21st annual new play festival to feature four readings on February 20-21, 2027 

 The Denver Center Theatre Company (DCTC) unveils the selected playwrights and full lineup for the 2027 Colorado New Play Summit (CNPS), its nationally recognized festival for new play development. The event is taking place over one weekend on February 20-21, and features readings of new plays by Alejandro A. Alonso Galva, Đavid Lee Huỳnh, Erica Jensen, and DeLanna Studi. The festival will also feature the world premiere productions of the 2025 CNPS plays, bogfriendsby jose sebastian alberdi and How to Conquer America: A Mostly True History of Yogurt by David Myers. 

Since its founding, the Summit has introduced 78 new plays, over half of which returned to the stage as full Theatre Company productions. Among the Summit world premieres are Denver native Jake Brasch’s The Reservoir, Samuel D. Hunter’s The Whale, Matthew Lopez’s The Legend of Georgia McBride, Lauren Gunderson’s The Book of Will, Lauren Yee’s The Great Leap, José Cruz González’s American Mariachi, Neyla Pekarek and Karen Hartman’s Rattlesnake Kate, Tanya Saracho’s FADE, Theresa Rebeck’s The Nest, Karen Zacarías’ Just Like Us, and Dick Scanlan’s reimagined version of The Unsinkable Molly Brown. 

“The Colorado New Play Summit is a celebration of the artists who help us see the world through bold new stories,” said Chris Coleman, Artistic Director of the Denver Center Theatre Company. “Alejandro A. Alonso Galva’s American Camelot offers a riveting look at ambition and the personal sacrifices demanded by public life. In Sorry, Mom (or Confessions of a Ragin’ Cajun Asian), Đavid Lee Huỳnh blends humor and a heartfelt reflection in a moving exploration of family and identity. Erica Jensen’s Black Friends tackles questions of belonging and self-discovery with wit and biting satire, and DeLanna Studi’s “I” Is for Invisible shines a powerful light on the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women through a gripping and deeply resonant story rooted in Cherokee culture and community. Together, these selected readings exemplify the bold artistry, diverse perspectives, and compelling conversations at the heart of the Summit, and we are thrilled to share them with our audiences.” 

Named a “must-see stop for new-play development” by American Theatre, the Colorado New Play Summit has become one of the country’s premiere festivals for developing new work and supporting rising playwrights. Participating playwrights are given rehearsal time with professional directors, actors, and dramaturgs to workshop the new plays. Industry professionals and the public are invited to meet the artists, experience staged readings, and provide feedback on the work as it is being developed.  

All-inclusive weekend packages, including 4 play readings, 2 world premieres, plus meals, and special events, are now on sale. A La Carte tickets will go on sale January 2027. 

THE NEW PLAYS  

American Camelot

by Alejandro A. Alonso Galva | Reading 

It’s that time in the presidential election cycle: political parties are looking for a hero, alliances are being forged, and every closed-door conversation could determine the fate of the nation. As a Black man, freshman Senator Samuel Bradley Jr. has always understood that his success represents more than his own dreams. But just when many on the Hill are starting to believe he is the leader to bring parties together and take the nation to new heights, his new girlfriend has him questioning the cost of duty. In this fast-paced tale of political intrigue, everyone – from dedicated staffers to scheming rivals – will have to reckon with how far they’re willing to go to put the right person in the Oval Office.   

Sorry, Mom (or Confessions of a Ragin’ Cajun Asian)

by Đavid Lee Huỳnh | Reading  

In this piercing, tender, irreverently funny solo-show, writer and performer Đavid Lee Huỳnh sets out to prove how French colonialism made it impossible for his mom to say, “I love you.” Everyone’s invited on Đavid’s theatrical journey through Vietnamese history, family lore, and the struggle we inherit – sprinkled with a little karaoke (of course) – striving toward a place of healing, laughter, and reconnection.          

Black Friends

by Erica Jensen | Reading 

Jessica was raised by white people. All of her friends are white. Everyone she works with is white. Jessica is Black. It’s 2022 and with everyone buzzing about DEI, Jessica is painfully aware that she is the only Black person in her life. So she does what any reasonable, identity-questioning, lonely Black woman would do. She rents a Black Friend. This smart, satirical comedy examines what it costs to fit in when you’re just trying to belong. 

“I” Is For Invisible

by DeLanna Studi | Reading 

A storm is coming. Sis is still missing. State authorities claim they can’t authorize an investigation since she’s a tribal citizen. Eldest daughter Wally has returned to her hometown to help her family, but when their efforts only turn up more worries, Wally decides to take matters into her own hands. Woven with Cherokee cosmology, “I” Is for Invisible is a heart-pounding thriller that confronts the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and the systems that allow their disappearances to go unanswered. As Wally races against the storm, she must reckon with what her family has lost, what their ancestors still carry, and what justice may demand. Because some stories refuse to be buried, and some voices will not be silenced.    

bogfriends

by jose sebastian alberdi
Directed by Joshua Kahan Brody 

World Premiere | Reading at the 2025 Colorado New Play Summit 

Tanner & Archie are struggling to keep history alive. Finn & Cillian are making plans for their future. Osgar & Irial died a long (long) time ago. When something buried deep in an Irish bog unexpectedly surfaces, these six souls are bound together by love, loss, and ancient peat. 

Why do we return to the people that hurt us – and can we ever really start fresh? In bogfriends, the question of whether we can live with the rot of our past becomes comically, achingly real. 

How to Conquer America: A Mostly True History of Yogurt

by David Myers
Directed by Margot Bordelon 

World Premiere | Reading at the 2025 Colorado New Play Summit  

Arlene is a pro at controlling the narrative. As an ambitious research assistant in 1975, she created the ad campaign that transformed yogurt from a strange foreign laxative into a lucrative American phenomenon. It would be a success story for the ages — it would — if only her dead dad could stay on script. Can Arlene wrangle this victory lap back on course, or will her father unravel the story she’s written for herself? How to Conquer America: A Mostly True History of Yogurt wrestles with culture, family, and identity in a heartfelt, dairy-filled take on the American Dream. 

The 21st annual Colorado New Play Summit 

February 20-21, 2027 

Our stories start with you… Before a story can sweep you off to another world comes a whole lot of collaboration. After coaxing an idea into a script, playwrights can rely on the expertise of dramaturgs, directors, and actors to offer valuable insights during their rewriting process. But nothing compares to presenting a piece to a live audience.  

Join us for the annual Colorado New Play Summit, where new works are shaped in real time. Your presence and response will help fuel the creative process of some of theatre’s most exciting voices as you experience four staged readings and two fully produced Denver Center Theatre Company productions: the world premieres of bogfriends and How to Conquer America: A Mostly True History of Yogurt, both of which were featured readings at the 2025 Summit.