The 2026 New Play Festival (Sun. Nov 22)

Presented by the Department of Performance, Play & Design New Play Festival is an annual student-run showcase of experimental, short stage readings that focuses on nurturing and showcasing new playwrights in the UC Santa Cruz Theater Arts Program. This year the festival is uplifting two new playwrights, supporting them through developmental drafts, shaping their stories, and giving them the opportunity to collaborate with actors, a director, and designers. The development time culminates in two weekends of staged readings, open to the public. Plays/Playwrights Featured: The Black Duckling by Shauna Pantalion (Senior, Theater Major) en útero // in utero by Linda Marie Girón (MA Candidate in Theater) Play Synopsis: The Black Duckling by Shauna Pantalion Are you skating on thin ice with love? Try Slow-Burn Slopes. Why hit the beach when you can hit the powder? (Not that powder.) Follow our love-lorn start Chantelle as she rides the ski lift up the mountain of love and cruises down the path of self-discovery. Reality tv and the realities of dating are explored in senior Shauna Pantalion's new play. en útero // in utero by Linda Marie Girón For prospective parents Camilla and J, dreams of starting a family are stacked against ever-growing odds: a dying planet, political divides, and stupid ol’ biology. But when a promising new natal technology offers the young couple a seed of hope, the question of queer conception becomes less about how to make a baby, but who gets to lay claim to their newborn's rights. Admission • General Admission • Free for UCSC students (ticket required). • Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time. Advisories • Ticket holders not seated at least 5 minutes before the advertised start time may forfeit their ticket/seat and no refund will be issued. • The performance runs approximately 1 hour with no intermission. • If the performance sells out, there will be a first come-first serve standby line. Full Schedule of Events Six performances: Fri. Nov. 13th - 7:30pm Sat. Nov. 14th - 7:30pm Sun. Nov. 15th - 2:00pm (matinee) Fri. Nov. 20th - 7:30pm Sat. Nov. 21st - 7:30pm Sun. Nov. 22nd - 2:00pm (matinee) Parking • Parking by permit, Mobile Pay Parking, or $11 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant • Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event • Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time. • More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS) Accessibility • This venue has limited seating for guests using wheelchairs. More information about accessible seating needs at https://arts.ucsc.edu/news_events/accessibility • For accessibility-related needs, please contact the Communications, Events & Marketing Office at [email protected] as soon as possible. This program is open to the public consistent with state and federal law. Visitor information: https://arts.ucsc.edu/news_events/info Donations!