Words Cubed 2024

Website

Deadline: November 30, 2023

Or when they have received 200 plays

Words Cubed is part of the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s new-play program that seeks to nurture and develop openly submitted, solicited, and commissioned plays by providing a professionally supported platform for readings, workshops, and fully realized productions as part of an ongoing commitment to create a diverse body of work.

Playwrights spend a week at the Festival in rehearsals with our actors and directors refining and rewriting their plays. At the end of the week, the revised plays are presented as staged readings or workshops, followed by a lively, interactive discussion between the playwright, actors, and audience.

Submissions for 2024

Our submission process for 2024 begins September 18, 2023 and continues until November 30, 2023, or when we have received 200 plays, whichever is earlier. 

Please note this deadline is a month earlier than previous years.

To have your script considered for Words Cubed, please submit an email to words3@bard.org with the following as attachments: 

• The whole play, but designate 15-20 contiguous pages to be read as an excerpt. You can designate these pages in the email with your submission. 
• A one page synopsis of your play, that is, a short description of what happens in your play 

(NOT background information on the play, its theme(s), a log-line, or a “teaser”).

A one page character description (include any suggested doubling).

Please put your last name and name of your play in the subject line (for example “Shakespeare - Titus Andronicus”).

PLEASE NOTE:

Do not submit adaptations of works for which you have not already secured the rights.

For Words Cubed, we are not looking for the ‘best’ play submitted, but rather a good one that will benefit from, and fit into, our process. Also, we consider how the plays complement one another – two are selected each season – and complement the season in which they are workshopped is part of our selection process. Additionally, a play that is very similar in theme or plot to recent Words Cubed selections are less likely to be chosen.

Plays requiring 5 or fewer actors, with doubling, may be prioritized.

If you submitted a play in the last three years, please do not resubmit.

Please, only one submission per playwright.

While we love musicals, our Words Cubed program is not designed to support a sufficient development process for musicals.

Magnetic Theatre Fifth Annual One-Act Play Festival

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Deadline: September 30, 2023 at 11:59PM ET

*Note: we will cap the submissions so may cut the deadline short if we reach over 500 plays submitted.

The One Act Play Festival is scheduled for August 2024.

This year’s theme is “anniversary” which can relate to any sort of annual or significant milestone recognition (marriage, divorce, birth, death, retirement, relocation, etc.)

Playwrights may only submit one piece for consideration

Please limit your cast to a maximum of six actors

Plays should be 15 minutes or shorter

Scripts with minimal set, costume, and prop requirements are preferred

We are not considering theatre for young audiences at this time

We will not accept screenplays or musicals at this time

The Magnetic Theatre produces plays that have not been previously produced. We respond primarily to plays with a sure command of language, that are accessible to a diverse and discerning audience, and that have clear dramatic action that truly uses the resources of live theatre.

If you wish to submit a play for consideration, please click the button below to complete the submission form. Include a complete manuscript with your form submission (bio, resume, and any other supporting materials (e.g. reviews) that might help pique our interest in you and your work are optional but encouraged).

Playwrights accepted into the One Act Play Festival will be notified by December 31, 2023. Playwrights, actors, and production team members participating in the Festival receive a small stipend.

Kenyon Review open for short plays

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2023

Here’s the link to our Submittable portal: https://thekenyonreview.submittable.com/submit

The Kenyon Review is open for general submissions from September 1 until September 30, 2023. In 2024, our magazine will feature three themed sections: Extinction, Writing from Rural Spaces, and Literary Curiosities. We invite work that broadly interprets these themes. When you submit, you will have the option to identify your work for general submission or the themes.We strongly encourage submitters to familiarize themselves with work previously published by The Kenyon Review. 

Subscriptions are available here, and anyone can read up to five free pieces per month in our Archive.
We do not charge a reading fee for general submissions.
We consider previously unpublished:short fiction and essays (up to 7,500 words)
flash fiction and essays (up to 3 pieces, up to 1,000 words each; please format and submit as a single document)

poetry (up to 6 poems; please format and submit as a single document)
plays (up to 30 pages double-spaced)
excerpts (up to 30 pages double-spaced) from larger worksWe do consider translations in the categories listed above. Please submit your translated work to its corresponding genre (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama). By submitting, you affirm that you hold first-serial English-language publication rights to the work.

You may submit to more than one genre. However, please submit no more than one submission in a given genre (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama); multiple submissions in the same genre (including multiple submissions with different themes) will be disregarded.
We are not currently considering the following:unsolicited interviews
unsolicited book reviews
unsolicited artwork
emailed submissions (please use Submittable)
previously published material

We consider submissions on Submittable and do not consider paper submissions, except from writers (such as those who are incarcerated) who do not have ready access to the internet. Paper submissions for the current submissions period must be postmarked by the current submission period’s deadline and must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Send hard copies to: SUBMISSIONS, The Kenyon Review, 102 W. Wiggin St., Gambier, OH 43022

We do not accept revisions to submissions once the submission period is closed. Do not send new drafts unless requested to do so by an editor.

We allow simultaneous submissions, but please notify us immediately if the work has been accepted elsewhere.For prose and drama submissions, please withdraw your piece via Submittable.
For poetry and flash fiction/nonfiction submissions, please use your Submittable account to add a note to your submission listing the titles of works no longer available for consideration.
We cannot consider additional work in the place of withdrawn work.
We read every submission, and because we receive so many submissions per year, response times will vary according to the volume of submissions. We aim to respond to all submissions within six months of receipt. Feel free to query us at kenyonreview@kenyon.edu for an update if after six months of submitting work you do not hear from us. Thank you in advance for your patience.
Authors will receive a contract upon acceptance and payment upon publication. Authors retain copyright to their work published in The Kenyon Review.
Submitting work to The Kenyon Review adds you to our mailing lists. You may unsubscribe from these lists at any time.

Please be sure to add kenyonreview@kenyon.edu to contacts so that you can receive correspondence from us about your submission.
If you are unable to submit because you have not verified your email address with Submittable and have not received a verification notification, we recommend adding notifications@email.submittable.com to your safe-sender or contact list and attempting email verification again. The Submittable forms require email verification for security purposes. If you continue to experience issues, we recommend you submit a Submittable support request; the support team usually respond quite quickly and can send you your individual verification link directly.
We pay $0.08 per published word of prose (minimum $80, maximum $450) and $0.16 per published word of poetry (minimum $40, maximum $200).
We generally follow the Chicago Manual of Style and Webster’s latest New Collegiate Dictionary.

The Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers Fellowship 2024

Website

Deadline: September 29, 2023, 5 p.m. EDT

Notification: March 2024
Award Period: September 3, 2024–May 23, 2025
Stipend: $85,000

The Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers supports projects that draw on the research collections of The New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (formerly the Humanities and Social Sciences Library). The Center seeks top-quality writing from academics as well as from creative writers and independent scholars. Visual artists whose projects require extensive use of Library collections are also encouraged to apply. Visit www.nypl.org/research-collections for detailed information about the collections of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street.

Successful candidates will need to work primarily at the Schwarzman Building rather than at other divisions of the Library. Applications from those working in languages other than English are welcome; however, the applicant must be conversant in English, and application materials must be in English. Fellowships will not be granted for academic projects to post-doctoral fellows or to applicants doing graduate-school dissertation research.

The Center seeks diversity in race, ethnicity, age, gender, field, and type of project. The Center aims to promote dynamic conversation about the humanities, social sciences, and scholarship at the highest level—within the Center, in public forums throughout the Library, and in the Fellows' published work.

In order to avoid real or apparent conflicts of interest, the Cullman Center does not accept applications from New York Public Library staff members or their partners, or from people active on the Library’s Board of Trustees, Board Advisory Committees, or Library Council.

Fellows are required to work at the Cullman Center for the duration of the Fellowship term and may not accept other major professional obligations during the term. Fellows may have a few prior commitments but must limit research trips, attendance at scholarly meetings, and speaking engagements to short periods of time. Anyone who needs to be away for more than two days must notify the Center's Director or Deputy Directors. The Library will pro-rate stipends for Fellows who spend excessive time away from the Center.

The Cullman Center will not accept dossier letters in place of new letters of recommendation.Completed applications and supporting materials—research proposal, curriculum vitae, letters of recommendation, and creative writing sample or art work sample—must be submitted by September 29, 2023, 5 p.m. EDT.

The Cullman Center is made possible by a generous endowment from Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman in honor of Brooke Russell Astor, with major support provided by Mrs. John L. Weinberg, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Estate of Charles J. Liebman, The von der Heyden Family Foundation, John and Constance Birkelund, and The Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation, and with additional gifts from Helen and Roger Alcaly, The Rona Jaffe Foundation, The Arts and Letters Foundation Inc., William W. Karatz, Merilee and Roy Bostock, and Cullman Center Fellows.

Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival - Short Plays

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2023

SHORT PLAY SUBMISSIONS

Seeking plays that have:

• A cast of exclusively characters in their teens and twenties.
• Dynamic, fully-drawn roles to challenge student actors.
• A running time of 10-25 minutes.
• Thematic values that will speak to college-aged artists and audience members.

The festival also places a value on plays that have the potential to provide performance opportunities to female-identifying actors and actors from under-represented groups.

Plays should not have had a previous production under an Actors Equity agreement. Non-union productions, workshops, and readings are fine.

The ten Official Selection short plays will receive:A staged reading at the 2023 Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival.

Publication in the anthology Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival 2023: The Short Plays, published by Southeast Missouri University Press and made distributed nationwide through online and retail outlets.Submissions due October 1, 2023.


SUBMIT SHORT PLAYS HERE

What I Learned from My Ex - Rockford New Words 2024

Website

Deadline: October 15, 2023 5PM CDT

ONLINE SUBMISSION FORM

The West Side Show Room is seeking new 10-minute works which will be presented in a staged reading Feb 2-4, 2024 in Rockford, Illinois.

We accept spoken word poetry, plays, monologues, stories— anything written for live performance.

Theme: What I Learned From My Ex:
Length: 10 minutes or less
Award: $200
Deadline: OCT 15, 2023


THEME: WHAT I LEARNED FROM MY EX:

You know who we’re talking about. They used to be the center of your little cosmic world— but now they’re gone gone gone! Ex-romantic partners, ex-family members, ex-friends, ex-pets— they all had to go! This year, we are asking writers to explore the laughing lessons your doomed relationships left behind.

RULES

New Works: written after Aug 15, 2023
Theme: What I Learned From My Ex:
One Written Work per writer
Language: English
Writer Location: anywhere in the world!
Originality: no translations, adaptations, or excerpts of other works
Copyright: you must own it
Eligibility: no published or produced works
Length: Stories/Monologues: 4 pages or less double-spaced. plays 10 pages or less
Reading Time: 10 minutes or less

Works will be accepted until October 15, 2023 at 5:00pm CST. Writers will be notified about the status of their submission no later than December 15, 2023.

SUNDOG THEATRE'S 22nd Annual Call for Play Submissions

Website

Deadline: December 15, 2023

Sundog is seeking new/original, one-act plays about our favorite boats, the Staten Island Ferries.

Original plays not previously produced or published, with a signed note affirming that.

10-25 minutes in length and set on the Staten Island Ferry (Note: they are not performed on the Ferry).

Set in a contemporary time period. Strong priority will be given to plays with 2 characters, however, 3-character plays will be considered. No special set pieces other than benches or railings found on the Ferry, limited and easily accessible props/costumes, and no unusual sound or lighting effects.

Avoid overt and unnecessary sexual/violence situations and language since we cater to a broad audience.

No musicals, long monologues, poetry, rants, or verse.

This year's theme is Things Are Not What They Seem. They can be comedies or dramas. Humor is always appreciated.

5 – 6 plays will be chosen by a reading team. 

Each writer will receive $200 and be produced in five April 2024 performances in Staten Island, NYC.

Please send two hard copies, bound or stapled, blind submission (removable cover page with title, author and all contact information) and the name of the play on each page to Sundog Theatre, “Scenes 2024”, PO Box 183, Staten Island, NY 10301.

Submissions should include brief play synopsis (2-3 sentences at most), a 70-word bio, and also full resume of the writer.

Should be postmarked from now until December 15, 2023.

Do not submit plays electronically. Reasons: hard copies are easier to pass around/make notes on; protects your work; can’t get lost in email chains; and....easier on reading eyes.

Questions: info@sundogtheatre.org / Susan Fenley, Producer; Directors TBA. Actor auditions in February.

Writers of selected plays will be contacted in January and their names listed on Sundog’s website early 2024.

BSBV’S MONOLOGUE COMPETITION

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2023

It is our hope that by connecting Black playwrights (wherever they are located) with stories from Black Appalachian communities, we can:

Create monologues that can be developed into full-length plays
Create work that explores the Black Appalachian experience, both past and present
Establish and cultivate relationships with Black playwrights and other Black theatre artists
Give audiences accessibility to new perspectives on life in Appalachia

5-7 monologues will be selected a year to be performed at SHINE: Illuminating Black Stories, during Barter’s annual Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights.

Monologue Submission Guidelines
Playwright must be Black.
Monologues must be set in Appalachia. (See link below for list of qualifying states/counties as defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission)
https://www.arc.gov/appalachian_region/CountiesinAppalachia.asp
Monologues must be 5-7 minutes in length (190 words = 1 minute).
Monologues must be unpublished and not have had a professional production.
Monologues must be submitted electronically.

Monologues must be written using these selected prompts.

Deadline for 2024 Submissions: October 1st, 2023

Please submit monologues to: tjackson@bartertheatre.com

PLAYground Festival seeks TYA plays

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2023 at 11:59 PM CST

Submit new plays for young audiences at this link: https://bit.ly/PLAYground2024 

Submission documents must not include playwright's name.

Plays must be intended for audiences between 5 and 18 years old, though they are not required to appeal to this entire age range.

Plays must be unpublished and unproduced at the time of submission.

Plays should be full length or intended to be developed into a full length piece (between 30 and 90 minutes).

Each play must be accompanied by a page-long cover letter, which may touch on development, significance, and goals.

Only original plays will be accepted—musicals, screenplays, and direct adaptations should not be submitted.

Playwrights can submit up to 3 plays (please fill out separate form for each play).


Timeline:

Purple Crayon Players will select a group of semi-finalists in early November.

All playwrights will be contacted with the standing of their submission.

Three finalists will be selected in December in collaboration with student directors.

All semi-finalists will be notified whether or not their play was selected.

The Purple Crayon Players are committed to expanding representation for young people, and see PLAYground as an opportunity to to reflect the diverse experiences of young people today.

Reach out to playgroundtyafestival@gmail.com with any questions.

Players Theatre Improv Residency

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Deadline: December 31, 2023 11:59 PM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

The Players Theatre is dedicated to creating space for those to create.  Improv and Sketch Comedy is an art form like no other which sparks ideas and generates a unique unity between audience and performer.  We want you here!  Submit your proposal for The Players Theatre Improv and Sketch Residency.

The Robert J. Pickering / J.R. Colbeck Award for Playwriting Excellence 2024

Website

Deadline: December 31, 2023

This annual award was established to honor past member and playwright, Bob Pickering, and to provide a vehicle for playwrights to see their works produced. In 2020, the award was renamed to also honor longtime BCCT member and Pickering director, J.R. Colbeck. $200 is awarded for first place, $50 for second place and $25 for third place.

Deadline
Manuscripts must be received by December 31st each year.

Types of Plays Accepted

Full length, unproduced plays and musicals. Children's plays are accepted. We are unable to return without a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Selection Process

BCCT committee members read and review each entry and select ten finalists from which the first, second, and third place winners are chosen by the membership at large.

Production

BCCT reserves the right and agrees to produce the first place winner in this yearly competition. First place winners are required to sign a production contract.

Production House

BCCT productions are staged in the historic Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater, Michigan. Built in 1882, Tibbits is a completely restored 500-seat proscenium theater.

How to Submit

BCCT does not accept digital submissions. Send hard-copy submissions to:

Branch County Community Theatre
14 S. Hanchett St.
Coldwater, MI 49036

Ellipsis magazine open for submissions

Website

Deadline: November 16, 2023 at 2AM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Please submit one English language drama piece per year, up to 8,000 Words.

ellipsis… literature & art is the annual literary journal published by the students of Westminster College since 1965. We sponsor a yearly poetry contest ($100 prize), judged by Laurie Ann Guerrero in 2021 and Carolyn Forche in 2022. Saddiq Dzukogi will judge the 2023 contest. 

All accepted poems are eligible. Contributors include well-known writers, up-and-coming writers, and never-before-published writers. 

We accept original English language submissions in poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction, drama, and art. Submit poems in one document, please. Our submission period is August 1 through November 1 for poetry, short fiction, drama, and creative non-fiction. We accept art submissions from August 1 through January 31. 

Please include a 75  word contributor’s note and your address, telephone number, and email address.

Simultaneous submissions are welcome but withdraw your submission immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. Note that we do not republish pieces, including work online.

We usually pay $10 per poem and page of visual art, and $3 per page of prose, plus two free copies of the issue. We cannot pay international contributors.

Submissions cannot be accepted via email.

2024 Snowdance® 10 Minute Comedy Festival

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Deadline: November 1, 2023

Over Our Head Players is accepting submissions for the "2024 Snowdance® 10 Minute Comedy Festival," now through November 1, 2023. "Snowdance®" entry is open to original 10 minute or shorter comedies for the stage. Winning entries will be performed together in one theatre presentation by the OOHP Snowdance ensemble at Sixth Street Theatre for five weeks beginning February 9, 2024. The entire Snowdance production will be presented 24 times during the run. At each performance, audience members can vote for their favorite individual comedy; the audience favorites will earn cash prizes for the playwright. 

Entries may be sent to SNOWDANCE, c/o Sixth Street Theatre, 318 Sixth Street, Racine, Wisconsin, 53403. 

Alternatively, entries may be sent by email to snowdance318@gmail.com.

Rules for the Snowdance Comedy Competition, which is open to everyone without age or geographic restriction, are relatively simple. 

In summary, competition is open to unpublished, 10 minute or shorter comedies free of royalty and copyright restrictions. Musicals, adaptations, and translations will not be considered. Entries must be postmarked by November 1, 2023. 

The writer's name, address, phone number, and e-mail address should be included on the title page and only the title page. 

The title page should also include a cast list and a one to three sentence synopsis of the play. 

Plays can have a cast of one to four characters; plays should be easily staged, avoiding elaborate set requirements. 

Submit one typed manuscript in standard format, securely bound. 

Complete rules are posted on the Rules page. 

Any questions can be directed to Rich Smith via the box office, at 262-632-6802, or by e-mail at snowdance318@gmail.com. Scripts will not be returned.

Women's Work Project

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2023

WOMEN'S WORK is an award-winning program comprised of two separate, dramaturgically-driven Labs: 

1) The Short Play LAB (SPL) selects 6 emerging women playwrights each year and leads them through a rigorous, step-by-step process to create original 15-30 minute scripts in six-months, written to an assigned theme. The plays are then produced in an annual festival; 

2) the Full-Length LAB is for selected alumnae of the SPL to develop longer works over an extended period, with the same guidance and production goals.

Both LABS meet monthly, have submission deadlines, and provide comprehensive and rigorous feedback to the writers. 6-8 directors commit to the full year of the two LABs, both permanent resident directors and guest artists. 

NOTE: ALL LAB MEMBERS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A COVID-19 VACCINATION AND BOOSTER.

IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE IS EXPECTED FOR THE INTERVIEW AND LAB MEETINGS UNLESS THE SITUATION CHANGES.

SHORT PLAY LAB

The 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 (Sundays) 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 dramaturgs focuses on the nuts and bolts of creating a 15-30 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 WOMEN'S WORK SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES FOR SHORT PLAY LAB

Playwrights should apply by MIDNIGHT, SEPTEMBER 30, 2023 by sending the following as email attachments, with the email Subject Line “Women’s Work Application” to contact@nptnyc.org:

PLEASE INCLUDE: a full resume, including specific information on your training as a writer (i.e. degree program, workshops, etc.) and website URL if applicable
a 10-15 page writing sample from a playscript
a personal statement explaining your understanding of the purpose of the LAB and why you wish to be a member, including goals for your own growth and development if selected. Please include in this statement how you choose to be identified re: ethnicity and gender (she/they).

(Please note that ALL 3 items are required to be considered.)

FULL-LENGTH LAB

Playwrights who have completed the short play LAB may be invited to submit a proposal for a full-length work and continue with the LAB in the fall. This may be a new play, or a script already in progress. They, too, follow a schedule for presenting longer completed works and rough drafts. IN THIS WAY, THE LAB RETAINS NPTC’S DESIRE TO DEVELOP FULL LENGTH SCRIPTS BY WOMEN WRITERS WHILE STILL ALLOWING FOR CONTINUOUS CREATIVITY. 

These plays are presented as readings for invited or for public audiences at various stages of development. “Bare bones” productions of full-length scripts are presented as part of NPTC's season when it becomes clear that they will benefit from a full rehearsal process. WHEN RESOURCES PERMIT, FULL PRODUCTIONS ARE SCHEDULED.

DOWNTOWN URBAN ARTS FESTIVAL (DUAF) IS CURRENTLY ACCEPTING PLAY SUBMISSIONS

Website

Deadline: November 10, 2023

Downtown Urban Arts Festival (DUAF) is seeking theatrical works (plays, musicals, and solo performances) for its 22nd anuual season to be held in June 2024 in the Theatre District in New York City.

DUAF supports diverse, new, and emerging voices from America’s burgeoning multicultural landscape. Over 200 playwrights have participated in DUAF and some have gone on to greater success on Broadway and have claimed top prizes such as the Pulitzer, Tony and Obie awards and nominations.

Submission Categories:

• Short-length play (under 45 minutes)
• Full-length play (not exceeding 70 minutes) 

Eligible Projects:

• Plays do not exceed 70 minutes
• Plays should be new or existing work with minimal exposure 

Plays should not have any other production in New York City during the 30-day period before and after the 2024 festival

Playwright’s Supports: No submission or participation fees

• $750 (short) and $1,000 (full) playwright stipends
• Actor and director stipends
• Casting support 
• Technical design and operation 
• Reimbursed rehearsal space rentals
• Actor’s Equity Showcase Code application administration
• $1,000 awards for best full, short and audience

Submission Checklist:

• Playwright's bio with contact info including name, address, phone # and email
• Photo of playwright
• Synopsis of theatrical work
• Complete script of theatrical work
• Estimated running time of work
• Actor/director/crew bios, if available
• Description of stage set (if any) and production needs (i.e. sound and lighting) 

Please submit all attachments as .pdf. Photos must be in either .jpg or .jpeg.

The submission deadline is Friday, November 10, 2023. Please submit to coordinator@duafnyc.com. For more info about DUAF, visit: duafnyc.com.

The Playwrights Group Weekly Workshop - join our nationwide community of playwrights

     

The Weekly Workshop

Join our nationwide community of playwrights on Zoom. 

It’s a great way to stay connected and motivated.

Participating in a weekly workshop can give you the kick you need to see your script through from beginning to end. You can bring in anything you’re working on — a full length script, a musical, a TV pilot, whatever. And when your script is ready — we’ll present it in a Public Reading. We also bring in Guest Speakers, like Pulitzer Prize winner Margaret Edson (Wit).

Sit in on a session and see for yourself!

Tuesdays or Thursdays 7 - 9:30pm EDT

Check out our website for more details and rates. 

Script Consultations

If you don’t have time for the workshop but have a script you’d like some feedback on — just send a PDF of your script and you’ll get a critique via email and/or video conference. See website for rates.

Richard Caliban has worked with individuals on their scripts from all over the world — Indonesia, China, Greece, Australia, Serbia, as well as right here in New York. A script consultation will provide you with feedback on the structural soundness of your story, the dramatic arc of your protagonist, thematic unity and much more.

Online One-on-One Courses

 

If you’re looking for more, check out our One on One Online Playwriting Courses:

• The Art of Playwriting

• Write a Play in 10 Weeks

Both are with instructor Richard Caliban, and since it’s One on One, the courses can be adjusted to fit your level of experience.

Please visit our website for further Info and Rates: 

www.theplaywrightsgroup.com

Contact us at 

scripts@theplaywrightsgroup.com

Sixth Annual Eric H. Weinberger Award for Emerging Librettists 2023

Website

Deadline: December 1, 2023

SUBMISSION FORM

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 Best Book of a Musical (Wanda’s World), and the playwright/librettist of Class Mothers ’68, which earned Pricilla Lopez a Drama Desk Award nomination.  

The winner will receive $2,000 to help with cost-of-living expenses. The winning musical will receive development assistance in the 2023 New Works Development Program of Amas Musical Theatre, culminating in an Amas Lab production with New York theatre professionals. Amas, which is administering the award, was the development home for several of Mr. Weinberger’s musicals, and which produced the World Premiere of Wanda’s World and the New York Premiere of Tea for Three. 

We are grateful to be afforded this opportunity to continue making theatre and creating an impact in our community. We are excited to begin work with our 2023 winners Annie Dillon and Samantha Caps on their piece Show Me Eternity and welcome a new wave of inspiring voices to our musical theatre family.

Submissions open Monday September 18, 2023 and will close on Friday, December 1, 2023. All submissions must be sent through an online application that can be found HERE. 

Only one submission per playwright/librettist will be accepted. The winner of the award will be announced in spring 2024.

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 seven 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 PART_TITLE, i.e.: for Tea for Three; BIO_TEA-FOR-THREE, SYNOPSIS_TEA-FOR-THREE, etc.
• Biography and resumes of all contractually attached people such as composer, director, producer to the project
• History of the submission’s development, and any previous titles it has gone through (if applicable, maximum one page)
• Brief synopsis (maximum 150 words)
• Brief artistic statement on the piece itself, including all source material, inspiration, goal, message, etc. (maximum one page)
• Proof of rights (if applicable)
• Demo and track listings (Demo selections to be posted as a Dropbox or Google Drive link)
• 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:

• Title page (which should only have the title on it and absolutely no other information)
• Character breakdown (maximum one page)
• 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:

• Include at least one song from the first 25 pages
• 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
• Have singers of appropriate vocal types for their respective roles
• 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)

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

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

If selected as a finalist, the show’s application primary contact is notified via email.​​

Round 2 (January-March)

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

Committee members discuss the finalists to determine which one is best suited for the award.

The winner will be announced in the spring of 2024

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.

Will receive development assistance in the 2024 New Works Development Program of Amas Musical Theatre.

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

Must be present in New York City for the development process.

Must give the right of first refusal for a world premiere of the selected show that will expire 90 days after Amas Musical Theatre presents the Lab production.

Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival 2024 - Full-length plays

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2023

The Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival honors new American plays that provide dynamic performance opportunities for college-aged actors.

The festival endeavors both to recognize playwrights for their outstanding work and to provide a resource for universities across the country to identify dynamic plays with robust roles for college-aged actors for production at their institutions. The festival features both a full-length and short play division.

The 2024 Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival will be held in person at the Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre and Dance on the River Campus of Southeast Missouri State University from May 26-June 1 of 2024.

The festival will feature staged readings of five Official Selection full-length plays and ten Official Selection short plays, as well as workshops and seminars on playwriting and new play development.

At the conclusion of the festival, one full-length play will be selected for the festival’s top prize and will receive its world premiere in the 2024-2025 Dobbins Conservatory Mainstage Season and will be considered for publication by Concord Theatricals, the world’s most significant theatrical company, comprising the catalogs of R&H Theatricals, Samuel French, Tams-Witmark, and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection.

FULL-LENGTH PLAY SUBMISSIONS

• Seeking plays that have:A cast of primarily (or exclusively) characters in their teens and early twenties (15-25 years old).
• A mid- to large-sized cast (i.e., at least five actors, preferably at least ten).
• A running time of at least 80 minutes.
• Significant representation (in both number and quality) of roles for female-identifying actors.
• Dynamic, fully-drawn roles to challenge student actors.
• Thematic values that will speak to college-aged artists and audience members.

The festival also places a value on plays that have the potential to provide performance opportunities to actors from under-represented groups.

Please note: The Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival is specifically seeking plays in which the characters are in their teens and early twenties, not simply characters that could be played by actors in their teens and early twenties. The festival is not seeking plays with characters that are “ageless” or “any age.” Plays should be about characters experiencing late adolescence and early adulthood.

Full-length plays should not have had a previous full production. Workshops and readings are fine.

Finalists for the festival’s top prize will receive airfare and housing to participate in the Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival on the campus of the Jeanine Larson Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre and Dance at Southeast Missouri State University in May of 2024. Staged readings of the finalists’ plays will be presented as part of the festival, and the winner of the prize will be announced at the end of the week-long event.

The winning full-length play will receive:A world premiere production in the 2023-2024 Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre and Dance theatre season.
Consideration of the play for publication by Concord Theatricals, the world’s most significant theatrical company, comprising the catalogs of RandH Theatricals, Samuel French, Tams-Witmark and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection.
A meeting for the playwright with new play acquisition staff at Concord Theatricals.

Submissions due October 1, 2023.

SUBMIT FULL-LENGTH PLAYS HERE

Personal Pizza Parties August ~ October

Website

Deadlines:
Poetry Party - August 21, 2023 at 5pm EDT
Classics Party - September 16, 2023 at 5pm EDT
New Play Party - September 21, 2023 at 5pm EDT
Comedy Party - October 7, 2023 at 5pm EDT

To submit, fill out this Google Form: https://forms.gle/FrhRWNxjkiy5MZ7PA

Personal Pizza Party (3P)'s Perusal Parties are a low-stakes, welcoming forum for artists to hear work read aloud in a casual, no-judgment environment filled with supportive vibes and constructive feedbacks (and also a fun party, because we love a party).

Programmed bi-weekly from late-August to mid-October, each Perusal Party has a unique theme and vibe to support a wide variety of works-in-progress, or to celebrate some classic pieces that bring you joy! From poetry to classic plays to sketch comedy, there's sure to be a party that will match your artistic interests.

Specific info and guidelines for the parties are as follows:


8/26 @ 8pm: Poetry Party in Hell's Kitchen

Read your poetry, or your favorite poem! All forms, from slam to sonnet, and all stages of drafting, from first to final, are welcome. No ee cummings, no exceptions, no explanations. If you’d like to perform, please sign up by Monday 8/21 at 5pm. If you just want to come and enjoy, you are more than welcome - an RSVP form will be available closer to the party date! Can't wait to see you there! Saturday 8/26 at 8pm, in Hell’s Kitchen.


9/16 @ 3pm: Classics Party in Central Park

Join us in Central Park to read a classic play! Along with your RSVP, submit your favorite play that is 100+ years old to be performed by a company of 10-15 participants. We’ll do a group vote based on your suggestions closer to the party date, so please submit your suggestion by Monday 9/11 at 5pm. Plays outside of the Western canon are highly encouraged – while we love Shakespeare and the Greeks, consider this an opportunity to discover something outside of the traditional definition of classic. Hope to see you there! Saturday 9/16 at 3pm, in Central Park. (Inclement Weather Date: 9/17)


9/30 @ 7pm: New Play Party in Sunnyside, Queens

Have a scene in your latest play that you’ve been itching to hear read aloud? Struggling with pacing in your new short? In the mood to show off your future Pulitzer Prize-winner? Submit scene excerpts, short plays, or a full-length work that can be read by a group of 10 (or less) performers. Submissions due Friday 9/21 at 5pm. If you just want to come and listen, or would be interested in reading, an RSVP form will be available closer to the party date! Let’s workshop together! Saturday 9/30 at 7pm, in Sunnyside, Queens.


10/13 @ 8pm: Comedy Party in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Whether you’re coming for a chuckle, or down to clown, we want you join us for a night of comedic sketches and solo acts. Solo acts of any kind should stay within 5 minutes. Sketches must be under 5 pages. Volunteered names at the event will be drawn from a hat and assigned a character to play in each sketch. Submit your sketch or solo act by Saturday, 10/7 at 5pm. Let’s have some fun! Let’s have some laughs! Let’s go Mets! The night of Comedy will commence on Friday, 10/13 at 8pm in Bushwick, Brooklyn.


Click the link above (or HERE) to be taken to the submission form. Please note that each party has a different set of submission rules and deadlines, as indicated in the form. As long as you follow those guidelines, the world is your oyster! If you attend, there is a completely optional suggested donation of $5 to help us cover snack/beverage costs. We would also be extremely open to anyone who wants to bring food or drinks to the parties – just avoid anything with common severe allergens if possible (aka: go nuts, but leave the nuts at home).

3P’s staff will review all submissions as they come in and will make selections based on the work’s feasibility to be performed in a Perusal Party setting, length of work, and how closely the work supports 3P’s artistic tenants of honesty, irreverence, and fun.

All submitters will be informed as to whether or not their submission will be performed at one of our parties at least 96 hours in advance of the party’s date.*

Individual feedback on submissions will not be provided.

Please email info@personalpizzaparty.org with any questions, and visit personalpizzaparty.org/persualparties for more info.

The Lava Center Playwrights Circle

Website

Deadline: rolling basis

Greenfield Massachusetts

Registration is required

Playwrights are invited to gather to share short samples of their work, request readings of short pieces of work by others in the group, discuss topics of interest and importance to the playwriting community in general.

This series moves to every 2nd Tuesday, starting September 12, 7pm. The first few sessions (September and October at least) will meet in person at The LAVA Center, then the sessions will move to Zoom for the winter.

These sessions are open to anyone interested, and are a great way to get involved in LAVA’s burgeoning theater scene. Regularly participating playwrights may have the opportunity to further develop and stage their work at The LAVA Center. 

(Note: Participating in the Playwrights’ Circle is currently the only way to be invited to LAVA Center programming.)

Actors Theatre Playhouse Seeking Original Scripts for our next Ten Minute Play Festival

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2023

The Actors Theatre Playhouse of West Chesterfield, New Hampshire, and Brattleboro, Vermont, is accepting Ten Minute Play Submissions for its Festival in June of 2024. 

The Playhouse is seeking ten-minute plays

TWO SUBMISSIONS ONLY PLEASE !

All scripts will be accepted ONLY thru Email at

tenplays19@gmail.com

Email is best for us to get your manuscript to our review committee as quickly as possible. Please include a title page with your contact information attached to the script. Ten-minute plays should play in one scene, have minimal scenic requirements, not exceed ten-twelve pages in length and have two to six characters. Upon acceptable receipt, a return email will confirm your delivery to us.

The deadline for entry of a manuscript is September 30th, 2023. The number of scripts we can process for this year’s festival is limited, so submit soon if you want to be considered for production this year. We will keep scripts in excess for consideration next year. Approximately 12 finalists will be selected and notified, with eight Winners announced following auditions and casting in Jan 2024.

We regret that we cannot offer any financial prizes at this time. The winners will receive production of their play as part of our next Ten-Minute Play Festival and multiple tickets should the authors be able to attend.

The goal of the Festival is both to encourage the production of new works from regional writers while exposing our actors and directors to the techniques and practices of working with playwrights and producing new plays.

FutureFest 2023

Website

Deadline: October 31, 2023

This fee will be waived for members of the Dramatists Guild

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR 2024

The Dayton Playhouse invites playwrights of all races and ethnicities, all gender identities, all physical abilities, and all ages to submit your scripts for consideration as a Finalist for FutureFest 2024.

Festival dates: July 19 – 21, 2024. The Dayton Playhouse will hold the 2024 festival in person.

The submission deadline for FutureFest 2024 is October 31, 2023.

FEE
$20 submission fee per script. This fee will be waived for members of the Dramatists Guild. Checks and money orders should be made payable to “The Dayton Playhouse”.

ELIGIBILITY
Entry must be an original work written for THE STAGE. No musicals or plays for children will be accepted. The script must not have been published, or produced where admission was charged, prior to FutureFest 2024. Staged readings/workshop productions are not necessarily disqualifying factors. Plays must be full length with a run time of at least 75 minutes.

DEADLINES
Submissions will be accepted August 15 through October 31, 2023 (electronic submission).

SCRIPTS
Electronic submissions of scripts are required. Scripts in PDF format are preferred. Word or Google Doc formats are acceptable.

Submit an anonymized copy (no name/contact info) of your script, in standard play format with pages numbered. After the title page include a brief synopsis, character breakdown, setting, and scene breakdown, if applicable. The script submission form (link below) must be filled out for each script submission. If applicable, the form also provides the opportunity to submit an image of your Dramatists Guild membership card.

Please note that entries that do not comply with our guidelines will be disqualified. Scripts must be submitted electronically via the Submission Form or via email as an alternative method. Eliminated scripts will not be returned. Script evaluations will not be provided.

CONSENT
Playwright gives the Dayton Playhouse permission to photocopy scripts for reading/production purposes.

Should your script be selected and produced as one of the five Finalists, you must be available to attend, in person, the weekend festival (July 19-21, 2024) in Dayton, Ohio and participate in all events. Finalists must acknowledge the Dayton Playhouse when script is published. The winning playwright awards the Dayton Playhouse the rights to produce the winning play as part of its 2024-2025 Main Stage season royalty free.

SELECTION PROCESS
Each entry is guaranteed a minimum of three reads. The original play reading committee, following many months of discussion and voting, narrows down the entries to 15 – 18, which are then read by the entire committee before they select the 12 semi-finalists. A second committee selects the five finalists. During FutureFest weekend, the plays will each have a staged reading and be publicly adjudicated by a panel of five theatre professionals (nationally-based and regional). Following the final production of the weekend, the adjudicators vote and select the winning script.

FINALISTS
Finalists will be posted on the Dayton Playhouse website (www.daytonplayhouse.com) in May 2024.

AWARDS
A $500 honorarium will be awarded to the winning playwright; the other Finalists will each receive a $100 honorarium. The Dayton Playhouse provides the five Finalists travel (within the continental U.S.) to Dayton and lodging for FutureFest weekend.

The winning script will receive a full production as a part of the Dayton Playhouse Main Stage Season with six performances in March 2025. The winning playwright will have the opportunity to update the script based on feedback from the FutureFest weekend and participate in the production process.

SUBMISSION PROCESS
All submitting playwrights must complete the submission form for each submitted script. Please click this link to access the Script Submission Form:
FutureFest 2024 Script Submission Form

The form requires use of a Google account, and includes an option to upload script PDF documents. If you do not have, or do not wish to use a Google account, as an alternative, you may e-mail the script to futurefest@daytonplayhouse.com. Please include in the body of the email your:Name
Full mailing address
Email address
Website (optional)
Play title
Play synopsis (500 characters maximum)
Attach anonymized play in PDF format
Attach Proof of Dramatists Guild membership, if applicable

DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY
The Dayton Playhouse invites playwrights of all races and ethnicities, all gender identities, all physical abilities, and all ages to submit your scripts for consideration as a Finalist for FutureFest 2024. The Dayton Playhouse seeks to learn if the diversity of our submitting playwrights aligns with the diversity of our FutureFest Finalists.

To do this, we ask the help of our submitting playwrights. At the end of the Script Submission Form is a link to an OPTIONAL anonymous Demographic Survey. Please consider completing this survey so we can better understand the level and types of diversity of our submitting playwrights. (Survey Link for Playwrights submitting by email.)

QUESTIONS
Contact Tina McPhearson or Debra Strauss, FutureFest 2024 Co-Chairs, at 937-424-8477, or email futurefest@daytonplayhouse.com.

Urban Stages (NYC) 40th-anniversary new play festival

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2023

As Urban Stages (NYC) celebrates its 40th-anniversary season, we are thrilled to announce a new play festival and invite submissions.

We are now accepting full-length plays that require 2 actors. Winning plays will receive a staged reading in January-February 2024 and will be seriously considered for a full production on our Off-Broadway stage.

Cast and Character Size: For this festival, we are interested in plays that work within the confines of a two-actor cast. However, there is no limit to the number of characters a play can contain as long as there is doubling, and two actors can perform the entire play.

*This festival will also accept musicals with up to five actors.*

Genre and Theme: There are no limitations when it comes to genre and themes. However, we suggest playwrights take a look at our previous productions to get a sense of the types of works Urban Stages leans towards producing. This includes, but is not confined to, producing plays from underrepresented perspectives, plays that center unknown histories, and plays that address pressing socio-economic issues, amongst many other themes.

How To Submit Plays: Plays should be full-length. For musicals, please include the book and music as well.

Please email your resume and play as .pdfs only to submissions@urbanstages.org by SEPTEMBER 30, 2023.

Due to the high volume of submissions we typically receive, we will only contact playwrights whose works we are interested in including in our festival. Please do not enquire about your work via email or via calling our office.

We are looking forward to reviewing your submissions and thank you for sharing your work with us!

NY THEATER FESTIVAL SPRING/SUMMER SEASON 2024 THE NEW YORK THEATER FESTIVAL COMPETITION for PLAYS and MUSICALS

   

NY THEATER FESTIVAL

SPRING/SUMMER 

SEASON 2024

THE NEW YORK THEATER FESTIVAL COMPETITION for PLAYS and MUSICALS

 TOTAL PRIZES $8,000 • FIRST PRIZE $3,500 • FULL LENGTHS • ONE ACTS • SHORTS • SOLOS

Producing your play or musical is the best way to review and develop your work.

TESTIMONIALS

https://newyorktheaterfestival.com/testimonials/

 

WE MAKE A VIDEO RECORDING OF THE PRODUCTION AVAILABLE TO ALL PARTICIPANTS – WE USE FOUR CAMERAS SO PARTICIPANTS HAVE FOUR CAMERAS ANGLES WITH WHICH TO EDIT INTO A COHESIVE CUT.

THE FESTIVAL OFFERS RAW FOOTAGE FROM 4 CAMERAS OR CAN SIMPLY DELIVER THE RAW FOOTAGE FROM THE CENTRAL CAMERA’S WIDE ANGLE WHICH CAN FUNCTION AS A RECORDING WITHOUT ANY EDITING REQUIRED.

PARTICIPANTS CAN USE THE RECORDING OF THEIR SHOWS AS AN ASSET FOR FUTURE MARKETING AND TO PROVIDE REEL MATERIAL FOR FUTURE INDUSTRY MANAGERS 

 

FURTHERMORE, FILMING THE SHOW MEANS THAT FRIENDS AND FAMILY CAN PURCHASE TICKETS TO ATTEND OVER ZOOM - SPECIFICALLY THOSE WHO CAN'T TRAVEL TO SEE THE PERFORMANCES. THIS MAKES IT AVAILABLE TO ANYONE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY OR THE WORLD

 

When you stage your work, you discover ways to enhance and improve your presentation and story.

This is a unique opportunity to invite people from the industry to see your production! People are more likely to go see a show than to read an unsolicited script - some industry people receive on average thousands of submissions per month. They understand that the journey for a show to be successful often goes through several productions and this is your chance to show that you can start that process! 

Our dedicated team is here to help you get your work out. We are with you from the moment you begin tech rehearsals, all the way through to your closing performance.

You will never be left alone during the process. We will help you choose from the 85 set/furniture pieces we offer to dress your stage for your run, and we will give you a complete crash course on how to use the audio/light/video system in just 3 minutes, which are intentionally designed to be very user friendly. 

After we show you how to use the tools we provide and how to best utilize the space, The Festival’s team will provide prime responses to every inquiry, as well as a telephone # you can call anytime during relevant hours throughout the run of your show

In 12 years and 22 seasons we have successfully hosted 1,400 plays and 300 musicals, as well as rewarding over 300 participating artists cash prizes.

Yours could be the next production onstage!

AMERICA'S LARGEST AND MOST PRESTIGIOUS PLAYWRIGHT-MUSICAL FESTIVAL-COMPETITION

 

To submit to the Festival, go to:
https://NewYorkTheaterFestival.com/ »

Send your submissions now – we only accept submissions from playwrights who lives within 30 miles of Manhattan.