Circa's Programming Process

Ever wanted to know how Circa chooses the plays it produces?

The Circa Council is hard at work on the programme for 2014, so it seemed a good opportunity to explain to drama on the waterfront how the programming process works at Circa.

Circa’s programme is the life-blood of our theatre. The Circa Council is responsible for all programming decisions and reads a large number of plays each year in order to settle on a programme which strives to match our vision: “We believe a great theatre experience inspires, entertains, transforms and nourishes the human spirit”.

Circa Theatre welcomes approaches from established professional theatre directors. We have developed a two step process:

1. In the first instance, we ask directors to submit a short CV or bio along with the script of the play. We send an acknowledgement that we have received the submission, however it could then be up to six months  (depending on when it is submitted) before we respond regarding the way forward while the submission is circulated amongst the Circa Council members.

All submissions are read by the Council, from which a shortlist is determined. At that stage the Circa Council will invite shortlisted directors to make a pitch for a season at the theatre.

2. Up to two 'Pitch Presentation Days’ are scheduled each year for Directors to present their pitch to the Circa Council. The programme will then be confirmed based on these pitches. If there are some slots in the programme that are still vacant after the first Pitch Presentation Day, there will be a second Pitch Presentation Day.

All directors who work at Circa are required to go through the pitch process. The programme is in development for much of the year - the Council accepts submissions up to the end of June, with the Pitch Days taking place in July and September. The final programme isn't decided until the end of September, and it is kept under wraps while we create the annual brochure that is released each year at the Thorndon Fair.

So stay tuned for Sunday, 1 December, to find out what 2014 will have in store for you at Circa Theatre!