The New Works Virtual Festival Begins Tonight

The first-ever New Works Virtual Festival kicks off tonight! Every evening from December 5th - 25th of 2020 at 8PM EST/5PM PT, the New Works Virtual Festival will stream video readings of 20 new scripts of non-musical pieces (19 plays, 1 teleplay) as well as an 21st (a "Christmas Special") featuring the work of a diverse group of writers and all-star cast members. The festival will be streamed on YouTube, donations encouraged, all of which will benefit the Actors Fund. The event received roughly 700 script submissions.

NWVF's lineup of 20 plays in 7 days will consist of non-musical pieces. Titles presented (in chronological order) will be "Oscar & Walt" by Donald Steven Olson (12/05), "Secret Hour" by Jenny Stafford (12/06), the teleplay "Bloomer Girls" by Emily Brauer Rogers (12/07), "The QoL Mandate" by Hope Villanueva (12/08), "In the Gutter" by John Morogiello (12/09), "Til Jason Comes" by Dan Lauria (12/10), "Now You See It, Now You Don't" by Mike Gingerella (12/11), "A Mighty Road To Heaven" by Andre Zucker (12/12), "So When Are You Leaving?" by Sheila Rinear (12/13), "Happy Couples" by Connie Dinkler (12/14), "We the People" by Harrison Zeiberg (12/15), "Otherwise Engayged" by Hal Katkov (12/16), "Four Horses" by Mary Beringer (12/17), "The Wickham Way" by Rachel Ladutke featuring music by Lisa Brigantino (12/18), "Collegeburg USA" by Kerri Kochanski (12/19), "Family Game Night" by Peter Kennedy (12/20), "Cud'n Helen Ain't Got No Color" by Sharon Warrick (12/21), "March 9, 1965" by Stanley Hathaway (12/22), "A Man with No Opinion" by Kevin Wiczer (12/23), "Frontiers" by Andrew Apollo (12/24), finishing with the Christmas Special, "Farce Day of Christmas" by Ken Levine (12/25).

The festival will feature theatrical talent such as Tony Award winners Anthony Crivello, Santino Fontana, Shuler Hensley, Tonya Pinkins, John Rubinstein, Tony nominees Kevin Chamberlin, Robert Cuccioli, Carmen Cusack, Andy Grotelueschen, Daniel Jenkins, Richard Kind, Liz Larsen, Eva Noblezada, and Robert Torti, three-time nominees Marc Kudisch and Mary Testa, four-time nominee Judy Kuhn, as well as internet and radio personality Seth Rudetsky. Stars of the screen such as Oscar Winner Marlee Matlin, Emmy winners Ted Louis Levy, Robert Wuhl, and six-time winner Bruce Vilanch, nominees Christy Carlson Romano, George Wendt, and three-time nominee Mia Moravis, Golden Globe winners Marsha Manson and Kathleen Turner, and nominee Joely Fisher. NWVF is produced by Kevin Pollack, Jim Auld, and Bart Shatto, and is executive produced by Chaz Ebert.

The festival's mission statement reads; "Our goal is to create a diverse team supporting diverse works from many perspectives, cultures, religions, and voices. We strive for inclusivity in all areas. We are committed to works that connect us as human beings and bring us closer to a better understanding of who we are."

NWVF will also feature Krystina Alabado, Amir Arison, Matthew Arkin, Jim Auld, Roman Banks, Brittany Baratz, Christina Bianco, Taylor Blackman, Brenda Braxton, Rebecca Brooksher, Larry Joe Campbell, Geoffrey Cantor, Zane Carney, Megan Cavanagh, Miguel Cervantes, Kevin Chamberlin, Mary Chieffo, Bryan Terrell Clark, Travis Cloer, Carrie Compere, Eddie Cooper, Olivia Coronel, Lee Curreri, Carmen Cusack, Katherine Damisch, Darius de Haas, Natascia Diaz, Samson Dube, Chaz Ebert, Eden Espinosa, Ali Ewoldt, Tricia Leigh Fisher, Jennifer Fouche, Madeline Franklin, Ellis Gage, Alan H. Green, Jenna Leigh Green, Tyce Green, Andy Grotelueschen, Tyler Hardwick, Elaine Hendrix, Philip Hernández, Rodney Hicks, Zach Infante, Aisha Jackson, Jawan Jackson, Adam Jacobs, Daniel Jenkins, Eliazar Jiminez, Rachel Elise Johnson, Oyoyo Joi, Patrick Oliver Jones, David Josefsburg, Luka Kain, Andy Karl, Mykal Kilgore, Richard Kind, Keith Byron Kirk, Leigh Ann Larkin, Dan Lauria, L Morgan Lee, Ted Louis Levy, Genny Lis-Padilla, Mateo Lizcano, Kate Loprest, Beth Malone, Mehret Marsh, Marsha Mason, Samantha Massell, Francis Mateo, Jeff McCarthy, Meecah, Joseph Melendez, Connor Mills, Joseph Morales, Glenn Morshower, Orfeh, Stuart Pankin, Myles Phillips, Jonah Platt, Kevin Pollack, Deanna Reed-Foster, Alexander Rios, Vincent Rodriguez III, Christy Carlson Romano, Jon Rua, John Rubinstein, Seth Rudetsky, Lindsay I. Ryan, Sharone Sayegh, Laura Schein, Kaylin Seckel, Thom Sesma, Adam B. Shapiro, Bart Shatto, Ray Shell, Mavis Simpson-Ernst, Mary Stout, Tracie Thoms, Zo Tipp, Robert Torti, Michael Tourek, Kathleen Turner, Sam Underwood, Vishal Vaidya, Sal Viviano, Adrienne Walker, Nik Walker, Jon Patrick Walker, James Wesley, Richard White, Mackenzie Williams, Brynn Williams, Jason "Sweettooth" Williams, Michael-Leon Wooley, Robert Wuhl, Michael Yeshion, and more.

The team is proud to be working with their official media sponsor, Broadway World, Robin Carus Casting, and raising money for the Actors Fund, the national human services organization dedicated to meeting the needs of the entertainment community, providing services like emergency financial assistance, affordable housing, health care and insurance counseling, senior care, secondary career development and more. Learn more about them at www.actorsfund.org.

Like and subscribe to the New Works Virtual Festival on Facebook and YouTube as well as @newworksvirtualfestival on Instagram and @NWVfestival on Twitter for announcements and information. Use the hashtags #NWVFest and #NewWorksVirtualFestival for all related content.

DONATE TO THE ACTORS FUND by visiting www.actorsfund.org/nwvfest

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