Dream Up Festival 2026
In 2010, the inaugural Dream Up Festival offered 25 shows consisting of 23 World Premieres and 2 American Premieres. The festival had reviewers from NY Times, NY Press, Show business Weekly, the Advocate, NYTheatre.com and others.
Festival performance dates: August 23 – September 13, 2026.
All performances will take place at Theater for the New City.
NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS
We prefer works that have gone unproduced in New York City, but we will consider an updated version of previously produced NYC production. To qualify for the festival, our goal is works by US and international artists as World or NYC premieres. Translations and new adaptations of known material will be acceptable.
The festival is available to both performance groups and individuals. Plays, dance theater, solo works and interdisciplinary material will all be welcome so long as they can co-exist in repertory with other productions in the festival lineup. Technical requirements and use of production effects will need to be limited. Scenic elements are welcome but one or more of these elements will have to be used in an inventive way.
ABOUT DREAM UP – TNC’s Summer Showcase
The motto of the festival is “Dream Up: Invent, Concoct.” The festival is dedicated to new works. The question of the artist’s vision to free or attack the material will be asked in each application. The festival does not want traditional theater which is presented in a traditional way. Theater for the New City wants to use this festival as a way to push ideas to the forefront with the hope of revealing roads less traveled or undiscovered. Presentation of a straightforward play must be imaginative in some way.
FESTIVAL GUIDELINES
TNC’s 2025 summer festival known as Dream Up Festival will run August 23 to September 13, 2026.
We are accepting applications: February 26, 2026 to May 26, 2026.
Early Bird Submissions: February 26 to April 3 $50. General Submissions: April 4 to May 26 $60 certified check, cashier’s check, or money order in US Dollars payable to: Theater for the New City
All applications must be accompanied with a submission fee.
*We prefer the application materials to be emailed to tncdreamup@gmail.com and the submission fees be paid online at Dream Up Festival Call for Plays
Snail option is mailed to:
TNC’s Dream Up Festival 2026
Theater for the New City
155 First Avenue New York, NY 10003
PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING WITH EVERY SUBMISSION:
• Script/or Concept (if not text based)
• Bio Primary Artist (and Collaborators if known)/ Production History
• Brief Statement
• Synopsis of Work w/character breakdown
• Submission Form
+Submission Fee
REVIEW NOTIFICATION:
All applicants will receive a position notice (accepted, wait listed, or not accepted) after their submissions are evaluated in spring 2026.
PLEASE SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS (scripts, bios, statements, synopsis, submission form) TO: tncdreamup@gmail.com
Any mailed submission materials submitted to the festival will NOT BE RETURNED. Sorry.
TWO WAYS TO PAY SUBMISSION FEE:
Pay online https://theaterforthenewcity.net/donations/dream-up-festival/
Or
MAIL SUBMISSION FEE SEPARATELY TO:
TNC’s Dream Up Festival 2026
Theater for the New City
155 First Avenue
New York, NY 10003
Please mark your submission fee subject line with the name of your festival project.
Please contact us at literary@theaterforthenewcity.net if there are any questions and check out our website at Dreamup Festival Website
DREAM UP FESTIVAL FORM
Title of Submission: _____________________________
Contact Name: __________________________
Phone: _________________________________
Mailing Address:
Street: ______________________ City:______________ State:______
Zip:_______ Country
(if outside the US) :______________
Email Addresses: ___________________________________
Genre of Work (Please Mark): Dance Musical Drama
Length (Please Mark): Short One Act Full Length
Estimated Running Time in Minutes: ___________
Number of Cast / Crew: _________________________
Technical Requirements (for set, lighting, sound if known):
This piece previously had a (Please Mark): Reading, Staged Reading, Workshop, Full Production (please tell us when and where)
Please express in a short statement (500 words max.) what makes this
inventive or what will make it inventive when presented.
Please Note: Submissions without a statement will not be considered.
Participation Info:
Theater for the New City will present a lineup of wide-ranging and original theatrical visions embracing drama, poetry, music, and dance in the summer of 2026 from performing artists representing theater and performance companies in our theater complex in downtown New York.
Tickets prices can range from $15 to $20. Special Engagement ticket price may vary.
TNC’s Dream Up Festival 2026 website and festival website will go under construction in late spring/early summer 2026.
Festival artists receive 60% of their box office proceeds. TNC retains the remaining 40%.
- All judged applicants will receive a position notice (accepted, wait listed, or not accepted) after their submissions are read.
- Acceptances will be emailed on or about June 9, 2026.
- Artists who are accepted will be required to submit participation documents by about June 23, 2026.
- A non-refundable $950 participation fee will be required, in the form of a certified check, cashier’s check or money order or online payment for participating productions. No personal or company checks will be accepted.
Final Deadline to apply is May 26.US and International artists are welcome to apply.
For general inquiries: please contact us at literary@theaterforthenewcity.net
