The Deep End Fundraising Campaign

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New Wave Theatre Company NFP

New Wave Theatre Company nurtures emerging playwrights by showcasing their 'bad drafts' through staged readings, fostering creativity and dialogue in the arts community while challenging the norms of theatrical production.

New Wave Theatre Company welcomes you to Bad Draft Bites Back: BDRS turns 1! Since August 2nd, 2025, New Wave Theatre Company has endeavored to see Chicago playwrights put their &quot;worst&quot; play on its feet for a one night only staged reading... Now, one year later, eight readings down, and we&#39;re checking in with our BDRS playwrights to see what they&#39;re working on, warts and all. Join us to celebrate human made art: in-process, unfinished, spell check be damned! what is BDRS?Here, a bad draft&nbsp;is better than no draft at all.In a world where a chatbot can spit out &quot;art&quot;, a play written by a human is 1000x better than something with no soul, even if it has been collecting dust in your Google drive .With the Bad Draft Reading Series, New Wave gladly celebrates<ul fr-original-style="text-align: start;" style="text-align: start; box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">plays that haven&rsquo;t been touched in a while</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">plays that&#39;ve been abandoned</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">plays the playwrights&#39; use to love but now hate</li></ul>So let&#39;s see how &quot;bad&quot; your play really is...

BAD DRAFT BITES BACK ~ BDRS turns 1!

<h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">New Wave Theatre Company welcomes you to the Bad Draft Reading Series!</h3>New Wave Theatre Company wants to read your &quot;bad draft&quot; and put it on its feet for a one night only staged reading.<h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Our 8th Play in the Bad Draft Reading Series is...</h3>Lumbrada by Maria Arreola &amp; Jazmin Mercado! A group of friends gathers around the campfire to tell scary stories. Each tale reigniting old fears they&#39;d long since forgotten, forcing them to confront the horrors they thought only existed in movies&mdash;or their worst nightmares. Enjoy a staged reading followed by a talkback with the playwright. <h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">what is BDRS?</h3>At New Wave, we believe a bad draft is better than no draft at all. In the Bad Draft Reading Series, we celebrate:<ul fr-original-style="text-align: start;" style="text-align: start; box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Plays that haven&rsquo;t been touched in years</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Plays that playwrights abandoned but secretly still love</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Plays they now hate but we&rsquo;re dying to see performed</li></ul>In a world where chatbots can spit out entire scripts, nothing beats a human-made mess. We&rsquo;ll take heart over polish any day.<h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;"> </h3><h3 fr-original-style="" id="isPasted" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Performing at the Labrinth Club</h3>By purchasing this ticket, you are agreeing to the <a fr-original-style="" href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZCrjoVauSiLAhdcxN1hT-vv9N5xPSAh1/view?usp=drive_link" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Labyrinth Collective membership terms</a> for the duration of the performance.

Bad Draft Reading Series #8

<h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">New Wave Theatre Company welcomes you to the Bad Draft Reading Series!</h3> New Wave Theatre Company wants to see your &quot;worst&quot; play and put it on its feet for a one night only staged reading... <h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Our Seventh Play(s) in the bad draft reading series is...</h3>Untitled Cult Play by Emily Marrazzo A family struggles to cope after their eldest daughter, Sadie, becomes entangled in a mysterious group that slowly pulls her away from home. As past and present collide, her younger sister Wendy fights to hold onto their bond while watching Sadie slip further into a belief system that replaces family with something more absolute. Starstruck Little Femme In Stem by Emily Marrazzo Hiding from an overwhelming crowd, a pop star is cornered in a bathroom by a determined young fan who refuses to leave without proof of their meeting. What begins as a standoff evolves into a revealing exchange about admiration, boundaries, and the cost of being seen. Two staged readings followed by a talkback with the playwright! <h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">what is BDRS?</h3><h4 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Here, a bad draft&nbsp;is better than no draft at all.</h4>In a world where a chatbot can spit out &quot;art&quot;, a play written by a human is 1000x better than something with no soul, even if it has been collecting dust in your Google drive .With the Bad Draft Reading Series, New Wave gladly celebrates<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;" value="1">plays that haven&rsquo;t been touched in a while</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;" value="2">plays that&#39;ve been abandoned</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;" value="3">plays the playwrights&#39; use to love but now hate</li></ul>So let&#39;s see how &quot;bad&quot; your play really is... <h3 fr-original-style="" id="isPasted" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Performing at the Labrinth Club</h3>By purchasing this ticket, you are agreeing to the <a fr-original-style="" href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZCrjoVauSiLAhdcxN1hT-vv9N5xPSAh1/view?usp=drive_link" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Labyrinth Collective membership terms</a> for the duration of the performance.

Bad Draft Reading Series #7

<h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">New Wave Theatre Company welcomes you to the Bad Draft Reading Series!</h3> New Wave Theatre Company wants to see your &quot;worst&quot; play and put it on its feet for a one night only staged reading... <h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Our Sixth Play in the bad draft reading series is...&nbsp;</h3>The Pi(e) Guy by David Lipschutz After a humiliating incident puts timid math professor Archie Medes on leave, he returns home to his mother&rsquo;s pie shop and becomes entangled in a murder case involving his former high school bully. Using mathematical reasoning and unexpected courage, Archie uncovers that the victim&rsquo;s cryptic dying words point not to poison, but to a fatal allergic reaction caused by a newly installed &ldquo;expansion&rdquo; litter box&mdash;transforming him into an unlikely local detective. AND An Enchilada at the End of Everything by Alex Kingsley In a frozen post-apocalyptic wasteland outside an abandoned Taco Bell, two lonely survivors pass the time with dark humor, memories of the old world, and fantasies about comfort food and normal life. When Jesus arrives to perform the Rapture and finds no worthy souls left, their conversation reveals that what they truly crave is not salvation but familiarity, connection, and something warm to hold onto at the end of everything. two staged readings followed by a talkback with the playwrights! <h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">what is BDRS?</h3><h4 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Here, a bad draft&nbsp;is better than no draft at all.</h4>In a world where a chatbot can spit out &quot;art&quot;, a play written by a human is 1000x better than something with no soul, even if it has been collecting dust in your Google drive .With the Bad Draft Reading Series, New Wave gladly celebrates<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;" value="1">plays that haven&rsquo;t been touched in a while</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;" value="2">plays that&#39;ve been abandoned</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;" value="3">plays the playwrights&#39; use to love but now hate</li></ul>So let&#39;s see how &quot;bad&quot; your play really is...

Bad Draft Reading Series #6: "The Pi(e) Guy" by David Lipschutz and "An Enchilada at the End of Everything" by Alex Kingsley

<h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">New Wave Theatre Company welcomes you to the Bad Draft Reading Series!</h3> New Wave Theatre Company wants to see your &quot;worst&quot; play and put it on its feet for a one night only staged reading... <h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Our Fifth Play in the bad draft reading series is...</h3><h4 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">11:60pm&nbsp;by Jo~Anna Leigh</h4><blockquote fr-original-style="" style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(194, 194, 194); margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 5px; color: rgb(94, 53, 177); width: 100%; border-top-color: rgb(194, 194, 194); border-right-color: rgb(194, 194, 194); border-bottom-color: rgb(194, 194, 194); box-sizing: inherit;">On New Year&rsquo;s Eve 2020, a housekeeper&rsquo;s shift at a billionaire&rsquo;s mansion is frozen in time when midnight never arrives, trapping her inside a world where labor has no end and power refuses accountability. As the walls close in (literally), the story exposes how wealth distorts reality and what it takes to finally refuse exploitation.</blockquote>a staged reading followed by a talkback with the playwright! <h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">what is BDRS?</h3><h4 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Here, a bad draft&nbsp;is better than no draft at all.</h4>In a world where a chatbot can spit out &quot;art&quot;, a play written by a human is 1000x better than something with no soul, even if it has been collecting dust in your Google drive .With the Bad Draft Reading Series, New Wave gladly celebrates<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;" value="1">plays that haven&rsquo;t been touched in a while</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;" value="2">plays that&#39;ve been abandoned</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;" value="3">plays the playwrights&#39; use to love but now hate</li></ul>So let&#39;s see how &quot;bad&quot; your play really is... <h3 fr-original-style="" id="isPasted" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Performing at the Labrinth Club</h3>By purchasing this ticket, you are agreeing to the <a fr-original-style="" href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZCrjoVauSiLAhdcxN1hT-vv9N5xPSAh1/view?usp=drive_link" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Labyrinth Collective membership terms</a> for the duration of the performance.

Bad Draft Reading Series #5: 11:60pm by Jo~Anna Leigh

New Wave Theatre Company is excited to present our very first public reading of The Deep End by Z. Croix Kelchen, directed by Izadorius Tortuga. In The Deep End, a young woman loses herself in a virtual reality simulation, where uncertainty over her truth casts doubt on her experience and her memory, and tensions arise with her newfound friends when she attempts to leave. We&rsquo;re thrilled to share this new play with an audience for the first time! This reading marks an exciting step in the journey of The Deep End, giving us the chance to hear the story come to life in front of our community. Your support at this early stage means everything. By showing up, listening, and engaging with the work, you&rsquo;re helping us take the next steps toward a fully realized production. We can&rsquo;t wait to experience it with you! **PERFORMANCE VENUE UPDATE* Due to an emergency with our venue, Sunday&#39;s reading of The Deep End will now be held at 4619 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640.&nbsp;Doors will open at 2:45pm.&nbsp;&nbsp;Please contact Jordan Ratliff at 847-858-1354 or by emailing <a data-fr-linked="true" fr-original-style="" href="mailto:info@newwavetheatreco.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">info@newwavetheatreco.org</a> with any questions or issues locating the venue.&nbsp;We look forward to having you!

The Deep End: A Reading

<h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">New Wave Theatre Company welcomes you to the Bad Draft Reading Series!</h3> New Wave Theatre Company wants to see your &quot;worst&quot; play and put it on its feet for a one night only staged reading... <h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Our Third Play in the bad draft reading series is...</h3><h4 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Zombies and Funerals&nbsp;by Emily Worrell</h4><blockquote fr-original-style="" style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(194, 194, 194); margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 5px; color: rgb(94, 53, 177); width: 100%; border-top-color: rgb(194, 194, 194); border-right-color: rgb(194, 194, 194); border-bottom-color: rgb(194, 194, 194); box-sizing: inherit;">A dysfunctional family gathers for the funeral of the family matriarch. When the outbreak of the zombie apocalypse disrupts the service, they are forced to confront both outside danger and their own buried wounds.</blockquote>a staged reading followed by a talkback with the playwright! <h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">what is BDRS?</h3><h4 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Here, a bad draft&nbsp;is better than no draft at all.</h4>In a world where a chatbot can spit out &quot;art&quot;, a play written by a human is 1000x better than something with no soul, even if it has been collecting dust in your Google drive .With the Bad Draft Reading Series, New Wave gladly celebrates<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;" value="1">plays that haven&rsquo;t been touched in a while</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;" value="2">plays that&#39;ve been abandoned</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;" value="3">plays the playwrights&#39; use to love but now hate</li></ul>So let&#39;s see how &quot;bad&quot; your play really is... <h3 fr-original-style="" id="isPasted" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Performing at the Labrinth Club</h3>By purchasing this ticket, you are agreeing to the <a fr-original-style="" href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZCrjoVauSiLAhdcxN1hT-vv9N5xPSAh1/view?usp=drive_link" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Labyrinth Collective membership terms</a> for the duration of the performance.

New Wave Theatre Company NFP

New Wave Theatre Company NFP

Past events

Past events

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BAD DRAFT BITES BACK ~ BDRS turns 1!

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Bad Draft Reading Series #8

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Bad Draft Reading Series #7

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Bad Draft Reading Series #6: "The Pi(e) Guy" by David Lipschutz and "An Enchilada at the End of Everything" by Alex Kingsley

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Bad Draft Reading Series #5: 11:60pm by Jo~Anna Leigh

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The Deep End: A Reading

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Past events

Past events

View event

BAD DRAFT BITES BACK ~ BDRS turns 1!

View event

Bad Draft Reading Series #8

View event

Bad Draft Reading Series #7

View event

Bad Draft Reading Series #6: "The Pi(e) Guy" by David Lipschutz and "An Enchilada at the End of Everything" by Alex Kingsley

View event

Bad Draft Reading Series #5: 11:60pm by Jo~Anna Leigh

View event

The Deep End: A Reading

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New Wave Theatre Company NFP