Across the country, NNPN is investing directly in Member Theaters and the artists they champion, providing resources and opportunities to develop new plays and bring them to audiences.
Throughout our year-end campaign, we'll be spotlighting Member Theaters that have recently received NNPN programmatic awards, sharing firsthand how these investments are supporting their work and making an impact in their communities.
Through December 31, 2026, all gifts will be matched up to $15,000 thanks to the generosity of NNPN founder David Goldman and Carol Dweck, helping us continue investing in new plays and the theaters that bring them to life.
This week, we’re excited to feature Associate Member, The Invisible Theatre!
What was the most recent programmatic award your theater received from NNPN?
Funding from NNPN for two projects for our 27/28 season!
Tell us about the project, production, artist, or work that this NNPN support is helping make possible.
We are receiving support for DALLOWAY: FIRST LOVE by Lindsay Joelle and I,WILL!: A LATE ROMANCE by Scott Carter.
What has NNPN’s support allowed your theater and/or the artists involved to do that might not otherwise have been possible?
NNPN's support is integral to producing these two scripts. Beyond the financial help, which is incredibly important, the Network opens up a rich connection to the theatre landscape. I have found that the relationship with NNPN has broadened our artistic perspectives. Theatre companies are busy producing their own work, but NNPN helps to connect us with each other and the work we are doing. We are finding plays and people across the country that we never would have connected with before.
What impact do you hope this work will have beyond this particular project or production?
My hope is that next season at The Invisible Theatre is the launch pad for becoming a true incubator of new work. I would like to continue in the tradition of the founders of this company and make play development one of our organizational pillars. I feel that as a company that has been running for 55 years, we have a responsibility to make a commitment to the work that leads us into the next era. I'm truly honored and excited about the opportunities and connections I see in our future working with NNPN.
What does being part of National New Play Network make possible for your organization?
We have a space in the national conversation! When we joined NNPN almost a year ago, there were no other Arizona theatre companies participating in the Network. I am proud of the work we are doing to bring this region into the mix! We are creating relationships with artists from all over the country, learning about different approaches and practices and expanding what we thought was possible at our own theatre. The association with NNPN assures us that we have a hotline to a group of dedicated theatre professionals who are committed to helping us support and produce new work. It feels like we are a part of one big, crazy, incredible family.
If you could tell an NNPN donor one thing about why supporting this work matters, what would you want them to know?
The work NNPN is doing is inherent to making sure our art form is vital, robust and thriving. We are stronger together and the Network helps artists make connections from which everyone benefits. There is a sense of support and community within this organization that is incredibly unique. Supporting the work of NNPN is supporting the future of theatre.
-Betsy Kruse Craig, Managing Artistic Director
