The Denver Center Theatre Company has done multiple world premieres in a season. But never before has it done three commissioned world premieres at the same time, as it will during the 2007-08 season.

Normally, commissioned scripts have about a 30 percent chance of being produced by the theater that commissioned them. Denver Center will break that stat by producing three of seven currently commissioned plays.

"It's very unusual," said artistic director Kent Thompson. "I really felt like these plays were ready to be produced, that they were very exciting and completely different from each other."

That means in-house readings in the fall and more rehearsal than with a regular production.

At the same time, the company has expanded its season from 11 to 12 shows, and further raised the stakes by programming two musicals next season.

Irving Berlin's White Christmas, a co-production with Denver Center Attractions, will be directed by Thompson in the Buell Theatre, in the slot normally held by A Christmas Carol, which takes this year off. The second musical will be announced later.

Thompson also will direct the world premiere of Plainsong, Eric Schmiedl's adaptation of the best-selling novel by Kent Haruf.

All this new work will require a budget increase of 8 percent to 10 percent, Thompson estimated, which will come from grants, supporters and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

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Denver Center season

• Third: The final play by Wendy Wasserstein, Sept. 14 to Oct. 20.

• You Can't Take It With You: Classic comedy by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, Sept. 21 to Oct. 20.

• The Diary of Anne Frank: Adapted by Wendy Kesselman, Nov. 9 to Dec. 15.

• Pride and Prejudice: Adapted by Jon Jory, Nov. 16 to Dec. 15.

• Irving Berlin's White Christmas: Nov. 23 to Dec. 30.

• Lydia: World premiere of play by Octavio Solis about a Mexican immigrant family dealing with tragedy and wonder in the 1970s, Jan. 11 to March 1.

• Our House: World premiere of play by Theresa Rebeck satirizing the trend toward TV news as entertainment, Jan. 18 to Feb. 23.

• Plainsong: World premiere of adaptation by Eric Schmiedl of Kent Haruf's Colorado-based novel, Jan. 25 to Feb. 23.

• Gee's Bend: Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder's study of an impoverished band of Alabama quilters, March 14 to April 19.

• The Merry Wives of Windsor: Shakespeare's comedy, March 21 to April 19.

• Doubt: John Patrick Shanley's tale of suspicion and moral certitude, April 4 to May 24.

• Musical: To be announced, May 9 to June 29.