College of the Canyons officials are inviting Playwrights from the Santa Clarita Valley to submit original plays, single acts, scenes and monologues for the 15th Annual New Works Festival, according to a new release.

The New Works Festival is a playwright development process and festival open to writers, students, and community members of all ages.

Alumni of the program have gone on to be professionally premiered or featured at other festivals around the nation.

More immediately, selected submissions will be produced and performed live on stage in the Studio Theater during the spring 2015 semester.

Applicants must submit their work at the English desk inside The Learning Center (TLC), located at College of the Canyons’ Valencia campus, by 5 p.m. on Wednesday Nov. 19 in order to be considered for inclusion.

There is no entry or registration fee to participate. Submitted work will be reviewed and selected by members of the COC theatre and English departments.

“It’s exciting to be entering the 15th year of the New Works Festival,” said COC theatre instructor and New Works Festival director David Stears. “The COC theatre department is committed to providing opportunities for students to create their own content.

“Many festivals simply collect plays and present them,” added Stears. “The New Works Festival at COC is unique in that the focus is on developing the writing, with the playwrights directly involved in that process.”

As part of that process festival organizers routinely conduct videoconference readings and development meetings, allowing students an opportunity to exchange notes and ideas with professional playwrights in San Francisco, Texas, South Carolina and New York.

Playwrights who are selected to participate in the festival must also register for the course “Theatre 190 A — New Works Festival” during the spring 2015 semester.

Surprise audience interactions are in store for this year’s edition of the New Works Festival, allowing participants to experience elements unique to theater and not found in television or motion pictures.

For more information about the 2015 New Works Festival and complete submission details, visit COC’s website or contact newworks@canyons.edu.

Photos courtesy of the New Works Festival @ COC Facebook page.