The SC New Play Festival is 501(c)3 Non-Profit organization deeply rooted in the vibrant community of Greenville.

Since 2022, downtown Greenville’s major theatrical venues and outdoor spaces have partnered with SCNPF to present readings of new plays, musicals and shows for young audiences, as well as outdoor street performances, masterclasses, workshops, and cabarets from Broadway stars. For over four years we have filled spaces across the city with bold new voices and unforgettable performances, quite literally setting the stage for the future of American theater.

The revitalization of the city, coupled with the closure of prominent new play festivals nationwide during COVID, illuminated a unique opportunity. With nationally recognized institutions dedicated to new play development ceasing operations, a void emerged in the development of new works. Recognizing Greenville's potential, SCNPF was born fill this gap and position the city as a beacon for innovative theater.

Because we are a curated festival, we don’t accept submissions. We find our plays by reaching out to the top producers, talent agents, and directors and asking “what is the best new show in America that hasn’t yet had a production?”. Over the past three years the impact of the festival has been palpable. Word spread quickly with national press coverage from Playbill, American Theatre Magazine, and BroadwayWorld, as well as local media support from Town, Vessel, Greenville Journal and GVL Today.

We have brought Broadway stars to Greenville and paired them with local talent, forging lasting artistic relationships.

In four years we have developed 11 plays, 5 musicals, 2 commissions, 4 Town Halls, 10 insider Sessions, 4 Broadway Cabarets. Here’s SCNPF “by the numbers.”

• 3 Alumni Shows have transferred to Off Broadway: Dodi & Diana, All the World's a Stage, Stuntboy. 4 Alumni shows have had regional premieres: Kate Hamill's Scarlet Letter (Two River),  Catching the Moon (Charlotte Children's Theatre), A Black-billed Cuckoo (La Jolla Playhouse- upcoming), Kween (Merrimack-upcoming),

• 107 local artists have been employed by SCNPF

•  6,619 audience members have attended a SCNPF event

• We have produced work at 12 local venues: Peace Center, Greenville Theatre, SCCT, Centre Stage, Warehouse Theatre, Falls Park, Greenville One Center, Hyatt Regency, Westin Hotel, Falls Park, the Fine Arts Center, and Governors School for the Arts.

• We have had the Hamilton from Broadway’s Hamilton, the Hades from Broadway’s Hadestown, and the Elphaba from Broadway’s Wicked present a Broadway Cabaret performance.

We also commission new works and are currently developing An Untitled Josh White Play, an original play celebrating Greenville’s historic and cultural legacy and written by a South Carolinian playwright. The play focuses on the folk singer Josh White, who was born in Greenville in 1914 and became the first Black musician to sell a million records.

However, the festival's success is not solely measured by the quality of artists we put on stage but by the community that supports it. By nurturing the arts, we enrich Greenville and stimulate economic growth. VisitGreenville SC evaluated the economic impact of the festival and found that each year over 150 hotel rooms are booked by SCNPF attendees.

In short, the South Carolina New Play festival is changing lives and launching careers.