Expanding the Canon.
Reimagining the Classics.
New York Classical Theatre is proud to continue New Visions, our first-ever new play development program, with the launch of Cycle 2 in the 2024-2025 Season.
As an AEA Off-Broadway company known for producing free, site-specific productions of classic plays across New York City, NY Classical is committed to making theatre accessible to all. At the heart of New Visions is a bold goal: to confront the exclusion of People of Color, Women, Non-Binary, Trans, and Disabled People from the traditional theatrical canon—and from our own company’s history.
Through New Visions, we are expanding our artistic scope by supporting living playwrights whose work redefines what a “classic” can be and reimagines the canon on their own terms.
NY Classical’s vision affirms that everyone—regardless of social, economic, or educational background—deserves the opportunity to experience live, professional theatre as a shared community. At the same time, we recognize that the so-called “classics” have long upheld systems of oppression and erasure. This program is our response and our invitation: to build a more inclusive and representative theatrical future.
New Visions champions new works that:
• Engage with or reinterpret the classical tradition,
• Expand our collective idea of what a “classic” can be, and
• Challenge the power structures that have historically shaped the canon.
New Visions is supported by the Howard Gillman Foundation and NYC Council Member Julie Menin, District 5.
Cycle 2 Selections
New York Classical Theatre has announced the four selections for New Visions: Cycle 2, its play development program supporting new works inspired by classical texts. Selected from nearly 400 submissions from across the United States, these plays will move forward in a multi-phase development process culminating in public readings and continued artistic development.
Cycle 1 Highlights
The plays featured below were selected as part of New Visions: Cycle 1. Each playwright was invited to create a new work that pushes the boundaries of what is traditionally considered a “classic”—not based on the terms of the established Western canon, but on their own terms.
These pieces received public readings and developmental feedback from our Literary Director, Dr. Matthieu Chapman, with support throughout the revision process.
Click the images below to learn more about the playwrights, their plays, and the development journey.
New Visions Cycle 1 Selections
(2022-2024)
First Cycle Long List Selection:
The following plays were longlisted for the final stage of the first cycle of New Visions and come with our recommendation:
Electra by Luz Lorenzana Twigg
Torgus and Snow by Christine Evans
