Roundabout's New Play Initiative is comprised of four key elements.

Roundabout Underground

The 2022–2023 season marks the 15th Anniversary of Roundabout Underground.

The initiative gives emerging playwrights the opportunity to debut their full productions in our intimate 62-seat Black Box Theatre with the significant artistic and financial resources of Roundabout.

In addition, Roundabout Underground writers receive a commission for a future play. After their Roundabout Underground experiences, playwrights have gone on to be produced in hundreds of theatres across the country and around the world.

These playwrights have also returned to Roundabout, as with Stephen Karam’s Sons of the Prophet and The Humans, Steven Levenson’s If I Forget, Meghan Kennedy’s Napoli, Brooklyn and Joshua Harmon’s Significant Other and Skintight.

New Play Commissions

Roundabout believes it is critically important to support theatre artists at all steps of the creative process, from inception to completion.

Roundabout commissions playwrights at various stages of their careers, allowing them time to work on a new project while still being able to support themselves financially.

During the current season, we have 19 projects in various stages of the commission process.

Workshops/Playreadings

New plays and musicals are given focused artistic development during a period of readings, workshops, and edits that can last anywhere from a few months to several years.

At these readings and workshops, the playwright has the opportunity to hear their words come to life with a team of actors, while Roundabout has a chance to share the work with potential collaborators.

Roundabout donors are given the exclusive opportunity to take part and give feedback at some of these readings through our Friends of Roundabout Playreading series.

World Premieres/New York Premieres

In today's artistic climate, many opportunities exist for playwrights to develop and workshop their work. Roundabout goes a step further by committing to produce world premiere and New York premiere productions.

By introducing these artists to a wider audience, Roundabout lays the foundation for these new plays to enjoy future productions.