Rough Draft Festival
The Rough Draft Festival is a theater festival that provides innovative and boundary-pushing artists with space, resources, and support to further develop their works-in-progress.
The festival showcases a series of in-progress performances offering artists the chance to put their work on its feet while giving audiences a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative process.
Each year, LPAC selects up to 5 compelling and impactful projects and provides the time, space and resources to advance their development. These presentations often reflect the strength and depth of fully realized productions.
Presented by the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC), the Rough Draft Festival is committed to offering meaningful exposure and professional support to artists creating new work. Submissions are reviewed by a selection committee composed of theater industry professionals, ensuring that all applications are evaluated with artistic rigor, fairness, and an eye toward innovation
ROUGH DRAFT FESTIVAL 2026
SUBMISSIONS OPEN THROUGH NOV 20
After completing the interest form, email your full proposal package (including your script, budget, and any supporting materials) to lpacresident@lagcc.cuny.edu
HOW TO APPLY:
Applications are open through Nov. 20, 2025
Please include the following materials:
-
A one-page proposal describing the project and outlining its current development stage and goals.
-
Headshot, resume, and brief bio of the playwright(s) or lead artist(s)
-
A five-page excerpt from the proposed play
-
A budget proposal (up to $3,000.00) covering stipends, props, and other non-technical expenses.
-
LPAC will determine final budget allocations in collaboration with selected artists.
-
Budgets should consider stipends, props, and other non-technical expenses
-
After completing the interest form, email your full proposal package (including your script, budget, and any supporting materials) to lpacresident@lagcc.cuny.edu
#IAMARoughDraft
"Rough Draft refers to the spirit of the artists who are always open, imaginative and full of fresh ideas. Despite the fact that the world is changing every day, the spirit of Rough Draft remains the same. That spirit is something I strongly hold on to and can proudly say, #IAMAROUGHTDRAFT"
- Handan Ozbilgin, Curator
Rough Draft Highlights 2020-2023
The bilingual English & Spanish theatrical experience ESTÁN CORDIALMENTE INVITADOS A TIRAR LA CASA POR LA VENTANA EN CELEBRACIÓN DE LOS QUINCE DE CARLA; OR, LEAVE YOUR POLITICS AT HOME addresses political and social issues in an accessible and entertaining way. Conceived and directed by Estefania Fadul the piece is a breakdown of the voting process and some of the issues at stake in the 2020 general election in a non-partisan way.
A Verbatim play, MEMORIAL by Adam A. Elsayigh tells the story of the New Zealand Muslim community during and following the two mosque shootings that occurred in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2019.
Do we choose our politicians, or do our politicians choose us? The nature of American democracy comes into question with PACKING and CRACKING by creator/director Rachel Gita Karp. An interactive map making event about gerrymandering, this piece examines the pervasive practice of politicians choosing their voters rather than the other way around.
The exciting new musical THE CHILDREN FROM THE BLUE MOUNTAIN
by Jermaine Rowe intertwines two Afro/Caribbean folklore characters as they journey to capture the power within all stories using traditional flk, soca, dancehall and reggae and answer the question, “What is the ultimate cost
of a dream?”
SEX AND THE ABBEY by Diana Ly. Hrotsvit, the first known western female playwright, was a secular canoness in 10th Century Saxony who lived in Gandersheim Abbey.
