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Education

NOW Lab

NOW Lab - New Omaha Works

The New Omaha Works Lab (NOW Lab) exists to support local playwrights in the Omaha metro area who are developing new work for the stage.

For the inaugural 2023 NOW Lab, the Omaha Community Playhouse selected two playwrights to provide an extended development process over the course of 8 months for their selected scripts. The goal of this process is to provide compensation, extended conversations, table reads, and workshop opportunities to help playwrights deepen their learning about their scripts.

Mission Statement

The mission of the NOW Lab is to develop, support and encourage new playwrights as they share their art through live theatre experiences.  Our goal is to grow and diversify the Omaha pool for playwrights in a way that reflects and benefits the entire theatre community.

Inclusion & Equity Statement

OCP will be a creative home that is for the community, by the community. We will use theatre to break down barriers to ensure we reflect on our past, genuinely listen in the present and step into the future, together, to create a space of belonging for all individuals who share their valuable time and extraordinary talents with our community.

Program Breakdown

The selected playwright(s) participated in the following program for six months:

June– Playwrights finalize their most recent draft for the development period.

July– Closed meeting with playwright cohort, director, dramaturg, and artistic staff to discuss current draft and to identify development goals for each piece.

August– Table reading of each piece with discussion and feedback session afterwards.

September/October– Playwrights will continue work on their draft and will participate in an exploration workshop with actors and a director.

November – Final workshop draft is rehearsed leading up to the public reading on Nov.23, 2024.

* Artists involved in the NOW Lab will receive compensation for their efforts/talents.

Qualifications to Apply

2024 NOW Lab

Qualifications:

  • Applicants must reside in the Omaha metro area.
  • Applicants must be willing to meet the responsibilities set forth above.
  • Submissions must be previously unproduced and unpublished.

Applications:

  • Submissions OPEN April 8, 2024
  • Submissions CLOSE May 3, 2024
  • For initial submissions, playwright must submit 20 pages of their script in PDF format, as well as a full synopsis and character breakdown. Additionally,  if submitting a musical, please include 2 song demo’s. Candidates who move to the final round must submit a full-length script in PDF format.
  • 10-minute play submissions will be accepted this summer.
  • Interviews with top candidates will take place throughout the process.
  • NOW Lab playwright(s) will be announced at the end of May 2024.

Applications are NOW OPEN, please submit HERE.

Questions? Please email  arodriguez@omahaplayhouse.com