CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS NYC/Metropolitan Area Playwrights

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ABINGDON THEATRE COMPANY  [BLANK] v. [BLANK] PLAYS
BENEFIT CHALLENGE SERIES: An evening of 10-minute plays

YOU fill in the blanks!

Dear Playwright,

You are invited to submit an original 10-minute play to Abingdon Theatre Company’s  [BLANK] v. [BLANK] PLAYS Benefit Challenge. This effort engages artists who support a theatre dedicated to new plays.

Celebrating our upcoming Off-Broadway production of HELLMAN v. McCARTHY by Brian Richard Mori, we are seeking short plays utilizing the theme of oppositional conflict and adversarial parties.  Use your imagination!  Do you want to write a court case?  Great! We’re looking forward to reading it.  You can also think outside the box: CAT v. DOG, METS v. YANKEES,  SPOON v. FORK.  Opposition is the key in this challenge.

Our [BLANK] v. [BLANK] Benefit Series challenges your creativity to write a short drama or comedy within these parameters:

• Two characters must have opposing views; the higher the stakes, the better. 
• One character must prevail by the end of the play.
• Include a character who is age 35 or under.
• The play is set indoors.  The set is a personal living area (excluding bathrooms, kitchen or bedroom). A courtroom or office area can be replicated.  Set pieces include a table, bench-like seating, 2 chairs and a stool.  If a photo of the set model is not included below, you can request a photo by emailing: mail@abingdontheatre.org.

We strongly encourage original play submissions that are developed for this presentation.

Using your skills and imagination, write an original play that will be presented as a staged reading on the set of Abingdon’s next production, HELLMAN v. McCARTHY by Brian Richard Mori and directed by Jan Buttram. We are seeking plays written in any style that reveal a fresh plot, sufficient conflict and a running time of 10 minutes, maximum. Plays are due at midnight on February 21.  SERIES A performs on Tuesday, March 31 @ 7pm, and SERIES B performs on April 7 @ 7pm. Are you ready? Here are the guidelines. Please read carefully!

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

1. Abingdon presents the play. We provide the actors, directors, stage manager, rehearsal space and the theatre (the 98-seat June Havoc Theatre at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex, 312 W. 36th Street, NYC).
2. ALL participants are donating their time and talent, and HELPING TO RECRUIT AN AUDIENCE. Our goal is to fill every seat in the 98-seat house!  There is no fee or cost to the playwright.  There is a ‘pay-what-you-will donation’ for audience members to attend the staged readings.
3. Each playwright and director will be able to attend the staged reading of their script in designated seating.
4. Every play gets one performance only. A reception will follow the presentation in the June Havoc Lobby.
5. Playwrights MUST attend the staged reading. Please specify your availability for SERIES A (3/31), and/or SERIES B (4/7). If you are available for either date, let us know that, too!
6. We encourage you to attend rehearsals, if possible.  The schedule will be determined later.

Please make sure you follow all submission requirements.

SCRIPT GUIDELINES:

1. Your play must present adversarial parties in oppositional conflict, which is decided by the end of the play. Your play must be set in a personal living space.  A courtroom or office playing area is also available.  Set pieces include a table, bench-like seating, 2 chairs and a stool.  DO NOT set your play in a bedroom, bathroom or kitchen. If a photo of the set model is not included below, you can request a photo by emailing: mail@abingdontheatre.org.
2. Write for a cast of 2-3 actors.  Your cast must include a role for an actor age 35 or under.
3. We prefer scripts that can be staged without relying on stage directions. If stage directions are necessary, please keep them to a minimum.
4. Your script will be presented as a staged reading in accordance with AEA guidelines. Keep production values to a minimum. Costumes are at the discretion of the director and the willing cooperation of the actors. No hand props can be used.
5. Plays should be in standard script format: 12 point font, 1” margins on all sides, and character names on a separate line. Be sure to number all pages.
6. Submit scripts in MS-Word - preferred - or PDF format.
7. Scripts longer than 10 pages – title and character breakdown pages are not counted – will NOT be considered.  Regardless of the number of pages, the running time MUST be no more than 10 minutes!
8. You may only submit one script for consideration.
9. The deadline for script submission is midnight, February 21. Up to 16 scripts will be chosen.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

1. Email your scripts to Bara Swain at Bswain@abingdontheatre.org 
2. Write in the subject line: BLANK v. BLANK PLAYS / Your Name
3. In the body of the email, send your complete contact information and a one-line summary of your play as well as your availability (Series A and/or Series B).
4. You will be contacted regarding your script’s status by March 7.

If you have any questions, contact Bara Swain or Kim T. Sharp, Co-Producers. For more information on Abingdon Theatre Company, see our website at www.abingdontheatre.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Bara Swain
Bswain@abingdontheatre.org
Kim T. Sharp
ksharp@abingdontheatre.org
Co-Producers
Abingdon’s Benefit Challenge Series