Blue Roses Project

The creation of a new play is a process of collaborative revision. A key step is the workshop, where actors read the script aloud and a director works with the playwright on dialogue and structure. Without design elements (lights, sets, costumes) the team focuses on the story. For decades, development occurred at regional theatres, giving emerging writers essential entry points into the national theatre landscape.

COVID-19 eroded that infrastructure. Declining ticket revenue, rising production costs, and shifting philanthropic priorities forced many companies to scale back, cutting new play development. Theatres have recovered more slowly than other cultural sectors, with many still facing significant deficits. As pathways narrowed, LGBTQ playwrights were especially affected, as their stories have long found early support in smaller development programs.

Blue Roses Project (BRP) was founded in response. Created by Tony Award nominee Gideon Glick, director and producer James Will McBride, and nonprofit administrator Kait Stinchcomb, BRP aims to rebuild space for developing contemporary queer theatre. 

BRP brings playwrights to New Orleans to refine new work with local and national talents. Incorporated in 2023 and launching its first programs in 2025, BRP received over 100 submissions in its first year. Red Tide by Dom Martello, a play exploring trans life on the Gulf Coast, was selected for BRP’s premiere workshop. 

BRP also launched a weekly playwriting class at Project Lazarus, a nonprofit serving individuals living with HIV/AIDS. BRP plans to adapt this model for schools, nursing homes, and correctional facilities.

By supporting playwrights and engaging local communities, BRP seeks to rebuild a vital part of the theatre ecosystem. Its long-term vision is a sustainable model for developing new queer plays while ensuring emerging voices continue shaping American theatre.

Testimonials

"The scaffolding that BRP built as an onramp allowed me to enter the space with an open mind and an open heart. The level of intensive work I achieved could only happen through the thoughtfulness the BRP team put into the week." --Dom Martello, BRP's 2025 Playwright 

"What the Blue Roses Project is bringing to New Orleans is the opportunity for artists to develop their voices in the most creatively inspiring city in America. As a writer who does her best work after a coffee and a walk through the Bywater, I don't think I could possibly believe in an organization more." --Jaclyn Moore, Executive Producer/Showrunner (Queer as Folk)

"The Blue Roses Project playwriting class is giving our residents the opportunity to share their stories in their own words to audiences that might not otherwise listen. Our residents are discovering that their experiences are worthy of that audience’s attention and that realization has been deeply transformative.

Additionally, we have found the practice of storytelling to be an impactful form of therapy for our residents, who often grapple with autonomy over their own narrative. This practice helps our clients reclaim their own inner monologue, and with that, their lives." --Ian Bicko, Executive Director, Project Lazarus

"Blue Roses Project understands the importance of new play development rooted in location. While pockets of our country are lush with new play development, many regions have no community or pipeline. Without development specific to regions like New Orleans, we not only miss out on vital individual's stories, we also miss out on the stories that make up our national identity, leaving massive holes in our country’s quilt. For this reason, the work of BRP can additionally serve as a model to other creative communities across the South." --Kelley Nicole Girod, Director of New Works,The Apollo Theater