutting Edge Playhouse: Emerging Playwrights Competition, in keeping with our stated mission, is to discover new and innovative works by skilled and creative artists. Four play scripts have been selected for production in May 2022. The works will be developed with the assistance of established professionals guiding the emerging artists’ works. Mounted productions will receive a 4-performance run, one production in each week in May, Thursday through Sunday. An added component of this project requires employment of theater professionals from design and production. The Company will hire talented performers both emerging and seasoned professionals to showcase fresh and important new works from our voice.
The scripts will be judged by a panel of professionals to determine the production with the most artistic content and the readiness for professional production. Audience members will also participate in judging the productions through voting cards distributed at each night of performance. The production rated with the highest score by the Panel of Judges will receive a slot in The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. season of productions in FY 2023. Prior to the mounting of the winning production, the play will be developed through workshop by NEC for a period no less than six (6) months. The production scored highest through tabulation of audience voting cards will be given a slot in NEC Annual Reading series and consideration for development and a slot in NEC FY23.
Videos
Highlights from Michele Baldwin’s interviews with the four finalist playwrights and directors in NEC’s Cutting Edge Playhouse: Emerging Playwright’s Competition. For the full interviews with each playwright and director visit each individual show page.
Why do I Write?
Directing for NEC

Unentitled
Charles White, Playwright
Florante Galvez, Director
Performances Thursday May 5, Friday May 6, & Saturday, May 7, 2022, @ 7:30PM, Sunday May 8, 2022, @3:00 PM

The Dream Chest
Scarlett Finney, Playwright
Gabrielle C Archer, Director
Performances Thursday May 12, Friday May 13, & Saturday May 14, 2022 @ 7:30 PM, Sunday May 15, 2022 @ 3:00 PM

#NWORD
Christian Elder, Playwright
DeMone Seraphin, Director
Due to unforeseen circumstances, #NWORD has been canceled and will be removed from the competition.
Please don’t come by. We will not be performing @ Urban Stages.
We apologize for the inconvenience and any confusion.

I Don't Have A Gun, Stop Shooting!
An American Tragedy
Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, Playwright
Vincent Scott, Director
Due to the spread of the Omicron Variant in NYC we are postponing the premiere of this production.
The show will go on when everyone is well. Thank you for your patience and watch for the NEW DATES!