JAW will return July 28-30, 2023!

Thank you for your interest in JAW! We want to offer as much care and attention to the submissions as possible. We have reached our 50 submission limit and the window is now closed.

If you have questions or concerns, please email us at .

The JAW New Play Festival is Portland Center Stage’s week-long assembling of artists and audiences to create new plays! Each July, artistic teams, including playwrights, directors, and actors, come together to rehearse — and a lot of times rewrite! — a new play. The final piece of the process happens during the weekend, when we share “music stand readings” with audiences so the playwrights can hear their work, often for the very first time!

• Develop energizing work
• We are committed to developing dope plays!
• Champion exciting voices
• We are invested in playwright-driven artistic growth, giving opportunities to fresh, engaging, powerful theatrical voices.
• Connect with our communities
• We believe that audiences are active participants in the creation of new work. The audience is the final collaborator an artistic team needs to bring a play to life.

In addition to new play readings, Portland Center Stage presents Press Play events during the JAW festival weekend. To welcome people into the space, we offer pre-show performances and workshops, featuring dynamic local artists. These events include an ever-changing lineup of dance exhibitions of all genres, live music, visual art, choreographed movement showcases, interactive installations, and artist labs. All JAW events are free to the public and help introduce new audiences and community members to the breadth of talent in our city, and beyond.

Since 1999, JAW has created a space for 92 playwrights to develop 95 plays. Most have gone on to receive professional productions across the country, including many world premieres at PCS.

Portland Center Stage at The Armory is committed to making our facilities accessible to all of our patrons. Wheelchair seating, accommodation for service animals, sign interpretation, and sound amplifying devices, and large print programs are available for JAW. For more information about these services, please visit our accessibility page.