New Play Festival, formerly Chautauqua,  is student-run with student playwrights, directors, actors, dramaturgs, etc. Guided by Assistant Professor LisaMarie Rollins, who says the festival "is like a development lab where students can propose any kind of experiment, get development support, and have a showcase with low stakes at the end of the quarter.” The selected plays will be staged readings with minimal technical embellishment, so the focus reveals the depth of the kinds of topics, themes and movement the students are exploring. The goal is to offer another creative space that offers opportunities for experimentation and play for those students who are interested in theater making in any form—live performance, dance or movement explorations, immersive or digital media installations. Each event date features three staged readings in a two-program rotation; refer to the Full Schedule of Events, below, for more information.
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ADMISSION
- All tickets are free and available online only via Eventbrite; (UCSC- New Play Festival '25)
-Follow PPD on Eventbrite for notifications and updates.
- Free for UCSC students/General Public (ticket required).
- Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.
- Seating at this venue is very limited and audiences are advised to arrive early.
- Ticket holders not seated at least 10 minutes before the advertised start time may forfeit their ticket/seat.
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Fri., May 23, 7:30 p.m.—Program A
Sat., May 24, 7:30 p.m.—Program B 
Sun., May 25, 3:00 p.m. matinee—Program A
Fri., May 30, 7:30 p.m. —Program B
Sat., May 31, 7:30 p.m. —Program A
Sun., June 1, 3:00 p.m. matinee—Program B

PROGRAM A
Fri., May 23; Sun., May 25; and Sat., May 31
- Universal Paperclips by Adrian Warren
- Crimson Burns by Rae Williams
- Great Whites Bite by Tieran Harvey

PROGRAM B
Sat., May 24; Fri., May 30; and Sun., June 1
- Hostile Takeover by Grace Viggiano (UCSC alumni)
- Silar School by Zane Speiser
- Meet Me in the Belly of the Whale by Gillian O'leary
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PARKING
- Parking by permit, ParkMobile, or $5 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant 
- Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event 
- Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
- More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)