About SPF

The Summer Play Festival (SPF) produces original new plays and musicals by emerging writers during the summer months at the legendary Public Theater in New York City.

Since its inception in 2004, SPF has invested millions of dollars in emerging theatre artists, produced over 500 public performances, and has provided an opportunity for 75 writers, as well as hundreds of directors, designers, actors, stage managers, and interns to present their work in a protected environment.

SPF is the Only Festival of its Kind

SPF is focused on the following golas:

• SPF presents full productions of its plays, not staging readings or workshpos
• SPF provides full financial, administrative, technical and production support, at no cost to the artists
• SPF accepts unsolicited manuscripts, and does not charge application or artist participation fees
• SPF supplies guidance by established Broadway and off-Broadway professionals, including leading artistic directors to act as mentors to its productions
• SPF undertakes an extensive advertising, marketing and outreach program to introduce our plays and playwrights to audiences and industry
• SPF does not control or profit from future productions

Attracting a New Audience

Founded by Broadway producer Arielle Tepper Madover, SPF is also committed to providing a low ticket price of only $10 to bring in new audience members to watch and be entertained by theater. As a result, the Festival has sold out its four-week performance schedule for each of the past five years and has attracted a diverse audience of over 45,000 theatre patrons, the majority under the age of 35, to its shows at both Theatre Row and the Public Theater in New York.

SPF playwrights have gone on to receive productions on Broadway, off-Broadway, regionally and internationally. Their work has been presented at institutions such as Lincoln Center Theater, the Roundabout Theatre Company, Manhattan Theater Club, the Atlantic Theater Company and Playwrights Horizons in New York City