Denver Center announces 2027 Colorado New Play Summit lineup

The 21st annual festival, set for Feb. 20-21, will include four readings of new plays and two world premiere productions.

The Denver Center Theatre Company will hold the 2027 Colorado New Play Summit on Feb. 20-21 at the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex, 1400 Curtis St. in Denver.

Four new plays will be presented as staged readings, written by Alejandro A. Alonso Galva, Đavid Lee Huỳnh, Erica Jensen and DeLanna Studi. The weekend will also include full productions of two plays that were read at the 2025 Summit: bogfriends by jose sebastian alberdi and How to Conquer America: A Mostly True History of Yogurt by David Myers.

The readings

American Camelot by Alejandro A. Alonso Galva: A political drama about a Black freshman senator whose rising profile in a presidential election cycle collides with questions about the personal cost of public duty.
Sorry, Mom (or, Confessions of a Ragin’ Cajun Asian) by Đavid Lee Huỳnh: A solo show, written and performed by Huỳnh, that draws on Vietnamese history, family stories and karaoke to explore the legacy of French colonialism on his family.
Black Friends by Erica Jensen: A satirical comedy set in 2022 about a Black woman raised by white people who, finding herself the only Black person in her life, decides to rent a Black friend.
“I” Is for Invisible by DeLanna Studi: A thriller, woven with Cherokee cosmology, about a woman who searches for her missing sister after authorities say they can’t investigate because the sister is a tribal citizen. The play addresses the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

“The Colorado New Play Summit is a celebration of the artists who help us see the world through bold new stories,” said Chris Coleman, Artistic Director of the Denver Center Theatre Company. “Alejandro A. Alonso Galva’s American Camelot offers a riveting look at ambition and the personal sacrifices demanded by public life. In Sorry, Mom (or Confessions of a Ragin’ Cajun Asian), Đavid Lee Huỳnh blends humor and a heartfelt reflection in a moving exploration of family and identity. Erica Jensen’s Black Friends tackles questions of belonging and self-discovery with wit and biting satire, and DeLanna Studi’s “I” Is for Invisible shines a powerful light on the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women through a gripping and deeply resonant story rooted in Cherokee culture and community. Together, these selected readings exemplify the bold artistry, diverse perspectives, and compelling conversations at the heart of the Summit, and we are thrilled to share them with our audiences.”

The world premieres

Sponsored

bogfriends, directed by Joshua Kahan Brody, follows six people connected by something that surfaces in an Irish bog, including two who died long ago. The production plays Saturday, Feb. 20, at 8 p.m. in the Singleton Theatre. It runs Jan. 15-Feb. 21 and is about 80 minutes with no intermission. The Denver Center lists mature themes, including theatrical violence, death and staged intimacy.

How to Conquer America, directed by Margot Bordelon, centers on a research assistant who created the 1975 ad campaign that made yogurt an American staple, until her late father interferes with her version of the story. It plays Sunday, Feb. 21, at 8 p.m. in the Kilstrom Theatre.

The weekend

The readings are split into two audience tracks, so attendees see the same four plays in a different order. Saturday begins with a brunch at 11 a.m., with readings at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. Saturday’s schedule also includes a dinner, bogfriends and a Playwrights’ Slam at 10 p.m. Sunday includes a high school playwriting competition, lunch, two more rounds of readings and the How to Conquer America premiere.

Since its founding, the Summit has introduced 78 new plays, more than half of which later returned as full Theatre Company productions. Past Summit premieres include The Whale, The Legend of Georgia McBride, The Book of Will, The Great Leap, American Mariachi and The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Tickets

Weekend packages include all readings and both premieres, plus two lunches, the Summit dinner and the Playwrights’ Slam. General admission is $302 through Nov. 30 and $356 starting Dec. 1, including fees. Theatre Company subscribers, students and people 35 and younger have discounted rates. Individual tickets go on sale Jan. 5. Details are at denvercenter.org/tickets-events/colorado-new-play-summit.