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“Arguably local theater’s premiere event” – The Denver Post
Our stories start with you… Watching a play spring to life on stage might make you believe in magic. But before a story can sweep you off into another world, it takes a whole lot of humanity to make it possible. After coaxing an idea into a script, playwrights can rely on the expertise of dramaturgs, directors, and other writers to guide them through the editing process. But nothing compares to presenting a piece to a live audience, where the real-time reactions of a crowd elevate words into something more.
At the Colorado New Play Summit, it’s your time to shine as you meet some of theatre’s most promising writers while helping them fine-tune their work. Listen to play readings by fabulous actors, give your feedback on where you think the story should go, and enjoy two fully produced Theatre Company productions: the world premieres of Cebollas and Rubicon, both of which were featured readings at the 2022 Summit.
The inspiration doesn’t stop with the plays. Get to know the featured playwrights, directors, actors, and other creatives over delicious meals and at special events like the Summit Wrap Party. It’s your chance to meet the brightest minds in the craft and play an integral role in the future of Colorado theatre.
Premiere Sponsor:
Robert & Carole Slosky
Watch spotlights from the 2023 Summit
PACKAGE OPTIONS
2024 Colorado New Play Summit tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, December 8. Pre-Sale for DCPA subscribers and Radvantage members will begin on Thursday, November 30.
Purchase your package before 11:59pm on December 31, 2023 for Early Bird prices, listed below. Packages grant you access to all of the readings and plays featured in the Summit, plus two luncheons, the Summit Dinner, the Summit Party, and the Playwright’s Slam. If you’d prefer to only participate in one or a handful of readings, you can also purchase $15 A La Carte tickets for each.
General Admission, DCPA Subscribers | $184 | |
General Admission | $288 | |
General Admission, Students | $186.70 | |
General Admission, Ages 35 & Under | $205.50 |
2024 SUMMIT LINEUP
Cowboys and East Indians by Nina McConigley and Matthew Spangler | DCPA Commission
Adapted from Nina McConigley’s award-winning collection of short stories, Cowboys and East Indians follows the Sen family as they grapple with expectations and culture collisions moving from India to Wyoming.
For Lakshmi “Lucky” Sen, knowing what to do – or even herself – seems impossible. Her dad calls her a prairie dog, hesitant and scared on the side of the road, but what else could she be when she’s constantly pulled in different directions? Now as an adult, Lucky realizes she should have paid more attention to what her mom was trying to teach her, instead of obsessing over her idol, Dorothy Hamill. Desperate to fulfill her mom’s wish, a forgotten family secret resurfaces, and Lucky realizes there might be a lot more about her mom and being a “good Indian daughter” that she doesn’t know.
A rare exploration of rural immigrant experiences in the American West, Cowboys and East Indians examines the question of how one understands their identity when they don’t see a reflection of it in their community.
Nina McConigley
(she/her/hers) was born in Singapore and raised in Wyoming. Her short-story collection Cowboys and East Indians was the winner of the PEN Open Book Award and a High Plains Book Award. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Orion, High Country News, O, Oprah Magazine, Parents, Virginia Quarterly Review, American Short Fiction, and The Asian American Literary Review among others. In 2019-2020, she was a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and a 2022 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Creative Writing Fellowship. She teaches at Colorado State University.
Matthew Spangler
(he/him/his) The Kite Runner from Khaled Hosseini’s novel (Broadway, West End, U.S. & U.K. tours); Tortilla Curtain from T.C. Boyle’s novel (San Diego Rep); The Beekeeper of Aleppo co-written with Nesrin Alrefaai, from Christy Lefteri’s novel (U.K. tour); Albatross co-written with Benjamin Evett (Off-Broadway); Striking Back co-written with Kellie Hughes, from Mary Manning and Sinead O’Brien’s memoir (Dublin Theatre Festival); Operation Ajax co-written with Farshad Farahat; Forgotten Empress co-written with Farah Yasmeen Shaikh (Z Space, San Francisco). Matthew is Professor of Performance Studies at San José State University, California; and Writer in Residence at the Hinterland Festival, Ireland.
Ghost Variations by Vauhini Vara
Vauhini is a writer. She’s used to being able to describe human experiences in ways that help readers make sense of their world. This is what she does. But she can’t write about her sister’s death – not in a way that captures what she’s really feeling anyway.
Sparked by a bit of guilty curiosity, she begins what feels like an illicit experiment with an artificial intelligence program to see what – if anything – she and the algorithm can learn about the very human experience of grief. Part false memory, part uncanny truth, what follows is a series of vignettes that feel at once poetic, bizarrely comical, and vulnerable, all held together by lots of rewrites and a quest for healing.
Adapted from Vauhini Vara’s acclaimed essay Ghosts (The Believer, This American Life, and Best American Essays of 2022), Ghost Variations is a wholly unique, theatrical meditation on how we grieve in a technological world.
Vauhini Vara (she/her/hers). The author of the novel The Immortal King Rao (2022), a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; the story collection This is Salvaged (2023); and the essay collection Searches (forthcoming, 2025), which includes “Ghosts,” an essay about grief written with the use of artificial intelligence, from which her play is adapted. She teaches at Colorado State University as a 2023-24 Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing and at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop’s Book Project. She is also the secretary of Periplus, a mentorship collective serving writers of color.
Godspeed by Terence Anthony
It’s 1865 and slavery has been abolished in Texas. Having escaped slavery by fleeing to Mexico a decade earlier, a woman named Godspeed returns to the Lone Star State with a six-shooter, one bullet, and vengeance on her mind. She’s ready to stare down danger and near-certain death as she sets out on a perilous journey across Texas with Peklai, the Mexican woman who taught her to shoot, and Nelson, the bedraggled drunk who used to be her master. But, when the time comes to satisfy her own personal vendetta, an unexpected discovery will make her question if the vengeance she desires can deliver the justice she’s been seeking.
Steeped in the ethos of a classic Western, Godspeed casts light on an often-ignored chapter in the post-slavery history of the U.S., while taking the audience on an epic, escapist theatrical experience.
Terence Anthony (he/him/his) is a playwright, TV writer and artist based in Los Angeles. Terence’s work has been seen at the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, the Playpenn Conference, the Chicago Dramatists, the RADAR LA Festival and the Great Plains Theater Conference. In 2023 he was Executive Story Editor on the Paramount+ show “Lawmen: Bass Reeves”. Theater credits include: The House of the Negro Insane (World Premiere, Contemporary American Theater Festival + National Black Theater Conference, 2022) Burners (2017 Ovation nominee), Euphrates (Max K. Lerner Playwrighting Fellowship), Tombolo (O’Neill Conference finalist). He is currently under commission at the Lortel Theater’s Alcove Program.
One-Shot by Andrew Rosendorf
It’s 1999. Ellen has already come out on her TV show. Jack’s about to do the same on Dawson’s Creek. And David and Martín — two film buffs and best friends — are waiting to hear about a film scholarship to NYU that could change the trajectory of their lives.
For the young employees, the small-town video store has become more than a workplace – it’s a sanctuary. It’s the only place where they can escape into their favorite films, dream about the future, and actually be themselves. But, when dangers looming outside the store threaten their safety, David and Martín realize just how fragile their world is.
In a nostalgia-infused love letter to cinema, One-Shot explores privilege, identity, fragility, and asks who gets the space to tell what stories.
Andrew Rosendorf (he/him/his). Andrew’s developed work at La Jolla, MCC, KC Rep, Signature Theatre, Florida Stage, and Curious Theatre Company. He received an Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award, a Venturous Theater Fund Grant, a MAP Fund Grant, and a NNPN Rolling World Premiere for REFUGE (co-created with Satya Jnani Chávez). He’s an alum of the Goodman’s Playwrights Unit and been a fellow of SPACE on Ryder Farm, Tofte Lake Center, and MacDowell. He’s a previous Core Writer, McKnight Fellow, and Jerome Fellow at the Playwrights’ Center. He’s an associate artist with Local Theater Company and currently in development with Amblin.
Cebollas by Leonard Madrid
Three Latinas are forced to take an unexpected road trip from Albuquerque to Denver. Making their way north on I-25, they don’t travel for business or for pleasure. They just need to transport a dead body across state lines. But, then again, what are sisters for?
Speeding past the familiar locales of Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Huerfano, Colorado Springs, and Castle Rock, they reflect on shared family history and muse about the lives their daughters might live. On this seemingly endless stretch of highway, their bickering, laughter, singing, and discoveries will fundamentally change – and strengthen – their relationship.
New Mexican culture and the immutable bond of sisterhood take center stage in this outlandish comedy, which garnered stellar audience response at the 2022 Colorado New Play Summit.
Leonard Madrid (he/him/his) is a New Mexican theatre artist. He has been the recipient of the Kennedy Center’s Latinx Playwriting Award three times. He participated in the Ignition Festival at Victory Gardens Theatre, the Ground Floor at Berkely Rep, and the Festival Internacional de Teatro Universitario in Mexico City. He currently works as an actor, designer, director, improviser, and educator in Albuquerque.
Rubicon by Kirsten Potter
Based on a true story, Rubicon tracks the career of one of history’s most effective spies. Starting in the years leading up to World War II, the plot follows Elizabeth “Betty” Pack as she transitions from society wife and mother to steely, seductive agent for British and American Intelligence. As missions take her from Madrid to Warsaw to Washington, Betty uses her charm, beauty, and intellect as tools of espionage, leveraging her sexuality to influence global affairs.
Overflowing with intrigue and wit, Rubicon is an engaging portrait of an unsung heroine and the sacrifices she makes to change the course of the war. It addresses the stigma attached to choosing professional determination and personal agency over traditional gender expectations. It’s a work that’s suspenseful, seductive, and surprising all at once.
An audience favorite at the 2022 Colorado New Play Summit, DCPA Theatre Company is proud to present the world premiere of Rubicon!
Kirsten Potter (she/her/hers) is an award-winning actress, playwright, narrator, and voice over artist. As an actor, she has developed and premiered work with the Mark Taper Forum, South Coast Repertory, Arena Stage, Seattle Repertory, ACT and Milwaukee Rep. She has been recognized by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, the American Academy of Achievement; and has received numerous awards for both her acting and narration, including three Best Audiobook of the Year honors.
SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24
11am: Registration in the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex Lobby
11:30am: Lunch in the Seawell Ballroom
12:30pm: First new play readings
- Orange Track: Reading B in the Jones Theatre
- Blue Track: Reading A in the Singleton Theatre
3:30pm: Second new play readings
- Orange Track: Reading D in the Singleton Theatre
- Blue Track: Reading C in the Jones Theatre
6:30-7:45pm: Summit Dinner in the Seawell Ballroom
8pm: Full Production – Cebollas in the Singleton Theatre
9:30pm: Playwrights’ Slam in the Jones Theatre
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25
9:30am: High School Playwriting Competition in the Randy Weeks Conservatory Theatre
11:30am: Lunch in the Seawell Ballroom
12:30pm: Third new play readings
- Orange Track: Reading A in the Singleton Theatre
- Blue Track: Reading B in the Jones Theatre
3:30pm: Fourth new play readings
- Orange Track: Reading C in the Jones Theatre
- Blue Track: Reading D in the Singleton Theatre
Dinner on your own
7pm: Full Production – Rubicon in the Kilstrom Theatre
9:30pm: Summit Wrap Party in the Seawell Ballroom
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Please feel free to contact us with any other questions not answered here.
What is a reading?
New play readings are how we showcase the essence of a story without production elements like scenery, staging, lights and costumes. Think of it like watching a live radio program being recorded. Our actors stand on stage, scripts handy, and perform the lines with all of the passion of a final production. The audience gets all of the emotion of a fully-produced performance, just stripped down. This allows the playwright, director and audience to focus entirely on the language and story.
Who are the industry attendees?
Every year the Colorado New Play Summit attracts theatre industry leaders and artists from over 20 states. This includes playwrights, directors, actors, dramaturgs, artistic directors, literary managers, casting directors, managers, agents and other representatives from theatre companies throughout the country. Please check back at a later date for the 2024 industry attendee list.
Do I get to choose a seat?
Readings, meals and events are general admission, so you will get to choose your seat when you arrive. Our theatres are intimate enough that every seat will give you a great view of the action, but if you’d like to find somewhere to sit with a group, we recommend arriving at the reading at least 15 minutes early. The world premieres will have assigned seats; all of the tickets in your order will be seated together.
What are the Orange and Blue Tracks? Which should I choose?
Summit Weekend offers two tracks — orange and blue — which are simply the order in which you’ll see the readings. Both tracks include all readings and events, but due to the sizes of our theatres, we have to split the size of our audience into two groups that see different plays concurrently. If you’re attending the Summit with a group, make sure you buy tickets to the same track.
Will I get physical tickets or is there Will Call?
A La Carte Summit Weekend buyers may opt-in to receive a name badge, but will still receive individual tickets for their events.
Those with all-inclusive passes may pick up their badges and world premiere tickets at registration upon arrival. Please wear your badge to gain entry to all events. Registration will be located inside the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex. If you are arriving late for Summit Weekend or have any questions during the Summit, please see a box office agent. The main ticket counter is located inside the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex, and we also have a counter in The Jones Theatre.
How do I get to the Summit?
All of our events will be located in the Denver Performing Arts Complex in downtown Denver. The intersection of 14th and Curtis streets is a good pick-up and drop-off location for all venues. Most Summit events take place in the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex.
Using a map app? Our exact address is 1400 Curtis Street, Denver, CO 80204.
Where should I stay for the Summit?
As a Summit attendee, you get exclusive Summit discount rates at nearby partner hotels. Check back here in the months leading up to the Summit for partner rates.
How can I get around Denver?
Avoid the cost and hassle of parking downtown with these options:
CAR TRANSPORTATION:
Ride-sharing Services: Both Lyft and Uber operate in Denver.
Taxis: A taxi stand is available just across 14th Street at The Curtis Hotel. Or, our staff is happy to call a cab from the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION:
Bus: RTD offers more than 15 bus routes that pick up and drop off within one block of the Denver Performing Arts Complex. When planning your route to the Complex, put in “Speer Boulevard and Arapahoe Street” as your cross streets to get the best results. Light Rail: RTD Light Rail lines D, F and H all make stops at 14th & Champa, beneath the Colorado Convention Center. When planning your route to the Complex, put in “Speer Boulevard and Arapahoe Street” as your cross streets to get the best results. Airport Train: If you’re traveling to Denver and arrive at Denver International Airport, you can take RTD’s A Line Train straight to Union Station in downtown Denver, which is within walking distance of the Arts Complex and many area hotels.
BIKE & SCOOTER TRANSPORTATION:

News and media
See photos and read more about the Colorado New Play Summit from local and national writers who have experienced it.

History of readings
Learn who has been commissioned, who has contributed and which readings have gone on to full productions here and around the country.
Summit Successes Keep Coming
Over more than 40 years, our Theatre Company season has produced over 400 plays from scratch, including many that got their start as a reading. By commissioning new plays and presenting the Colorado New Play Summit, we underwrite the important work required of playwrights, invest in the future of the American Theatre and keep our finger on the pulse of contemporary writing.

Leana Rae Concepcion in Rattlesnake Kate. Music and Lyrics by Neyla Pekarek. Book by Karen Hartman. Photo by andrewkellyphotography.com

Monnae Michaell and the cast of In the Upper Room by Beaufield Berry. Photo by Adams VisCom

Tara Falk and Gareth Saxe in You Lost Me by Bonnie Metzgar. Photo by Adams VisCom

(l-r) Blanca Camacho, Frankie J. Alvarez, Valentina Guerra and Zeus Mendoza in twenty50 by Tony Meneses. Photo by Adams VisCom

Bob Ari and Linden Tailor in The Great Leap. Photo by Adams VisCom

The company of Human Error by Eric Pfeffinger. Photo by Adams VisCom

Erin Cherry and Bianca LaVerne Jones in Last Night and the Night Before by Donnetta Lavinia Grays. Photo by Adams VisCom

Robert Montano and Kathleen McCall in Two Degrees by Tira Palmquist. Photo by Adams VisCom

The company of The Book of Will. Photo by Adams VisCom

The company of American Mariachi. Photo by Adams VisCom

Eddie Martinez and Mariana Fernández in FADE by Tanya Saracho. Photo by Adams Visual Communication

(l-r) David Mason, Carly Street, Andrea Syglowski and Kevin Berntson in The Nest by Theresa Rebeck. Photo by Adams Visual Communication

(l-r) Darrie Lawrence and Lenne Klingaman in Appoggiatura by James Still. Photo by Jennifer M. Koskinen

(l-r) Nance Williamson, Zoe Delaney Stahlhut, Kathleen McCall and Billie McBride in Benediction. Adapted by Eric Schmiedl from the novel by Kent Haruf. Photo by Jennifer M. Koskinen

Casey Predovic and Cynthia Bastidas in Just Like Us by Karen Zacarías. Based on the book by Helen Thrope. Photo by Jennifer M Koskinen

(l-r) Jeanne Paulsen and Judith Hawking in The Most Deserving by Catherine Trischmann. Photo by Jennifer M. Koskinen

(l-r) Cleavant Derricks and Tony Todd in black odyssey by Marcus Gardley. Photo by Jennifer M Koskinen

Ben Huber and Jamie Ann Romero in the Denver Center Theatre Company’s world premiere production of The Legend of Georgia McBride. Photo by Jennifer M Koskinen

Mary Michael Patterson and Jeremiah James in Sense and Sensibility The Musical. Book and Lyrics by Jeffrey Haddow. Music by Neal Hampton. Based on the novel by Jane Austen. Photo by Jennifer M Koskinen

John Hutton and Julie Jesneck in Grace, Or the Art of Climbing by Lauren Feldman. Photo by Jennifer M. Koskinen

Annie Purcell in Ed, Downloaded by Michael Mitnick. Photo by Jennifer M Koskinen

Tom Alan Robbins in The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter. Photo by Terry Shapiro

(l-r) Mimi Lieber, Catherine E. Coulson and the cast of Two Things You Don’t Talk About at Dinner by Lisa Loomer. Photo by Terry Shapiro

(l-r) Christopher Kelly, Jacob Knoll and Mike Hartman in Great Wall Story by Lloyd Suh

(l-r) Stephanie Janssen and Jessica Love in Map of Heaven by Michele Lowe

(l-r) Mike Hartman and Ian Merrill Peakes in The Catch. By Ken Weitzman

Lauren Klein and Mike Hartman in Eventide. Adapted by Eric Schmiedl from the novel by Kent Haruf.

(l-r) Beth Malone, John Scherer, Michael Halling and Gregg Goodbrod in The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Lyrics and music by Meredith Willson. Book by Dick Scanlon. Based on the original book by Richard Morris. Photo by Jennifer M. Koskinen

Ian Merrill Peakes and Jessica Love in When Tang Met Laika by Rogelio Martinez

Piter Marek and Mahira Kakkar in Inana by Michele Lowe

(l-r) Chloe Nosan and Charlotte Booker in Dusty and the Big Bad World by Cusi Cram.

Suzy Jane Hunt in Our House by Theresa Rebeck. Photo by Terry Shapiro

(l-r) Philip Pleasants, Mike Hartman and Kathleen McCall in Plainsong. Adapted by Eric Schmiedl from the novel by Kent Haruf

John Livingstone Rolle in 1001 by Jason Grote. Photo by Terry Shapiro
Contact Us
Have a question about the Summit that’s not answered here? First-timer and not sure where to start? We’re here to help. Let us know what’s on your mind and we will get back to you soon.