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Devising

Original Theatre

Springfield

Coming Soon

Playwright’s Playground

Fall Festival: October 10-11, 2025

Spring Festival: April 10-11, 2026


During the Playwright’s Playground, your team will create, write, rehearse, and perform an original piece of theatre inspired by the prompts revealed on Friday night. Performances will begin at 7 pm on the next day. 

The benefits of participating in Playwrights Playground as a playwright, actor, director, or technician.

  • Build an ensemble quickly
  • Get out of your head and trust your creative ideas
  • Have a lot of fun
  • See the brilliant creative ideas of the other ensembles approaching the same prompt.

FALL FESTIVAL TEAM KICKOFF – OCTOBER 10-6:30 PM

PERFORMANCE – OCTOBER 11-7 PM

Registration fee is $50 per team and includes technical support during your technical rehearsal and performance. Register your team of players today!

Team Registration

We also need audience members for our performances on Saturday at 7 pm. Purchase your tickets for $10 now! 

Tickets

SAVE THE DATE

DOTS Fringe Festival 2026

July 9 – 12, 2026

All Fringe Venues located at The Judith Enyeart Reynolds School of the Performing Arts for Springfield Little Theatre. 

237 South Florence Avenue
Springfield, Missouri 65806

 

Our Mission

To create original collaborative storytelling with the purpose of amplifying our authentic voices as artists, performers, and theatremakers.

Connect the DOTS

LEARN MORE

Fringe Festival

Look for the opportunity to join us as artists for the 2026 Fringe Festival when submissions open January 2026

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DOTS Experience

From Idea Conception to Theatrical Production, we’re here to guide you through it with classes, workshops, and discussions..

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Support our Mission

There are many opportunities to be involved. Just ask us how you can be a part of DOTS as a volunteer, venue, or partner!

LEARN MORE

“This is what community theater is! I am so proud to be apart of a theater family that encourages others to play.”

-Moe Callahan

Our mission

DOTS mission is to create original collaborative storytelling with the purpose of amplifying our authentic voices as artists, performers, and theatremakers.

The best part of the DOTS Fringe was “Like minded artists coming together to create art as a whole!”
–Kevyn Marshall

“I’m so grateful to have a fringe fest in town. I love seeing original theatre.”

2025 Fringe Festival audience Member

the DOTS Team


Dr. Gretchen Teague

Executive Artistic Director/Founder

HOw we started

I’ve always been captivated by the art of storytelling, whether it’s through dance, music, visual art, or puppetry. Springfield boasts incredible theater companies, but there’s nothing quite like the thrill of crafting art from the ground up.

That’s where DOTS comes in. It’s our playground for exploration and creation. Each of us has unique stories yearning to be told, and DOTS gives us the chance to share them with the world through the magic of live theatre.

The DOTS Team is full of a variety of expertise. Each perspective will allow you to develop your piece with a wide range of tools as playwright, creator, designer, director, and performer. 

Meet the Team