The Divine Sarah, 2024. Photo by Robin Jackson
Auditions
New Works at Ross Valley Players holds open auditions for their productions . New Works is a great way to get involved on the RVP stage, and a wonderful way to work with new, often never-before-seen material. Audition notices for New Works productions will be posted on the general audition page.
Script Submissions
Scripts to be considered for our 2026 festival must be received by November 15, 2024.
Purpose of New Works at Ross Valley Players New Works at Ross Valley Players is dedicated to premiering original, provocative and exciting works by Bay Area playwrights. We tap into the vast pool of local creative theatre artists to provide high quality productions and readings. This approach has brought visibility and acclaim to those who might never have had the opportunity otherwise. Each season, New Works presents a full production included in the Ross Valley Players season, and two readings presented on Sunday evenings. A moderated discussion with the writers follows each program, encouraging constructive feedback, criticism and ideas to the benefit of writers and audience alike.
History of Ross Alternative Works
The Ross Valley Players has a long history of supporting original theatrical work. In the 1930s, members submitted scripts for competition with the winners being presented at the annual membership meetings. The 1950s saw staged readings and in the 1980s RAT (Ross Alternative Theatre) presented both readings and full productions of plays by local playwrights. In 2000, the idea of reading new scripts was revived as a membership perk and in 2004, RAW (Ross Alternative Works) was formed. It began in conjunction with HAVEN. In the 1990s, late actor/director Ben Dickson spearheaded HAVEN to facilitate theatre artists practicing their craft in a non-critical, open and creative atmosphere; a safe haven. Ross Alternative Works continued in that spirit, at first presenting a series of staged readings and eventually moving toward more fully realized, black box productions. A new format that includes a full production and two staged readings began with RVP’s 80th consecutive season. For RVP’s 94th season Ross Alternative Works (RAW) was renamed New Works at Ross Valley Players to better represent what New Works brings to the RVP community.