Launched in November 2011, the NEWvember festival was created by Tangent's Michael Rhodes and AboutFACE Ireland's Anna and Paul Nugent. The genesis of the festival was to present new works and give playwrights the opportunity to hear their plays read in front of an audience. With professional actors and directors in place, and in one high energy weekend, the stories emerge and come to life in an intimate environment. Many of the festivals saw playwrights in attendance for engaging post-reading Q+As.
At the time of the first NEWvember, a few dozen submissions were received. The last festival garnered nearly 500 entries, from all over the world, and with a reading panel of 20+ industry professionals. NEWvember plays and writers have gone on to see their works presented on regional and national stages, including Broadway.
Co-creators Anna and Paul Nugent relocated to Dublin, Ireland a few years ago, and now present NEWvember-Dublin to audiences and the community there. Tangent looks to bring back the festival to the Hudson Valley soon!
