About
New Visions / New Voices is a week-long biennial workshop and festival for playwrights and theaters. The program focuses on the creation of new plays and musicals for young audiences and families. Since 1991, it has assisted in the development of 111 new plays, musicals, and operas from 97 playwrights and 38 composers, working with 61 U.S. and 12 international theater companies.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: New Visions / New Voices is a week-long biennial workshop/festival.
Since its inception in 1991, New Visions / New Voices has assisted in the development of 111 new plays, musicals, and operas from 97 playwrights and 38 composers, working with 61 U.S. and 12 international theater companies. The program has co-founding directors Deirdre Kelly Lavrakas and Kim Peter Kovac; Deirdre Kelly Lavrakas has an MFA in acting from George Washington University, and Kim Peter Kovac has an MFA in directing from the University of Texas at Austin. The New Visions / New Voices program has received awards for exemplary service to the field from both the American Alliance for Theater and Education and the Children's Theatre Foundation of America. Following the cancellation of the in-person New Visions / New Voices Festival in May 2020, Theater for Young Audiences provided funds to the six selected U.S. theater companies and the 2020 Translation Project to be used toward future development, and the piece Farewell Opportunity is being developed with partners at Crescent Cove, the first children’s residential and respite hospice home in the Midwest.
Last updated July 10, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: New Visions / New Voices is a week-long biennial workshop/festival.
Since its inception in 1991, New Visions / New Voices has assisted in the development of 111 new plays, musicals, and operas from 97 playwrights and 38 composers, working with 61 U.S. and 12 international theater companies. The program has co-founding directors Deirdre Kelly Lavrakas and Kim Peter Kovac; Deirdre Kelly Lavrakas has an MFA in acting from George Washington University, and Kim Peter Kovac has an MFA in directing from the University of Texas at Austin. The New Visions / New Voices program has received awards for exemplary service to the field from both the American Alliance for Theater and Education and the Children's Theatre Foundation of America. Following the cancellation of the in-person New Visions / New Voices Festival in May 2020, Theater for Young Audiences provided funds to the six selected U.S. theater companies and the 2020 Translation Project to be used toward future development, and the piece Farewell Opportunity is being developed with partners at Crescent Cove, the first children’s residential and respite hospice home in the Midwest.
Last updated July 10, 2026.
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