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.