We never post opportunities that require a submission fee. LEARN MORE.

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Fall Writing Classes at Primary Stages ESPA!

Fall 2019 classes at Primary Stages ESPA are now open for enrollment! Here are just some of the classes in our lineup of opportunities in the writing department:

This class will guide you through the development of your first draft, providing concrete deadlines, constructive feedback, and a collaborative environment that will encourage you to get your ideas on the page.
Instructors:
Mêlisa Annis (Writer, Director, and Dramaturg; Faculty, NYU Tisch Dramatic Writing Program)
Adam Kraar (Writer, New World Rhapsody at MTC, Wild Terrain at EST)
Winter Miller (Writer, In Darfur at The Public Theater, No One Is Forgotten at Rattlestick)
Eddie Sanchez (Writer, Barefoot Boy with Shoes On at Primary Stages)
Michael Walkup (Producing Artistic Director, Page 73)

Instructor: Stefanie Zadravec (Writer, The Electric Baby at Two River Theatre Company)
As soon as you finish your last line of dialogue, the need for rewrites begins. This class will help you tackle the revision process and develop a stronger version of your play.

Instructor: Crystal Skillman (Writer, Geek, Pulp Vérité, Mary and Max)
The final magic ingredient for any play in development is hearing it aloud and putting it in front of an audience. This rigorous class is for those with complete drafts who are ready to hear their play in full and embark on strategic rewrites.

Instructor: Kate Moira Ryan (Writer (with Judy Gold), 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother and The Judy Show at DR2 Theatre)
In this class, you will study the specialized set of rules for comedy, which are vastly different from the dramatic form. Shape your ideas, structure your plot, develop believable characters, and write witty dialogue.

Instructor: Allison Robbins (TV and Screenwriting Faculty, NYU Film School and Tisch)
This 2-day workshop will focus on the core elements of writing a 1-hour dramatic series spec script—based on an existing series—from premise to outline to completed teleplay.

Instructor: Abe Koogler (Obie-winning Writer, Fulfillment Center at MTC, Kill Floor at LCT3)
In this 2-day intensive writing workshop, you will begin and make substantial progress on a brand-new play. This class will use an intuitive approach to dramatic structure, inspiring an organic writing process that bypasses the critical brain.

Classes begin in September. Start and end dates vary. Click here for the full list of writing classes.

Our award-winning faculty, comprised of working professionals in the field, provides practical skills and expert guidance in a collaborative community atmosphere. 

Primary Stages ESPA provides students easy and convenient payment plans to break up tuition. For more information, call 212.840.9705 x215 or email espa@primarystages.org.

Clubbed Thumb submission guidelines

web site

Clubbed Thumb develops and produces plays that are funny, strange and provocative. If you’ve not seen our work, look through our production history and read some of the plays we have produced (in our anthology or published elsewhere) before submitting.

Beyond our aesthetic criteria, Clubbed Thumb will only accept play submissions that fall within these basic guidelines:

Unproduced in New York City
Running time of 90 min or less
Intermissionless
Includes substantial and challenging roles for women
Has at least three characters
Do not re-submit plays we have responded to; only submit one play at a time

To submit a play, fill out the form and upload a PDF below. Additionally, provide a synopsis, your familiarity with Clubbed Thumb, and why you believe this play is a good fit for us.

Finally, we are a small organization and it can take some time to get through submissions. Thank you for your patience.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Village Theatre accepting musicals

web site

Village Theatre accepts submissions from May 1 to August 1 each year— anyone can submit a libretto sample for consideration, provided they follow the guidelines listed below.

Full scripts will be accepted by invitation only.

Village Theatre is committed to inclusivity and encourages submissions with diverse stories, experiences, musical styles, forms, content, and points of view.

Your musical must fit these criteria:

MUSICALS ONLY - we do not accept non-musical plays, plays with music, or traditional operas;
We are seeking professional-level writers. Emerging, mid-career, and master writers are all encouraged to submit;
We do not accept children’s theatre or Theatre For Young Audiences (TYA) shows;
While we only need a sample at this time, shows must have a full-length script available upon request (at least 80 minutes);
At least 3 demo recordings must be available - they do not need to be professional/studio quality but they must be clear enough to hear lyrics, melody and accompaniment;
All content must either be wholly original, based on work in public domain, or authors must have underlying rights and/or permissions to use any pre-existing material. No exceptions;
Your musical is still in development - no shows can have been on Broadway or licensed by a major licensing house.
We only accept digital submissions. Hard copy submissions will be returned unopened.

LIBRETTO SAMPLE INSTRUCTIONS
We ask that all open submissions submit a 15-20 page libretto sample. Full scripts will be accepted by invitation only. Please submit the 15-20 pages that will most make us want to read more. Your 15-20 page selection must be consecutive pages (ex: you may not submit pages 1-10 and 50-60) and two of your song demos must be contained within the sample pages you submit. Do not include a title page. If your script submission is longer than 20 pages total we will not review it.

SONG SELECTION INSTRUCTIONS
We ask for 3-5 songs. Please include all songs that are in your 15-20 page libretto sample. If you are able to include more songs beyond your libretto sample (without going over 5 songs) please choose the songs that most represent the show and your skill as a writer. ALL RECORDINGS MUST INCLUDE BOTH ACCOMPANIMENT AND VOCALS. NO INSTRUMENTALS ONLY. NO ACAPELLA ONLY. (Unless the show is intended to be performed acappella)

Online form

Monday, July 29, 2019

University of the Arts Polyphone Festival of New and Emerging Musicals 2020

web site

DUE MONDAY AUGUST 12, 2019 11:59pm

WHAT IS POLYPHONE?

Polyphone Festival of New and Emerging Musicals s a nationally recognized festival of the emerging musical at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. For the last five years, we’ve brought composers, librettists, directors, choreographers and music directors from the field onto the campus of the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts at UArts to work with student casts and creatives on never before produced musicals.

Each year we program four new musicals. Each musical is cast from around 150 auditioning students, workshopped and rehearsed for six weeks, and teched for three days. During the festival week, each musical receives three performances. The final presentations are off-book, staged concert productions with a full band and lighting design. The process allows the authors to make changes over the rehearsal period and see a musical on its feet for the first time. On the last day of the festival, we perform all four shows in a 12-hour marathon on two stages. This year Polyphone will be housed in the Philadelphia Arts Bank Theater and The Wilma Theater on S. Broad St.

Each year Polyphone plugs over 100 undergraduate theater students into the process of new musical development. In the process we support emerging artists with a paid opportunity to make their work, give students on-the-ground training in the creation of new work, and give adventurous new musicals time and space to develop, free from the pressures of commercial interests, producing theaters, or reviews.

AS A POLYPHONE AUTHOR YOU RECEIVE:

  1. Artistic Fee.
  2. (for Non-Philadelphia artists) housing stipend, travel reimbursement to Philadelphia.
  3. Paid professional director, music director, and choreographer. If a project has an attached director, music director, or choreographer, we will work to bring them on board.
  4. Student cast, band, and creative assistants.
  5. Dramaturgical, logistical and technical support from the festival creative leadership and the UArts community.


ELIGIBILITY:

  1. We are looking for original musicals that are in development with a cast of 7 or more characters. (A cast of 10-15 is ideal.) We define a musical as a performance in which music is a primary mode of storytelling. This can include ensemble-based, devised, experimental and/or operatic work.
  2. The musical should have a completed first draft (electronic copies only in PDF form, no hand-written scripts will be accepted) and must have been read at least once in a workshop or concert setting.
  3. Authors and lead creatives must be based in the NYC or Philadelphia regions during the rehearsal and festival period. Non-Philadelphia artists are housed for weekend rehearsals, tech and festival weeks. There is no housing for the full 6 week rehearsal period.
  4. Lead creative team members should be available for rehearsals Friday Nights, Saturdays and mid February – March 31, 2020. And for three tech rehearsals between April 1-6, 2020. And for at least one show during festival week April 7-11, 2020.
  5. Artists that are current graduate or undergraduate students are not eligible with the exception of UArts students and MFA students at the Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training.

Please Note:
Polyphone is a hybrid educational and creative opportunity. Polyphone guest artists are asked to play the role of educator and artist during the rehearsal period.

Polyphone Festival performances employ minimal costumes and props, and no scenic design.

Authors may submit no more than two musicals, each as a separate application.

The festival staff is especially motivated to program voices and stories that are traditionally underrepresented in the musical theater canon.

APPLICATION:
DUE AUGUST 12, 2019 11:59pm
Complete the following two steps to submit for Polyphone 2020:

Complete the following online form: SUBMISSION FORM
Send CVs of Authors and script of the musical being submitted in an email to Jen Jaynes, Submission Administrator: jjaynes@uarts.edu, Subject Line: Polyphone Submission 2019: [Title of Show]

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Queer Playwrights Contest

web site

Full-length pieces, at this time we are not accepting one acts or 10 minute plays.

An emphasis on queer lives and the queer experience, we want plays written by queer playwrights for queer actors about queer characters.

New work, unpublished and unproduced, may have been publicly read. (Let us know the history of your play if there is one.)

Send us an excerpt of your play (15-25 pages), a short bio, and a cast breakdown.

The submissions will be open until August 15th, 2019.

We will invite finalists to send us their full scripts by August 31st, 2019.

We will announce the play selection on September 30th, 2019.

The selected play will be produced by the company in the spring of 2020 in Portland, OR. The selected playwright will be brought out to Portland for the production. The top 5 runners up will be featured in our “Artists to Watch” page.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Image Theater Naughty Readings seeks short plays

web site

Image Theater of Lowell, MA is seeking submission for our annual Naughty Readings.

The readings will take place in November (exact date TBA).

We are seeking short plays (10 minutes or under), prose, poetry, and original songs that have a naughty, sexy, or seductive theme — Max of 2 submissions per writer or composer, single set, four characters or less.

email submissions to Imagetheaterlowell@gmail.com no later than noontime (EDT) August 31st. 


NOTE:
Due to an OVERWHELMING amount of submissions, Image Theater of Lowell is changing the deadline date of our short play and song submissions for The Naughty Readings to July 31, 2019

Please include Naughty Readings 2019 in the subject line and include your contact info on the title page. (website is www.imagetheater.com)

KNOW Theatre Playwrights and Artists 2019 Festival

web site

It is that time of year again. We have chosen our artwork for the 2019 Playwrights and Artists Festival. We, as always, extend first look to those who have submitted to our festival in years previous.

Last season we introduced 3 prizes to our festival. We will be continuing that new tradition this season!
$300 for Best of Festival.
$200 for Artistic Merit.
$100 for Audience Favorite.

The artwork will follow a refresher on the rules.
1. The play must be inspired by one of the works of art below.
2. The play must be written between the dates June 1, and July 31, 2019.
3. The play length needs to be between 15 - 20 minutes
4. Cast size maximum, 5 characters. Set should be implied.
5. Plays submitted MUST be a complete play and must include a beginning, middle and an end and contain a conflict. Our judges will be adhering to strict parameters during the adjudication process.
6. Playwrights may only submit one play for the festival.
7. The playwright would need to attend at least one of the two weekend performances (which take place in November). In person is preferred but we have in the past skyped with playwrights. As our festival is starting to reach a greater number people in wider locations we feel that we must take this into consideration. We always hope our playwrights can attend in person and feel the energy and excitement of having their work performed onstage for the first time but we understand that sometimes this is not logistically possible.
8. Plays must be submitted by midnight of July 31, 2019. This submission must include 2 copies of your play, one “blind” version without name but including which artwork you were inspired by and one with a full title page. They must be submitted to binghamtoncitystage@gmail.com. Please use the title of your work in the file name and whether it is the blind or named copy. This makes it easier on the person coordinating the files and sending them on to the adjudicators. We receive many plays and don’t want anything to get lost in the mix.

There are no exceptions to these rules. We love the idea of fresh work based on the inspiration of our chosen art. We choose our artworks carefully and we love to see where it takes our playwrights. Each piece of art has infinite possibilities of inspiration. We wish all good luck writing and can't wait to see the results.

And now here are this year’s artworks.

“Folded” by Audrey Higginsow




"Traces - Mudroom" by JW Johnston




“Someday My Prints Will Come” – Tom Haines

Theatre Odyssey 2019 ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL

web site

The fee is waived for members of Dramatists Guild of America — member number required


Short play competition open to U.S. playwrights

The Second Annual One-Act Play Festival will be held Oct. 31 – Nov. 3 at Manatee Performing Arts Center in Bradenton, Florida.

New plays submitted to this competition may come from playwrights anywhere in the U.S. No more than 100 scripts will be accepted for consideration. Plays selected for production will be judged by three experienced theatre professionals, with a $500 prize for Best Play and $300 prize for Runner-Up.


SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1. Eligibility | Plays must be the original work of persons who are residents of the U.S. In the case of collaborations, the residency requirement pertains to all authors.

2. Script Requirements:

Length: We are looking for plays that run approximately 25-35 minutes. Exceptions may be made by the Festival Committee for works deemed exceptionally creative or original.
Structure: Although not a requirement, preferential consideration will be given to plays in one scene and/or a single setting.

Cast: No more than 6 actors. (More characters are allowed if actors may double.) A list of characters with a brief physical description of each must be included on the Entry Form.

Genre: Comedy, drama, mystery, thriller or monologue — but no musicals or plays for children.
Technical Limitation: Play settings should be simple, suitable for small stage or black box theatre, requiring very minimal furniture and limited technical effects.

Format: PDF or Microsoft Word, prepared using standard formatting for a stage play*.

Anonymity: The author’s name must not appear on any of the pages, allowing the script to be initially evaluated anonymously. Pages should be numbered.

3. Originality: We seek plays that are new, inventive, fresh, and not an adaptation of work by another author. The play may have been workshopped or presented as a reading prior to entry in the competition, but must be unpublished and not previously performed before a paying audience in Florida. The online Entry Form requires your agreement to each of the following points before a script can be submitted:

I affirm that the attached script is my original work and is not based on or adapted from any other work, including but not limited to novels, short stories, screenplays, teleplays, other theatrical scripts, or from musical forms such as opera, contemporary music or musical theater

I affirm that my play has not been published and has never been performed before a paying audience in Florida.

I understand that if my play is selected I will be interviewed by Theatre Odyssey to confirm the originality of the work and that other steps will be taken to confirm my statements.

I understand that violation of these rules will disqualify my play for consideration and entry fee will not be returned.

I understand Theatre Odyssey will make final production decisions based on the quality of the work and practicality of production, and such decisions shall be final.

4. Submission Limit: One play per playwright.

5. Submission Fee: Entry fee is $10, payable via PayPal. (The fee is waived for members of Dramatists Guild of America — member number required.) If your play is selected for production, you will be expected to provide a brief (150-word) biography, a JPG high-resolution photo, and a brief synopsis of the play which may be used in marketing and promotion.

6. Deadline: Completed Entry Form, uploaded script and submission fee must be received by August 15, 2019. No more than 100 scripts will be accepted. With our receipt of the one hundredth script, no further entries will be considered.

7. Uploading: Plays may only be submitted electronically via the online Entry Form.

8. Selection: The play selection process begins with evaluation by our team of readers, who will independently score each play according to their assessment of plot, character, dialogue, language, theatricality and their own emotional response.

9. Performance: Plays selected as finalists will be staged as full productions at the Manatee Performing Arts Center in Bradenton, Florida, and will be adjudicated by three theatre professionals. Winners will be announced following the final performance. Playwright attendance is welcomed but not required.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Create Fest! Festival seeks productions

Facebook page

Creative Narratives Theatre Company is seeking short play submissions for our festival CREATE FEST! Festival will take place in January with a tech the weekend before. THIS FESTIVAL IS SELF PRODUCED. Creative Narratives will not provide a director or cast, merely a means to showcase your work.

Plays must be a minimum of 10 minutes and no longer than 20 minutes.  3-4 characters max. Must incorporate theme of NEW BEGINNINGS/CREATION.

Creative Narratives encourages plays of all subject matter but does not recommend anything too technically challenging.

Please email all submissions BY AUGUST 14th AT MIDNIGHT to creativenarrativestheater@gmail.com.

Please include in the subject: CREATE FEST PLAY SUBMISSION.

NOTE: There will be a non-refundable $30 participation fee for the chosen scripts. This is merely to make sure that the festival (and future festivals) are able to ensure our participating artists have the best experience possible. This is one the cheapest participation fees you’ll come by in NYC! 

Women's Theatre Festival in Raleigh NC seeks full-length plays from women

web site

WTF is passionate about supporting, creating, and producing extraordinary work by women+. We are now accepting submissions for our 2020-2021 season, Women Are Family. Submissions must be full-length, and must be received by 8/15/19 to receive consideration. Please click "submit now" for additional information and to submit your work.

Women's Theatre Festival is seeking submissions for its 2020-2021 season: Women Are Family. Plays submitted must adhere to this theme, which is defined broadly: biological families, the family you choose, family in the sense of LGBTQIA+ or other communities with strong ties that bind. Positive, negative, and complicated depictions are all welcomed. All genres will be considered; all submissions must be full-length. Playwrights must identify as female or non-binary. Plays must feature a minimum of 50% female or non-binary speaking roles, and must be able to be cast with a minimum of 50% actors of color. Playwrights featured in the Mainstage season will receive compensation. Please note, if you have previously submitted the same work to WTF, do not submit it again here; your work is already on file.

SUBMISSION FORM ONLINE

Monday, July 22, 2019

What’s On Tom? Productions in Kilkenny, Ireland seeks 15 minute plays

Facebook page

What’s On Tom? Productions in Kilkenny, Ireland invites playwrights, both established and emerging, to submit original 15 minute plays, with a maximum cast of three, on the theme - SHAME.

Scripts chosen by the reading panel will be performed at The Red Door Theatre in Thomastown, Kilkenny, and Billy Byrnes, Kilkenny City in autumn of 2019.

We ask that writers do not put their name on scripts.

We do not need bios, CVs or links to other work at this stage.

Please include a separate sheet with your contact details and the name of your play.

We can accept one submission per writer.

Send submissions by email only to: whatsontomproductions@gmail.com

Deadline for submission is Friday August 2nd at 5pm.

We are unable to accept late submissions.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Thespian Production is seeking one-act plays

web site

Thespian Production is seeking one-act plays for its annual Limelight: Go Green play festival in NYC 2019.

Plays should be between 10-15 minutes in length and have no more than four characters.

Plays should appeal to children/families and be about environmental awareness. We are accepting submissions from any genre.

We love producing new and unpublished works but do accept works already produced. Multiple submissions are accepted.

Plays should have simple set requirements. Since we are a community theater, plays with too much vulgar language will not be accepted. Please include synopsis and contact information.

Plays will be accepted through July 25, 2019. 

Submit plays to thespianproductioninc@gmail.com.

Thank you.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

The Lanesboro Artist Residency Program 2019

web site

The Lanesboro Artist Residency Program offers two or four week residencies to emerging artists driven to explore ways in which their work can be applied to the community and how Lanesboro’s rural community can inform their work.

2002 artist resident Coral Lambert conducted a public cast iron event and outdoor sculpture exhibition, including work made through public sculpture workshops.

The Lanesboro Artist Residency Program, located in Lanesboro, MN (pop. 754), is supported by the Jerome Foundation and aims to provide an immersive, meaningful experience for emerging artists from Minnesota and the five boroughs of New York City. The program is unique in that it provides an entire rural community and its myriad assets as a catalytic vehicle for engagement and artistic experimentation, with staff working with each resident to create a fully-customized residency experience.

Lanesboro Arts’ goal is to be flexible and accommodating to artists, allowing them access to local resources needed for conceptualizing and realizing their place-based work. Lanesboro Arts recognizes “place-based work” as work that is specifically inspired by and designed for the place in which the work takes place; it can be a new project, or an interpretation of the artist’s current work tailored to engage the community of Lanesboro. The residency program was designed to align with and amplify Lanesboro Arts’ vision for communities–especially rural communities–to embrace artists as economic drivers, culture bearers, community builders, and problem solvers.

TO APPLY

The application deadline for the 2020 Lanesboro Artist Residency Program is 12 p.m. (noon) CST on Wednesday, July 31, 2019. 

Jury review will take place in August and applicants will be notified by September 13, 2019 at the latest as to the status of their application. A phone interview process with finalists will take place in late September and selected artist residents and runners-up will be notified by September 30, 2019.

Artists must be legal residents of Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City to be eligible to apply. To be considered, eligible artists must submit their application through the online webform on Lanesboro Arts website. Complete program details are below. Please contact Adam Wiltgen at 507-467-2446 or adam@lanesboroarts.org with any questions.

ABOUT LANESBORO ARTS
Lanesboro Arts is a non-profit, multidisciplinary arts organization working to weave the arts into the social and municipal fabric of Lanesboro, MN. Lanesboro Arts works closely with local government and cross-sector partners to activate the people and places of Lanesboro, making Lanesboro a national model for revitalizing and sustaining a small town. Lanesboro Arts has been recognized by ArtPlace America, Americans for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts; and in 2014 Lanesboro Arts was a recipient of a Bush Prize for Community Innovation.


New Voices Call for Halloween Scripts

web site

The New Voices Series is looking for your original 20-40 minute Halloween scripts to fit a Halloween theme. Our call is open from July 7th to July 26th, 2019. It is free to submit and no pay is provided. We will select three shows to be performed on two nights in early October at The Little Theatre of Alexandria in Alexandria, Va.

THEME
We will select three shows of between 20-40 minutes that have a Halloween theme. This can be interpreted any way you want--murder mysteries, dramas, comedies, historical or modern--it's all up to you. It can take place at Halloween or it can have a creepy/macabre/supernatural element, or any other way you want to write it!  If you have any questions about whether your script might fit, email newtheatervoices@gmail.com.

LOCATION
Little Theater of Alexandria has a small 3-story historic building next to the theater which will be our performance space. Each of the three shows will perform on its own floor, and the audience will move between floors to get to the next performance. Please note, tech is VERY minimal in the space (essentially we can turn the light on and off, and that's about it) so shows with a great deal of sound or other technical needs will need to be altered to reflect this.

SCRIPT REQUIREMENTS

  • Must be original work, although it can have been performed in other places.
  • Must have a run time of between 20-40 minutes, no intermission. Scripts with run times outside of this will not be considered. The ideal show will run approximately 30 minutes.
  • Strong language and mature themes are very welcome, but we do not consider shows with nudity.
  • No musicals/scripts with music/movement pieces will be accepted at this time--no exceptions. Anything else is fair game.
  • Characters may be of any age, but shows that require child actors do not generally score well due to the difficulty in casting.


BEFORE YOU SUBMIT

  • Please do not submit a script previously submitted for New Voices.
  • We accept scripts from writers of any age. In the event that two scripts are of otherwise equal quality, we will give priority consideration to any writer under 40. You may choose not to identify if you are under or over 40, but will not be given the under-40 preference as a tie-breaker in that case.
  • Up to 3 scripts may be submitted per playwright.
  • 10 pages of the winning script will be posted online during the audition call in a google doc so that actors may familiarize themselves with the material. The author may select these pages or may ask New Voices to select for them.

THE PROCESS

  • Scripts must be submitted in blind PDF format by July 26, 2019. No late or incomplete entries will be considered.
  • All scripts will receive a notification if they are finalists or not shortly after the closing date. The top five scripts will move on to an in-person reading of the selection committee.
  • Three scripts will be selected. Winner(s) will be notified in late July/early August 2019.



The winning script(s) will be performed at the Little Theater of Alexandria in Alexandria, VA in early October, 2018. The winner agrees that no rights of any kind will be paid for this performance and that New Voices will bear the sole responsibility of selecting the director and any/all cast and crew. New Voices will also be responsible for paying all expenses for the mounting of this show. New Voices will not pay for the playwright to travel to DC, but will offer free tickets to the playwright if they choose to attend and/or guests they designate. The winner also agrees that no other theater in DC, MD or VA will be allowed to perform the play from the time of selection until October 31, 2019.

To submit a show, please go here: https://forms.gle/iAr17AaE4fA7SJzs8 

Any questions, please contact newtheatervoices@gmail.com.

ABOUT US
New Voices is a project of NextGenLTA, which represents those under 40 who act, tech, direct and enjoy theater at the Little Theater of Alexandria. New Voices puts on performances of new work twice a year with directors under 40. Playwrights and characters in scripts may be of any age.

Fishamble submission guidelines

web site

Fishamble offers dramaturgical support and advice to new and developing playwrights. We welcome manuscript submissions of new, original dramatic work and appreciate the time, effort and the act of creation that goes into writing a play.
Guidelines for submitting a play


  • Fishamble does not accept scripts by email. Please send script submissions in hard copy only
  • Fishamble is a new play company, therefore we will only consider plays that have not previously been produced
  • Scripts should be bound – stapled/clipped – and all pages must be numbered
  • Please include contact details on title page
  • Fishamble does not offer a full play response service but if requested, will provide a brief set of comments on the work
  • Fishamble encourages the submission of work which is of particular interest to Irish audiences
  • Writers should limit themselves to sending Fishamble no more than one script in the calendar year
  • Scripts will not be returned unless a SAE is enclosed


Scripts will be acknowledged, read and responded to within a 3 – 6 month period.
Please send scripts to

Gavin Kostick
Literary Officer
Fishamble: The New Play Company
3 Great Denmark Street
Dublin 1

For further queries on Fishamble’s dramaturgical support, please email Gavin at gavin@fishamble.com or call 016704018.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Black Girlz Productions Love Letters to the Black Man Series seeks monologues


Black Girlz Productions is currently accepting submissions for our Love Letters to the Black Man Series. 

The deadline to submit is August 1, 2019. 

This is non-paid. Writers will receive credit for their work. 

We are seeking monologues or open letters to a black male on any topic. The word count max is 350 words. Writers can submit up to three monologues. 

Writers can submit monologues that have been previously produced. 

The selected work will be presented at a live reading. We are currently accepting global submissions. There are no restrictions on eligibility. There are no fees to submit. There are no participation fees. 

Selected writers will be notified by August 12, 2019.

Submissions can be emailed to blackgirlzproductions@gmail.com 

Instagram: @blkgirlz12

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

DEATHSCRIBE: The International Festival of Horror Radio Plays

web site

Every year we seek 10-minute audio drama scripts that are genuinely scary, imaginative, chilling, intelligent, suspenseful, horrific or downright grotesque. Writers may submit up to two audio drama scripts to Deathscribe in any given year. Five scripts will be selected from all submissions. These five pieces will be performed on stage in front of a live audience. The writer of the winning piece, chosen by a celebrity panel of judges, will receive the coveted Bloody Axe Award, as well as a $100 cash prize.

The submission window for Deathscribe 2019 is now open.

Scripts will be accepted through July 31st.

Guidelines:

PDF format is strongly preferred. If PDF is not possible, then only MS Word please.

All scripts must have a title page with all contact information, but NO identifying information should appear anywhere else in the document.

Scripts must be no more than TEN MINUTES in length, and should follow audio drama format. An example of proper audio drama format can be found here: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scripts/bbcradioscene.pdf

The Deathscribe experience includes performing the pieces on stage with Foley artists and a band creating the sound effects and music live. Therefore, scripts must be ready to produce, including direction for sound and music cues. Sorry, but submissions cannot include usage of copyrighted music.

Writers may submit up to two (2) scripts for Deathscribe consideration in any year.

NO SCREENPLAYS. SCREENPLAYS WILL BE DISCARDED. WE KNOW THEM WHEN WE SEE THEM. (Nothing against screenplays. But this is a radio play festival.)


DO NOT submit full-length plays for consideration in Deathscribe. They will be discarded. If you wish to submit a full-length horror play to WildClaw, see our general submission guidelines.

Submissions accepted online.

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Woodside Players of Queens Fall 2019 Play Festival,

web site

Submissions are now being accepted for the Woodside Players of Queens Fall 2019 Play Festival, to take place in December 2019. Seeking short plays (no more than 10 pp), from playwrights from the five boroughs of New York City and Long Island only. Also seeking monologues (no more than 4pp). Musicals welcome! Basic set requirements.

One submission per playwright. No unpleasant profanity, as this is a family friendly festival! No submission fee. Please include name, address, telephone number and email address on your submission. We do not produce your work, we provide a venue for you to present actors performing your play. There are no costs involved for anyone. Seeking actors and directors, too!

Deadline: September 15. 2019. 

Email: woodsideplayersofqueens@gmail.com.

The Gallery Players 23rd Annual Black Box New Play Festival

web site

The Gallery Players in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York, is seeking plays for its 23rd Annual Black Box New Play Festival to be held in January 2020. Each play selected will be given a black box production at Gallery Players and will be performed in a festival format with non-equity actors. Playwrights must be available for rehearsals and use this as an opportunity to continue work on their play.

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: POST MARKED BY July 31, 2019.

Submission guidelines:
• Plays must be un-produced (readings are ok); must be the play’s world premier
• Length may be from 10 minutes to 60 minutes. No monologues. No period
costume pieces.
• You may submit as many plays as you wish.
• Pages must be numbered
• A cover page with Title of the play and playwrights contact information is
required, along with a plot synopsis of the play and a character breakdown
• Submit a copy of your resume
• Playwrights cannot direct their own work
• Send two copies of your play(s), along with your resume, to:

The Gallery Players
Black Box New Play Festival
199 14th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215.

We will only contact you if your play has been accepted into the Festival. If you want confirmation that your mailing was received by us, please include a self-addressed stamped return postcard.
We do not accept email submissions.
We do not return scripts. Any scripts not chosen for the Festival will be destroyed to
protect the copyright.

Monday, July 15, 2019

Rabbit Punch Festival seeking short productions

Facebook page

Rabbit Punch is a festival of short theatre pieces presented by Poison Apple Initiative at Franky Bradley's in Philadelphia November 14th/15th at 8pm.

We're looking for dark/ funny/ scary/ sad/ infuriated/ playful/ weird/ tricky work. Imagine a dance party in a warehouse where everyone is dancing when the floor collapses. Think about WIle E. Coyote (audience) and how he's running along chasing the RoadRunner (play) and then the Roadrunner takes a sharp turn and Wile E. doesn't notice he's run off the cliff until he looks down. That's the kinda stuff we want.

*Submissions close August 1st at 11.59pm. All applicants will be notified of acceptance by August 15th, and accepted applicants will be sent a contract and detailed tech specs of the space.

*Pieces should be between 10-20 minutes in length with minimal set requirements.

*While not all artists involved in the project must be Philadelphia-based, there should be at least one team member who is. For instance: NYC playwrights with ties to a director or actors in Philly are encouraged to apply.

*Queer, trans, and PoC artists are specifically encouraged to apply.

*A mandatory tech rehearsal will be held November 13th between 3pm and 7pm. Each project will be given between 30 and 45 minutes of tech time depending on need.

*Selected pieces will be presented on both evenings of the festival.

*Participating artists are responsible for all aspects of production including casting, procurement of set pieces/ costumes/ props, and set-up/ tear-down of the piece during production. The festival provides access to a fixed light set-up, sound system, tech director/ board operator, and stage manager.

*Projects with 1-2 artists will be given $100, and projects with 3+ artists will be given $200. Production stipends will be sent via Venmo/ PayPal on November 1st to help defray the cost of production. There is no additional stipend available for travel from NYC.

Submission form can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/rabbitpunchfest
On FaceBook: fb.me/poisonappleinitiative

Please feel free to contact poisonappleinitiative@gmail.com with questions.
We look forward to reading your work.

Urban Stages Opportunities

web site

HOW TO SUBMIT?

Submit plays to:
Urban Stages
555 Eighth Avenue, RM 1800
New York, NY 10018

Email submissions will not be accepted except for small cast plays (see below)

Full-length plays only:
- Bind plays in 3-ring binders, in presentation folders, with brass fasteners, with paperclips, etc (spiral binding is discouraged)
- No changes or revisions accepted after submission
- No double-sided pages.
- 5 actors or less (unless otherwise noted)…doubling is fine

With your submission, please include:
- Biography and/or author’s history of the play
- Character breakdown
- Brief synopsis of the play.
- A small SASE envelope for a response letter.
  *Whole plays will no longer be returned. All plays will be recycled.

Plays MAY HAVE BEEN developed or produced elsewhere, BUT NEVER PRODUCED in New York City.

No limit to the number of submissions, but we do ask you not to submit the same play twice.
Subject matter and character variations are open.

There is no submission fee.

It usually takes up to six months for us to read and process your script.
We ask that you do not call or email our offices to inquire on the status of your play.

Plays from overseas and throughout the United States are accepted and considered (an SASE envelope for international submissions is unnecessary. You will be emailed)
BUT special attention will be given to playwrights who live in or near New York.

We recommend not spending extra money to send your play express, overnight or via other expensive services.  We accept plays year-round and for special deadlines, we accept plays postmarked on the deadline date. For special deadlines, late plays are just entered among our general year-round submissions.


WHAT TO SUBMIT TO & WHEN?


SMALL CAST PLAYS

Due: JULY 22, 2019. 11:59pm.

HOW TO SUBMIT? If your FULL-LENGTH play requires THREE (3) ACTORS or less (doubling accepted), you can submit your play via email: submissions@urbanstages.org

- Send play as PDF attachment (with title page including contact info + a character breakdown page)
- Include brief synopsis and brief bio (or resume) within email.

*Only Small-Cast Plays will be accepted via email. All other play submissions still require you to mail in your play.

*These submissions ARE eligible for The Emerging Playwright Award.


WORDS BY WOMEN

Due: AUGUST 19, 2019.

Only a small fraction of new plays produced every year are written by women. To encourage the development and production of plays by female-identified writers, we put out a special call for our Words by Women Reading Series periodically. These plays are given special attention and considered more immediately by our Literary Committee.

To enter, follow instructions above and write WORDS BY WOMEN on the envelope you send your play in.

Plays must be written by women-identified playwrights. While not mandatory, we encourage casts with a majority of women and plays exploring social issues facing women today.

*Words by Women submissions ARE eligible for The Emerging Playwright Award.

EMERGING PLAYWRIGHT AWARD

No deadline. Year-round submissions accepted.

It begins with submitting your play and being selected for step 1 of our process - a staged reading. Out of hundreds of submissions a year, we select 15-20 plays for readings. From these, we select 1-3 plays annually to go on to our workshopping phase. Our workshops are meant to prepare a play for our Off-Broadway stage. From our workshops, we select 1-2 plays for full productions, complete with a playwright’s contract and compensation (separate from the award).

Our $500 Emerging Playwright Award (coupled with press coverage) is given to playwrights who show excellence and dedication throughout this process – from development to the stage.

Sunday, July 14, 2019

Free Event: THE DOG SHOW by Ivan Faute (Los Angeles)

Join us for readings of new plays about American families confronting their very particular legacies across generations, Sunday July 21, 2019 at 11am.

Summer Playreadings are FREE ~ enjoy refreshments and share your thoughts with the artists involved in the development of the plays.

On Sunday, July 21 at 11am: The Dog Show by Ivan Faute directed by Laura Stribling.

With Cathy Carlton, Conor Murphy, Xochitl Romero, Time Winters & Laura Wineland.

Seen through a dark but often humorous lens, within The Dog Show is a deeply troubled family whose sins can’t be absolved by confession. How high are the stakes in their game of trading secrets for stories? And when piecing together the past, is there any room for the truth?

HOW:
Information: (310) 455-3723 or www.theatricum.com/seedlings

TICKETS:
FREE (donations gratefully accepted)

PARKING:
• $7 in lot
• FREE parking on Topanga Canyon Blvd.

Botanicum Seedlings program director Jennie Webb is a Los Angeles-based playwright and dramaturg who created the series in 2002.

Audiences are invited to stay after the readings for a moderated discussion with the artists.

Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum is outdoors. In case of inclement weather, please call for alternate performance times.

NAPSeries Festival (NYC)

web site

In February of 2019, Normal Ave produced its inaugural NAPseries, a brand new festival of new plays, which featured 29-hour workshops of new plays, networking events, and more.

NAPseries continues after last year’s sold-out weekend. NAPseries supports Normal Ave’s mission of supporting new voices and making theatre accessible to audience. All readings will be free and open to the public.

The festival will run from January 3-12, 2020.

The reading series will be led by Normal Ave’s Literary Manager, Kylie Brown (Lifespan of a Fact).
​​
Make theatre. Make connections. Make it happen. We’ve got you.

Submissions will be open through July 17, 2019.

The festival will feature three parties, four shows, eight readings, tons of artists, and most importantly, you, the playwright.

This week is all about letting you be just the playwright. We'll take care of the rest. Participating playwrights will be provided with rehearsal and reading space, receive support developing the team and cast for their show, as well as access to the entire festival.

We don't tell you how to bloom, but we'll help you grow.

Festival Dates: January 3-12, 2020

Submission Requirements:
-Currently only accepting full length plays (No musicals at this time)
-Must be 18 years or older to participate
-Must be available to be in NYC during the festival dates

Theatre Three 23rd Annual Festival of One-Act Plays

web site

  • Only UNPRODUCED works will be accepted. 
  • Plays that have had staged readings are eligible.
  • No adaptations or children’s plays.
  • Cast size maximum: 10
  • Length: 40-minutes maximum. No minimum.
  • Settings should be simple or suggested.
  • Playwrights may make multiple submissions. (These need not be made under separate cover.) 
  • Please do not submit works that have been previously submitted.
  • Scripts must be post-marked by September 30, 2019.

Each season, THE FESTIVAL receives approximately 400 submissions. To date, THE FESTIVAL has received over 8,000 submissions from across the world. THE FESTIVAL has produced 120 world premieres by 84 different playwrights. THE FESTIVAL presents between five and seven plays each season.

Please submit a cover letter, a synopsis, and a resume along with one copy of the play. Cover-sheet of play should have title, author, author’s address, author’s telephone number, and author’s e-mail. Plays should be neatly bound or stapled on the left-hand corner. (No loose pages and no binders, please.) Any stage play format is acceptable. We do not accept electronic submissions at this time. Please do not call or stop by the theatre.

If playwrights wish to have their works returned, an appropriate SASE must also be included.

Selected plays will be presented for nine performances in April 2020 at the Ronald F. Peierls Theatre, on Theatre Three’s Second Stage.

Playwrights will receive a $125 stipend.

Playwrights are welcome to attend any rehearsals or performances. Playwrights will receive a standard Dramatists Guild-approved contract. Playwrights will receive four complimentary tickets to be used at any performances. Playwrights will receive copies of playbills, flyers, articles, and reviews as well as a link to all publicity and production photos. THEATRE THREE is responsible for all elements of production; playwrights incur no expenses. THEATRE THREE retains no future production rights.

Plays should be submitted to
THE 23rd ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF ONE-ACT PLAYS,
Attn. Jeffrey Sanzel, Artistic Director, THEATRE THREE,
PO Box 512, Port Jefferson, NY 11777-0512

Final selection of plays will be in late 2019.

Saturday, July 13, 2019

The Blueproject Foundation Residency in Barcelona

web site

Deadline: July 28, 2019

The BLUEPROJECT FOUNDATION is a non-profit organization based in Barcelona whose main aim is to support and promote national and international artistic creation. This support is offered through a residency programme for exhibitions and performances that provides assistance for artists to promote their work that is both relevant to and a reflection of today's aesthetic, social and intellectual issues.

The participating artists will be chosen according to the conditions established in this OPEN CALL outlined as follows:

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. Participants
This call is open to any artist interested as an individual or on behalf of a group or company, regardless their age, nationality or creative discipline.

2. Proposals / projects
From the present open call, it will be chosen 3 projects of exhibition as a final result (with a maximum of eight weeks) and 3 projects of performance (for at least one public presentation).

Priority will be given to new and original projects.

Each participant can submit a maximum of one individual proposal and one collective. The production support and the residency must allow the conception, formalization, production and/or completion of the proposed project, using the facilities of the workshop if needed, with the objective of its following exhibition / presentation at the Sala Project for exhibition projects and at the Off Blue space for performance projects.

Submitted projects may include any artistic-cultural field of any discipline, regardless the format or technique employed.

Each project must be developed or completed in a period of residency of maximum of six weeks previous to its presentation / exhibition, at the usual open hours of the foundation (from Tuesday to Friday, from 10 am to 8 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 7 pm). The period of residency for performance projects may be flexible and to be agreed according its work plan and the foundation calendar.

More information online

Friday, July 12, 2019

Jest Fest Seeks Ten-Minute Comedies by Oregon Playwrights

Oregon Jest Fest seeks ten-minute comedies by Oregon playwrights. Playwrights may submit a total of two plays. There is no fee for submitting. There is no fee for submitting.

Previously produced or published plays are eligible, as long as the submitting playwright owns all rights to the play.

The play must be no longer than ten pages in standard format, with a calculated running time of no less than eight minutes and no more than twelve minutes.

No monologues, nudity, musicals, or children’s plays.

Plays are restricted to 5 or fewer characters. Small casts are preferable, as the stage size is modest, with minimal set, props, sound cues, and costuming.

Each playwright whose script is selected and performed will receive a $25 USD cash honorarium. No other remuneration will be provided, and any playwright attending must do so at his or her own expense.

Plays should be submitted in standard play format via email only in PDF format with a title page. A short synopsis is appreciated. Please list all casting flexibility.

The subject line of your email should include your name and the title of the play (e.g., Shakespeare; King Lear). Please include a brief bio and production history in the body of your email.

Blind submissions. The submission shall include all contact information for the playwright, including name, address, telephone number and email address on a separate title page; the script must be in standard play format, with a title page, a character listing, the setting, props, and any technical requirements or other production considerations. Your name must not appear on the script.

The two PDF files should be titled "Submission [Name of Play]” and "Title Page [Name of Play].”

Submission period opens on July 15, 2019. Entries must be received prior to midnight U.S. Pacific Time, August 31, 2019. No late submissions will be accepted because of transmission problems. 

Selection of plays will be at the absolute discretion of the judges, and selection does not guarantee production. The producers may delete, without reading, any submission that does not comply with these rules.

We will contact you by October 15, 2019 if your play is selected; Oregon Jest Fest will be held from 1/23/2020 through 2/3/2020 (Fri-Sat-Sun only) in Ashland, Oregon.

Entering playwrights grant the producers permission to perform the play as needed during the festival run, and to make as many copies of the script as are necessary for production. All other rights remain with the playwright.

Please email your submission to: oregonjestfest@gmail.com. Any inquiries should be sent to the same address.

Discount tickets: RINSE, REPEAT

Rinse, Repeat

The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square-Signature Center
480 West 42nd Street (Between 9th & 10th Avenues)

Rachel hasn’t been home in four months. After fighting for her life at Renley, a trial weekend has been agreed upon. At first, Rachel couldn’t be happier to be reunited with her family. But what happens when the people you love most, the ones you believe want the best for you, are the ones causing the most damage without even knowing it? Where do you go when the place you feel you most belong might be the place that almost killed you in the first place? Rinse, Repeat sharply conveys the painful truth about a woman's fight for her life in the face of an eating disorder.

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT - JULY 16 THROUGH AUGUST 17



Performance Schedule:
Tuesday 7:30pm | Wednesday 7:30pm | Thursday 7:30pm | 
Friday 7:30pm | Saturday 2pm & 8pm | Sunday 2pm & 7:30pm 

There will be a post-show talkback following every Tuesday performance.

SPECIAL OFFER!
$45 Tickets*
(reg. $50-$65)


THREE EASY WAYS TO BUY
Online: www.TicketCentral.com and use code RRTHEATRE
Phone: 212.279.4200 and mention code RRTHEATRE
In Person: Visit the Ticket Central Box Office and mention code RRTHEATRE- 416 West 42nd Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues) - Box Office Hours: Monday - Sunday 12pm-8pm

For more information, visit RinseRepeatPlay.com

*Tickets regularly $50-$65. Offer valid for performances through 8/17/19. Blackout dates may apply. Limit 8 per order. Service fees apply to online/phone orders. Schedule is subject to change. All sales are final - no refunds or exchanges. 

The Upstage Podcast

web site

We're working to launch this podcast in September 2019.

Readers: If you live in the Philadelphia area, and want to be a reader, send us an email. Make sure to tell us about yourself.

Playwrights: Submit your play! Send it to us, and tell us about yourself as a human, why you love theatre, or what makes your face light up.

As a small note: Please consider your privilege before submitting. If you've been successful as a writer, remember that the goal of this podcast is to make room for and hand the mic over to new voices.

Email us at theupstagepodcast@gmail.com.

Deadline: July 15, 2019

Call for original, short “Halloween-themed” plays by playwrights from tri-state area (NJ, NY, PA).

web site

South Street Players (southstreetplayers.org) is seeking original, short (10 mins preferred,
15 mins maximum) Halloween plays for its Tri-State Theatre Festival: Halloween Edition.
The event will take place October 18-20, 2019 in Spring Lake, NJ.

This event is an offshoot of SSPs popular Tri-State Theater Festival and serves as an
artistic fundraiser. All proceeds go to SSP to support the theatre’s commitment to producing
high-quality, extremely engaging theatrical experiences for the 2019-20 season…
and beyond.

Submission Rules and Process:
  • Seeking original comedic & dramatic Halloween-themed short plays from playwrights currently living in the Tri-State area only (NJ, NY and PA).
  • Plays must be Halloween-themed, which includes, but is not limited to, plays about ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, zombies, trick-or-treating, pumpkins, headless horsemen… pretty much anything and everything Halloween… however, all plays must be family-friendly, PG-rated.
  • Plays must be 15 pages or less. Submissions of longer than 15 pages will not be considered.
  • Plays must be in standard playscript format.
  • Playwrights may submit more than one play, but please be sure your name and email address is on the title page of each script.
  • SSP is a family theatre – no excessive swearing, no nudity.
  • No royalties or payment will be provided to playwrights should his or her play be chosen for the festival.
  • Plays will only be accepted via email: southstreetoneacts@gmail.com
  • Deadline: July 15, 2019, 11:59pm.
  • For more information, please email Rob Sullivan, Festival Producer, at southstreetoneacts@gmail.com.

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Newly Added Television Writing Workshop this Summer at Primary Stages ESPA

Writing for television has the potential to be not only artistically satisfying, but lucrative as well—just ask Aaron Sorkin from "The Newsroom", Sarah Treem from "The Affair", or Joshua Allen from "Empire". This 2-day workshop at Primary Stages ESPA is your opportunity to learn the structure and language of television writing so you can work to join the ranks of these distinguished playwrights-turned-television writers.
Instructor: Jonathan Caren (Writer, "The Sinner" Season 3 for USA, "A Million Little Things" for ABC, "Rise" for NBC, and "Gypsy" for Netflix)
Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21
11:00am – 4:00pm both days

This class might be for you if you:
  • Are a playwright who wants the tools to transition from stage to screen.
  • Need a stronger grasp of the components of this form and want to start writing.

In this class you will:
  • Discuss the elements of a television script, particularly focusing on structure, form, and language.
  • Do exercises to understand the form and put these elements into practice.
  • Bring in a basic pilot idea that you would like to explore within class, addressing character, story arc, structure, and what a pilot would look like and need to include.

By the end of this class you will:
  • Have a broad understanding of the components of television writing.
  • Be able to use these tools to develop an idea of your own into a pilot.
  • Be ready to write in our full-length Television Writing class!

Our award-winning faculty, comprised of working professionals in the field, provides practical skills and expert guidance in a collaborative community atmosphere. 

Primary Stages ESPA provides students easy and convenient payment plans to break up tuition. For more information, call 212.840.9705 x215 or email espa@primarystages.org.

Blog Archive