Pittsburgh New Works Festival is an annual festival that produces original one-act plays utilizing the resources of Pittsburgh-area theatre companies. Established in 1990 by Donna Rae, the Festival features four weeks of productions of new plays as well as two weeks of staged readings. The Festival has taken place in numerous locations, originally having performances at City Theatre

City Theatre (Pittsburgh)

City Theatre is a professional theatre company located in Pittsburgh's South Side. It specializes in productions of new plays and has commissioned new works by playwrights on the national theatre scene, including Christopher Durang, Adam Rapp, and Jeffrey Hatcher...

's Lester Hamburg Studio, Open Stage, and currently the Father Ryan Arts Center in McKees Rocks

McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania

McKees Rocks, also known as "The Rocks", is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, along the south bank of the Ohio River. The borough population was 6,104 at the 2010 census.In the past, it was known for its extensive iron and steel interests...

. Each one-act is produced by a different Pittsburgh theatre company; participating theatre companies have included Prime Stage Theatre

Prime Stage Theatre

Prime Stage Theatre is a professional theatre company located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania dedicated to creating educational theatrical productions for middle school and high school students...

, 12 Peers Theater, Cup-A-Jo Productions

Cup-A-Jo Productions

Cup-A-Jo Productions is a theatre company located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Established in 2004 by Joanna Lowe, the company's mission is to "further new & established works in an effort to focus on the artist by tackling a variety of subjects, exploring non-traditional venues & styles, & mixing...

, Unseam'd Shakespeare Company

Unseam'd Shakespeare Company

Unseam'd Shakespeare Company is a professional theatre company located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1993, the theatre's mission is to "rediscover and reinvent classic and classically inspired plays for modern audiences and present these plays in artistically ambitious and innovative...

, Pittsburgh Playhouse

Pittsburgh Playhouse

Pittsburgh Playhouse is Point Park University's performing arts center located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It houses three performance spaces and is home to The Rep, Point Park's resident professional theatre company, as well as three student companies—Conservatory Theatre Company, Conservatory...

, and Kuntu Repertory Theatre

Kuntu Repertory Theatre

Kuntu Repertory Theatre is an African-American repertory theatre based at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.Dr. Vernell A. Lillie founded it in 1975 as a way of showcasing the playwright Rob Penny...

. Each year the Donna Awards (named after Donna Rae) are given out to actors, directors, and playwrights whose work has been judged the best of the festival. The Festival has provided encouragement and valuable experience to many writers, including F.J. Hartland and Scott Sickles.