(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Vanguard Theater, a professional producing theater in Montclair, is accepting submissions for Illuminating New Voices - a curated weekend of new work presentations.  The festival will take place May 1-3, 2026. The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2026 at midnight.

Selected pieces will be presented in front of live audiences, giving artists the opportunity to hear their work aloud and engage in a supportive development-focused environment.

Illuminating New Voices was first introduced as part of Vanguard Theater Company’s continued commitment to investing in new work and emerging voices. The festival’s inaugural presentation was supported through partnerships with the Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand Foundation and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance as part of the Alliance’s Stages Festival. These early partnerships helped establish the foundation for Illuminating New Voices as a platform for commissioning, development, and visibility for new theater makers.

All poets, playwrights, composers, lyricists, and choreographers are welcome to submit their work. The works submitted in this application should be pre-existing and may be excerpts from longer pieces. They encourage a wide range of theatrical forms, including non-traditional such as choreopoems, movement-based pieces, music-forward works, and other genre-blurring creations.

All submissions must be submitted through the google form located here. Once the application is closed,  submissions will be reviewed for final consideration. All chosen applicants will be contacted by February 23rd for participation in Illuminating New Voices on the weekend of May 1 - 3, 2026.

A commission of $500 will be awarded to individuals, collaborators, and creative teams for 15 - 20 minute works that will be presented at the festival. Excerpts from existing works must be submitted for festival consideration. Once accepted into the festival, artists will be offered one of the following opportunities:

1. Present the submitted work in the festival (as written.)

2. Be commissioned to work on a rewrite of their existing work

3. Be commissioned to develop and workshop a new piece entirely

Because of their tight production timeline they will need to schedule a Zoom meeting with you and any collaborators immediately afterward, between February 24 – March 2. Please be prepared to respond promptly so they can confirm your participation and set a meeting time.

Submission Requirements: 

* A three to five-minute excerpt or preview of the work, either in script form or video

* A written synopsis of the work

* A audio recording (this does not have to be a professional recording) of at least two songs if submitting a musical or a play with music. (If submitting a video that includes selections, then you do not have to also include an audio recording)

* Sheet music, if existing; and 

* Short artist statement of the creator.

* Final presentations may not exceed twenty minutes in length.

* Submissions may be excerpts of fuller-length works.

* All works should be submitted as a PDF document and/or with an accompanying MP4 if applicable. 

* All work submitted must be purely original for consideration.  

Don't hesitate to get in touch with [email protected] with any questions.

Vanguard Theater challenges social and cultural narratives through professional theater dedicated to DREAM: Diversity, Reciprocity, Education, Activism, and Mentorship.