ADVANCE THEATRE FESTIVAL:
Advancing the Inclusive Stage
For over eleven years, Ruby Slippers Theatre’s Advance Theatre Festival develops and showcases five dramatic readings over five days of new works written and directed by equity deserving artists. Many of these plays go on to be fully professionally produced.
If you are a playwright and your play is chosen to participate in the Advance Theatre Festival, Ruby Slippers Theatre in partnership with The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts will cover the costs of all rehearsals prior to the day of the reading, your technical rehearsal, promotion, theatrical venue, and all artists’ fees.
If you are a director who wishes to participate, send us your resume and cover letter for consideration.
Playwrights: please send your play synopsis, brief bio, and a maximum fifteen-page script excerpt to info@rubyslippers.ca by May 15, 2027. One submission per person please. Successful candidates will be notified by June 15, 2027.
The 2027/28 Advance Theatre Festival will take place in Jan/Feb of 2028. Exact dates TBD.
Our Curator for ATF 27/28 is Lily Chang. You can read about them here:
https://www.rubyslippers.ca/artist-in-residence-2026-2027/
Priority will be given to inclusivity, considering all cultural backgrounds, orientations, identities, abilities, and ages.
The Advance Theatre Festival is brought to you by Ruby Slippers Theatre in partnership with The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and Playwrights Guild of Canada and takes place in Vancouver B.C. on the unceded lands of The Coast Salish People.
Please visit www.rubyslippers.ca to see our 26/27 Advance Theatre lineup and more!