Ingram New Works Festival 26/27

Website

Deadline: June 26, 2026 at 5PM CDT

SUBMISSION FORM

Back by popular demand, Nashville Repertory Theatre is proud to welcome back the Ingram New Works Festival! Since 2009, the Ingram New Works Project has supported the development of over 70 plays, many of which have gone on to productions in New York and theaters across the country. This year’s festival features four original scripts, presented as professionally staged readings.

SEND

The first 15 pages of your script draft

If a musical, need to also submit 3 demos from the show, at any point

A Purpose Statement

Please answer the questions in the statement: Why are you submitting, what do you hope to gain? Where is the piece in development?

Statement should not exceed 2 pages double spaced.

A Bio from everyone on the creative statement

A synopsis of the play

You will be notified by email that we have received your application.  Finalists will be notified by email, and many finalists will be asked to take part in Zoom interviews.  

A public announcement of the 2025/26 Lab playwrights will be made in late July/early August.

Questions can be sent to Meg Sutherland, Company Manager at meg@nashvillerep.org

BREAK A LEG PRODUCTIONS annual One-Act Slam

Website

Deadline: June 1, 2026

Email scripts to plays.balproductions@gmail.com with the subject line "[PLAY TITLE] – [PLAYWRIGHT'S NAME]." 

This year's theme is NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: New York City (or tristate area) writers writing plays about the New York City experience. 

PLEASE INCLUDE ON THE COVER PAGE OF YOUR SCRIPT A SHORT PARAGRAPH ABOUT YOUR CONNECTION TO NEW YORK CITY.

Plays should run 15-20 minutes. The Slam will be on September 26th. 

The audience votes on their favorite short play, and the winner receives $100.

Only one submission per playwright, please. 

TIGER’S HEART PLAYERS' Mark McQuown Memorial Short Play Literary Competition seeks short plays

Facebook group

Deadline: when they receive 150 submissions

Please submit your 10-15 minute plays (one only per playwright)

To: Tigersheartplayers@gmail.com

There is no theme.
There is no Submission Fee.
Be certain to paginate.

The file attachment should read: play title—whatever follows is unnecessary. (This conforms to our filing system).

Subject Line: SUBMISSION: THP/MARK
Please follow Dramatists Guild formats.

Please do include all your contact info on the title page. No need to “blind” the script. We intend to support playwrights, not simply plays.

If you’d like to submit a bio or cv in a separate attachment please feel free to do so.

1st Place Winner is Awarded $150
2nd Place Winner is Awarded $100
3rd Place Winner is Awarded $50

And there will be one or two Honorary Mentions

All will Receive Public Readings

On Zoom at a time TBD.

THP reserves the right not to award any prizes.

We would like to add that THP is seeking Readers for the Competition.

Please let us know if you are interested. At: Tigersheartplayers@gmail.com More details to follow]

Thank you.
Tiger’s Heart Players

North Park Playwrights Festival 2026 seeks short plays

Website

Deadline: June 30, 2026

San Diego CA

 We ask that all submissions be sent to us via snail mail at the theater. 

Address is: North Park Vaudeville and Candy Shoppe, 2031 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, CA 92104, Attn Summer Golden, Artistic Director. 

Our goal in building the North Park Vaudeville and Candy Shoppe was to provide a small theater to produce new, untested plays. In support of this goal we have produced the North Park Playwright Festival each October. The festival provides a platform for brand new, short (ten minute), plays written by playwrights from around the world. Over the past seventeen years more than 600 new plays have been produced. We encourage new directors and actors to become involved in theater through the festival as well. Through the North Park Playwright Festival over ninety playwrights, directors, and actors each year are able to showcase their talents. We invite interested playwrights to submit work to the festival. 

 Please follow the guidelines below.

1. Short new plays (no more than 12 pages, less is fine) that are easily staged and have casts with no more than four people. Our theater is very small and we normally use a minimal set concept in this festival. We have to be able to change sets in just a few minutes as we do six to seven plays each evening of the festival. We don't have space for large casts.

2. We request new work. A play that has had workshops or one or two previous productions is OK, but we are not interested in work that has been produced in numerous other places. Our goal in building the theater was to have a place to produce brand new work and let playwrights have a chance to see their work done for the first time.

3. We seek complete plays rather than excerpts from a larger work.

4. Work will be chosen by the directors we have in the festival. It is not a "contest" and we are not really judging plays in the formal sense. The directors choose the plays we will produce, within the production budget guidelines we give them.

5. Most subject matter is OK. We don't do nudity or off color humor.

6. We ask that all submissions be sent to us via snail mail at the theater. Address is: North Park Vaudeville and Candy Shoppe, 2031 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, CA 92104, Attn Summer Golden, Artistic Director. We have too much trouble with differing email, word processing, and computer platform issues to take them via email. Additionally, our selection process requires the directors read the plays submitted and the cost of printing all the plays we receive each year is prohibitive. Please insure submissions have a title page with complete contact information (including email), a character summary, and are in proper script form. There is no charge to enter. No need to go to the post office. You can just staple your play together, put in a business size envelope and drop in the mail. You can print on both sides if you want to save postage.

7. Submissions must be postmarked by June 30, 2026. Please do not send plays by any method that requires a signature from us. We are not often at the theater when delivery occurs. We will email notice of receipt to all playwrights submitting plays.

8. Send only one script. Multiple submissions do not increase chances of production.

General information:

We are trying to support new work and involve actors, playwrights, and directors of all experience levels. We have had a wide variety of artists involved from very experienced to first time directors and actors, to an 8 year old playwright (very short, well received play). We feel having a wide range of experience involved helps the new people learn from the more experienced.

We really appreciate your interest in our theater.

Jeff Bushnell and Summer Golden
North Park Vaudeville and Candy Shoppe
2031 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104
www.northparkvaudeville.com

The Emerging Artists Theatre Spark Theatre Festival NYC

Website

Deadline: June 14, 2026 at 11:59 PM

SUBMISSION FORM

The Spark Theatre Festival NYC is a three-week festival of self-produced works at every stage of development. The Fall Spark Theatre 2026 festival will take place from Oct 5th to Oct 25th 2026 at the 28th Street Theatre.
 
For musical submissions, Emerging Artists is premiering a brand new festival just for musicals in November - the Spark Musical Theatre Festival. Details will be available soon.

Please fill out the information below. Your application will NOT be fully submitted unless all fields are complete.

Submissions are ONLY open for applicants in the Tri-State Area: New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Please do not apply if you do not believe you can attract an audience to your performance. 

We will be breaking shows into two categories for the upcoming festival. Please pick the one that best fits what you want to present. Spark Theatre Festival will always remain a developmental new work festival. Your response will not affect your application.

EAT requires each piece to attract at least 1 paying person per minute of their show. For instance, if you have a 10-minute piece, you must have a minimum of 10 paying audience members. Artists who do not meet this requirement must pay for EAT’s portion of the audience guarantee. You can, however, use your box office share to fill in the deficit to EAT, or give a tax-deductible donation to make up the difference. The festival is here to provide artists who are ready to attract a paying audience a place to present their work. For example, a solo artist with a 60-minute show who sells 60 tickets, makes $600 for their hour-long performance, and EAT’s 50% portion of the box office is also $600 (a 50/50 split). If they only sell 30 tickets at $20 each, EAT’s guarantee remains and will keep the entire $600. If they sell zero tickets, the artist must pay the audicnce guarantiee to EAT, which would be $600 at the end of the evening.

Syracuse University New Voices/New Works 2027 seeks musicals for residency

Website

Deadline: June 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT

SUBMISSION FORM

The Syracuse University Department of Drama is seeking submissions for its Spring 2027 New Works/New Voices (NW/NV) initiative.  NW/NV supports the development of musicals by writers and composers whose perspectives have been historically underrepresented in the musical theater canon. 

NW/NV is seeking completed musicals or musicals-in-progress from teams who are interested in developing their work with undergraduate BFA students.  One musical will be selected, to receive a two-week developmental reading in the Spring 2027 semester, directed and music directed by SU Drama faculty and performed by SU Drama students.  NW/NV is open to any writers and composers who feel their perspectives have been historically underrepresented in the musical theater canon.

All creative team members must be 18 years of age or older.

Applicants may submit more than one musical work for consideration.

Applicants may re-apply with works submitted in previous years but must include an explanation of any development and/or changes that have occurred since the prior year’s submission.

All creative team members must indicate their availability for an in-person residency in Syracuse from January 10-17, 2027, on their application.

Questions? Please email Kathleen Wrinn, artistic director of NW/NV and assistant professor of musical theater in the Department of Drama (kawrinn@syr.edu).

• The 2027 NW/NV selection will be developed and presented as part of the New Works/New Voices Festival of New Musicals.
• The work will be directed and music directed by Department of Drama faculty and performed by students in the B.F.A. musical theater and acting programs.
• Rehearsals begin January 5, 2027, with writing team members in residence beginning January 10, 2027.
• The work will receive two public staged reading presentations during the weekend of January 16-17, 2027, at the festival.
• Each presentation will be a maximum of 90 minutes to accommodate the festival schedule; for works exceeding this length, a 90-minute curated version will be developed during rehearsals.
• Presentations will be followed by facilitated audience talkbacks.

Creators must be in residence in Syracuse from January 10–17, 2027, and may be asked to participate virtually in rehearsals prior to arrival.
Travel to-and-from Syracuse and lodging in Syracuse will be provided.
Writing team members will be housed in a shared apartment with kitchen and laundry facilities, located just down the street from the Department of Drama, with off-street parking available.

The script doctor is in the house! 🩷

 Award-winning bicoastal playwright and screenwriter Sarah Congress is offering her coveted script doctoring services online, for a limited time. 

Whether you are a producer with a screenplay/series that needs reworking, a fiction writer in need of inspiration, or a playwright with a new play, Sarah is here to help you take your script to the next level. Many clients that have worked with Sarah have won major awards in film festivals as well as prestigious theatrical opportunities. 

Visit Sarah's website to connect with her. 

Script Services:

• Help clients get “out of their own way” and fully realize their work and writing potential
• Offer rewrite suggestions 
• Punch up jokes and humor
• Improve confidence 
• Fine-tune material to hook a reader’s interest
• Assist in finding submission and publication opportunities as needed
• Marketing strategy help 

Bio

Sarah Congress is a playwright and script doctor with LA representation. Her play "Last Sunrise" was produced by Nylon Fusion for their Gilded Age/Cage Festival at TADA Theatre (June, 2025). "Last Sunrise" was presented with writers John Patrick Shanley, Lyle Kessler, and Migdalia Cruz. Sarah’s play “Delulu” was a semifinalist for Centre Stage's 23rd Annual New Play Festival (1 of 40 plays from 800 submissions). "Delulu" was read at the Episcopal Actors' Guild October 2025 and published by Feels Blind Literary and read at AWP 2026. She co-wrote the screenplay "I Can't Hear You!" which won BEST COMEDY in the 2024 Jersey Shore Film Festival. Her play “Overdose” won 2nd place for BEST SHORT in the 2023 Downtown Urban Arts Festival at Playwrights Horizons. 

Teaching Experience

Sarah has taught writing classes for the Hoboken Historical Museum, Project Write Now, The Knowledge Project, RTA and the Hudson Valley Writers Center - as well as private teaching. 

Testimonials - many clients find that working with Sarah is like "therapy"

"Sarah Congress is a wonderful teacher. She's supportive, intuitive, knowledgeable about writing and the landscape of theatre, film and TV. She asks the right questions, gives great notes and the sessions are enjoyable and productive. If you want to take your writing to the next level I can't think of a better coach/script doctor. The sessions fly by but the lessons you learn endure. She's great."

~ Jeff Perlman, Playwright & Non-profit CEO

"I had a breakthrough in my playwriting after working with Sarah. Her coaching made me realize I had the bad habit of undermining the power of my words.. I saw that after she pointed out one line in my play BIG FAT BABY IN HIS MOTHER'S ARMS which I went on to rewrite immediately and submitted for a serious Playwrights Fellowship. Just yesterday I heard from the UCROSS Foundation that I am the Alternate Fellow in the event one of the winners cannot attend in Spring 2025. I am honored to be acknowledged for the Fellowship and thank Sarah for her important coaching. Sarah will have you grow as a playwright/screenwriter in front of her eyes."

~ Tino Juarez, Playwright

"Sarah is a wonderful coach and mentor. She is tough and challenging and fun and really pushes me as a writer into places I didn’t know I was able to go. I have learned so much working with Sarah, not just as a writer, but also as a teacher, as I transition from novelist to playwright. I could not give a higher recommendation working with her. But I assure you, if I could, I would."

~ Jon Papernick, Novelist and Assistant Professor at Emerson College

Somerset Community College seeks short plays

Facebook page

Deadline: August 31, 2026

Email submissions to: scctheatre@kctcs.edu 

Script CANNOT exceed ten pages

Plays can be any genre or setting, but must implement fairytale or medieval fantasy elements

Theatre Three's 28th Annual Festival of One-Act Plays (2027)

Website

Deadline: September 1, 2026

Submissions should be sent to Jeffrey@theatrethree.com

Since its inception in 1998, The Festival has received over 13,000 submissions from across the world and produced over 140 world premieres by more than 100 different playwrights. The Festival presents between five and eight plays each season.

Guidelines:

• Playwrights may only submit one play per Festival.
• Only unproduced works will be accepted. 
• Please do not submit works that have been submitted for previous Festivals.
• Plays that have had staged readings or on-line productions are eligible.
• No adaptations, children’s plays, or musicals.

• Cast size maximum: 12
• Length maximum: 30 minutes (no minimum)
• Settings: Simple or suggested.
• All submissions should be emailed as PDFs with the title in caps followed by the playwright’s name.
• Example: THE BASKET WEAVERS Jamie Martin
• Play’s cover sheet must include the author’s information (name, address, telephone, email).
• A short synopsis is encouraged
• Any stage play format is acceptable.

Selected plays will be presented for ten performances (in winter-spring 2027; dates to be determined), at the Ronald F. Peierls Theatre, on THEATRE THREE’s Second Stage.

Playwrights will receive a $150 stipend.

Playwrights will receive a standard Dramatists Guild-approved contract and will receive four complimentary tickets to be used at any performances. Playwrights are welcome to attend any rehearsals or performances. Playwrights will receive copies of playbills, postcards, 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.

Playwrights of selected plays will be contacted by early December 2026.

49th Annual One-Act Playwriting Competition at the Little Theatre of Alexandria (LTA)

Website

Deadline: May 30, 2026

Or the first 200 scripts

SUBMISSION FORM

All plays must be sent as a PDF file. Any other electronic format will not be accepted.

To participate in the 49th Annual One-Act Playwriting (Alexandria Virginia) competition, you must follow all of the guidelines on the following pages. Any questions can be directed to the One Act Chairs at oneactslta@gmail.com.

Entries will be accepted on a first come, first served basis, up to the first 200 scripts. If an entry is found ineligible, additional entries will be accepted in the order they were received.

Prizes of $350 for 1st place, $250 for 2nd place and $150 for 3rd place will be awarded.

For the play to be considered for this competition, the submission(s) must be original, unpublished, and unproduced — it cannot have been staged or be scheduled to be staged for a paying audience (including ticketed festivals) as of the date of entry and up to the end of the submission period on May 30, 2026.

LTA will perform the winning scripts as staged readings with paid tickets during LTA’s Night of One Acts on January 18, 2027.

LTA shall have the right to produce winning scripts without payment of royalties. Shows that receive a paid production during the submission period must be withdrawn, with another play allowed for substitution through May 30th. All production and publication rights remain the property of the playwright.

How to Submit Your Show

Please submit your show via our submission form. You will be asked for some information about yourself and your show and to upload your show directly to the form.

If you have any issues submitting your show, please email us at oneactslta@gmail.com. Please note that the form will only allow you to upload a file if you are using a gmail account. If you do not have one, please email us for additional instructions.

Script must be in blind copy formatting (meaning, no identifying information about the author should appear in the script, including name, address or contact information).

Script must include a list of characters with descriptions, a brief synopsis of the show, and numbered pages. See sample here

There are a number of acceptable formats and writing programs available. An improperly formatted script is difficult to read and may be rejected. If you are unfamiliar with proper formatting, please keep in mind the following guidelines:

All text should be single-spaced, in a readable font, such as 12 point Times New Roman.

Text should be double-spaced between speaking parts.

Speakers' names should be isolated from their dialogue in some manner.

A page showing only the title of the play must cover the manuscript. The title page should never be numbered.

Include a list of characters before the first page of dialogue. When separating characters’ lines or longer stage directions, double space.

Page one should be the first page of the play

Ideally, scenes will also be included in the pagination.

Script Content

The run time of the show must be 20 to 50 minutes.

Shows cannot include nudity. However, strong themes and language are welcome.

The submission must be a stage play. Film, TV or other scripts will not be accepted.

The show cannot be a musical or a play with live instrumentation. Incidental music cues or musical numbers that are a small part of the show are acceptable.

The show cannot be the same submission from the year prior unless significant

re-writes have been made to the script. For more information, email the chairs at oneactslta@gmail.com.

Scripts that do not meet the above guidelines will not be scored.

Judging

Scripts will be judged on the following categories:

Concept and quality of show
Production Elements
Dramatic Action
Characterization
Dialogue

Finalists will be notified in September 2026, and final winners will be selected later that month . All playwrights will be notified of their final status by October 1, 2026.

LTA is proud to offer feedback to authors who request it. Feedback will be provided to all authors who request it by the end of January 2026.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the submission process, please email oneactslta@gmail.com.

Northern Michigan Asylum Playwriting Contest

Website

Deadline: December 31, 2026

The Northern Michigan Asylum Playwriting Contest invites playwrights to submit original works inspired by, connected to, or thematically centered on the history, architecture, culture, or personal stories associated with the Northern Michigan Asylum (also known as the Traverse City State Hospital). Works may be dramatic, comedic, historical, speculative, or musical in style, but all submissions must honor or explore the site in a meaningful way.

Contest is hosted by Old Town Playhouse (OTP), a community theater serving Traverse City, Michigan, and The Minervini Group LLC (TMG), redevelopers of The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, the original site of the Northern Michigan Asylum.

The contest opens January 19, 2026, and all submissions must be received by December 31, 2026.

Eligibility

• Open to writers of all experience levels.
• Writers must be at least 18 years old at the time of submission.
• Co-authored works are permitted.
• Submissions must be written in English.

Content Requirements

Subject Matter: The play must contain significant themes, settings, characters, or plot elements directly related to the Northern Michigan Asylum/Traverse City State Hospital.

Allowed Formats:

o One-act plays
o Two-act plays
o Musicals

Northern Michigan Asylum Playwriting Contest — Submission Guidelines 

Length Guidelines:

o One-act: 20–60 minutes
o Two-act: 60–150 minutes
o Musicals: 45–180 minutes

• Originality: Only original, unpublished, and unproduced works are eligible.

Prohibition on AI-Generated Content

To preserve artistic integrity and honor the spirit of the competition:

• No portion of the script may be generated by artificial intelligence tools (including ChatGPT, other LLMs, AI story generators, or automated scriptwriting tools).

• Writers may not use AI to draft, plot, or produce dialogue or lyrics.

• AI-assisted proofreading (e.g., spelling/grammar checks) is permitted, but no AI content generation may be used at any stage.

• Entrants will be required to attest that all creative content is human-authored.

Submission Requirements

• Format:

o PDF file only
o Standard script formatting preferred (12-point font, standard margins)
o Include a title page with:

▪ Play title
▪ Author’s name
▪ Contact email
▪ Contact phone number
▪ Whether the play is one-act, two-act, or a musical
• Page Header: Include the play title and page numbers on each page.

Northern Michigan Asylum Playwriting Contest — Submission Guidelines Page 2• Synopsis: Include a 150–300 word synopsis at the beginning (separate page).

• Character Breakdown: Provide a list of characters, including vocal ranges for musicals.

• Optional: A brief (100-word) playwright biography.

Submission Process

• Submissions open January 19, 2026 at 12:00 AM EST.

• All entries must be submitted by December 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST.

• Submissions must be sent by email to contest@oldtownplayhouse.com either as a PDF attachment or unrestricted link to cloud storage.

• Each entrant may submit up to two plays.

Evaluation Criteria & Winning

Entries will be judged on:

• Quality of storytelling and dramatic structure

• Creative integration of Northern Michigan Asylum themes

• Originality and artistic vision

• Character development

• Stage feasibility

• Musical quality (for musicals)

One work will be chosen to be fully workshopped and produced in late 2027 or early 2028 by Old Town Playhouse. The performance will take place at Kirkbride Hall located in one of the original Northern Michigan Asylum buildings. [Note: A staged reading may be presented in lieu of a full production if material warrants such].

Judges panel will be comprised of two representatives from Old Town Playhouse, two representatives from The Minervini Group LLC and one outside representative designated by Old Town Playhouse to serve on the panel.

Winning playwright will be notified no later than February 28, 2027.

Northern Michigan Asylum Playwriting Contest — Submission Guidelines 

Rights and Permissions

• Playwrights retain all rights to their work.

• By entering the contest, playwrights grant the organizers permission to excerpt, read publicly, or stage readings for purposes of event promotion from the time the winning script is selected and announced until the closing performance of the OTP production produced in late 2027 or early 2028.

The Theater Center Making It Happen: 15 Minute Musicals

 Website

Deadline: June 15, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

Making It Happen: 15 Minute Musicals is a new short musical festival presented by The Theater Center, created to give writers, composers, lyricists, and creative teams the opportunity to present original musical theatre work on an Off-Broadway stage in the heart of Times Square.

Selected musicals will perform at The Theater Center on one of three preliminary performance nights:

• Wednesday, August 12
• Wednesday, August 19
• Wednesday, August 26

Each evening will feature three musicals. Audiences and judges will vote to determine one winner from each night. The three nightly winners will advance to the Finals on Wednesday, September 2, where one overall winner will receive a $5,000 prize.

All submitted material must be fully original, including book, music, and lyrics. Teams must have the rights to perform all submitted material.

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

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

Selected teams will be responsible for providing their own cast, director, stage manager, music director, and live musicians/accompanist. Live music is required. Tracks are not permitted. No microphones will be used or provided, so pieces 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 September 2.

Dappled Things magazine seeks fiction and drama

Website

Deadline: May 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

You may submit one fiction piece at a time. 

Please wait until you have received a response before sending more work. We recommend that you look through previous editions of the journal to get a sense of the type of work we tend to favor. You may use this category to submit short stories, flash-fiction, and drama. 

Dappled Things pays $100 per published piece in this category.

Please include a byline in your cover letter that we can use in our contributor notes if your piece is selected for publication.

Dappled Things is a Catholic magazine of ideas, art, and faith, and this raises the question of what Catholic culture is in the first place. Rather than give you a pat answer, we invite you as a contributor to help us explore that question. You should, however, keep in mind the following:

• Catholicism has a profoundly rich history; we tend to favor pieces that seriously engage and are informed by those riches. At the same time, we seek work that does not simply put old wine into new wineskins. Rather, we encourage innovation that is in reverent creative conversation with the riches of Christianity’s tradition in art, thought, and practice;
• We cherish wit, but have little patience for pretentiousness, cynicism, or sneering. We expect that, at their core, pieces published in the magazine will grow out of a love and understanding of the cardinal virtues of wisdom, justice, temperance, and fortitude; the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love; and the redemptive theme that transpires from the Nicene Creed.
• At the same time, we value work that is truthful through and through, meaning that it explores reality honestly and unflinchingly, without whitewashing or sugarcoating. To unveil the truth about the beauty and goodness of the world, one must not hide the facts of the Fall;
• Pieces need not be overtly religious to be eligible for publication. Remember that Catholic means universal;
• Whatever else your piece succeeds in doing, quality of craftsmanship is a sine qua non.

Axis Review seeks plays

Instagram

Deadline:  June 10, 2026 at 11:59pm EDT

SUBMIT VIA GOOGLE FORMS

Restrictions: For writers identifying as female or living in a feminized body.

Axis Review is a new literary magazine centering female and feminized bodies. We are currently accepting submissions for our inaugural Summer 2026 issue! We are looking for poetry, fiction (short fiction, flash fiction, plays), nonfiction (personal essay, cultural critique, scientific essay), and visual art (illustration, photography, mixed media, digital art, and more), particularly work that reflects an element of our mission statement: “Where the body sits at an axis. Where the intimate becomes political, the private becomes public, and the scientific becomes poetic.

Once Upon a Crocodile seeks short plays for the next issue

Website

Deadline: May 31, 2026 by 11:59 PM GMT

Send your play pasted into the body of an e-mail with “Submission” in the Subject line, to: onceuponacrocodile@gmail.com

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Humorous Fantasy (high, dark, low, light, wet or dry, we don’t mind, so long as it’s funny)
• Humorous Sci-Fi
• Dark humour / tongue-in-cheek horror
• The Absurd
• Funny animal stories
• Parodies
• Pastiches
• Short funny plays / vignettes
• Funny poems of any form (limericks, senryu, haiku, etc)

• DO NOT send us stuff written with AI.

As long as it makes us laugh, we will be interested to read it.

SHORT PLAYS
2000 words maximum.
Black, 12pt Times New Roman font, please. Make sure to proofread your work before flapping it at us.

Theater for the New City Free Memorial Day Weekend Festival

MAY 22-24, 2026

Memorial Day weekend

Artistic output of this fabled neighborhood will be showcased in three days of free showings for live audiences.

In and around Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave. (at E. 10th Street)

FREE (donations accepted)

Info: www.theaterforthenewcity.net, (212) 254-1109

Lineup of performances: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/LES-2026.htm

More information here.

Quannapowitt Players seeking short plays for Suburban Holidays

Website

Deadline: July 31, 2026

Any questions, and all PDF submissions, should be directed to producer Nick Gould at qpsuburbanholidays@gmail.com. 

The Quannapowitt Players (qptheater.com) are seeking new plays for Suburban Holidays, our annual holiday-themed play festival and fundraiser. We are proud to be presenting our fifteenth year of this holiday tradition in 2026!

Play submissions should be between 10 and 20 minutes in length and focus on a holiday. All holidays are welcome! Past plays have focused on everything from Christmas to Arbor Day, and everything in between. We even recently did International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Casts of varying sizes are welcome, as are shows that feature children. Please keep in mind that the festival is family friendly, so plays with excessive profanity or other inappropriate material will not be selected.

We will be selecting six shows for production. All submissions will be kept on record and consulted for future years. Our selected playwrights will receive a 100 dollar stipend and will be produced as part of Suburban Holidays 15 in November 2026, with full production support (lights, sound, costumes, and minimalist set).

The deadline for submissions is July 31, 2026. Playwrights will be contacted by August 31, 2026, regardless of whether their play has been selected or not. If you have submitted a play in the past, please do not resubmit the same play unless there have been significant revisions. We also request no more than three submissions per playwright.

We look forward to reading your work!

Theatre Off the Square 2026 New Works Contest

Facebook page

Deadline: May 31, 2026

Send scripts to: info@theatreoffthesquare.org

Please submit scripts without identifying information (Playwright's name, address, etc.)

Each entry must be an original, unpublished work.

Final work must be submitted by May 31. No additional edits can be submitted for consideration after this date.

We are not considering works commissioned by another theater.

Playwrights must be willing to travel for a staged reading (Weatherford Texas) and, if selected, will be recognized as a special guest on opening night.

Scripts must be between 30 minutes and an hour in length and able to be performed in one act. 

Genre and theme open to the playwright.

The theme does not have to be overt; it can be symbolized throughout.

Community standards will play a role in selecting shows for the staged readings, so please keep content in mind.

The person responsible for the submissions will ensure total anonymity and will not be a reader in the first round of judging.

Please ensure that your name is not on your script

Plays will be judged in two separate categories-Youth for playwrights 17 and under and Adult for playwrights 18+. The category is based on age as of July 3lst, when submissions are due. 

Up to 6 plays will be chosen for staged readings on October 4th, where final judging will occur. This group will include one show from the Youth category and up to 5 from the Adult category. In the event that there are no qualifying Youth participants, all readings will come from the Adult category.
The top two plays will be performed together as a single production at Theatre Off The Square in 2026. The playwright may or may not be consulted for production. 

If interested and approved by the Directors Selection Committee of Theatre Off The Square, winners may also be involved in the production up to directing. 

Winners will each receive $200 and 5 comp ticket

Blindspot Collective seeks new short plays and musicals

Website

Deadline: June 28th, 2026 at 11:59pm PST

All applications should be submitted to submissions@blindspotcollective.org in PDF format. Put "Freshman Fifteen Submission" as the email subject.

Blindspot Collective, a San Diego-based theatre company dedicated to radically inclusive new work and diverse emerging artists, seeks new short plays and musicals to be featured in an immersive theatre production titled Freshman Fifteen.
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Final selections will be made no earlier than September 20th, 2026. Conversations with all writers will be scheduled in late September, 2026.
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Performances will take place in a La Jolla Playhouse WOW Festival.
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Because each show and writing team will have specific skills and challenges, additional developmental support will be determined based on the needs of the selected project. Additional readings, script development, and orchestration support may be available based on the unique collaboration that emerges.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES​

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As part of this upcoming production, Blindspot Collective seeks new short play and musical submissions that meet the following criteria:

• Must be a short play or musical that is 12-15 minutes in length
• Must be set on a modern college campus in the United States (more specifically, the publicly accessible parts of a campus - not a dorm room)
• All characters must be college-aged students
• The piece should be flexible in specific institutional details (e.g., school name, mascot, geography) to allow for adaptation to the UC San Diego campus

 

In addition to the criteria above we recommend the following:

• The most successful pieces typically feature 2–5 characters (though there is no required minimum or maximum)
• A serio-comic tone is strongly encouraged; works that blend humor with emotional depth tend to resonate most in this format
• Pieces that unfold in a single continuous scene (rather than multiple locations or time jumps) are strongly preferred
• Work that could be considered PG-13 is favored, as immersive performance often heightens audience sensitivity to explicit content
• We encourage stories that engage with timely themes relevant to contemporary college life, including but not limited to identity, belonging, mental health, climate, technology, activism, economics, intimacy, ambition, burnout, and beyond
• Narratives and characters that challenge expectations or reflect experiences outside the dominant culture are especially encouraged, as we aim to capture a wide-ranging and authentic portrait of today’s student experience

​​

 HOW TO APPLY 

 

Please view our submission guide below to assist you. 

• To apply for this opportunity, please provide the following:
• A cover page with your name, phone number, and email address
• A complete draft of your short play or musical
• Demo or scratch recordings of any songs 

Notification of selected works will occur no earlier than September 20th, 2026. 

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10-15 plays and musicals will be workshopped and produced as part of Freshman Fifteen. Selected writers and composers will receive an honorarium of at least $250 for plays and $500 for short musicals, and will collaborate with Blindspot Collective on final drafts. 

 

During the submission period, Blindspot Collective’s artistic staff will be available to provide feedback on initial ideas, concepts, synopses, or character outlines. While not required, we encourage writers to take advantage of this opportunity to develop work aligned with the project’s goals and to avoid overlap with other submissions. Please feel free to reach out via email with any initial materials. A panel of theatre artists and Blindspot staff will review and score all submissions as part of the selection process.

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Please note: you will not be assessed based on the quality of any song recordings. We encourage you to keep it simple. A recording of the composer singing while playing piano that was captured with a phone is absolutely acceptable. 

Gather by Ghostlight seeks plays for Stage Fright 2026

Website

Deadline: July 10, 2026

Submit your script to submissions@gatherbytheghostlight.com with the subject line "STAGE FRIGHTS SUBMISSION"

Each October we produce a stage show of horror themed plays for a live audience at Le Chat Noir theatre in Augusta, GA. This live show also gets released as an episode on our podcast and YouTube. 

If you would like to submit a script to Stage Frights 2026, please read the guidelines below.Script Length - 15 pages or less (please make sure pages are numbered)

Each writer may submit up to two scripts.

Genre - Horror ONLY. These can be super scary or can be horror comedies or any other horror subgenre. Just make sure that it has horror elements. We also love it when spooky sound FX are incorporated. We have a foley guy for this live show. Make us use him.

Cast Size - 2 or more characters. No one-person shows.

Format - Any format as long as it's dialogue based and we can tell what's going on in the story. We don't produce audiobooks. Please don't submit a prose story and expect us to adapt your work to a dialogue format for voice actors to perform.

BLIND SUBMISSION - No Author information should be on your script. Contact info should ONLY be in the body of your email submission.

A total of six scripts will be selected for production.

Each writer will be paid $50 if their script is selected and will be published in our STAGE FRIGHTS ANTHOLOGY Book.

Please know that all submissions (that follow the guidelines) will be read by a panel of anonymous readers. You will be contacted by the end of July if we want to produce your script for STAGE FRIGHTS.

We recommend that you listen to previous productions of Stage Frights on our podcast so that you get a feel for the type of works we produce for that series. Or watch the filmed performance from last year - STAGE FRIGHTS: THE SEQUEL-ISH

Discount tickets - $10 student tickets available at the box office.

Join us for a series of short comedic plays on May 22. Work from Matthew Moore, Madeleine Brigman, Madison Fargo, and Kimberly Alu; directed by Anna Item, Hee-Young Shin, Lillie Wojcik, and Joshua Folsom ~ Company Instagram  

Second Annual International Human Rights Art Festival Queens seeks 10-20 minute productions

Website

Deadline: June 15, 2026

Send submissions to: costanza@humanrightsartmovement.org 

The performances must be fully produced by you; IHRAF is a presenting platform.

Considering performances 10-20 minutes long.

We accept just one proposal for each application.

***This is an open call for Queens-based artists only***

Send:

• A brief description of your piece, including approximate running time - we’re accepting 10-20 mins works.
• A cover letter, including details regarding the piece’s discipline, issue of concern treated and a brief summary of your artistic goals
• Your bios or resumes and the names of any collaborators already on board
• A sample of work (scripts, pics, videos, songs, any other links or file that could help us to know more about your project)
• As email subject, please type IHRAF Queens 2026, then add Association-Company-your name (i.e. IHRAF Queens 2026, Joan Doe)

Please note: Work may not have been produced within the last year in NYC, or be scheduled in the next six months of September 20, 2026. 

Also, let us know if you already had part of our previous festivals as a performer or in the audience.

We are jurying work with the following interests, for performance blocks:

• QUEENS-oriented stories
• Climate Change Action
• Immigration
• LGBTQIA
• Celebration of Women/Women in Power
• Celebration of Black Men/Undiscovered Women
• With Love from Africa
• Any other social justice concerns you might have

All accepted performers will receive:

Performance stipends of $200 total (per project)

PR and marketing support

30-minute tech rehearsal

Festival TD and SM

Free photographic documentation of the performance

Any questions, email our Festival Assistant Producer Costanza Bugiani at costanza@humanrightsartmovement.org

Veterans' 10 Minute Playwrighting Contest 2026

Website

Deadline: June 30, 2026 11:59 PM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Designated a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs, a Top College and University by Military Advanced Education, and a Best for Vets College by Military Times, Salem State values our military connected students and their families and the sacrifices they have made for our country. Salem State is committed to supporting Veterans’ voices on and off campus. The arts create unique and powerful opportunities for individuals and groups to share experiences and constructive dialogue. As such, Salem State is proud to announce its seventh annual Veterans Playwriting contest which will culminate in staged readings of selected plays in November 2026.

All playwrights, regardless of military affiliation, are invited to enter Salem State University’s 10-Minute Playwriting Contest. However, preference will be given to those with a direct military connection. This includes active-duty military, reservists, National Guard, Veterans, and direct family of any of these.

The theme of the play should directly touch on military service and/or how military service affects a community. The contest and festival look to recognize and celebrate those that have served and currently serve. We are looking to bring together a variety of voices exploring both the challenges and the victories and positive influences that Veterans have on our community.

Judges will select finalists, whose plays will be part of a series of staged readings in November 2026.

Important Dates

June 30, 2026 - Entry deadline

August 15, 2026 - Notification of finalists

November 2026 – Staged readings with post-performance discussions. Additional details forthcoming.

Contest RulesOnly submissions through Submittable will be considered.

• One submission per playwright.
• Only original plays, not-yet produced or published, are eligible.
• All plays are judged blind. Do not include any personal, identifying information anywhere on your submission.
• Musicals and adaptations are not eligible.
• Simultaneous submissions are allowed. If your play is accepted elsewhere, please let us know immediately. If your play is chosen to be performed, you agree to withdraw your play from all other places where it is under consideration.
• By submitting, you agree to allow Salem State University to produce the first staged reading of your play.
• Scripts meeting the rules and submitted by the deadline will be reviewed by judges.
• Judging will be done by SSU faculty and members of the SSU Veterans’ community.

Judging Criteria

StoryPlot seems fresh, intriguing and original
Something happens; sufficient conflict and tension throughout the play
Plot is active, vital and dramatic on stage
Story moves along; pace is engaging

VoiceStrong, interesting writing style
Clear viewpoint that’s well integrated into the play

CharactersInteresting and compelling characters
Characters seem credible and real
Main character evolves or develops through the course of the play

DialogueDialogue suits the characters
Dialogue sounds natural and credible for the plot and location
Each character has own unique voice
Dialogue seems fresh and compelling (not dull, boring, or generic)

AppropriatenessThe play can be staged in the 10-minute time allotment in a black box theatre with limited set, sound, and design.

Overall effectPlay is transformative and memorable

Submitting Your Work

The script must be in standard playwriting format with 12-point Courier font. Use double spacing when changing from one character to another. Use single spacing everywhere else. If you are unfamiliar with standard playwriting format, please check out this example.

PLAYS THAT FAIL TO MEET THESE CRITERIA WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

Questions: email arts@salemstate.edu

Lolwe Magazine seeks one-act plays from the African diaspora

Website

Deadline: May 31, 2026 7:00 PM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Lolwe: From Nam Lolwe, the original or traditional Luo name for Lake Victoria meaning “endless lake/water body”. Therefore, Lolwe meaning endless, meaning “having or seeming to have no end or limit”.

Lolwe is a Pan-African literary arts platform that publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, hybrid writing, orature, drama, translation, and visual art. Founded in January 2020 by Troy Onyango, the magazine has a focus on amplifying the work by writers, poets and visual artists from Africa, Caribbean and the Black diaspora. Lolwe aims to publish more work by Black creatives as this is a way to ensure greater visibility for stories by Black people and to give a platform and space for the “Black imagination.”

Lolwe is looking for work that is bold, different, and pushes boundaries: play with form and language, ignore limitations and classifications, send in your fears and joys, your doubts and faiths, your curiosities and silences.

General submissions from the public are open once a year across all genres.

Lolwe Academy alumni and solicited contributors may submit at any time of the year across all genres.

We accept submissions in English and French across all categories.

We also accept translated fiction from any language used in Africa and the Caribbean.

Please read the submission guidelines carefully and submit your work to the appropriate category via Submittable. Any work sent via email or to the wrong category will not be read and will be automatically rejected.

While not mandatory, we recommend that you read our past issues before submitting.

For queries, please email info@lolwe.org.

Submission Guidelines Length: 1,000-10,000 words for prose. 3 – 5 poems contained in a single document. 5 – 10 images/artworks in one document alongside 200-500 words about the work. (If you’d like to submit an image for the cover, just submit a single high resolution file).

Format: Word document, Times New Roman, 12pt, double-spaced.

Payment: At the moment, Lolwe is not funded so we will offer a £50 voucher redeemable towards a Lolwe Academy course or at Lolwe Books.

Award submissions: Lolwe nominates work for awards such as Caine Prize, Pushcart Prize and The Best Short Stories: The O. Henry Prize.

Bio: Send a brief bio alongside the submission.
Queries: Send any queries to info@lolwe.org. Only queries sent to this email will be replied to. Please don’t send social media DMs.

Dear US.: One-Acts to Bridge the Divide

Website

Deadline: June 20, 2026

SUBMIT VIA SUBFOLIO

Dear US is a compilation of solicited plays, performed as staged readings near Tampa, FL, followed by a facilitated conversation with audience, actors, and any playwrights that may be present.

Blind Submission

Anonymity: Your name, address, or any identifying information must not appear anywhere on the script, including the title page, headers, footers, or filename.

Filename: Name your file only with the title of the play. (e.g., Title_of_Play.pdf)

Identification: Any identifying marks will disqualify the script. Please, please, remove it all -- even initialed page numbers -- so that the process remains entirely blind.

General

Length: No more than 10 pages, excluding title and character pages. Run time less than 10 minutes. Monologues are welcome: ideally, 3-5 minutes run time. No musicals.

Format: Upload as a single PDF file.

Originality: Work must be original and not previously published. PLAYS USING AI WILL NOT BE READ.

Script Formatting

Font: 12-point 

Margins: at least 1- inch margins on all sides.

Pagination: Start with "1" on the first page of the dialogue.

PDF Document Order 

    1. Title Page: Do not include your name or contact information.    

    2. Character/Setting page: brief descriptions and time/place.

     3. The Script: Max 10 pages, not to exceed 10 minutes playing time.

To submit, you'll need to make a free account with Subfolio, which will walk you through the entire submission process. Art of Freedom LIVE uses Subfolio to guarantee that the process is blind and fair. 

Questions? Feel free to contact me, but do not share with me the title or other identifiers of your play/monologue: mary@artoffreedom.live

CHESTNUT STREET PLAYHOUSE 6TH ANNUAL PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

Facebook page

Deadline: June 15, 2026

Please email a summary and sample of your script (first or best 10 pages ONLY) to submissions@chestnutstreetplayhouse.org

Be sure to number your pages and submit your document in PDF format. 

This festival is designed not only as a performance opportunity, but as a collaborative workshop experience focused on helping writers develop the next best version of their piece.

Selected scripts will receive:

-A staged reading/performance as part of the festival
- Dedicated rehearsal and workshop time with directors and actors
- Facilitated feedback sessions
- Audience response opportunities
- Post-festival support and guidance for future development/submissions

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Original plays (finished drafts only)
Works in any genre
Pieces with strong storytelling, compelling characters, and developmental potential

HOW THE PROCESS WORKS:

Reading & Selection

A panel of readers which include theater artists, directors, actors, and playwrights will review submissions. The panel will read each summary/submission anonymously. Selected pieces will be chosen based on voice, theatricality, storytelling, and potential for development. If selected, you will be asked to submit your entire script for final review. 

Workshop & Rehearsal Process

Each selected playwright will collaborate with a director and cast through a workshop-style rehearsal process focused on exploration, discovery, and refinement. Additionally, Connecticut playwright Scott Stephen Kegler will be participating as our Dramaturg for the festival working with each selected play to help with script analysis and development.

Festival Performances

The selected works will be presented before live audiences as staged readings. The CSP PlayFest will be held Sept. 11-13 (TBD based on selections)

Audience Feedback

Following performances, audiences will have opportunities to provide guided feedback and participate in post-show discussions designed to support the playwrights’ ongoing development process.

Continuing the Journey

Chestnut Street Playhouse hopes to help playwrights continue developing their work beyond the festival by providing resources, festival recommendations, and encouragement for future productions and workshops.

We can’t wait to discover and help develop new voices and new stories.
Scott Stephen Kegler, Co-Chair & Dramaturg
Derek Corriveau, Co-Chair & Coordinator
Lisa Bono, Managing Artistic Director & Festival Administrator

Perlberg Festival 2027 seeks full-length plays

Website

Deadline: May 31, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

The 2026 Perlberg Festival of New Plays at Palm Beach Dramaworks is accepting submissions through May.

What are we looking for?

• Comedies and Dramas (no musicals)
• Cast sizes between 2 and 5 (doubling is okay)
• Plays that really explore relationships/deeper ideas/the human condition
• Plays between 70 and 120 minutes (full-length but not epically long)
• One submission per writer -- if you're trying to decide which to send, send the one that seems like the best "fit" for Palm Beach Dramaworks
• UNPRODUCED, with no productions scheduled before April of 2027

Great Commission Theatre seeks short plays and monologues

Website

Deadine: June 26, 2026

Email a PDF copy of your script to scripts@greatcommissiontheatre.org
Include a brief synopsis of the play/monologue

Provide us insight into who you are with a personal biography

The Great Commission Theatre invites writers, artists, and storytellers to explore holiness through the power of theatre.

Saints for Today is an intimate evening of staged readings featuring original short plays and monologues

inspired by the lives of the saints and the human journey toward God. Through story, voice, and guided reflection, this experience seeks to create space for encounter, renewal, and meaningful dialogue within today’s world.

Theme
How do the lives of the saints help us live our holiness today?

We are seeking stories that are:

Human and honest
Spiritually resonant
Reflective and emotionally grounded
Rooted in themes of struggle, grace, conversion, hope, or encounter with God

Submissions may include:

Stories inspired by the lives of the saints
Contemporary stories reflecting saintly virtue today
Defining moments of faith, doubt, surrender, or transformation
Monologues or scenes exploring the human journey toward holiness

What is a Staged Reading?

A staged reading is a simple theatrical presentation where actors perform with scripts in hand and minimal staging.

Rather than focusing on elaborate production elements, staged readings emphasize:

The power of the written word
Authentic performance and storytelling
Imagination, reflection, and audience connection

This format creates an intimate experience that invites audiences to listen deeply and engage personally with the stories being shared.

Call for Submissions

Length

Works should be approximately 8–10 minutes in length (about 8–10 pages in standard play format).
Format

Submissions may be:

A short play
A monologue

Cast Size

Pieces should be written for 1–5 performers.

Staged Reading Format

Selected works will be performed as staged readings with scripts in hand and minimal movement.

Technical Requirements

Please keep technical needs simple and avoid complex staging or production elements.

Original Work Only

Submissions must be original, unpublished works that are free of copyright restrictions.

Important dates
Submission deadline: June 26, 2026
Staged Reading Showcase: August 15, 2029

Performance will be held at Whitley Event Center in San Antonio, TX

46 Minutes Collective seeks short works for Mixed Bag

Website

Deadline: May 25, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST

SUBMISSION FORM

Mixed Bag Application - July 13, 2026 Performance

Description: Mixed Bag is a variety show for first drafts. We provide artists working in a variety of mediums with a low-tech space and audiences to further develop their works. We hope this will be an opportunity to learn about your piece and discover the next steps in your process.

Performance Date: July 13, 2026 from 4:30-9 PM, Performance at 7:30 PM

Location: Brick Aux (628 Metropolitan Ave)

What we are looking for: 

• In-development work that has not yet premiered. One or two developmental readings or showings is okay, but we are looking for work in the earlier stages of development. 
• Works in any medium: performance art, dance, theater, film, music, poetry, multi-media, interactive art, magic, mime, juggling, etc. (these can be excerpts of longer works).
• Artists who are looking to investigate or discover something about their work.
• Cast: Up to 10 performers
• Length: Up to 15 minutes

We Can Offer: 

• A low-tech performance space at Brick Aux to share your work .
• One, 20-minute spacing rehearsal the hour before the show.
• A Stage Manager to assist with the run of show.
• Photos and video of your piece.

An audience of fellow artists and creatives to share in your developmental process with the option for feedback from the audience if that is helpful for your process.
Marketing through the 46 Minutes Instagram and mailing list. If selected, we will ask for additional marketing materials from you/your team.

Brick Aux space capabilities (basic sound system, clip lights, projector, tables and chairs) (learn more here).

Box Office Split: Please note that tickets are donation-based, so we cannot guarantee a profit from this event. Once we have covered the space rental via donations, all additional ticket funds will be split evenly amongst the performers and the collective.

What You Bring:

• Collaborators and creative team.
• Any desired props, costumes, lights, design elements, etc. beyond what exists in the Brick Aux space.
• An understanding of what you need to present your own work at whatever stage it's at in your process.
• An openness to the liminal space that is in-process work and a desire to discover what can be learned when presenting a rough draft.Please Note: The artist is responsible for all rehearsal process needs. We are unable to provide any rehearsal space or financial assistance at this time. This is designed to be an in-process showing, so we encourage you to come as you are with whatever you have created at this point in time. 

Each artist may only submit one piece per Mixed Bag showing.

If you have any questions please reach out to us at 46mincollective@gmail.com

We at The 46 Minutes Collective are committed to making our programming accessible to all who wish to participate, so please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 46mincollective@gmail.com with any ways we can support you.

Go Try Play Write May 2026

Website

Deadline: May 31, 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 May 2026 is an incitement prompt:

Write a 10-page maximum scene of the moment a bully loses their effect / power over their victim. Kids, adults, chimpanzees, protozoa, roses, any group where bullying can occur. Also, the effect / power the bully has over their victim can be physical, mental, spiritual, social, monetary, whatever you can imagine.

SEEKING MONOLOGUES FOR VIRTUAL HALLOWEEN SHOWCASE

Facebook page

Deadline: June 10, 2026 at 11:59pm PST 

Please send your submissions to rainydayrevue@gmail.com. 

Rainy Day Artistic Collective is planning our fall monologue showcase - this year it will be Halloween themed (like our very first monologue showcase was) and we're looking forward to bringing that back. 

It will have one livestreamed performance in October (exact date TBD) and be 100% Virtual.

Though we will be putting out a call for actors this summer, we need some monologues to work with first!

If you're interested in submitting a monologue to be considered for this showcase, please review the guidelines below:

Submission Guidelines:

Submissions can only feature one speaker.  

We have included poetry and short stories in past showcases, but typically prefer to feature theatrical monologues. 

Each monologue must be approximately 2-5 minutes in length.

Piece(s) must be inspired by Halloween in some way - scary or cute, happy or sad, dramatic or comedic, let your imagination run wild!

Excerpts from longer works are acceptable, but they should be able to be performed as standalone monologues with minimal to no additional context required for the audience.

Tech needs should be simple - keep it livestream friendly. Some sound cues are okay (even encouraged, if it fits the mood). We can also use virtual backgrounds to enhance/suggest the setting. 

No more than two pieces submitted per playwright, please! Joint authorship of a piece counts towards all contributing playwrights.

Please list any content warnings in your submission.

We are not able to offer stipends for selected playwrights/pieces, but this event is also 100% free for any audience member to watch.

The deadline for submissions will be June 10th, 2026 at 11:59pm PST - no pieces submitted after that will be considered. Please send your submissions to rainydayrevue@gmail.com. 

Our mission at Rainy Day Artistic Collective is to "make the theatre you wish to see." We are an inclusive; LGBTQIA+, minority, and disabled-run; hybrid company  headquartered in Seattle, Washington. We ally against racist, sexist, classist, xenophobic, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, and otherwise bigoted practices. As such, we will never consider submissions that contradict our values. 

The script doctor is in the house! 🩷

Award-winning bicoastal playwright and screenwriter Sarah Congress is offering her coveted script doctoring services online, for a limited time.

Whether you are a producer with a screenplay/series that needs reworking, a fiction writer in need of inspiration, or a playwright with a new play, Sarah is here to help you take your script to the next level. Many clients that have worked with Sarah have won major awards in film festivals as well as prestigious theatrical opportunities.

Visit Sarah's website to connect with her.

Script Services:

• Help clients get “out of their own way” and fully realize their work and writing potential
• Offer rewrite suggestions 
• Punch up jokes and humor
• Improve confidence 
• Fine-tune material to hook a reader’s interest
• Assist in finding submission and publication opportunities as needed
• Marketing strategy help 

Bio

Sarah Congress is a playwright and script doctor with LA representation. Her play "Last Sunrise" was produced by Nylon Fusion for their Gilded Age/Cage Festival at TADA Theatre (June, 2025). "Last Sunrise" was presented with writers John Patrick Shanley, Lyle Kessler, and Migdalia Cruz. Sarah’s play “Delulu” was a semifinalist for Centre Stage's 23rd Annual New Play Festival (1 of 40 plays from 800 submissions). "Delulu" was read at the Episcopal Actors' Guild October 2025 and published by Feels Blind Literary and read at AWP 2026. She co-wrote the screenplay "I Can't Hear You!" which won BEST COMEDY in the 2024 Jersey Shore Film Festival. Her play “Overdose” won 2nd place for BEST SHORT in the 2023 Downtown Urban Arts Festival at Playwrights Horizons.

Teaching Experience

Sarah has taught writing classes for the Hoboken Historical Museum, Project Write Now, The Knowledge Project, RTA and the Hudson Valley Writers Center - as well as private teaching.

Testimonials - many clients find that working with Sarah is like "therapy"

"Sarah Congress is a wonderful teacher. She's supportive, intuitive, knowledgeable about writing and the landscape of theatre, film and TV. She asks the right questions, gives great notes and the sessions are enjoyable and productive. If you want to take your writing to the next level I can't think of a better coach/script doctor. The sessions fly by but the lessons you learn endure. She's great."

~ Jeff Perlman, Playwright & Non-profit CEO

"I had a breakthrough in my playwriting after working with Sarah. Her coaching made me realize I had the bad habit of undermining the power of my words.. I saw that after she pointed out one line in my play BIG FAT BABY IN HIS MOTHER'S ARMS which I went on to rewrite immediately and submitted for a serious Playwrights Fellowship. Just yesterday I heard from the UCROSS Foundation that I am the Alternate Fellow in the event one of the winners cannot attend in Spring 2025. I am honored to be acknowledged for the Fellowship and thank Sarah for her important coaching. Sarah will have you grow as a playwright/screenwriter in front of her eyes."

~ Tino Juarez, Playwright

"Sarah is a wonderful coach and mentor. She is tough and challenging and fun and really pushes me as a writer into places I didn’t know I was able to go. I have learned so much working with Sarah, not just as a writer, but also as a teacher, as I transition from novelist to playwright. I could not give a higher recommendation working with her. But I assure you, if I could, I would."

~ Jon Papernick, Novelist and Assistant Professor at Emerson College

Playwrights Round Table seeks full-length plays

Website

Deadline: May 31, 2026 at midnight

Please email all submissions to submissionsprt@gmail.com

Playwrights' Round Table of Orlando, Florida is seeking original, unproduced full-length plays for its PREMIERE production.

For this call, Central Florida's longest-running theater company focused solely on the development of playwrights and their new work is seeking a new full-length play of roughly two acts/two hours' length for its Premiere Series in 2027. The selected play will receive a yearlong full development program with our professionals and receive a full production with us.

This script call is open to ALL playwrights. We STRONGLY encourage Black, female, and LGBTQIA+ writers to submit their work, and are especially interested to see plays from Florida-based playwrights.

Plays MUST be unproduced and unpublished in order to be eligible; however we will accept submissions by Central Florida writers that have not been performed in Orlando and have not previously received more than 1 production (staged readings are fine).

Please send TWO (2) PDF or Word copies of your script – one with full name and contact info, optional personal info (gender/pronouns, ethnicity, etc.), and an acknowledgement that the play is new and unproduced; the other “blind” – this copy will go to the readers. 

Please also indicate that your play was not written using AI.

There is no submission fee; however, the selected playwright must join PRT for a one-year membership term. The base level is free, with priced tiers with member benefits above that. You may only submit 1 play per writer.

Please keep your set minimal, preferably a unit set – we perform in a small black box. Please also limit the number of characters – no more than 6.

The selected playwright will receive a stipend of $250 and a full production in spring 2027.

We look forward to reading your submissions!

New Musical Monday Season 5 Submissions

Instagram

Deadline: none listed

SUBMISSION FORM

WE ARE BACK AGAIN and seeking submissions for the fifth season of our digital series New Musical Monday!

Do you have a new musical that you want to share with our global audience? Do you have a musical that you wrote that you think needs more exposure? Do you want to have a digital way to present your musical to producers/directors for consideration?

New Musical Monday is a series that features new and lesser known musicals from around the globe. Launched in 2021, NMM was born as a spin-off of our New Musical November event in 2020. The episodes feature selections of songs from the musical as well as some insight from the creators. 

NMM is presented on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and a podcast version available on Spotify.

Questions: Send us an email at thornhilltheatrespace1@gmail.com

Free theater: LOCUST by Daniel S. Park

 

Showpeople Theatre Collective’s Inaugural Theatre Festival

Website

Deadline: June 20, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

SHOWPEOPLE THEATRE COLLECTIVE INC. is currently seeking new works by emerging artists for its first-ever theatre festival, to play in Long Island City, Queens, this coming December.

We will be selecting two plays or musicals to take part in the inaugural Showpeople Theatre Festival, performing on a weekday during the first week of December.

What Do You Get?

Two performance slots: 3 PM - 6 PM and 7 PM- 10 PM at a theatre in Long Island City, Queens

Tech rehearsal space from 9 AM - 2 PM (5 hours) the same day as your performance

40% of your ticket sales, meaning you’ll get $12 per ticket sold!

A Showpeople liaison during both your tech and your shows, who will also act as an usher

There are NO submission or performance fees

What Do You Bring?

Your show! (~120 minutes as a soft maximum run time)

Your cast

Your crew, including (as needed) a technician(s), stage manager, stagehands, musicians, etc.

Any costumes, props, or set pieces you need (there will be an additional timeslot on Monday, November 30th, 2026 when you can bring these over to the theatre to save you tech time)

Additional Things to Know

Solo shows and two-handers may be less likely to be chosen as we want to provide this opportunity to as many theatremakers as possible. Showpeople is all about big shows done simply

We may be less inclined to choose shows requiring substantial nudity or realistic looking weaponry. Any weapons used must be safe and clearly props (no sharp edges, no glass, no heavy metals, etc.)

Showpeople has a history of primarily supporting musical theatre, but straight plays will be given equal consideration

We will consider potential conflicts when deciding which slot your show gets Tuesday through Thursday, but it is ultimately up to the discretion of the Showpeople Theatre Festival coordinators

If chosen, consider your expenses before accepting admission into the festival. Showpeople Theatre Collective is not able to provide any funds for actors, crew, costumes, set, etc. (that being said, much great theatre can be done with minimal bells and whistles!)

You will have no rehearsal time in the space before your tech day of, so try to dry run your show in a similarly sized rehearsal room to make the transition as easy as possible

As mentioned above, your show’s performance will be given two three-hour time slots. The shows we’re producing in-house are all 120 minutes or less, so aim for this as a limit. This DOES NOT mean you absolutely can’t perform a longer show, but timing must be considered. For practical purposes, any show that seems like it may run too long for the time slot will be rejected

Intermissions are allowed

Plays do NOT need to be NYC or world premieres

No pieces under 60 minutes will be considered

Deadline is June 20th, and selected plays will hear by July 1st

TYPE! Open for short plays

Website

Deadline: none given

SUBMISSION FORM

Thank you for considering sharing your work. TYPE! is free to read — we cannot pay for submissions or chosen work, but we will work with authors to promote the piece and their other writing. We also require written confirmation that submissions are original work.

Please note – due to the high number of submissions we receive we will only respond to those we wish to publish, however we do read EVERY submission. Submission also carries no guarantee of inclusion or feedback. Read this to find out what happens when you submit.

Seeking  Micro-plays - 1-2 pages long

Please send in your writing via the submission form.

CALL FOR AFRICAN PLAYWRIGHTS

Website

Deadline: June 7, 2026

APPLY BY EMAIL volunteer@afri-kana.org
Please note, this is not a volunteer position. That is simply the email we are using to receive submissions.

Afrikana is seeking African immigrant / first generation playwrights to submit scenes, monologues, short plays, or full-length works for an upcoming production centered on the immigrant experience.

All stories are welcome! The majority of the script must be in English, but multilingual stories and scripts are accepted and celebrated.

The final piece will be produced and brought to life on stage as part of a larger fundraising production supporting Afrikana’s mission and its goal of raising $1 million in seed capital to establish an endowment fund.

ABOUT AFRIKANA
Afrikana supports New York’s newest and oldest residents. We specifically focus on Black, Arab, and Muslim arrivals who face significant barriers to accessing services, including legal, shelter, workforce, and benefit assistance.

Subject Line: SCRIPT SUBMISSION 2026
Name:
Title of Play:
Genre:
Summary: 200 words maximum
*Link to Excerpt (Google Docs PDF):
Link to Script (Google Docs PDF):
Tell Us About Yourself: Optional, 100 words maximum

*For scripts longer than 10 pages, please include a separate PDF with a 10-page excerpt.

FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS
Scripts should be formatted in 12-point Arial font with 1.5 line spacing. All pages must be numbered in the upper right-hand corner, beginning with the Title Page as page 1. Please include a list of characters on page 2, as well as any additional contextual information you wish to share.

PAY
Selected playwright(s) will receive a stipend; details provided upon selection.