NEW YORK NEW WORKS Theatre Festival

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"I can't thank you enough for what has been such an incredible and rewarding experience! The New York New Works Festival is truly a gift to the New York theatre scene-- so positive and FUN!"

"I want you to know how much I believe in the Festival!  As far as I'm concerned it's the ONLY festival worth doing."

"This festival is amazing, one of the best, if not the best!! I met so many amazing people who are creating dynamic pieces. Gene is phenomenal and so genuine. The entire staff was more than helpful, available, and personal. I totally enjoyed being a part of this festival and am honored to even have been considered! And hey....speaking with and networking with all of the industry executives was not bad either!"

"​Just wanted to say…I got the edited version of “Darling” to my cast taking all panelist notes into consideration, and they LOVE the changes. They’re excited to grow with this play and we’re SO EXCITED!!!! Thank you again for doing this. This festival is such a great experience and should be the new standard for ALL festivals. This is what its all about."

"​This is such a prestigious festival and I've loved every moment.  As a person who has worked on several Broadway projects I can say that NYNW has brought many of the people I know into the worlds of aspiring playwrights.  It's a much needed contribution to the arts.  Gene Fisch, Jr., thank you!  You provide a space that is awesome and I've seen you help people out financially when you didn't have to.  It's amazing."

"Wow, this was great!  I want to thank you for an amazing experience. I learned so much more about my play during these past few weeks. It was wonderful to be part of such a great community of theater people, especially Kristen.  You have done an amazing job with this festival. I can feel it growing and becoming something bigger each year"

Sincere thanks to Gene Fisch Jr and everyone at New York New Works for their support and encouragement for this and all the new work that has been shown. The atmosphere at the festival is one of mutual peer support across a disparate and eclectic group of new work: each exciting and varied and performed with true commitment from the actors to the work of the writers and creators.

It’s generously subsidized. I’ve learned that most theater festivals are actually expensive to enter, not even counting the funds required to produce and market the show. This festival is radically different — it costs less than $400 to enter, which covers all staffing, a dedicated PR person for the shows, dinners with potential investors, cocktail parties with the panelists, and all the production costs in a 199-seat Off Broadway caliber theater.

On behalf of NURSERY SCHOOL, thank you so much for a wonderful opportunity and experience. I hope to continue to be in touch regarding this show and my others. And congratulations on a fantastic festival!

Great job on the festival! I thoroughly enjoyed that experience. Keep up the good work!

Thank you to Gene Fisch Jr, and the rest of the team at the New York New Works Festival for giving us an off-Broadway stage to play on and a golden opportunity. BIG Thank you to all my friends who have come out to see us! This is a long post, but I am extremely grateful and the Gratitude is Coming Out my Ears, which coincidentally could be the title of my next play. Thank you, thank you!

"​My show Flesh & Spirit was a part of last years Festival. We made it to the final 6 out of several hundred. It was a great opportunity to be seen in the NYC area. It was very exhilarating to see my piece performed by some of the the best actors on Broadway. Gene Fisch has been a true champion for new Theatre voices."

"​I really appreciated being able to perform my one-woman show at The Acorn on 42nd Street!! I think this was an utterly unique opportunity which Gene Fisch, Jr. created and beautifully organized. The Festival sponsored multiple opportunities to meet Producers and other theater artists at NYNW sponsored events during the Festival. Much appreciation and many thanks to all who generously contributed their time to make this happen!!!  I also want to say that the feedback I got was very rich and will help me to develop the piece further. It was a terrific introduction to the NY Theater Community and I am deeply grateful."

"I had a play in the festival in 2017 and it was a terrific experience. It gave my show, "Ugly Christmas Sweater, The Musical", valuable exposure, allowing me to introduce the project to the New York theater community and start the process of building a branding platform."

"I'd like to profusely thank you for offering this wonderful opportunity to share my work, and I hope to submit my work to the festival again in the future. Your dedication to fixing something wrong in the industry is inspiring and I feel honored to have been chosen as a participant. "

"I've had two plays in this festival, "Acoustic Space" (in the festival's inaugural year) and "Another Famous Dead Artist" (semi-finalist, 2015) and I have to say, having been in many play festivals over the years, this one is truly the most enjoyable, professional and tightly run of them all. Above all, for playwrights, it offers the greatest opportunity for taking your work to the next level with exposure to panels consisting of legitimate industry professionals looking for great work and ready to help guide you toward the next stage of your career."

"My one woman show: "Queen of Tinder" got to be part of the first year of this amazing festival. I made some amazing connections, friendships and working relationships. I am so happy to see how the New York New Works Theatre Festival just gets better and better with each year!  Plus the Festival Director Gene Fisch, Jr. is one of the most openhearted supporting person you will want to know!"

"​I was very honored to be a participant in the NYNW Theatre Festival. My cast and I had a great time making new friends with other shows. I also appreciated the feedback received from the panel. Each time we performed we were given valuable tools to help us take our show to the next level. I definitely hope to be part of this festival again in the future and I encourage others to submit because it’s an amazing experience."

"​I've shown with the festival twice: Passage (Finalist in 2015) and Protect the Children (Semi-Finalist in 2016) and had such a wonderful experience! The highlight of the festival (besides actually presenting your work to a full house) is the interaction and networking with the other artists, and particularly with the panelists who are gracious and inviting. I received fabulous feedback on how to take my work to the next level and have kept in contact with several panelists who expressed interest in my work..."

"Gene Fisch Jr is an example of true, genuine and loving passion for art and to help new talent to produce masterpieces on Broadway"

"​This festival is absolutely crucial. The work the NYNW does to encourage artists of all stripes (even those who didn't realize they were artists) to tell their stories is nothing short of a gift. A gift to them, yes. But also a gift to all of us who love theater and want the theatrical canon to continue to reflect the world around us."

"So honored to be a part of this!! Great writers, great actors, great scripts!"

"​You guys made this so special, this is the best night of my life."

"Great Off-Broadway humongous theatre to perform in! Fantastic people to get in front of who actually judge this!"

"The energy was so much more positive than other major festivals. There are real industry people here. Casting Directors and Broadway Producers"

"I've been getting quite a bit of General Management work which was one of my hopes for this project.  Great networking - Met so many talented and creative theatre professionals in the NYNW Festival."

"The New York New Works Theatre Festival is amazing.  Gene cares about people and helping to move their life forward and has put money where his passion is to help.   You can see his sincerity  in the following Good News  link:  http://goodnewsplanet.com/?s=gene+fisch  .  I'vd been a proud board member since day one!"

"Any trip into New York would not be complete without experiencing the fine work showcased by this festival!"

"The Festival itself has an incredible management team and compliment of professionals that are donating their time to help people move to the next level"

"It's wonderful to see new works happen and specific programs like the New York New Works Theatre Festival so that we can hear these new artist's voices"

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"I may give up entering other festivals from now on because they come nowhere near NYNW. Yours is the best theatre festival ever."

"This is by far the best festival I have ever been to and I've been to a lot of them.  Every piece of work was terrific!  You have done such a fine job, this is so well run!  This is amazing!"

"My musical play, "Fat Ladies Ain't All in the Circus ," has Broadway producers interested after seeing a scene I did as a one-woman all-music show in the New York New Works Theatre Festival last year thanks to Gene Fisch, Jr."

"​Honestly, most festivals are not worth the time and effort, and most festivals take advantage of your enthusiasm by profiting off of you through fees that you pay-- but not this one. NYNW changed my life. The feedback I received from the panel of Broadway professionals enabled me to improve my script, and the relationships I built lasted beyond the festival itself. Gene enthusiastically gives his heart, his sweat, his everything to this festival-- and it shows. The marketing was phenomenal, the tech was (literally) Broadway caliber (a Broadway vet ran my show's tech), and the chance to see others' shows is priceless. I got a glimpse at what Broadway-readiness entailed, and I was inspired by the conversations created as a result of all these shows interacting with one another, in a beautiful, Off-Broadway theatre in Times Square."

"​ Thank you and the great festival team again for making this fantasy come true. As you know, we are new to this and weren't sure what to expect, but with your help and guidance, we made our way through and even to the "top"!  This has been an incredible experience and I want to thank all of you for your assistance and support."

I love how you really do provide underrepresented voices an opportunity. You walk the walk.

You're one of the rare people who bring joy of light and inspiration to people who is lucky to know you.

I wanted to thank you all again for such an amazing second round. The whole team of The Coward has had a life changing experience, and we really can't thank you enough for everything. We've felt supported and cared for the whole way.

Thank you Gene! It was an amazing experience and I can't wait to do it again next year!

I know that, being 25 years old, I am one of the younger playwrights involved with the fest, so being able to now say that I was involved with the New York New Works Theatre Festival is such an amazing honor, Out of the 8 festivals (I know, small number, I'm still working on it haha!) my shows have been in, this one has by FAR been my favorite, both in actual performance and on a personal level.

Last night was wonderful.... Thank you so much for these wonderful memories. This Festival is quite special for me and you helped make it so.

"​I am delighted to rejoin the festival this year with a new musical, "Jilted to Perfection: A MorMom's Love." Gene and his team are top notch and work tirelessly to ensure a fun and celebratory theatre showcase for new works. Many thanks for helping to make dreams come true. Come see the shows!"

"​Chuck's musical "Mourning Becomes Ridiculous" and Lance's play "In Love with the Arrow Collar Man," both directed by Chuck. What a tremendous opportunity Festival director Gene Fisch and his panelists and crew provide aspiring playwrights! There's the excitement of performing right in the heart of Manhattan's Theater District and the amazing range of works presented to an audience that, in our experience, regularly assured a full house. It was a privilege to have "Arrow Collar Man" make the semifinals, and Gene has been very generous with his time and expertise as we continue to seek a full production, so this festival deserves extra kudos for follow-up. Also our play requires the use of projections, and the staff was very helpful and professional in addressing that need. The joy of seeing one's work coming to life on the NYNW stage makes all the hard work involved well worth the while."

"​So. I got an email from a producer who saw the Siren’s Den performance last night. She said “You definitely created something special” and is setting up a meeting with me and two established female run theater companies “who I think would be interested in producing this show.” It is the e-mail every writer and festival participant DREAMS about."

"Thanks for welcoming POOCH to New York New Works Festival. The experience has been very positive for myself, my cast and my show"

"This was my first time participating in a theater festival as a playwright. Since I'm from Boise Idaho, I was expected to feel like an outsider but instead was treated with kindness and a welcoming atmosphere. We had such a great experience at the festival and was surprised at how much enthusiasm everyone expressed. Gene Fisch Jr. was so very passionate about the process and the shows being presented. I felt very much at home there and will definitely be submitting again this year!"

"​For someone like me, who loves writing but is hesitant about stepping into the limelight, having a play accepted into this festival, which is organized and judged by so many incredibly accomplished people, was a gift beyond measure."

"Love everything about this festival. Incredible platform for artists, writers and creatives so be seen by leading industry professionals with the contacts and capabilities to make a lasting difference for them and their work on a grand scale."

"Thank you for helping writers! Really. This new play program that you started is a God-send!!!"

"I want to thank you, your wonderful Festival Team and all the New York New WorksTheater Festival staff for offering us an opportunity to experience professional theatre at its best. Being apart of the NYNW Theatre Festival has been one of the best ‘ride of our life’ Thank you also for taking the time to call, email and to speak to me in your effort to mentor me as new playwright, and in my effort to meet your production and performance standards. We had the most wonderful time, and enjoyed the festival highly."

"After the first two nights of the New York New Works Theatre Festival, congrats to all! Gene Fisch Jr, you’re a generous visionary. Writers, directors, actors, and production staff, congrats on a fantastic beginning. I look forward to the rest of your new play festival!"

"You should check out this Festival.  The festival is founded by a terrific guy and they cover the vast majority of your costs."

"Great opportunity to submit your play to go up Off-Broadway!!  Gene Fisch, Jr. runs a fabulous festival -great networking and mentoring - real Broadway producers see your work shine!"

"Congratulations to the finalists of the NewYorkNewWorksFestival and to its founder Gene Fisch, Jr. for passionately and generously bringing this festival to writers of plays and musicals . . . giving their work a fair shot . . . to be staged and seen by real industry professionals without breaking the bank!"

"I definitely recommend submitting to this festival!   Because of your festival we got to give so many international artists the experience of working in a legitimate Off-Broadway theater. Many of them will go back to their home countries, and I know this festival will be an experience they will never forget. Thank you so much for the opportunity I look forward to submitting something again next year."

"Thank you so much for believing in me. I love your festival from what I've seen on Facebook and the opportunities it gives writers to present our work. Having AMAMA make it to the semi-finals was the best thing that's happened for one of my works."

"Gene and staff, as you approach the 2019 Festival I wanted to wish you all good luck on the latest endeavor! The 2018 Festival was -- BAR NONE -- the highlight of my theatrical career as a playwright. Working with a group that is so professional, so caring, so energetic and so supportive made that experience such a positive time"

"​Thank you for watering the seeds of our heart so that we can grow."

"Even the competition is fierce... Makes you pat yourself on the back and realize that you are in the right room"