Smith & Kraus 2027 Annuals seeks 10-minute plays and monologues

Website

Deadline: November 1, 2026

Will close submissions after 250 for 10-minute plays - no cap on monologues

Submissions open October 1st-December 1st for the Smith & Kraus 2027 Annuals.

MONOLOGUE GUIDELINES

For The Best Men & Women’s Stage Monologue 2027

Monologues MUST BE FROM PLAYS. They cannot be stand-alone pieces.
They must be from plays produced between August 2025 through November 2026

*Monologues from plays that only had Virtual Productions are NOT eligible.

Monologues should be 1-3 minutes long.

Monologues should be pieces that have onstage action and work well for auditions.

**You may submit to both the Women's and Men's Anthology, but only ONE submission per book.

Do not submit any monologue that has been submitted previously in the past year.

IF YOU SUBMIT MORE THAN ONE MONOLOGUE PER ANTHOLOGY, THEY WILL NOT BE READ!

To submit for Men's Monologues, CLICK HERE.

To submit for Women's Monologues, CLICK HERE.

10-MINUTE PLAY GUIDELINES

• Submissions will close when we reach 250 scripts or end of day on December 1st, whichever comes first.
• Plays must be produced between August 2025 through November 2026.
• Plays with only virtual productions are not eligible.
• Plays produced as staged readings are eligible ONLY if the reading was performed LIVE in front of an audience, not virtually.
• No Radio Plays. No Musicals. No Children's Plays. No solo shows. No Zoom plays.
• Plays should run approximately 10 minutes.
• Please include a cover page with a brief synopsis.
• Please include a page with Character Breakdown, Setting/Place, and Time.
• Only ONE submission is permitted per playwright. If you submit more than one play, they will not be read.

To submit for the Best 10-Minute Plays, CLICK HERE.

Ninth Annual Eric H. Weinberger Award for Emerging Librettists

Website

Deadline: November 30, 2026

APPLICATION FORM

All submissions must be sent through the online application form. Only one submission per playwright/librettists will be accepted.

The Eric H. Weinberger Award for Emerging Librettists is a juried cash and production grant given annually to support the early work and career of a deserving musical theatre librettist. It commemorates the life and work of playwright/librettist Eric H. Weinberger (1950-2017), who was a Drama Desk Award nominee for Outstanding Book of a Musical (Wanda’s World), and the playwright/librettist of Class Mothers ’68, which earned Priscilla a Drama Desk Award.

The winner will receive $2,000 to help with cost-of-living expenses. The winning musical will receive development assistance in the 2027 New Works Development Program of Amas Musical Theatre, culminating in an Amas Lab production with New York theatre professionals. Amas was the development home for several of Mr. Weinberger’s musicals, including the World Premiere of Wanda’s World and the New York Premiere of Tea for Three.

The winner of the Award is announced in Spring 2027.

Amas Musical Theatre will not ask for any fees for entry or for any fiduciary involvement

from the playwright/librettists at any point of the process.

Submission Requirements

The Musical must:

• Be a full-length show (at least 80 minutes)

• Have no more than eight actors (actors may play multiple roles; if so, please include a suggested breakdown of role distribution)

• Be complete and ready for readings, workshops and/or productions

• Have a demo that is an accurate representation of the music and style of the show (at least five songs)

• Have full underlying rights clearance of any pre-existing material used in the script (music, source material, etc.)

• Not have had a full production or be published in any way, even if with a different name.

What to Submit

All documents must be submitted as PDF files and they should be named with the part of the submission it refers to and the title of the show in the format of

1. Biography and resumes of the creative team, including writer, composer, lyricist (if applicable)

2. History of the musical'ss development, and any previous titles it has gone through (if applicable, maximum one page)

3. Brief synopsis (maximum 150 words)

4. Brief artistic statement on the piece itself, including all source material, inspiration, goal, message, etc. (maximum one page)

5. Proof of rights (if applicable)

6. Demo and track listings (Demo selections to be posted as a Dropbox or Google Drive link)

7. PDF document of the full-script and sheet music, if available (no writers named)

​​

Guidelines for Materials

All submissions must adhere to the following or your application will be disqualified before reaching our selection committee.

Proof of Rights

If the musical contains any copyrighted material, please submit a signed letter from the authors and/or underlying rights representative stating that underlying rights have been secured.

Full Script

The full script must include:

1. Title page (which should only have the title on it and absolutely no other information)

2. Character breakdown (maximum one page)

3. The complete script with page numbers

For the anonymity of your submission, the full script and sheet music cannot include any information on playwright/ librettist or contractually attached people, previous casts, or any agents. All submissions will go through a blind evaluation process, any personal information you provide will only be available to Amas Musical Theatre staff.

Demo Tracks

The recording should be a significant representation of the songs in the show that accurately highlights the style and character of the score and lyrics.

• Demo tracks should:

1. Include at least one song from the first 25 pages

2. Have at least five recordings available – they do not need to be professional or studio quality, but they must be clear enough to hear lyrics, melody, and accompaniment

3. Have singers of appropriate vocal types for their respective roles

4. Be full songs only, no medleys of spliced songs

For the anonymity of your submission, tracks cannot include any personal identifiers for playwright/librettist(s), the performers recorded, or contractually attached people.

The Selection Process

Scripts will be read and evaluated through a blind submission process by Amas Musical Theatre’s literary team. A group of finalist plays will be read and evaluated by a selection committee, comprised of distinguished artists and playwrights, using a blind evaluation process. Committee members will not be given any additional information beyond the title of the show, the script, and the demo tracks.

Any personal information you provide in the application is seen by the Amas Musical Theatre staff only, not the selection committee. 

Our process is based on the quality of the work submitted.

Round 1 (September-December)

1. Our literary team reads the first 25 pages of the book and listens to the demo for any track related to these pages.

2. The team fills out evaluations for each show, which determine the submissions that continue to Round 2.

Round 2 (January-April)

1. The selection committee reads the scripts in full and listens to all demo tracks submitted.

2. Committee members write their evaluations to determine which one is best suited for the Award.

3. The winner is announced in the Spring of 2027.

4. The application’s primary contact is notified and a development schedule is created with the winner.

We will not be able to provide feedback regarding why a particular piece was or was not selected.

The Winner will:

• Receive $2,000 to help pay for cost-of-living expenses.

• Receive development assistance in the 2027 New Works Development Program of Amas Musical Theatre.

• Have the selected show rehearsed and performed by New York theatre professionals in an Amas Lab production.

• Be present in New York City for the development process.

The Gallery Players 30th Annual Black Box New Play Festival

Website

Deadline: November 1, 2026

The Gallery Players in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York, is seeking plays for its 30th Annual Black Box New Play Festival to be presented from June 10th through June 20th, 2027. Each play selected will be paired with a director and given a black minimally designed box production (lighting designer working in rep plot, sound designer, and sets created by directors from available theatre stock), with non-equity actors.

Playwrights must be available, if not in person, via Zoom or other virtual venue to work with directors to create another draft of their play. This process will take place from January 2027 through May 2027. The degree of revision will be dependent on the needs of each play and the collaboration between yourself and the director.

Submission guidelines:

1). Plays must be un-produced (readings are ok); must be the play’s world premiere

2) Length of Plays: Plays should be 10 - 50 minutes. Plays must have at least 4 characters, more is even better. No one-character plays. No period costume pieces (period plays that use modern dress are OK). You may submit up to two (2) plays for consideration.

3). Format: Pages must be numbered; A cover page with Title of the play and playwrights contact information is required, along with a page that gives plot synopsis of the play and a character breakdown. DO NOT write your name anywhere else on the script.

4) Submit a copy of your playwriting resume

5) Provide a brief written statement that addresses what you are hoping to get out of the experience and revision process (aside from having your play produced)

6) Send a digital copy of your play(s) along with your resume and statement letter to: info@galleryplayers.com

We will only contact you if your play has been accepted into the Festival. We will confirm that we received your digital copy via email. All playwrights chosen will be notified by DECEMBER 2026.

Please note that playwrights CANNOT direct their own work for this festival and will be paired with one of the 2027 Black Box cohort directors.

Any scripts not chosen for the Festival will be deleted to protect your copyright.

Playing Ace: A New Asexualities Play Festival seeks short and full-length plays

Website

Deadline: November 1, 2026

Madison, Wisconsin

SUBMISSION FORM - PDF files preferred

• Staged reading and inclusion in an anthology proposal
• Plays must be connected to concepts of asexuality or aromance. Further descriptions of how that is defined can be found on our website.
• Playwrights may submit only one play
• Plays must not be previously published.

The “Playing Ace” play festival is an opportunity for folks who are interested in showcasing and exploring asexual worldmaking to connect and share their work! We aim to provide opportunities for playwrights to produce and then publish their work, to expand the reach of these important stories. Over the next year, we will be collecting and carefully reviewing play submissions to be showcased in a staged reading held in Madison, Wisconsin in spring 2027. Playwrights will have the support of a dramaturg during the play rehearsal process and will see how live audiences react to their play. After the play festival, playwrights will have an opportunity to join a proposal to publish their play in the first anthology of asexual plays!

Overall, we recognize that there is a growing need to share stories about asexual lives, experiences, and perspectives. As asexuality becomes more of a topic for discussion in the world, it is important that we create spaces where stories and perspectives can be shared. We believe that theatre is a fantastic place to come together and create new communities, and with the proposal for an anthology, we want to ensure that these stories are shared with as many people as possible.

Call for Submissions for the Making It Happen Festival of 10 Minute Plays

Website

Deadline: October 12, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

Making It Happen: 10 Minute Plays is a new play festival presented by The Theater Center, created to give writers, and creative teams the opportunity to present original theatre work on an Off-Broadway stage in the heart of Times Square.

We are now accepting submissions for fully original 10-minute plays. Selected plays will perform at The Theater Center on one of three preliminary performance nights: Wednesday, November 4, Wednesday, November 11, or Wednesday, November 18. Each evening will feature 4 plays, with audiences and judges voting to determine one winner from each night. The three nightly winners will advance to the Finals on Wednesday, December 2.

All submitted material must be fully original. Teams must have the rights to perform all submitted material.

This is a non-union festival. All casts, creative teams,, and production personnel must be non-union.

We strongly urge that your cast size is 6 or less.

Play must be 10 minutes or less.

Selected teams will be responsible for providing their own cast, director, and stage manager. If you don't have a director, one can be provided. No microphones will be used or provided, so plays must be able to be performed acoustically in the space.

Productions should be simple, flexible, and festival-ready. Selected teams will receive performance space, basic technical support, box office services, festival-wide marketing, and a technical rehearsal slot on the day of their performance.

Please only submit if you and your team are available for the preliminary performance dates and, if selected as a finalist, the final performance on December 2.

Savage Wonder seeks 10-minute plays or musicals

Website

Deadline: July 3, 2027

SUBMISSION FORM

Savage Wonder (Beacon, NY) prides itself on opportunities for veteran writers. Savage Wonder offers on-going playwriting competitions as well as the Savage Wonder literary blog. You may select which opportunity interests you below.

Savage Wonder is accepting submissions for our 10-minute playwriting competition. 

Submissions may include plays or musicals. 

Playwrights must meet one of the following criteria:

Current or former: US military, law enforcement, fire service, EMS, foreign service, intelligence service, DoD employee, DoD Contractor; or Immediate family of the service member.

We are looking for work that is whimsical, intimate, absurd, and surprising. Unlike some past competitions, we are not looking for straightforward dramatic realism or non-fiction storytelling. Bring us something that takes a risk — something that could only have come from you.

The competition winner will receive a $1,000 grant.

The second-place finalist will receive a $750 grant.
The third-place finalist will receive a $500 grant.

All winners and finalists also receive feedback from the panel of judges. In addition, winners and finalists may be invited to become Savage Wonder Resident Artists where they will have the opportunity to develop and submit plays and musicals for commissioning and production at Savage Wonder.

Plays and musicals can be any genre and any subject matter. 

Playwrights may submit more than one work. 

Submissions should not have been previously produced and/or published. 

Winners and finalists will be notified via email no later than Sunday, July 4, 2027 (note: we will make every effort to have results back to submitters ASAP; however, in order to ensure fair treatment of each submission and to plan for any contingencies which may arise, we are providing a worst-case scenario for our timeline). 

There is no participation or submission fee. 

There is no guarantee that winners' or finalists' work will be produced by Savage Wonder. 

HerStories Monologue open for submissions

Website

Deadline: November 15, 2026

Or until they reach 250 submissions

SUBMISSION FORM

Nomad Theatre, located in Normal, Illinois, seeks 8 monologues to be a part of our upcoming HerStories Detour in March 2027. This series of monologues is performed in a real library, within the book stacks. Submissions will close on November 15th, 2026, at midnight or until we reach 250 submissions. Semi-finalists will be announced in January 2027. Auditions will be held in mid February 2027, and based on auditions, eight finalists will be chosen for production. If your play is selected for production, writers will receive a $25 honorarium for their work.

Nomad Theatre Company proudly presents their fourth installment of Pop-Up HerStory, an immersive theatrical experience that brings the stories of remarkable women and nonbinary people from history to life. As part of Nomad Theatre’s Detour projects, this unique production spotlights real women who have left an indelible mark on history, sharing their stories through original monologues and scenes.

Call for female-identifying or nonbinary writers, including actors who can write:

Selected monologues or scenes must feature one or two historical woman or non-binary person, living or not, with a runtime of five to six minutes. Monologues and scenes must be rooted in historical accuracy. 

We encourage you to use the space creatively. The monologue or scene must be unpublished at the time of submission. Please review the list titled "HERstory 2027 Ideas" for suggested historical figures. While you are not limited to these suggestions, Nomad Theatre has a particular interest in featuring these women in upcoming years. Please avoid someone who has already been performed. You will find them in the linked document titled: Previously featured women.

Please confirm the originality of your script, and your ability and willingness to give permission to use it for auditions, promotions, and live and privately-recorded performances by Nomad Theatre.

Preferences:

--direct address of audience, with good audience engagement

- rooted in historical accuracy. Please include sources in your submission

--a reason for speaking or dramatic moment for character/s to engage with each other or audience

--as much humor and audience engagement as possible, or such drama, poignancy, etc as befits chosen character/s

--minimum use of props or furniture, or none at all!

--ability to set in library and use library furnishings for any set or prop needs

Final script selection depends on who comes to auditions! (12-15 semi-finalists may be chosen for auditions.)

This call is open to all female and nonbinary identifying playwrights worldwide. Selected playwrights receive full production of their scene and an invitation to attend. We encourage anyone to submit, even if you’ve never written a monologue. We want to support underrepresented playwrights, including women, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, disabled, neurodiverse, etc, and encourage you to submit.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

• Overall writing quality (informative, interesting, compelling)
• Historical accuracy (please include at least one credible source)
• Suitability for our actors and spaceSubmission Guidelines:
• One submission per playwright
• A running time of 4-7 minutes long
• A cover page should include the title, the playwright’s name, contact information, a brief synopsis, at least one credible source, and character description.
• Pages should be numbered.
• A monologue or two person scenes only.
• Label your document as TITLE OF PLAY_LastName
• No musicals.

We suggest formatting similar to the Dramatist Guild Guidelines: https://www.dramatistsguild.com/sites/default/files/2020-01/General-SFI-Formatting-Guidelines-Complete.pdf

If you have questions or need any accommodations for submission, please email nomadtheatresubmissions@gmail.com or visit us https://nomadtheatre.org/

Nomad's mission is to provide an immersive theatre experience by exposing audience members to eclectic and moving stories, taking theatre outside of a traditional theatre space and into site-specific locations.

DRURY UNIVERSITY ONE-ACT PLAY COMPETITION

Website

Deadline: December 1, 2026

Send scripts to:

Drury University One-Act Play Competition
c/o Dr. Mick Sokol, Professor of Theatre
900 North Benton Avenue
Springfield, MO 65802

FIRST PRIZE: $300 TWO HONORABLE MENTIONS: $150 each

Winning plays will be considered for production by Drury University.

COMPETITION RULES:

1. Competition is open to all playwrights. Scripts are to be original, unpublished, and unproduced. Staged readings or workshop productions will not disqualify a script. Musicals, monologues, adaptations, film and TV scripts are ineligible.

2. Preference will be given to small cast, one-set shows with running times of no less than twenty and no more than forty-five minutes.

3. No more than one script from any playwright. Scripts entered in this contest in previous years are ineligible for re-submission.

4. All scripts are to be typewritten and firmly bound (staple, clips, etc). Because of the nature of distributing scripts to readers, we do NOT accept electronic submissions.

5. Scripts cannot be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed envelope with sufficient postage. For confirmation of receipt, include a self-addressed stamped postcard. For results of your script, please include self-addressed stamped envelope. If possible, please include an e-mail address; we can send you contest results via email.

6. No written or verbal critiques will be tendered.

7. The decisions of the judges are final. Drury University reserves the right to produce any of the three winning plays royalty-free during our 2027-2028, 2028-2029 or 2029-2030 seasons, to withhold production, and to modify cashawards as deemed necessary by the judges.

8. Drury University does not assume any responsibility for the loss, damage, or return of scripts. All reasonable care will be taken.

9. Deadline for entries is a postmark of December 1, 2026.

10. Address scripts to Drury University One-Act Play Competition
c/o Dr. Mick Sokol, Professor of Theatre
900 North Benton Avenue
Springfield, MO 65802

11. Winners will be notified by mail (or e-mail) no later than April 1, 2027.

NYPSI's Horowitz-Sondheim Clinic ~Affordable Treatment For Theater Artists

THE HOROWITZ-SONDHEIM CLINIC FOR THEATER ARTISTS at  New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute offers affordable treatment to playwrights, composers, and lyricists of the theater. *

The Horowitz-Sondheim Clinic was launched in September 2025, and offers affordable treatment to playwrights, composers, and lyricists of the theater. *

This clinic owes its creation to a generous grant from the Stephen Sondheim Foundation, reflecting the profound gratitude Sondheim held for his psychoanalyst, Milton Horowitz, an esteemed NYPSI member. As Sondheim himself expressed: "to find you're not the only one in the world, which is of course what everybody goes through... Every time I would tell Milton something I'd expect him to be shocked and he'd say, Yes...' And after about five sessions I realized, He's heard everything!

And I'm just another ordinary neurotic fellow." (Secrest,1998, p. 229)

The Horowitz-Sondheim Clinic offers psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, and psychological testing.

The Clinic does not provide psychotropic medication. Psychotherapy and psychological testing are provided by a variety of licensed mental health practitioners, Clinical Psychology Doctoral students, and Licensure-Qualifying trainees in Psychoanalysis, all under the supervision of highly trained psychoanalysts. Psychoanalysis is conducted by psychoanalytic candidates, all of whom are supervised by psychoanalysts especially qualified for the training of psychoanalysts. On occasion, psychoanalysis is offered by a graduate psychoanalyst.

Theater playwrights, composers, and lyricists interested in sliding-scale treatment at the Horowitz-Sondheim Clinic are encouraged to apply (link below). While treatment is not free, no one will be turned away as a result of financial limitations. The fee will be mutually agreed upon after a review of the individual's financial situation. Please indicate whether you are interested in obtaining psychotherapy (once or twice a week, typically), psychoanalysis (four or five times a week), oi psychological testing. Note that for psychoanalysis, at least two of the sessions must be conducted in person.

You may download a printable application for Adult Psychotherapy, Psychoanalysis, and/or Psychological Testing.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF

[1] Secrest, Meryle. (2011). Stephen Sondheim: A Life. Penguin Random House.

* Those who are not lyricists, composers, or playwrights of the theater can still receive affordable treatment by applying directly to the NYPSI Treatment Center at https://nypsi.org/find-treatment/

Snowdance 2027 seeks 10-minute plays

Website

Deadline: October 9, 2026

Entries may be emailed to snowdance@overourheadplayers.org. 

Email scripts (pdf format) to: snowdance@overourheadplayers.org

*Alternately* Mail Submissions to:

SNOWDANCE
c/o Sixth Street Theatre
318 Sixth Street
Racine, Wisconsin 53403

Any questions can be directed to us by e-mail at: snowdance@overourheadplayers.org. Or call the Box Office at (262) 632-6802.

1) Competition is open to original 10-minute or shorter plays free of royalty and copyright restrictions. Submission is considered to be approval to produce the piece with stated royalty if selected for production in the Snowdance® Festival. Musicals, adaptations, and translations will not be considered.

2) Plays must run 10 minutes or less. A rule of thumb: 1 page (8 1/2 x 11) of single-spaced, average dialogue will total about 90 seconds. Read it out loud - time it - test it - and re-write if need be.

3) Submissions must be emailed or postmarked on or before October 9, 2026.

4) Scripts should follow the standard format (Check any script writing book in your library). If mailing a physical copy, manuscripts must be on standard 8-1/2” x 11” paper, cleanly typed and securely bound.

5) Plays can have a cast of 1 to 4 characters and should be easily staged. Avoid any elaborate set requirements. And remember it is a 'COMEDY FESTIVAL'.

6) The writer's name, address, phone number, and e-mail address should be included on the title page only. The title page should also include a cast list, set requirements, and a 1-3 sentence synopsis of the play.

7) Submit one (1) copy of your script.

* Plays selected for the festival will be produced by Over Our Head Players.

Apricity Magazine open for short play submissions

Website

Deadline: January 4, 2027 at 1AM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

We accept submissions from the performing arts, including but not limited to original music, short film, short play, and dance. Scores, scripts, and screenplays count although live versions are encouraged. Please upload or include a link (of a Youtube video, a webpage, or a Google Drive file) to your submission as well as a brief description of your piece and how you arranged your performance. The maximum time allotted for videos is 15 minutes each. Simultaneous submissions are permitted. 

We welcome comprehensive use of English and other languages. If your piece contains non-English languages, please include an English translation. Though we are an international magazine, our staff’s common language is English.

Before you submit, please note the following:

NOTIFICATION: You may expect notification of your acceptance or rejection within three months of submitting your piece. As our staff is composed entirely of university students, however, we do not operate from the end of May through the end of August. Any pieces submitted in April and May may not receive a response until August. 

 NON-PROFIT: We are a non-profit student organization. We intend to direct all net proceeds towards publication improvement and charitable donations focused on education.

FEES: There is no submissions fee, nor is there any payment for publishing your work (currently). However, should you be published in the print publication, you will receive a free contributor’s copy. If you are published online and would like to receive a print edition, you will receive a 60% discount.

FALL 2026 Online Classes in Writing the Ten-Minute Play with Arianna Rose

Online classes in Writing the Ten-Minute Play are open for pre-enrollment. The payment window opens October 9th.  

"Writing for the Stage: The Ten-Minute Play"

Six Sessions, 3 hours each:

1. Thursdays, 1:00 – 4:00 pm  OR 6:30 – 9:30 pm  EDT    October 15 – November 19 

 

2. Mondays, 1:00 – 4:00 pm OR  6:30 – 9:30 pm EDT   October 12 – November 16

Tuition: $299 early bird through 10/10; $349 after
Course Repeaters Tuition: $175

Minimum 3 participants per section; maximum 8.

Recent Participant Testimonials:

““Arianna’s mastery of the 10-minute play form is undeniable, and her passion for the craft is contagious… The “writer’s group” portion of the class became a highlight for me; it created a supportive space to share work, give and receive feedback, and learn from one another. Arianna’s organization and commitment to equity in the Zoom room created a safe, thoughtful, energizing space that didn’t just help me write a play—it helped me grow as a writer.”

~ Laura Thoma 

I’ve taken more than a few playwriting classes, both in-person and online, and your class was by far the most productive and useful…I have a newfound appreciation for the plays I’ve read and how to write them, thanks to you.“ 

~ Tom Cocklin, 2-time participant

“I enjoyed the class immensely and learned a lot. I would definitely recommend it to playwrights of all levels. The course was well organized, it's clear you are passionate about the subject, care for your students and have deep knowledge that you are so generous to share…"

~ Jeff Perlman

“Arianna is extremely skilled at sharing insightful, individualized feedback in a supportive environment. Her focus on dramatic structure was particularly helpful, and the course also offered invaluable and specific real world advice for writing and submitting short plays to festivals…"

~ Donna R. Boyd, 2-time participant

Course Description:

Ten-minute play festivals dominate submission opportunities. While short-form plays share similarities with full-lengths, the dramatists who excel in this form write into the differences. You’ll learn the tools to write to the highest level of craft and make your work more producible.

The course combines lecture, reading, discussion, and in-class sharing of your writing for feedback. Topics: elements of a successful 10-minute play, dramatic structure, generating ideas, character development, giving and receiving constructive feedback, effective rewrites, formatting your play, submissions, and log-keeping.

Arianna has taught this course since 2023 at the Dramatists Guild Institute, PlayPenn Theatre, Delray Beach Playhouse, and independently. Her short plays have been presented in 39 states and 12 countries to date; won numerous awards; published in Smith & Kraus Anthologies, Applause Books, Ghostlight Publications, Theatre Odyssey Publications, Purple Light Publications.

 

Contact Arianna Rose at rockawayrose@gmail.com, or via the website where there is more information:

https://ariannarose.net/playwriting-classes-and-other-workshops

Interested but not available?
Email rockawayrose@gmail.com to be added to the mailing list.

One-on-One Private Dramaturgy/Script Consulting
Prefer one-on-one coaching? Member, Dramaturg and Literary Managers Association of the Americas (LMDA) and the Dramatists Guild Plays-in-Progress Mentor Program. More information:
http://ariannarose.net/dramaturg-for-hire

Big Idea Theatre 2027 One-Act Festival

Website

Deadline: October 5, 2026 at 11:59 PM PDT

Sacramento CA

SUBMISSION FORM

This is your chance to see your work come to life on stage and connect with new audiences. Writers of all backgrounds and experience levels are encouraged to submit.

Some Guidelines:

• Unit Sets work best in our space
• We aren't equipped to do musicals or children's theatre
• Plays that run somewhere around or between 20 to 60 minutes are ideal
• We will choose 6 plays via committee of theatre lovers to be presented as part of the festival from 
• January 22rd - February 7th, 2026 in Sacramento, CA.

We have produced scripts from all over the world! However, since we are a community theatre, we do give special consideration to works from or connected to the Sacramento Region.

Please only submit one script.

We receive HUNDREDS of scripts! Please be patient while we read them all and get back to you!

UMBRELLAS FOR FISH seeks one-minute plays

Website

Deadline: October 2, 2026

Submission email:  ufjournal@aol.com

HOW TO SUBMIT

1. Prepare your manuscript according to the guidelines above.

2. Include a 50–100 word third-person author bio.

3. In the body of your email, include:

Your full name
Title of the play
Country of residence
The subtheme your play most closely relates to
A brief 1–3 sentence description of the play

4. Attach your manuscript as a DOC, DOCX or PDF file.

5. Name your file:

YOURNAME.docx

6. Send your submission to:

ufjournal@aol.com

SUBJECT LINE FORMAT

ONE-MINUTE PLAY — [TITLE] — [AUTHOR'S NAME]

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submit original work only.
Submit manuscripts in DOC, DOCX or PDF format only.
Use a readable 12-point font.
Number all pages.
Include a title page with the title of the play and author's name.
Scripts should follow standard dramatic formatting where appropriate.
Include a third-person author bio of 50–100 words at the end of the manuscript.
Multiple submissions are welcome (in a single email).
Simultaneous submissions are welcome; please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Please submit only work for which you hold the necessary rights.

UMBRELLAS FOR FISH
An International Journal of Absurd & Existential Drama

Umbrellas for Fish is pleased to announce a special international anthology of Absurd and Existential One-Minute Plays: ONE MINUTE BEFORE NOTHING HAPPENS

What can happen in one minute?

• A lifetime can end.
• A universe can begin.
• Someone can forget why they entered a room.
• A chair can refuse to be sat upon.
• Two strangers can wait for something that never arrives.
• A person can discover the meaning of life—just in time to forget it.
• Or, perhaps, nothing happens.

We are seeking original one-minute plays that explore the strange, comic, unsettling, irrational, and deeply human experience of existence.

This anthology celebrates the extraordinary possibilities of theatrical brevity. We invite playwrights to create worlds in miniature—moments of revelation, confusion, silence, contradiction, catastrophe, comedy, and cosmic indifference.

Your play has approximately one minute.

What will happen before nothing does?

THEME & SUBTHEMES

All submitted plays should engage broadly with absurdist, existential, surreal, experimental, or philosophically unsettling theatre.

Writers may interpret the following themes freely and imaginatively.

1. Waiting for Something That Never Arrives
Characters wait—for a person, an answer, a bus, God, death, an announcement, or something they cannot name.

2. The Meaning of Life Is Temporarily Unavailable
A search for meaning meets bureaucracy, confusion, technical difficulties, silence, or an unexpected customer-service representative.

3. One Minute Until the End of the World
The apocalypse is imminent—or perhaps it has already happened, and nobody noticed.

4. Conversations with the Universe
The universe may finally respond. Unfortunately, it may have misunderstood the question.

5. Time Has Stopped, but Everyone Is Late
Clocks malfunction, time repeats, yesterday returns, or characters remain trapped inside a moment.

6. Nobody Remembers Why We Are Here
Identity, memory, purpose, and location dissolve into increasingly uncertain explanations.

7. Instructions for Existing
Characters receive rules for life, consciousness, happiness, breathing, or being human—but the instructions may be incomplete.

8. The Last Ordinary Thing
A familiar object, habit, conversation, or everyday action becomes suddenly strange, impossible, or profoundly significant.

9. Silence Has Something to Say
What happens when silence becomes a character—or when words become less trustworthy than what remains unspoken?

10. The Wrong Person Has Been Chosen to Exist
A bureaucratic, cosmic, or administrative error has occurred. Someone may have been given existence by mistake.

11. Exit Signs Point in Different Directions
Characters attempt to escape a room, a relationship, a memory, a role, a system, or existence itself.

12. Everything Is Fine, Except for Everything
Ordinary life continues despite an unnamed catastrophe, an impossible situation, or the slow collapse of reality.

13. A Small Eternity
One minute becomes endless. A brief moment expands into repetition, memory, regret, anticipation, or infinity.

14. The Things We Cannot Explain
Something impossible happens, and everyone attempts to explain it—making the situation increasingly incomprehensible.

15. One Minute Before Nothing Happens

• The central theme of the anthology.
• Something is about to happen.
• Or perhaps something has already happened.
• Or perhaps nothing is happening at all.
• The characters may be waiting for a beginning, an ending, a revelation, a disaster, or a moment that never arrives.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• We seek original one-minute plays that are:Absurd, existential, surreal, experimental, or darkly comic
• Theatrically imaginative and stageable
• Concise but emotionally, intellectually, or philosophically resonant
• Bold in form, structure, voice, or theatrical logic
• Strange for a reason—not merely random
• Open to ambiguity, contradiction, uncertainty, and unanswered questions
• Memorable enough to leave an impression long after sixty seconds have passed

We welcome:Monologues

• Dialogues
• Ensemble pieces
• Experimental dramatic fragments
• Non-linear theatre
• Surreal theatrical situations
• Dark comedy
• Minimalist drama
• Meta-theatre
• Unconventional forms of dramatic writing

We are particularly interested in plays that take creative risks and demonstrate a strong sense of theatrical possibility.

SUBMISSION LENGTH
Each play should be designed to be performed in approximately one minute.

Maximum Length: 2 pages

There is no minimum or maximum number of characters.
A play may contain dialogue, silence, movement, stage directions, or any combination of theatrical elements.

Response Time
Approximately 1–2 weeks

Publication Date
OCTOBER 15, 2026

FEE
There is no reading fee, submission fee, or publication fee.


RIGHTS

If a work is selected for publication, the playwright retains all intellectual property, copyright, and performance rights to the work.

By accepting publication in ONE MINUTE BEFORE NOTHING HAPPENS: A Special International Anthology of Absurd & Existential One-Minute Plays, the author grants Umbrellas for Fish non-exclusive permission to publish the work as part of the anthology.

All rights remain with the author following publication. Authors remain free to reproduce, perform, publish, or republish their work elsewhere, provided that first publication in ONE MINUTE BEFORE NOTHING HAPPENS is acknowledged where appropriate.


PAYMENT

• Umbrellas for Fish is currently a non-paying market.
• As an independent literary journal and publishing initiative operating without grants, institutional funding, or regular donations, we are presently unable to offer royalties, honoraria, or other forms of monetary compensation to contributors.
• Authors whose work is selected for publication will receive publication credit and international exposure through the anthology.

EDITORIAL VISION

Umbrellas for Fish is devoted to theatre that embraces uncertainty.
We believe that theatre does not always need to provide answers.
Sometimes a question is enough.
Sometimes a contradiction is enough.
Sometimes a person standing in an empty room, holding an umbrella over a fish, is enough.

With ONE MINUTE BEFORE NOTHING HAPPENS, we want to explore what theatre can accomplish in the smallest possible spaces.

A minute can contain:
A beginning.
An ending.
A joke.
A catastrophe.
A confession.
A silence.
A universe.
Or nothing at all.

We welcome playwrights from all countries, backgrounds, and stages of their careers. We are especially interested in amplifying voices and theatrical perspectives that have been underrepresented in the dramatic canon.

YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE.
MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN.
OR DON'T.

ONE MINUTE BEFORE NOTHING HAPPENS

A Special International Anthology of Absurd & Existential One-Minute Plays

PUBLICATION DATE: OCTOBER 15, 2026

The REVOLUTION STAGE COMPANY FOURTH Annual Ten-Minute Play Festival

Website

Facebook

Deadline: October 30, 2026

Palm Springs, CA

Email submissions by Friday, October 30th, 2026 to: 10minfest@revolutionstagecompany.com

The REVOLUTION STAGE COMPANY in Palm Springs is now accepting submissions for its FOURTH Annual Ten-Minute Play Festival to be held January 9th & 10th, 2027.

Deadline for submission of your original plays is Friday, October 30th, 2026. Submissions must be in doc or pdf format with pages numbered. Each selected play will receive $300 at the end of the festival.

If your play is accepted for this festival, it must arrive at the theater PRODUCTION-READY.

• You are responsible for all casting, rehearsing, etc. prior to bringing it to our stage. 
• Playwrights may submit more than one play (up to three)
• All plays must run no more than 10 minutes when staged. 
• All plays must be original and not yet performed in the Palm Springs area. 
• All plays must be suitable for a general audience. 
• All plays should have no more than 5 characters, with limited props and/or costumes. 
• You will need to be able to provide, set-up and remove all props within two minutes. 
• All plays should have no special tech requirements. 
• Once accepted, there can be no changes that would alter the nature of the play. 
• No scripts on stage except in the case of last minute emergencies 
• No fee required for submissions. 

Author's name should be left off of any pages of the script so that we can evaluate anonymously. The author's name should appear only on the title page, which will be removed from the script before distribution to judges.

Please put "Ten-Minute Play Festival Submissions" in the subject line.

We will be making our decisions by November 15th and notifying playwrights by November 18th.

For the first time this year, those attending the Festival will be able to vote for:

FAVORITE PLAY, FAVORITE CAST, FAVORITE ACTOR, FAVORITE ACTRESS & FAVORITE DIRECTOR.

On Monday, January 18th at 2pm, the RSC will present a program called BEST OF THE FEST featuring anywhere from 3 to 6 of the

FAVORITE plays from this year's festival as determined by RSC. The program may also include memorable plays from previous Festivals. IF YOUR PLAY IS SELECTED for the BEST OF THE FEST program on January 18th, you will receive an additional S100.

The International Human Rights Art Festival seeks 10-minute plays

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2026

New York NY

Seeking 10-minute, 2-character (only) plays, on any human rights concern, to be a part of a special event at this year's International Human Rights Art Festival (December 12, 2026).

Five playwrights will receive $50 each and two comp tickets to see their play produced.

The International Human Rights Art Festival is pairing with And Scene to present a unique evening of theater on Saturday, December 12, 2026, 7 pm at the Wild Project, as part of a yearly Festival. The show will be followed by a party.

Specifically, And Scene Producer Mick Szal will bring together New York's top improvisers and actors from Broadway, TV and beyond perform scenes. The catch: one of the actors will be "on (your) book," while the other will be completely improvising. The actors will know their lines and the improvisers will improvise with no prior knowledge of the scenes. (The format was inspired by Stephen Rudy and was originally performed under the name "Gravid Water" at UCB.)

Please send your 10-minute, 2-character play WITH NO ATTRIBUTION (BLIND SUBMISSIONS ONLY) to hello@humanrightsartmovement.org, with the subject line of your email with your last name_play title (Beckett_WaitingForGodot) for consideration.

Deadline September 30, 2026. All decisions by November 1.

The script doctor is in the house! 🩷

Sarah Congress is an award-winning playwright and script doctor for film, TV series, theatre, and fiction here to help YOU take your script to the next level. She provides a fun, nurturing, therapeutic, environment to best suit your individual writing needs.

Script Services:

• Help clients fine-tune their scripts
• Offer rewrite suggestions to help tighten and polish your story
• Improve dialogue
• Punch up jokes and suggest opportunities for humor 
• Help you learn how to HOOK a reader's interest 
• Assist in finding submission, production, and publication opportunities 

Group Classes:

• Prefer a group setting? Join us virtually at the Hudson Valley Writers Center November 14th for "The Script Doctor Is In: With Sarah Congress"

Sarah Congress is an award-winning comedic playwright represented by Anthony Tall in Los Angeles. She is also a script doctor for film, television and theatre. Her play Dubai Chocolate is one of three new plays accepted in the 2026 All Exits New Jersey Play Lab Statewide Play Reading Series and will be produced this November at River Union Stage. Her romantic period piece Last Sunrise was produced by NYLon Fusion Theatre Co. in their Gilded Cage play festival June 2025 at TADA. Last Sunrise was presented with writers: John Patrick Shanley, Lyle Kessler (Orphans) and Migdalia Cruz (Fur). Her ten-minute play Overdose won 2nd place for BEST SHORT in the 2023 Downtown Urban Arts Festival at Playwrights Horizons.

Visit Sarah's website to learn more and connect.

Women's Work Short Play LAB '27

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2026 by 11:59 PM

SUBMISSION FORM

New Perspectives Theatre Company's WOMEN’S WORK LAB for short plays provides a supportive and nurturing environment to emerging and mid-career women playwrights while maintaining a rigorous feedback process that leads to production within six months.

Six playwright members are selected each year, along with a similar number of directors. The LAB meets monthly (the second Sunday) from February through June, allowing for time in between sessions for writers to continue to develop and revise their work in response to specific feedback from the dramaturgical team. Members are expected to bring work to each session beginning with the development of an original short play based upon an assigned theme.

Monthly feedback from the directors/dramaturgs focuses on the nuts and bolts of creating a 20-30 minute script ready for production. In a process unique to NPTC, feedback is given in a unified manner so playwrights do not have conflicting advice about what to work on, and so that the script moves forward according to NPTC's instructions as the producing entity. This approach creates a collaborative group from which members can draw inspiration and energy while modeling professional standards. Scripts are then produced in our annual MEGANNE GEORGE Women's Work Short Play Festival.

Applications are due by September 30, at 11:59 pm. Finalist interviews take place early December. The final cohort will be selected no less than two weeks after the finalist interview.

If you have any questions, please e-mail sp-apps@newperspectivestheatre.org

Eclectic Full Contact Theater Company 6th Annual Patchwork Play Festival - A One-Act New Play Festival

Website

Deadline: October 31, 2026

Email submissions to: Patchworkplayfest@gmail.com

To be presented at The Edge Theater, 5451 N Broadway, Chicago, IL.
Feb. 26, 2027 - March 7, 2027

We are currently accepting submissions of New One-Act Plays that embody this years theme of: Alienation

Nine finalists will have their play produced in our festival.

A $250 Award will be presented for best production as adjudicated by a panel of Chicago Theater professionals.

​A $250 Audience Award will also be presented to the festival favorite as determined by our audiences.

Submission Requirements:​

• Play must be previously unproduced. (Staged Readings are fine)
• Play length not to exceed 30 minutes.
• Play must reflect the yearly theme. This years theme is: Alienation
• Play must be received by October 31, 2026
• Playwrights cannot submit more than 2 scripts per year for Patchwork. If more than 2 scripts are submitted by the same playwright, we’ll pick 2 at random. Only one play per playwright may be featured per Patchwork Festival per season.
• Scripts cannot contain copyrighted music unless the playwright owns the music’s copyright, or has written permission from the music’s copyright owner.
• We are not accepting musicals at this time.

Black Women On Broadway Reading Series Submissions

Website

Deadline: October 14, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

The Black Women On Broadway Reading Series is a development reading series dedicated to early career Black Women Playwrights. This readings series offers ONE playwright the opportunity to have a relaxed approach to development with a full day of rehearsal culminating in a public reading that evening.

The reading series is scheduled for Monday, November 9th, 2026 with the generous support and partnership with WP Theater.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
- Any early career Black Woman playwright is encouraged to submit (NOTE: Early career = TWO or less professional productions in their career. Productions must have been at a non-profit, regional, commercial off-broadway or non-union theater only. Playwright cannot have been produced on Broadway. )

- The play submitted CANNOT have had a professional or workshop production. (Other developmental readings are fine) 

- Only ONE submission per playwright. 

- Playwrights CAN re-submit the same play if they have submitted to previous BWOB reading series

- Only FULL LENGTH PLAYS can be submitted. No musicals, no one act plays (i.e. 30 minutes or less,) no 10 minute plays. We are not accepting any solo/one person plays at this time. 

- Playwright must be available in person, in New York City for the full day of the scheduled reading series date: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH, 2026. We cannot make any exceptions or provide any hotel, flight or other travel arrangements or accommodations. 

- Playwright will receive $500 stipend

SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS WEDS, OCTOBER 14TH, 2026.

THE SELECTED PLAYWRIGHT NOTIFIED BY WEDS, OCTOBER 21ST, 2026

Playwrights First submission window open

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2026

Overall, we look for:
- Imagination and originality in both style and subject or point of view.
- Characters that intrigue and move us.
- A compelling action revealing the human condition.
- Theatricality inherent in the above.​

Rules:
One, single full-length play per playwright in English from anywhere in the world.
Not produced full-scale prior to submission. Readings, workshops, and college productions are acceptable.
No joint authorships, adaptations, translations, musicals, or shorts.​

​Award:

$1,000 first place.
Award listing of playwright and play title on our website.
Professional reading in NYC when feasible.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

In a single email provide the following 3 documents described below (Items A, B & C). Please make sure each document is its own separate PDF document, and include all 3 PDFs in the same email (as file attachments) to:
Playwrightsfirst1st@gmail.com
Note: This address is for submissions only.

Item A) Playscript in PDF format. The play should follow standard playwrighting convention and include a cover page, a character list/breakdown, page count, etc. Please, name your file using this format:Your Last name TITLE OF PLAY.pdf (Example: Shakespeare TWELFTH NIGHT.pdf)Note: The TITLE of the play is in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

Item B) Playwright/Production Resume, CV, or Narrative Biography in PDF format. Name your file like this:Your Last name RESUME.pdf (Example: Shakespeare RESUME.pdf)Note: RESUME is in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

Item C) Brief (3 paragraphs max) Summary of play in PDF format. At the top of your page, please provide your full name and the full title of your play. Name your file like this:Your Last Name SUMMARY.pdf (Example: Shakespeare SUMMARY.pdf)Note: SUMMARY is in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

IMPORTANT NOTE: Paper copies will not be accepted. PDF format ONLY.

PLEASE, BE CERTAIN TO USE THE CORRECT NAMING CONVENTION FOR EACH FILE (follow examples above). THIS YEAR, SUBMISSIONS NOT FOLLOWING OUR REQUESTED NAMING CONVENTIONS WILL NOT BE ADMITTED.

Each file MUST begin with your last name. Please leave one space after your last name -- do NOT use a dot, a dash, an underline. Please do NOT abbreviate the name of your play. Please do NOT use your first name. Please do not use your initials. We appreciate your attention to this detail as it helps our staff keep your materials organized.

Call for new works by Latina/e playwrights

Website

Deadline: September 25, 2026, at 5:00 PM (PDT)

Portland Oregon

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT FOR MUNDO DE LAS MUJERES NEW PLAY READING FESTIVAL

Call for new works by Latina/e playwrights to receive a staged reading during Mundo de las Mujeres in March 2027

Milagro is pleased to announce the Mundo de Mujeres New Play Reading Festival, a celebration of new works by Latina/e playwrights as part of Milagro’s annual Mundo de Mujeres Women’s History Month Festival. This festival seeks to amplify Latina/e voices and stories exploring themes of womanhood, gender, sexuality, family relationships, identity, motherhood, sisterhood, and other experiences central to Latina/e communities.

The festival will feature staged readings of three new plays in varying stages of development, presented on the first three Wednesdays of March 2027 (March 3, 17, 24). Selected playwrights will receive an honorarium and a staged reading featuring a director, dramaturg, and a cast of local professional actors, providing an opportunity to hear their work in front of a live audience and continue its development.

Submission Timeline

Submission Deadline: September 25, 2026, at 5:00 PM (PDT)
Selected playwrights will be notified by early January 2027.
Casting will take place throughout January and February.
Rehearsals will occur during the week leading up to each respective reading.

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Open to playwrights who identify as Latina/e.
• Original full-length plays only (approximately 70–120 minutes).
• Scripts may be written in English, Spanish, or be bilingual.
• Preference will be given to plays requiring six actors or fewer.
• Plays requiring more than six actors should include the playwright’s preferred doubling plan.
• Playwrights are permitted to submit multiple scripts
• Plays that have received, or are scheduled to receive a full professional production that premiers before September 2027 are not eligible.
• Playwrights are strongly encouraged to attend their reading and participate in post-reading discussions, if possible.

Submission Requirements
A PDF of the script formatted according to the Dramatists Guild of America Traditional or Modern Play Format.

A playwright biography (maximum 90 words).
A play synopsis (maximum 150 words).
A brief development history, if applicable.

If you have questions, please contact mia@milagro.org.

Invisible Theater seeks monologues for Fourth Annual Going It Alone

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

Tuscon Arizona

Submissions are now open for Invisible Theatre's 4th annual all-monologue show: GOING IT ALONE!

The show is a collection of monologues chosen from submissions. We celebrate the unique challenge of writing for a solo performer and performing solo.

Must be a solo piece Must be a standalone monologue. Not a monologue taken from a full-length play you've written.

• Open to all playwrights worldwide

Performance of piece must be less than 6-7 minutes. No exceptions.

Any topic

1 submission per playwright permitted

10-12 monologues will be selected.

Small honorarium paid to chosen playwrights. Selected monologues will be cast, performed and directed by Tucson theatre artists in June 2027

Murmuration Playwriting Cohort 2026/2027

Website

Deadline: September 27, 2026 at 11:59PM ET

Or until they receive 200 submissions

SUBMISSION FORM

The Murmuration Playwriting Cohort is an eight-month program dedicated to developing new work by early and mid-career NYC playwrights. A cohort of six selected playwrights will meet bi-weekly (1 in-person & 1 virtual) on Monday evenings from November 2026 to June 2027 to share work, brainstorm ideas, and receive feedback from fellow writers. Selected playwrights will have the opportunity to workshop their projects and grow in community, with access to resources and support from the Murmuration Theatre Leadership team. The program culminates in a public staged reading series in June 2027.

Because community building requires significant time and energy - we ask you to be honest with yourself and with us about your ability to commit to the program. If you already feel spread thin in terms of artistic homes/projects/etc, please make space for another artist to have this opportunity.

We will be accepting submissions through September 27th, 2026 at 11:59PM ET or until we receive 200 playwright submissions - which ever comes first. All applicants will be notified on their application status on or around October 19th.

Clockhouse opens for submissions for Volume 14 (summer 2027)

 Website

Deadline: November 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

CLOCKHOUSE is a national literary journal published by Clockhouse Writers’ Conference, whose editors are MFA alumni of Goddard College.
​
We accept works of poetry, fiction, memoir, creative nonfiction, and ​dramatic works for stage or screen. We also accept submissions for cover art. We encourage submissions from both established and emerging writers.

We’re looking for work that beckons us to listen, share, and engage. Send us your best!

Before submitting, carefully read the general AND genre-specific guidelines. 

• All submissions must be original, unpublished work written by the author or, if you are submitting artwork for cover consideration, original artwork created by the artist. We do not accept work generated in whole or in part by AI.
• Follow genre-appropriate formatting; Word documents preferred; double-spaced for fiction, memoir, and creative nonfiction​
• Include a bio of approximately 100 words or less
• Simultaneous submissions are welcome as long as you withdraw them if accepted elsewhere
• Submit only through Submittable. No email or mailed submissions will be accepted
• Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will be discarded unread.
• If your work has been published in CLOCKHOUSE, please skip one issue before submitting again.

Dramatic Work for Stage or Screen

• Short plays and screenplays in traditional and experimental styles
• Standalone work only (not part of a longer work); no monologues
• Submitted work should be written with the audience in mind
• Submit up to 10 pages plus cover page with title and character breakdown
• Follow the industry-standard formatting guidelines appropriate for the plays/screenplays including paginations

Go Try Play Write September 2026

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

We're proud to announce a new monthly playwriting contest in collaboration with Bamboo Ridge Press. Every month, Kumu Kahua's artistic director Harry Wong III will select a writing prompt on the first day of that month. We're looking for 5-page monologues or 10-page scenes based on that prompt; the due date for submissions are always the last day of the month. All entries must be written in traditional play format; instructions on this format can be found here (https://www.dramatistsguild.com/script-formats), courtesy of the Dramatists Guild.

There will be one winner each month. Scripts will be submitted to the judges anonymously. Winners will receive $100 and a subscription to Bamboo Ridge Press. Woo!

The prompt for September 2026 is an aftermath prompt:

Two Christmas prompts. One prompt is a throw-back to the first year of the play prompt contest. For some reason, it snows in Hawai‘i on Christmas day. Write a ten-page maximum scene about the event. Why did happen? Did anyone see it coming? Does it portend anything? How do people react? How does nature react?

The other prompt is inspired by a play my daughter wrote. Write a ten-page maximum scene about an argument between Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, a Leprechaun, Cupid, Headless Horsemen, etc. The argument can be about anything: who’s more beloved; who’s more famous; who’s holiday is better; who ate the last cookie; why didn’t you take out the trash; a romantic entanglement. Anything.

Choose one prompt or write both. Only one play will win the September prompt, but all entries may be eligible to be part of a special presentation in December this year.

Premiere Stages seeks full-length plays

Website

Deadline: November 1, 2026

All plays must be submitted as a PDF via Submittable at premierestagesatkean.submittable.com/submit. Hard copies will not be accepted.

Premiere Stages will accept submissions of unproduced plays written by playwrights affiliated with the greater metropolitan area from September 1, 2026, through November 1, 2026. All plays submitted to the festival are evaluated by a panel of professional theatre producers, directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, and publishers. Four finalists are subsequently selected for public Equity readings in Spring of 2027.

Following the Spring readings, one play is selected for an Equity production in the Premiere Stages 2028 season and receives an award of $10,000. Another finalist receives a 29-hour staged reading and $3,000. The other finalists will each be awarded $1,000.

Submission guidelines can be found at https://premierestagesatkean.com/play-festival/guidelines/

- Plays must be full-length and have a cast size of no more than eight.

- Plays must be unpublished and unproduced (readings and workshops are okay), with no productions and/or publication currently scheduled through September 2028.

-Playwrights must have strong affiliations with the greater metropolitan area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware). 

- Musicals, adaptations (of existing plays or other sources), and solo shows are not eligible.

-Submissions are limited to one script per playwright.

- Please contact Premiere Stages to inquire about submitting a script that has been previously submitted.     Generally we only accept re-submissions if the play has undergone significant revisions.

- Playwrights must be available for the development of their script (see the 2027 schedule table on our website).

- Submissions are accepted September 1, 2026 through 11:59 p.m. on November 1, 2026. Submissions sent early in the submission window are strongly encouraged.

- Names and contact information are welcome on cover pages of scripts.

• Premiere Stages now accepts full manuscripts from all submitters. Submissions must include:
• Brief synopsis of the play (no more than half a page)
• History of the play’s development (or statement that it has none)
• The playwright’s bio or resume

Members of the Premiere Stages literary team will read at least 10 pages of every play submitted and will decide if the play should be further considered by the Play Festival Panel.

All plays must be submitted as a PDF via Submittable at premierestagesatkean.submittable.com/submit. Hard copies will not be accepted.

All playwrights will be notified by e-mail OR Submittable message of their status by June of 2027.

LoveNotes! seeks monologues for February 2027 show

Website

Deadline: October 24, 2026

LoveNotes! Real Stories. Real People. Real Love.® is thrilled to announce a submission opportunity for our upcoming storytelling show and companion anthology.

LoveNotes! is returning to the off-Broadway stage on Saturday, February 13, 2027 at the Triad Theater (shows at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM for the 4th Annual All Star Show. Storytellers will be paid $50 per show, plus an additional $50 for stories selected for the anthology (for 36-month exclusive rights).

We are seeking true, personal stories of romantic love—from first love and second chances to heart-breaking, hilarious, or against-all-odds tales. We strongly encourage diverse voices to submit.
 
Submission Requirements:

- Your story must be true.
- Your story must be 700 words or fewer for the live show.

Audition Details:

- In-Person Auditions: Saturday, October 24, 2026, 1-4 PM at Ripley Grier Studios (131 W. 72nd St, Studio 3F). You must reserve your audition slot by signing up HERE.

- Self-Tape Auditions: Submit via WeTransfer to heather@lovenotesworldwide.com by Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 1 PM (find more details HERE)

If you prefer not to perform live but would like your story considered for our anthology or podcast, you may email your story (1,000 words or fewer) to heather@lovenotesworldwide.comwith "LoveNotes! Book/Podcast" in the subject line.

HELLO GODOT! (VOLUME 12) seeks short plays

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2026

Submission Details
File format: PDF or Word document (.doc / .docx)
File name: HelloGodot_YourName_PlayTitle

Each submission should include a cover page containing:
Play title
Playwright's full name
Email address
Phone number
Country
Selected subtheme
Brief biography of 50–70 words, written in the third person

Email your submission to: dramaanthologyfreshwords@gmail.com
Use the subject line:
Submission: Hello Godot! (Volume 12) — [Your Name]

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
HELLO GODOT! (VOLUME 12)
An Anthology of Existential & Absurd Plays

Submission Deadline: September 30, 2026
Acceptance Notifications: October 05, 2026
Publication: October 2026

Fresh Words — An International Literary Magazine — invites playwrights, theatre-makers, and dramatic writers from around the world to submit original plays for HELLO GODOT! (Volume 12), an anthology devoted to the strange, comic, unsettling, and profoundly human territory of existential and absurd theatre.

Inspired by the questions that haunt Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot—without seeking adaptations or imitations—we are interested in plays about characters who wait, wander, repeat, question, forget, hope, fail to communicate, and continue living despite having no convincing explanation for why they should.

What happens when nothing happens?

What if tomorrow never comes?

What if the person we are waiting for does not exist?

What if leaving is impossible?

What if the routine is the only thing keeping us alive?

HELLO GODOT! invites writers to explore these questions through original dramatic worlds of their own.

THE SUBTHEMES

Playwrights may respond to one or more of the following subthemes:

1. THE WAIT
Someone is waiting for someone—or something—that may never arrive.

2. NOTHING TO BE DONE
Characters trapped in futile tasks, impossible situations, existential paralysis, or pointless routines.

3. NOT TODAY
Promises postponed, decisions deferred, departures delayed, and lives permanently suspended.

4. LET'S TALK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE
Failed communication, meaningless conversations, verbal games, awkward silences, and the desperate human need to keep talking.

5. THE SAME DAY AGAIN
Repetition, circular time, recurring encounters, déjà vu, and characters condemned to begin again.

6. WHO IS GODOT?
The absent, the unknowable, the expected, the imagined, or the person who may never have existed.

7. SHALL WE LEAVE?
Characters who want to escape—but cannot, will not, or do not know where to go.

8. MAYBE TOMORROW
Hope in the face of repeated disappointment; the strange human ability to continue waiting even after hope has become unreasonable.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are seeking plays that explore the absurdity and uncertainty of existence through theatre.

Your play might be:

• darkly comic
• existential
• surreal
• minimalist
• philosophical
• tragicomic
• experimental
• disturbing
• playful
• dreamlike
• deeply ordinary and quietly absurd

We welcome plays involving:

• waiting
• repetition
• loneliness
• purposelessness
• identity
• memory
• death
• time
• silence
• isolation
• failed communication
• meaningless work
• routine
• uncertainty
• disappearance
• hope
• despair
• the search for meaning

But these are starting points, not restrictions.

We want writers to discover their own version of the absurd.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1. Originality

All submissions must be original and unpublished.

We are not looking for adaptations, rewritings, sequels, fan fiction, or direct retellings of Waiting for Godot.

Your play may be inspired by existential or absurdist traditions, but it must possess its own characters, dramatic situation, language, structure, and theatrical identity.

A play about two people waiting beside a tree is not automatically an absurd play.

We are interested in what you do with the idea.

2. Length and Format

Each play should be approximately 2 pages in standard theatrical script format.

Shorter works are welcome if they achieve a complete dramatic effect.

There is no strict performance-duration requirement.

A maximum of four characters is recommended.

Minimal casts and simple staging are encouraged.

Stage directions should be concise and purposeful.

Experimental theatrical forms are welcome, including:

fragmented dialogue
repetition
non-linear structure
silence
pauses
direct address
off-stage voices
symbolic objects
circular narratives
theatrical games
unconventional characterisation

However, the work should remain recognisably dramatic/theatrical.

Please do not submit prose fiction, poetry, essays, screenplays, or academic criticism.

3. Submission Details

File format: PDF or Word document (.doc / .docx)

File name:

HelloGodot_YourName_PlayTitle

Each submission should include a cover page containing:

Play title
Playwright's full name
Email address
Phone number
Country
Selected subtheme
Brief biography of 50–70 words, written in the third person

Email your submission to:
dramaanthologyfreshwords@gmail.com

Use the subject line:
Submission: Hello Godot! (Volume 12) — [Your Name]

4. Multiple Submissions

Playwrights may submit up to four plays.

Each play must be submitted as a separate document.

If submitting four plays, please identify the subtheme for each.

Please submit all plays in a single email.

5. Rights
Playwrights retain full copyright and ownership of their work.

Fresh Words requests one-time, non-exclusive publication rights for inclusion in HELLO GODOT! (Volume 12) and for reasonable promotional purposes connected with the anthology.

All other rights remain with the playwright.

6. Eligibility

The call is open internationally.
We welcome all playwrights
There is no nationality, age, or professional-experience restriction.
English-language submissions only for this volume.

7. Selection Process

All submissions will be evaluated by the editorial team.

The editors will consider:

originality
dramatic conception
theatricality
quality of dialogue
characterisation
structural control
imaginative use of absurdity
existential depth
emotional or intellectual resonance
effective engagement with the anthology's theme

We are especially interested in works that use absurdity as a dramatic method rather than merely as a style.

Selected playwrights will be notified by email by:

October 05, 2026

The editors' decision is final. Individual feedback will not be provided.

8. COMPENSATION

This is currently a non-paying market.

Selected playwrights will receive:

Publication in the anthology
Author/playwright biography
Publication credit
Digital publication
Social-media promotion where appropriate

International exposure through Fresh Words

CONTENT POLICY

Fresh Words welcomes challenging, uncomfortable, unconventional, and intellectually provocative theatre. However, submissions must not promote or glorify:
hate speech
racism
sexism
discrimination
extremist ideologies
terrorism
abuse or exploitation
political propaganda presented primarily for promotional purposes

Dark themes, death, despair, violence, psychological disturbance, and difficult existential questions are acceptable when they serve a genuine artistic and dramatic purpose.