Playwright Simon Bowler shares insights on developing his play Marlowe with Broad Horizons
On June 9, 2025, the company presented a reading of Simon Bowler's new play, Marlowe, Part One. The play had been selected as the winner of the company's annual new play competition, called "New Voices, New Plays, New York." Below, he describes the experience of winning the competition and all that comes with it--an opportunity to develop the play with critical feedback and participate in casting the roles and rehearsing the play for a reading presented for a live audience in New York City.
"What a blessing. What a team. I was fortunate to be chosen for the Broad Horizons New Play Contest 2025. For a few months before the event, I had great notes from Dramaturg Mark Wood as I rewrote the script in preparation for the reading. What started as a quick polish turned into a larger rewrite as I condensed characters and sharpened the character dynamics.
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"Director Jesse Jou and Casting Director Cindi Rush provided a dream team of deeply experienced, classically trained, and hugely talented actors. Over three days of rehearsals, Jesse and the cast found depth and complexity to the characters that was beyond my wildest hopes. Perhaps the best cast I have ever worked with. The final reading was a triumph. The team found all the humor, pathos, and wit, and then some.
"I have come away with fond memories of a treasured experience and am inspired to polish the play further and move it forward."
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--Simon Bowler