Meet the Artist: New Play Readings 2026
Wednesday Evenings in May
All “Meet the Artist” New Play Readings will take place
at the Summit Community Center
100 Morris Avenue, Summit, NJ
Vivid Stage's “Meet the Artist” series is a forum that showcases new theatrical works. The series provides audiences an opportunity to experience new shows and participate in discussions with playwrights, directors and actors.
The series’s goal is to expose the adult public to the evolution of a theatrical presentation and to give the playwright valuable feedback to be used in the development of the play.
For more information on submitting a new play for consideration, click here.
Socks on the Wall by Brad Goren-Wilson
Directed by TBD
Wed., May 6, 2026 @7:00 pm
As the pandemic rages, a young man tries to drive across the United States to see his grandmother for Christmas. Simple, poetic, and cathartic, Socks On the Wall is a bittersweet comedy exploring the pillars and symbols we look to for guidance as we choose how to use the little time we have.
Cast
TBA
Chagutok by Vince Gatton
Directed by TBD
Wed., May 13, 2026 @7:00 pm
Four Americans each make a solitary pilgrimage to a remote, unpopulated island off the Alaskan coast, hoping to witness an obscure and mysterious atmospheric phenomenon known as the Chagutok Lights, which occurs only once every seventeen years. They each expect to be camping alone out there, but find themselves stuck in each others' company - an unwelcome situation for these people-skills-challenged individuals, but they manage...until a dead body appears. And it's just the first. Alone on this barren island, these four loners must work together to solve the mysteries of the dead, the Lights...and each other.
Cast
TBA
Neither Snow Nor Rain by Erin Mallon
Directed by TBD
Wed., May 20, 2026 @7:00 pm
A solitary, independent woman fosters an unlikely friendship with her mailman, despite her initial distrust of him. It’s clear that they both enjoy each other’s company, but as his true colors are revealed over the span of a year, we realize the woman was right. This man’s intentions are not at all what they first seemed.
Cast
TBA
Harm Reduction by Elizabeth Irwin
Directed by TBD
Wed., May 28, 2025 @7:00 pm
As Kayla, a seventeen year old in the foster care system, pushes through her last few months of high school, her foster mother, Susan, tries to figure out how to be a mother when you’ve spent the last sixteen years on the bench. Their neighbors, Amanda and Evan, (possibly mediocre) parents themselves, offer help and judgment and resentment and advice. No village is perfect but is this one going to let Kayla down or will they be enough?
Cast
TBA
At readings actors typically hold scripts as they sit or stand in front of the audience. There are no sets, costumes or props.
Clark Carmichael & Harriett Trangucci read “Backfire” from “Random Horrible Thoughts About Love” on May 11, 2011.
With feedback from you, the show had its world premiere as “The God Game” on May 6, 2014 at Capital Rep in Albany, NY.
At readings actors typically hold scripts as they sit or stand in front of the audience. There are no sets, costumes or props.
The new play reading series is a chance for the audience to participate in the development of new works, both to hear the play read by professional actors and also to discuss the project with the playwright, director and actors afterward. Feedback from these evenings helps the playwrights to further refine their scripts and also gives them a first-hand experience of how the audience will respond to the finished work. These evenings provide a fun and lively way to interact with the creative process, and to receive a preview of plays that may be performed on Vivid's mainstage in the future.
What is a “Reading”?
A reading is a performance of a play that focuses on the words of the script and the interaction of the actors without sets, props and costumes. Readings are a way to present plays in front of live audiences without the expense of a fully staged production. While readings can be of new or existing works, Vivid chooses to read new plays only. Readings of new shows can help a show’s creative team see what works and what might need a rewrite. When a reading goes particularly well, Vivid will consider the play for a fully-staged production in an upcoming season.
What to Expect
Just like in a staged performance, Vivid company members and guest actors will perform all the roles in the play. Typically, the cast will be seated in chairs onstage, and they will read their lines from the script. They might occasionally stand up and move about. There may also be a narrator, who reads aloud stage directions and describes scenery or movement as written in the script. There will be no costumes or sets.
Are readings appropriate for kids?
The themes of most chosen plays are probably “of interest” to those approximately 12 and up.
Overall, play readings are similar to reading non-picture books to your children at home. If your child can focus, listen, pay close attention, and imagine the setting for the play, she or he will probably enjoy the reading. Remember: there are no costumes or sets, and there is no action.
Why would I attend a reading if I can wait for a fully staged production?
Play readings at Vivid are about discovering new artists and their works, and including yourself in the development cycle of the plays. You will get to witness a work in progress, and afterwards you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback to the creative team. Playwrights often use readings to test new characters and lines in front of live audiences. And if you do come back for a fully staged production, you might notice some of your suggestions incorporated into the final performance.