Play by Play Festival
Every couple of years the Northampton Playwrights Lab produces a week-long Play by Play Festival featuring staged readings of new works by our members. Performed by professional local actors in collaboration with directors and stage managers, Play by Play celebrates the exceptional theater talent in Western Mass and gives audiences the opportunity to see a wide range of new plays presented in public for the first time.
The next Play by Play Festival, celebrating our 20th Anniversary, will take place in the the workroom of the Northampton Center for the Arts during the week of April 20-26, 2026.
Check back for ticket information.
photographs from the 2023 festival:
Past Festivals
2015
Maybe, Probably by Eric Henry Sanders
Curtain Call by Leanna James Blackwell
Pleasure Cruise by Stephanie Carlson
The Final Say by Meryl Cohn
Safe Lodging by Tanyss Rhea Martula
2016
Crowsnest by Harley Erdman
The Winklemeyers Bet It All by Mojie Crigler
Where’s Annie? by Eric Henry Sanders
Naked With Fruit by Meryl Cohn
Grimm Women by Leanna James Blackwell
Hot Pot and My Life In Rock N’ Roll by Tanyss Rhea Martula
2018
New Soul by Leanna James Blackwell
Fresh Air by Tanyss Rhea Martula
Seamonster by Stephanie Carlson
Campus Unrest by Talya Kingston
Institution by Harley Erdman
Almost Home by Meryl Cohn
Family Game Night by Peter Kennedy
2023
Port of Entry by Talya Kingston
The Fade-Away Advantage by Meryl Cohn
The Building by Betel Arnold
Haunted House by Peter Kennedy
Hedges by Stephanie Carlson
the birds, the birds, the birds by Harley Erdman
Play by Play Festivals have been supported by the Northampton Arts Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and have been produced in partnership with Available Potential Enterprises Ltd.