New Stage produces five plays each year in its subscription series, in addition to a Holiday show, an annual SchoolFest matinee, and a kids-only summer camp show that features local area talent. Main stage productions range from master works to contemporary classics to new plays. All carry the mark of professional quality for which the theatre has long been recognized.
New Stage founder Jane Reid Petty described the theatre’s commitment to new work this way: The artist comes first, and at New Stage Theatre, our energies are directed toward sustaining a vital environment in which artists can work together to achieve their finest moments on stage. Mississippi audiences are bred on the rich literary heritage of the state – William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Richard Wright – and they respond to the dramatic event that is rooted in the playwright’s words and vision. Our emphasis on new work evolves from this heritage; therefore, our special programming of The Eudora Welty New Play Series provides the creative meeting of playwright and the performing artists that nurtures the art of the dramatist and the present and future vitality of the American theatre.
Additionally, the theatre presents a second season called Unframed at New Stage Theatre Series featuring cutting-edge plays directed and performed by local artists.
