Corporate body

Brave New Play Rites

1986-

The Brave New Play Rites festival began in 1986 under the initiative of UBC creative writing professor Bryan Wade. Wade sought a means for creative writing students to witness their theatrical works in front of a live audience and to become engaged in the theatrical process as a normal part of their coursework. Submitted plays were typically 20 minutes in length and student-authors were encouraged to participate in their play’s production from attending rehearsals to selecting actors. Creative writing courses that have participated in the festival included CRWR 407 and CRWR 507.
Brave New Play Rites continues as an annual festival into the present and a number of notable writers such as Dennis E. Bolen, Stephanie Bolster, Maureen Medved among others have had their plays featured in the festival. Wade also edited a published collection of one-act plays featured in the festival, Brave New Play Rites: Highlights plays from UBC's Creative Writing Department (Anvil Press, 2006).

Festival