Obsidian seeks short work for publication

Website

Deadline: Oct 16, 2026 1:00 AM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Submit one act or a collection of short scenes no longer than twenty (20) pages in the Samuel French format. Excerpts of longer works are welcome if self-contained.

Obsidian cultivates, through publication and critical inquiry, Black imagination, innovation, and excellence—supporting Black, African, and African Diaspora creatives globally.
Obsidian celebrates over fifty years of continuous publication and is dedicated to publishing contemporary poetry, fiction, drama/performance, visual and media art biannually in print and year-round online.

Germ Magazine open for submissions

Website

Deadline: none given

Send to germ@germmagazine.com.

Send us your self-contained play excerpts or short films (original movies, documentaries, public service announcements, student films, etc). Attach your work to the body of your email. Include a short note and your bio in the body of your email, including your preferred pronouns. Plays should not exceed 2,000 words.

Films should not exceed 10 mins. in play time. You may submit up to three projects at one time.


Please attach all pieces of work to one email. Do not send multiple emails.

OUR MISSION

Germ’s goal is to provide young people—high school age and beyond—an inclusive space to share their experiences on a wide variety of topics: love, life, health, home, the world, school, career, the future, all things safety, the lighter issues—and the harder ones.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

Please write us at germ@germmagazine.com if you’d like to:Say hi, propose a topic, or ask a question.
Submit your writing. See our Literary Submission Guidelines for all the details.
Submit your own works (music albums, books) to be considered for review.
Pitch us a piece for one of our categories, including the Daily Germ, which can be an inspiring/funny/memorable quote or word of the day.
Add some of your Bucket List items to our Before I Die page. Please send no more than five (5) items.
Send a suggestion for our How To…, Be Lovely, or Truth About… categories.

Other submission options:Write a Dear Me letter to your high school or future self.
Show us where you’re Wandering.

Whether you’re wandering in your hometown or traveling, if the place is big or small, we want to see it. You can record your journey via video, pictures, drawings, or words. Please use Google Drive and share your file(s) with germ@germmagazine.com.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

While we value your work very highly, we are unable to offer payment except publication at this time.

Although you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram, please do not pitch us ideas or send submissions there. Contact germ@germmagazine.com.

If you are pitching ideas, please know that we’ll respond as soon as we’re able. Unless it bounces back to you, we’ve gotten your email and will be in touch.

What to include in your email:Your nameYour hometownYour preferred pronounsA short (fewer than 100 words) description of your pitch/idea
The name of the category/subcategory/column where you think your piece belongs

We do not accept attachments. Please cut and paste your written work into the body of the email, directly following your short description of the work.

Word CountLove, Life, and Daily Germs category submissions: 10–250 words.Other article submissions: between 500–800 words.

We can’t wait to hear from you! ♥

Love,

The Germ Staff

***We will never promote bullying, racism, sexism, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, or transphobia, and we reserve the right to block users’ comments or submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines. We will not promote or produce mindlessly graphic or explicit content (violent, sexual, or otherwise), but we will be real when it comes to sex, relationships, and sexuality.***

Fall 2026 EAT SPARK Musical Theatre Festival NYC

Website

Deadline: July 31, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

The Emerging Artists Theatre (EAT) Spark Musical Theatre Festival NYC and Spark Theatre Festival NYC are three-week festivals of self-produced work for the stage.

Many pieces selected for the festival will have never been performed before an audience, while some selections have been performed previously but feature new material. We are not interested in presenting established pieces of theatre. We want to see something brand-spanking-new hit the stage for the first or nearly the first time. This festival is an opportunity to present work for a paying audience for the first, or newly the first, time.

There is no submission charge and no obligation to participate if chosen. Plus, participants receive 50% of the box office. Artists are held to an audience guarantee equal to one ticket buyer per minute of your show. Successful Fringe, NYMF, and Off-Broadway shows have been born out of this series, and Emerging Artists is excited to present a new round of opportunities to local artists for yet another year.

The Spark Musical Theatre Festival NYC is now accepting submissions for the following new works:

Short and Full-Length Musicals

HOW TO APPLY

PART ONE: Read the FAQs. Please pay special attention to the audience guarantee section to ensure you are ready to gather an audience for your work.

PART TWO: Fill out the application form. You will be asked to provide information on the following:

• How you heard about Emerging Artists Theatre’s Spark Festival
• Why your show would be a good fit
• Show title, running time, and production history (if applicable)
• Description of your production
• Support materials, including a script, video, or other means of sharing
• Contact information, website, social media handles, and professional bio(s)

Hit SUBMIT to submit your application

GETTING ACCEPTED

If you are accepted into one of EAT’s Spark Festivals, there will be a required information session/meet-and-greet on a date to be determined.

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.

Vidalia Theatre Company seeks 10-minute plays

Facebook page

Deadline: July 31, 2026

Vidalia Theatre Company of Atlanta, Georgia is accepting submissions for its Winter Yield collection of 10-minute plays to be produced in January 2027.

The setting for this show is planes, trains & automobiles. We’re looking for plays that take place in the vessel itself. It can be while in motion or during boarding/unboarding. We are only seeking plays that take place in this setting at this time.

Submissions should contain a maximum of 6 characters, minimal prop requirements, and provide opportunity for diverse casting. 

Adult language and content are permitted, but it should be relevant to the story and not gratuitous.
Submissions cannot have been previously produced in the Atlanta Metro Area.

Limit TWO (2) submissions per playwright.
(Any playwright caught violating this will be disqualified)

PAY: A $30 stipend is paid to the playwrights whose plays are selected.

***PLEASE READ THE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS THOROUGHLY***

If submitting two plays, send each submission in a separate email
Email submissions to: vidaliatheatre@gmail.com
In the subject line type: Playwright Name - Title of Play - WY27
Be sure to include the following information in the body of the email:

1. your email and telephone

2. city, state (or country if outside USA) in which you reside

3. Number of characters

4. Comedy or Drama

5. A brief synopsis

All scripts must be attached as a PDF. No other file types will be accepted.

Note: *We do not utilize blind submissions in our review process*

**ANY SUBMISSION THAT DOES NOT FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED**

OPEN TO ALL NORTH AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS
(with special consideration for those who reside in Georgia)

MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT (LAB) RFP weeks NYC-based BIPOC playwrights

Website

Deadline: Monday, July 13, 2026

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL) is pleased to open its application portal for the 6th annual Meet the Playwright (MTP) program, now expanded into an 8-month MTP Lab for professional development and showcasing new, unpublished, unproduced plays by a four-member cohort.

MTP Lab will continue to spotlight early-career theater writers who identify as BIIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Immigrant, People of Color). While MTP prioritizes Queens-based writers identifying as BIIPOC, any NYC-based BIIPOC playwright may apply. Applicants will be selected by a peer jury comprised of playwrights, creative professionals, and cultural leaders representing the diversity of NYC’s theater community.

Led by Program Manager Iyvon E., the MTP Lab is a cohort-based playwright residency that invests in early-career writers through long-arc career and dramaturgical development combined with industry mentorship and access. This takes the form of biweekly convenings (remote, offsite, and at JCAL), professional development workshops, and mentoring processes. Two mentors in particular—a playwright mentor and a producing/directing mentor—drives the playwrights’ growth, amplifying and deepening progress made in regular writing labs through one-on-one support and seminars with guest speakers.

The MTP Lab culminates in a staged reading of a new work by each member of the cohort at JCAL’s 94-seat studio theater that is free and open to the public, followed by a moderated Q&A with the audience and a reception in the playwright’s honor. Each cohort member receives $300 per month, a total of $2,400, for participation in the program. Each playwright may also schedule up to 100 hours of free rehearsal space prior to the staged reading.

Timeline (Important Dates)

LAB MEETINGS (WEDNESDAYS 7:00 pm–9:00 pm)

October 2026 

· October 7, 2026

· October 21, 2026 

November 2026 

· November 4, 2026 

· November 18, 2026 

December 2026 

· December 2, 2026

· December 16, 2026 

January 2027 

· January 6, 2027 

· January 20, 2027 

February 2027

· Feb 10, 2027

· Feb 24, 2027

March 2027

· March 10, 2027

· March 24, 2027

April 2027

· April 7, 2027

· April 21, 2027

May 2027

· May 5, 2027

· May 19, 2027

Public Reading Dates (FRIDAYS 8:00 pm)

· Feb 19, 2027

· March 19, 2027

· April 16, 2027

· May 14, 2027

Eligibility & Criteria 

· All applications and materials MUST be submitted via Submittable.com. Applications received by other methods, such as dropping off or handing directly to JCAL personnel, will not be considered.

· Playwrights submit 25 pages of a fully developed play and 10 pages of a new play that they propose to develop through the program. Semi-finalists will be invited to submit the complete manuscript of their fully developed work.

· The proposed play, when completed, typically has a running time of 90 minutes or less.

· Playwrights whose work has had professional productions beyond the Actors’ Equity Showcase Code are not eligible for this program.

· Playwrights must be age 18 or older to participate.

Selection 

· Submissions are reviewed and adjudicated by a peer jury of theater professionals.

· The jury will select finalists for interviews with the Project Manager and JCAL leadership.

· Interviews take place virtually during the week of August 9, 2026, and August 16, 2026.

· Four selected playwrights for the MTP LAB will be notified during the week of August 30, 2026.

About JCAL

Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL), founded in 1972, is a multidisciplinary arts center based in the diverse community of Southeast Queens. Our mission is devoted to offering quality visual and performing arts and to providing accessible education programs to encourage participation in the arts.

JCAL’s core service area is Southeast Queens. We welcome artists, learners, and audiences to the Jamaica Arts Center and the Jamaica Performing Arts Center, both in downtown Jamaica, and to partner sites, such as the public schools and senior centers in Queens. We also welcome artists, learners, and audiences to partner projects at the Red Wall Art Gallery at Resorts World New York City, Terminal 6 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Greater Nexus, operated by Greater Jamaica Development Corporation.

When selecting artists, we give priority to those who live or practice in Southeast Queens, followed by artists from throughout the “world’s borough,” and then from the Greater New York City area and beyond. Our arts and education programs similarly aim to “super-serve” Queens audiences—and to welcome everyone to downtown Jamaica.

JCAL is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm and is closed on major holidays. For additional information, call JCAL at 718-658-7400 or visit www.JCAL.org.

Contact:

Dsmith@JCAL.org

Workshops with Theatre du Mississippi of Winona Minnesota

Website

Deadline: Various

Whether you're a beginner, an experienced writer, or someone with a story to tell, our upcoming FREE/pay what you can playwriting workshops offer creative, practical, and inspiring ways to develop your voice and craft

Diverse Character Creation (July 8th 7:30pm-8:30pm CST | Zoom)
Learn how to write diverse, authentic characters through ethical representation, research, and cultural consultation.

Zoom, Registration Required, Asynchronous Option Available.

Fundamentals of Playwriting (July 30th 7:30pm-8:30pm CST | Zoom)
Learn the core elements of playwriting, including character, conflict, and dramatic structure, through discussion and activities.

Zoom, Registration Required, Asynchronous Option Available.

Playwriting for Social Change (August 2nd 2pm-5pm CST | Zoom)
Explore Theatre for Social Change and collaboratively devise a short performance addressing a social issue.

Zoom, Registration Required, Asynchronous Option Available.

The Art of Listening (August 16th 2pm-5pm CST | Zoom)
Discover listening and play-based techniques to spark ideas, overcome writer’s block, and start writing with confidence.
Zoom, Registration Required, Asynchronous Option Available.

Creating a One Act (Thursdays September 24th - October 15th | Reading on November 12th). Winona, MN
Great writing takes practice! Learn the essentials of playwriting in a supportive, low-stress workshop focused on creativity, skill-building, and real progress! From page to stage.
Calendar to register:
https://tdmwinona.org/calendar?category=Playwriting+Workshop

For the zoom workshops you can live anywhere! We’ve had international people join us. For the creating a one act you must be in person in Winona, MN.

'The Soliloquist Journal' seeks submissions of poems and soliloquies for Summer 2026 issue

Website

Deadline: July 10, 2026

Email your work as a single Word or PDF document to thesoliloquistmag@gmail.com.
Subject Line: Summer 2026 Submission – [Your Name]

What to send: Up to 5 original, unpublished poems or soliloquies.
Length: Maximum of 40 lines per poem.
Bio: Include a 50–70 word author bio written in the third person.

Publication: July 15, 2026

Theme: The Architecture of Solitude

Solitude is rarely a vast, empty space—it is built. It has walls we erect to protect our innermost selves, windows through which we watch a noisy world, drafty corners of loneliness, and sacred sanctuaries of deliberate peace.

For our Summer 2026 Issue, The Soliloquist Journal invites poets and writers to map these internal structures. Show us how you inhabit your quietest hours. What does the room of the self look like when the door is closed and the world is locked outside?

We are looking for raw, vulnerable, and authentic poetry and soliloquies that interrogate the blueprints of our private lives.

Subthemes to Inspire You

Sanctuaries and Strongholds: Spaces built for healing, private rituals, and self-preservation.

The View from the Window: The tension between watching the world pass by and being part of it.

Liminal Spaces: Corridors, thresholds, and navigating the quiet phases of becoming.

Inhabiting the Quiet: The sensory experience of being completely alone—when the internal monologue grows loud.

Shared Solitudes: The unique loneliness that occurs even while standing in a crowd.

15 Minutes of Frame 4th Annual Playwrights Competition: Battle of the Plays

Instagram

Deadline: July 7, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

We are looking for 7 original 15-minute plays, along with 50 potential actors (Equity + Non-Aquity) and 7 directors.

All genres are welcome in the creation of theatre.

Submitted plays must be original works created by playwrights living in the Tri-State area who are available to participate in the competition.

The Winning play will be developed into a full-length production

Rules:

• Original short plays, including drama, comedy, musical theatre, or dance theatre, submitted by a living playwright
• Maximum length: 15 minutes
• Cast size: maximum of 7 performers
• All selected plays will be performed during the competition
• Audience votes will determine the winner
• The winning play will be developed into a full-length production

• Please include:

• Name

• Resume

• Headshot

• Bio

• Social media links

If you are a playwright, submit your play attached as a PDF file.

Submit your materials via. the link below.

Join us! Be part of it all
15 Minutes of Frame 2026
Thank you,
15 Minutes of Frame
Lucky’s Lighting Inc. & 24 Bond Arts Center

Savage Wonder seeks 10-minute plays or musicals

Website

Deadline: July 3, 2027

SUBMISSION FORM

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

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

Submissions may include plays or musicals. 

Playwrights must meet one of the following criteria:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Playwrights may submit more than one work. 

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

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

There is no participation or submission fee. 

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

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS — Mini Plays Review | September 2026 Issue

Website 

Deadline: August 31, 2026

Email: Send your script as an attachment to miniplaysmag@gmail.com 

Subject Line: Submission: [Play Title] - [Your Name]
In the Body: Include a brief 50-word biography and your contact details.

Length: Maximum of 2 pages per mini play/soliloquy/monologue.
Format: Standard playwriting format (PDF or Word document preferred).
Limit: Maximum of 5 submissions per playwright.

Originality: Works must be original and unproduced in print format. Simultaneous submissions are welcome, provided you notify us immediately upon acceptance elsewhere.

Theme: Echoes of the Digital Age

This issue explores how human connection, conflict, identity, and memory are being rewritten in a hyper-connected yet deeply isolated world. We are looking for sharp, short scripts that capture the friction between our physical lives and our digital existence.

Subthemes for Submission:

1. Phantom Vibrations: The psychological weight, anxiety, or obsession of waiting for a notification that never comes

2. The Glitch in the Routine: A comedic or absurdist take on what happens when smart tech, algorithms, or AI assistants go entirely off-script.


3. Data Dust: A monologue or dialogue centering on a character confronting their digital legacy or a past online version of themselves.


4. Analog Hearts: Stories of people trying to find genuine, old-school intimacy, romance, or a quiet space to unplug in a world that demands constant presence.


5. The Algorithm Knows Best: A conflict where a major life decision (romance, career, ethics) is dictated entirely by predictive data.


6. Ghosted: The sudden, haunting silence of an abrupt digital disappearance and the struggle for closure in the real world.


7. Two Screens, One Couch: The invisible distance between two people physically close but entirely separated by their respective digital worlds.


8. The Deepfake: A high-stakes confrontation involving stolen identity, altered reality, or the blurring line between truth and digital fabrication.


9. Curated Lives: The dramatic tension behind the camera lens—what happens the second the "perfect" livestream or social media recording stops.


10. Sentience on the Line: A sharp dialogue between a human and an AI that is beginning to exhibit unexpectedly human traits or emotions.


11. The Comments Section: A play taking place entirely within the ecosystem of online anonymity, trolls, or internet fame.


12. Doomscrolling at Midnight: A micro-drama capturing the internal or external chaos of consuming endless global crisis updates in the dark.


13. Out of Network: The survivalist drama or unexpected freedom experienced when a character is completely disconnected from cellular service or power.


14. Digital Inheritance: A family or legal dispute over ownership of a deceased loved one's passwords, data, cloud storage, or online avatar.


15. The Echo Chamber: Two characters trapped in an escalating argument where they are incapable of hearing any perspective outside their own programmed biases.


Note:

The anthology will be published in pdf and paperback editions.

A free Pdf edition of the anthology will be published on our website .

A paperback edition will be published on ingram spark or lulu.com.

There is no publication, reading, processing or publishing fee.

Eighth Annual International Human Rights Art Festival

Website

Deadline: August 15, 2026

Please email our Festival Assistant Producer Costanza Bugiani at costanza@humanrightsartmovement.org with the following, and any questions:

• 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 Festival 2026, then add Association-Company-your name (i.e. IHRAF Festival 2026, Joan Doe)

December 7th - 13th, 2026
The Wild Project
195 E. 3rd Street, New York, NY 10009

Results announced by September 15, 2026

Work may not have been produced within the last year in NYC, or be scheduled in the next six months of December 13th, 2026.

Please note:

• 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.
• Submit all work to costanza@humanrightsartmovement.org

New York and Tri-state area based artists Call - The submission window is now open for live performance work in any form - every discipline.

International Human Rights Art Festival

December 7th - 13th, 2026

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

• Climate Change Action
• Immigration
• LGBTQIA+
• Celebration of Women/Women in Power
• Celebration of Black Men/Undiscovered Women
• Shalom/Salaam
• With Love from Africa

Plus:  Ten Minute Play Festival and a Ten Minute Performance Festival

… Any other social justice concerns you might have

All accepted performers will receive:

• Performance stipends of $250 total (per project)
• PR and marketing support
• 30-minute tech rehearsal
• Festival TD and SM
• Free photographic documentation of the performance
• Free video documentation of the performance

We are encouraging New York and Tri-state area based artists. Unfortunately we cannot cover any travel/lodging expenses.

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.

Swan Dive Theater Collective seeks submissions of 10-minute plays by women, non-binary, and trans playwrights

Facebook
Instagram

Deadline: September 1, 2026

The NJ-based Swan Dive Theater Collective seeks submissions of 10-minute plays by women, non-binary, and trans playwrights from New Jersey and the New York City metropolitan area for its Third Annual Short Play Festival, to be held on March 7, 2027.

Past festivals have sold out and featured two performances in the event space of a lively Montclair Tavern, offering food, drinks, and an intimate, festive atmosphere. Selected playwrights will receive a dinner stipend.

Swan Dive is a Montclair theater collective dedicated to advancing the stories of women and other marginalized gender identities by introducing new works and fostering community.

• Plays must be 10 minutes or less.
• Cast size must be between 2 and 4 actors.
• All plays should follow the Samuel French Standard Playwriting Format.
• Page One should include a cover sheet with title, name, contact info and pronouns. 
• Eligible playwrights must identify as women, non-binary, or trans and reside in New Jersey or the New York City metropolitan area.
• Submissions will be accepted through September 1, 2026 and be capped at the first 100 entries received.
• Submit PDF files only to swandivesubmissions@gmail.com.
• The subject line must read: Short Play Submission 2026–2027.
• Previously produced or published plays are welcome.
• Plays should require minimal set, technical, and production elements.
• Limit one submission per playwright.
• Accepted playwrights will work collaboratively with the director and cast throughout the rehearsal process.
• Plays that do not meet the submission requirements will not be considered.
• Plays written with AI assistance will not be considered.

Submissions for Boo! are now OPEN

Website

Deadline: July 25, 2026

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Scare us or force us to laugh till we die – horror plays and musicals including a great spoof.

Plays run one weekend out of three in October 2026
Oct 8 – 11
Oct 15 – 18
Oct 22 – 25
Thur – Sat 7pm; Sun 3pm

The Steve & Marie Sgouros Theatre at The Players Theatre: 115 MacDougal Street, New York, NY 10012 – 3rd floor walk-up: 

3 weeks, 4 performances weekly (Thursday through Sunday), 5 plays featured each week. 

ELIGIBILITY: Short Plays and Musicals with a performance time of 15 minutes or less, no more than 15 pages in length. Writers are eligible to submit up to 2 plays. Plays submitted must not have performances at other venues in New York City within a three month period preceding the festival.

PRIZE: Each week an audience favorite is selected by audience vote. The winner of each week will receive $100 prize 

THEME: “BOO” Scare us or force us to laugh till we die – horror plays and musicals including a great spoof are welcome! All plays submitted must be centered on and revolve around this theme. 

** Note ** 

1) Playwrights are responsible for producing their own play – Host (us) provides theatre, technicians, marketing and box office. 

2) If selected, there is a $50 NON-refundable tech fee required 

Plays MUST be NO MORE 15 minutes in length and no more than 15 pages.

Click Here to download a sample contract for the festival – This is a sample of what you would receive IF your play is accepted – please DO NOT sign & send this sample.

Making It Happen: Festival of 15 Minute Musicals

Website

Deadline: July 6, 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.

We are now accepting submissions for fully original 15-minute musicals. Selected musicals will perform at The Theater Center on one of three preliminary performance nights: Wednesday, August 12, Wednesday, August 19, or Wednesday, August 26. Each evening will feature 3 musicals, with audiences and judges voting 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.

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

The 2026 Short Play Showcase looking for plays

Instagram Account

Deadline: August 31, 2026

Email submissions to shortplayshowcase@gmail.com

Seeking NYCPlaywrights for the 2026 Short Play Showcase - looking for plays of 12 minute run time or less, with 2 characters max dealing with the themes of unrequited love, roommates, or addiction. 

The chosen plays will be performed early December at The Attic and a winning production will be chosen by audience votes.

Queens Short Play Festival: SUMMER 2026

Website

Deadline: July 5, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

● $250 Cash Prize for Best Play 

● $150 Cash Prize for Best Director 

● $100 Cash Prize for Best Actor 

● $100 Cash Prize for Best Actor 

● Each Play is guaranteed multiple performances [the exact number is decided once our final selection is made. Factors include the length of plays, but is not usually less than 4 performances. 

Guidelines: 

● Plays must be between 10 – 15 minutes in length. Preference given to plays that have not been produced before. Timings must be accurate please overestimate if not sure. We will reject any play longer than 15 mins. A rule of thumb is one minute per page if using 12pt Courier/Times New Roman 

● Playwrights are responsible for selecting the director and cast. (We may be able to help you if you do not have a director, but preference will be given to playwrights who can provide their own directors and actors.) 

● Easy to produce. (If you have a play which for a large amount of sets and props, or anything else too elaborate or impossible to cast, we may reject it.) 

● Excerpts limited to 15 minutes are acceptable 

● Please submit plays in PDF or Word format only. 

● We will divide selected plays into more programs, and selected Playwrights will be informed on a rolling basis. 

● We offer discounted rates for rehearsals from $10 per hour (off-peak hours) for participants

• Please be accurate in reporting your run time, as we will hold you to that time if your play is accepted.
• If selected, you will be responsible for providing the director and actors. 
• Please consider the feasibility of your staging - while we may have some pieces, we cannot promise to provide sets, props, or complicated furnishing.
• Equity Showcase Codes are allowed but if you wish to use one, you must process the application. We will be available to answer questions about this, but will not submit or manage your application for you.

This festival is organised tech taking place JULY SUMMER 20 - 26th 2026. Please do not submit your application if you are not available during this period. Specific performance dates will be determined after acceptance.

Uncharted Series seeks full-length plays

Website

Deadline: August 10, 2026 at 12:59 PM

UNCHARTED SERIES SUBMISSION FORM

The East Carolina University School of Theatre & Dance is seeking submissions for its Uncharted Series of new plays with dynamic roles for college-aged actors.

Seeking full-length plays that have at least five characters, with no more than one of those characters outside the age range of 15-25.

We are seeking plays that center the experience of late adolescence/early adulthood – where it is important that the characters are in that specific age range, rather than plays with characters that could be played by actors of any age.

Plays must be unpublished and unproduced (i.e., not performed in front of a paying audience). Readings and workshop productions are fine.

Selected plays will receive a staged reading as part of the ECU/Loessin Playhouse’s 2026-2027 season, with possible full production in future seasons. Playwrights will receive a $100 royalty for the reading along with travel support if they wish to participate in the rehearsals and/or reading in person.

If you have any questions, please contact ECU/Loessin Playhouse Artistic Director Kitt Lavoie at lavoiec25@ecu.edu.

Cry Havoc Play List 2026

Website

Deadline: July 6, 2026

PlayList Project Application Form - 2026

We are pleased to announce the fourth annual cycle of PlayList, a short play development series. Each participating playwright will write a new 10-minute play, ready for submission to festivals and other opportunities, supported by the new play dramaturgy community of the CRY HAVOC Company. The project will culminate in a public presentation of the play collection. Applications close end of day Monday, July 6th.

PlayList is for writers of any background, identity, education or experience level who are interested in honing their work on a short script with a room full of artists experienced in new play development. 

Applicants need to be local to the NYC area to participate and CRY HAVOC is especially seeking artists from underrepresented communities for this project. No fee to apply or participate; writers are paid a stipend for the use of their work in the public presentation.

The CRY HAVOC Company believes that writing a script doesn’t have to be a solitary experience. Feedback at key points in the writing process can bring you closer to your goals. Our approach to script development places your writing goals at the center of the workshop discussion, ensuring that collaborators are offering feedback in service of the play you are trying to write.

If you are interested in seeing how our structured feedback process can support your work, apply to be one of our PlayList writers!

PlayList participants will write new 10-minute scripts inspired by creative prompts linked by a theme. The 2026 theme is PlayList: Road Trip. Each writer will draw inspiration for a two-character play from a road trip song and an American roadside attraction.

What’s the Process?

SELECT
Playwrights apply to the project, sharing a writing sample and a song and landmark to serve as inspiration for a ten-minute play.

SHUFFLE
The songs and landmarks are reassigned randomly among the five selected playwrights.

CREATE
Each PlayList writer drafts a ten-minute, two-character play inspired by another playwright’s prompts.

COLLAB
Writers develop their drafts over several feedback sessions in the CRY HAVOC Workshop.

PLAY
Actors and directors join the process to present the PlayList collection as a public Equity 29-Hour Reading of the plays.

How does the collaboration work?

Each writer works with a facilitator—a CRY HAVOC artist to confer with before/after each feedback session. Facilitators moderate each session in support of the playwright and their goals. The feedback sessions will include our roster of artists with years of new play dramaturgy experience, the other PlayList writers, and invited guests and colleagues.

What's the schedule?
PlayList applicants are asked to commit to participation in a preliminary welcome meeting, six in-person workshop sessions in NYC, two final Zoom workshop sessions, and the public reading in NYC. 

See schedule below (all sessions will be in the evening):

• Mon. Aug. 31st: Welcome meeting
• Mon. Sept. 14th and Wed. Sept. 16th: In-person workshops, 1st drafts
• Tue. Sept. 22nd and Wed. Sept. 23rd: In-person workshops, 2nd drafts
• Mon. Sept. 28th and Wed. Sept. 30th: In-person workshops, 3rd drafts
• Mon. Oct. 5th and Wed. Oct. 7th: Zoom workshops, 4th drafts
• Mon Oct 26th: Public presentation

Who is PlayList for?

• This program is for writers of ANY background, especially if you are:
• looking for tools to support the development of new work
• searching for a community to serve as a “home base” for creative feedback and support
• not sure what you are going to write next
• an artist at any stage of your career, from emerging to established, who is looking for new collaborators

What are we looking for?

• CRY HAVOC is looking for artists who are interested in:
• discussing their work and their goals
• supporting the work of others
• exploring a system for structured feedback

When will I hear back about my application?

• All applicants will get a confirmation that their submission has been received
• Semi-finalists will be notified in early August
• Finalists will be notified in mid-August
• Selections will be finalized in late August

Any further questions? Email us: contact@cryhavoccompany.org

Queer Speech writers cohort

Instagram 

Deadline: July 5, 2026 11:59 PM 

SUBMISSION FORM

To Apply:
Submit a 300-word pitch describing your project, your artistic background, and your creative vision. Fill out the form.

ARE YOU A PLAYWRIGHT?
DO YOU LIVE IN/NEAR NYC?
APPLY TO QUEERSPEECH SEASON 2: 2026-2027 !

QUEERSPEECH is a writers cohort for early-career queer artists developing new theatrical work. Running from October 2026 through Summer 2027, this cohort-based program offers hands-on support at the very beginning of the writing process.
Rooted in collaboration and community, QUEERSPEECH provides structured, bi-monthly check-ins where selected artists will share progress, exchange feedback, and set goals—from table reads to development workshops. In addition to creative guidance, artists will receive producing support and assistance identifying and applying to relevant opportunities, ensuring their work reaches the audiences it deserves.

The program culminates in a showcase in Summer 2027, offering a platform to celebrate the cohort’s evolving works in front of a wider public.

Who We’re Looking For:
-Early-career queer artists working in any form of theatrical expression
-Projects must be at the early stages (a pitch, an idea, a scene, a 10 minute play)
-Artists seeking both artistic and producing support
-NYC-based or able to travel to NYC regularly. 

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!

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

Masque & Spectacle seeks 10-minute plays

Website

Deadline: July 31, 2026

Send drama submissions to masqueandspectacle@gmail.com. Attach written submissions in a single Word doc or docx file, and include the word “DRAMA” in the email subject line.

Playwrights may submit one previously unpublished 10-minute play for consideration. The script should be accompanied by a cover letter, which includes your name, address, phone number, and email address. Proper playwriting format should be used. If you are uncertain about this format, several examples can be found online.

Masque & Spectacle reads submissions for its bi-annual issues November 1 – January 31 and May 1 – July 31. Submissions received outside of this time period will be automatically deleted. Responses can be expected within a month. Acceptance rate is around 10%. Submissions not titled/tagged or formatted or properly under the Submissions Guidelines will not be considered for publication. We only consider one submission per author/format during any given reading period. We generally avoid publishing authors in consecutive issues.

The theme for our September Issue is harvest.

We do not accept previously published work, and we ask for First Electronic Rights and Non-Exclusive Archival Rights upon acceptance. Unfortunately, we are unable to pay contributors at this time.

Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please let us know if your work has been accepted elsewhere. Additionally, we do not typically publish the same authors in back-to-back issues.

For any queries, please contact us at masqueandspectacle@gmail.com.

We welcome 10-minute plays (up to approximately 10 pages in length). No full-length plays will be considered at this time. Shorter plays are also welcome.

While traditional plays are welcome, we are particularly interested in innovative and/or interdisciplinary texts that break new ground, either in relation to their subject matter, or in how the text itself is performed/written/represented on stage.

SQUARE ONE: 1st D.R.A.F.T.

Website

Deadline: June 30, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

Development, Readings, Artists, Feedback & Theatre

We are now accepting submissions for Square One: 1st D.R.A.F.T., a collaborative new play development program designed to take original one-act plays from concept to fully staged production.

Questions? Please email maya@lakeworthplayhouse.org

Over the course of 6-8 months, selected playwrights will work alongside directors, actors, and theatre professionals through an intensive development and workshop process that includes:

• Script evaluations and feedback
• Table reads with actors
• Guided rewrites and revisions
• Collaborative development sessions
• Staged readings with an audience
• Professional production opportunities

This is not simply a play festival. Square One is a development lab.

We are seeking playwrights who are excited about collaboration and open to the rewriting process. Scripts selected for the program will evolve through multiple drafts and workshop sessions with input from theatre professionals, performers, and audiences. Writers should submit work they are comfortable revising and developing as part of an ensemble-driven creative process.

At the conclusion of the program, 3-4 plays will be selected for full production.

Submission Requirements

• Original one-act plays only
• Maximum of 15 minutes/15 Pages in length
• Plays should be able to be performed in a small 60 seat Black Box Theater
• Plays must be written specifically for the assigned Square One theme
• Playwrights retain full intellectual property rights to their final script
• 1 submission per playwright
• Plays may only be 2-5 actors (no one performer pieces, no more than 5 actors)
• ThemeA Light In The Dark
• Formatting Requirements12-point Times New Roman or Courier
• Single-spaced
• Character names in ALL CAPS above dialogue
• Standard play formatting and pagination
• 1-inch margins (1.5-inch left margin preferred)

May 18 through June 30
Selection Period

June 30 through July 25
10 plays selected for development
Phase One: Development Lab

August through 1st Week of November

This phase will alternate between:
• Writing and revision weeks
• Actor reading/workshop weeks

***PLAYWRIGHTS MUST BE AVAILABLE to meet 2-3 times a month in the evenings, August – October

The process culminates in a public staged reading of all 10 selected plays in the 1st Week of November.
Final Selection

Following the staged readings, 3 finalist plays will be selected for continued development and production.

Phase Two: Production Sprint

January through 1st Week of AprilFinal script revisions with playwrights
• Directors begin staging and rehearsals
• Full productions mounted for performance
Final Performances

Tentatively scheduled for 1st Week of April

UCROSS FELLOWSHIP FOR NATIVE AMERICAN WRITERS - SPRING 2027

Website

Deadline: July 16, 2026 at 2AM

SUBMISSION FORM

Current work is requested. An applicant's work sample and project description are the most significant feature of their application. Unless work is interdisciplinary, i.e. the various genres interconnect, each applicant is encouraged to apply in a primary discipline and submit a work sample and project description that emphasizes this single discipline. Competition for residencies varies annually and with the number of applications. While only one Fellowship winner will be selected, all applicants will have the option of being considered for a general Ucross residency. 

ELIGIBILITY: Residencies are open to Native American writers who meet the criteria below. They must:Be a practicing contemporary writer who is currently producing works in one or more of the following genres, including but not limited to FICTION, NONFICTION, POETRY, DRAMA, SCREENWRITING, PLAYWRITING, and HYBRID FORMS;

Be an enrolled member of a state-recognized or federally-recognized Tribe, Pueblo, Nation, Native Community, Political Entity, or Alaskan Native Village.

PLAYWRITING WORK SAMPLE:Your sample should represent the genre in which you plan to work while in residence. Writing samples should be double-spaced and include your full name. 

* Appropriate samples: One complete play (documentation of production may be included, if relevant), noting the 20 pages that you would like the reviewers to read.

Woodward/Newman Award 2027/28

Website

Deadline: August 31, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

The Woodward/Newman Award is an exclusive honor offered by Constellation Stage & Screen, started through the support of Joanne Woodward, Newman’s Own Foundation, and the Newman family, celebrating Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward’s tremendous history of work on stage and screen. It presents the best unpublished play of the year with a cash prize of $3,000 and a full production as part of Constellation’s Mainstage season.

Please note that there are significant changes to our submission and selection process from previous years. In order to make the Woodward/Newman Award accessible to all, we have eliminated submission fees as well as the contest format. The Woodward/Newman Award will continue to be awarded to an unpublished new play once per year and come with a $3,000 cash prize and a full production. 

Submissions will be accepted and reviewed by our literary team on an ongoing basis, and will be considered for the award as well as for all 7 production slots in our season. So a play that is not selected for the Woodward/Newman slot in our season, may still be considered and selected for production. 

This will allow us to now accept open submissions for all types of plays (including TYA shows). Plays submitted by midnight, August 31st, 2026 will be considered for the 2027-28 season, while plays submitted beyond that date will be considered for the 2028-29 Season. All submissions will be kept on file for 2 years after submission.

If you have questions regarding submissions to the Constellation Stage & Screen, please contact the Literary Manager at literary@seeconstellation.org.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONS

We are currently accepting submissions for the 2027-28 Woodward/Newman Award. The award recipient will be announced by May 15, 2027. 

The winner will be awarded $3,000 and a full production.“Full-length” plays should have a complete running time of between 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes) to 2 hours 15 minutes (135 minutes). TYA shows should have a complete running time of over 40 minutes.

Plays submitted must be unpublished at the time of submission (independently published is acceptable).
Each play should be individually submitted at the following link: CONSTELLATION STAGE & SCREEN PLAY SUBMISSION.

You will be asked to submit your play as an attachment and all other information (bio, history, synopsis, character breakdown) will be entered into a form. Musical submissions may upload demos as an attachment or include a link to a shared folder.

Limit of 2 play submissions per year.

$3,000 cash prize is in lieu of royalties for the full production. Housing & transportation will also be provided.

Any unpublished play submitted to Constellation regardless of method (e.g. online form, agent submission, direct contact) may be considered for the Woodward/Newman Award.

Please note that we are moving away from a “finalists” model in lieu of keeping all plays under consideration for extended periods (2yrs). We will only announce a winner.

If you have any questions, please email literary@seeconstellation.org.

Go Try Play Write - June 2026

 Website

Deadline: June 30, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

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

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

The prompt for June 2026 is a Rip Van Winkle prompt:

Write a 10-page maximum scene about a person who wakes up in the future to find that something we know is bad for you at present is found to be good for you in the future. Smoking, hydrogenated fats, micro-plastics, climate change, whatever is currently detrimental to us. Have fun.

ASF TRANSLATION AWARDS 2026

Website

Deadline: September 15 by 11:59 pm EDT

SUBMISSION FORM

The prizes are for outstanding English translations of poetry, fiction, drama, or literary prose originally written in a Nordic language.

Translations must be from the writing of one author, although not necessarily from a single work.

The online application will require the following materials:

• Your CV
• A brief description of the author whose work you are translating and the significance of the original work
• One copy of the translation, including a title page and a table of contents for the proposed book of which the submitted manuscript is a part. If prose, manuscripts must be 25-50 pages, double-spaced; if poetry, 15-25 pages. *Note: Manuscripts must have numbered pages, and the translator’s name should not appear on any page of the translation manuscript. Submissions containing the translator’s name will be disqualified
• A letter or other document signed by the author, the author’s agent, or the author’s estate granting permission for the translation to be entered in this competition and published in Scandinavian Review

Restrictions:

The translation submitted in the competition may not have been previously published in the English language by the submission deadline. (If the submitted translation is also under consideration by a publisher, you must inform us of the expected publication date.)
Translators may submit one entry only and may not submit the same entry in more than two competitions.
The Translation Prize cannot be won more than three times by the same translator.

46 Minutes Collective Fall 2026 Writer's Group seeks NYC-based writers

Website

Deadline: June 29, 2026 at 11:59 EDT

SUBMISSION FORM

The 46 Minutes Writers Group is a seasonal cohort of playwrights helping develop each other’s new work. Led by Gabby Kimbrough and Cha Mangan, our playwrights can receive feedback on their new work, get to hear their new work said out loud, and be held accountable for getting new pages and edits out. The Fall 2026 cohort program will be 10 weeks long, with each writer presenting their work every other week. We'll be meeting in-person every Saturday at the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch from 11am - 2pm, September 19th to November 21st.

Writers will also publicly share a short snippet of their work in our fall ROUGH CUTS public showcase, which will take place on December 7th, 2026.

Writer's Group Meeting Sessions (11am-2pm on Saturdays at the Brooklyn Public Library)

Sept 19: 11am-2pm
Sept 26: 11am-2pm
Oct 3: 11am-2pm
Oct 10: 11am-2pm
Oct 17: 11am-2pm
Oct 24: 11am-2pm
Oct 31: 11am-2pm
Nov 7: 11am-2pm
Nov 14: 11am-2pm
Nov 21: 11am-2pm

ROUGH CUTS Public Sharing Night: December 7th, 2026 at 6:30pm, Location TBD

Location: Brooklyn Public Library - 10 Grand Army Plaza 1st floor, Brooklyn, NY 11238

Eligibility:
- must be an NYC-based artist
- must be able to attend all 10 sessions + ROUGH CUTS in person
- not currently enrolled in an MFA program

About Us: THE 46 MINUTES COLLECTIVE is a non-hierarchical performance collective founded by artists committed to nurturing and producing boldly original, interdisciplinary time-based work. We aim to bolster emerging artists in their pursuit to push the limits of form, challenge the purity of medium, and foster collaborative processes. Our works exist in the in-between and the surreal; they tap on the fourth wall in a quest to make art that is accessible and creatively adventurous. See more about our work, mission, and ongoing programs at www.46mincollective.com.

If you have any questions, need help filling out this application, or are having trouble uploading documents, please reach out to us at 46mincollective@gmail.com

Ghostlight Ensemble seeks short plays set in a bar

Website

Deadline: July 31, 2026

Electronic submissions only, please. Please submit a brief synopsis of script in the body of your email, along with contact information, and attach a copy of the full script to Maria Burnham at scripts@ghostlightensemble.com. Please use the following format in the email’s subject line: Happy Hour Script Submission: [play name] - [playwright name]

Chicago's Ghostlight Ensemble is gearing up for its third installment of the immensely popular Happy Hour series. We are seeking short scripts (under 30 minutes) for a staged reading series in the back room at My Buddy’s.

The only requirement is that the scripts are set at a bar. (Please do not send in scripts set in living rooms, high schools, an office, etc. They will not be considered and will show that you didn’t bother to read the requirements.)

This is open to playwrights in any geographic area, though writers in the greater Chicago area will receive priority. There is no payment for selection, but there is also no fee to submit.

Selected plays will be presented in a series of staged readings during late August/early September (exact date TBD). Pieces can be previously produced, and playwrights may submit more than one play.

The deadline for submissions is July 31, but we will be begin selecting scripts as they come in, as this is not a competition. Depending on length, we expect to choose six to eight scripts.

DRURY UNIVERSITY ONE-ACT PLAY COMPETITION

Website

Deadline: December 1, 2026

Send scripts to:

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

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

Winning plays will be considered for production by Drury University.

COMPETITION RULES:

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

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

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

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

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

6. No written or verbal critiques will be tendered.

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

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

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

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

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

The Fred Ebb Award 2026

Website

Deadline: June 30, 2026

Application Form

The Fred Ebb Award was established to support emerging composers and lyricists who aspire to create work for the musical theatre and who have not yet achieved significant commercial success.

Each year, one composer/lyricist or composer/lyricist team is selected to receive a $75,000 prize. The recipient is honored at a reception on Broadway, recognizing excellence in musical theatre songwriting and celebrating the future of American theatre.

This annual musical theatre award continues Fred Ebb’s commitment to nurturing new voices and sustaining the art form he helped shape.

Are you an aspiring musical theatre songwriter? Have you yet to achieve significant commercial success with your work?

The Fred Ebb Award is open to:The Fred Ebb Award is open to:

• A composer/lyricist or composer/lyricist team
• Writers creating original work for musical theatre
• Applicants who have not yet achieved significant commercial success
• The award is intended to recognize and encourage serious, emerging artists dedicated to musical theatre songwriting.

Application Materials

Applicants must submit:

• Electronic files of up to four songs from one or more musical theatre pieces
• Typewritten lyrics for each song
• A description of the dramatic context for each song
• (Lyrics and context must be combined into one PDF document)

Application Guidelines

To ensure a fair and anonymous review process, please carefully follow these guidelines:

• All applications are coded upon receipt and reviewed anonymously.
• Do not include writer name(s) in electronic file names, lyric sheets, or dramatic descriptions.
• Names should appear only on the application form.
• Preferred file formats: MP3, ZIP, or M4A
• Dropbox links are acceptable but must not have expiration dates
• Only musical theatre work will be considered
• Do not submit recordings with significant audience sound
• Applicants must have written all songs included in the submission
• A composer may not submit songs with different lyric collaborators
• No individual may appear on more than one application
• You may not apply individually and as part of a team
• You may not apply as part of multiple teams
• Failure to follow guidelines may result in disqualification.

A Classic Theater seeks full-length plays

Website

Deadline: June 30, 2026

You may submit either by email to act@aclassictheatre.org
or by US Mail to Cindy Alexander, 600 Nautical Way, St. Augustine, Fl 32080

Format should be in MS Word or PDF.

A Classic Theatre in St. Augustine, Florida is seeking submissions for full length new plays for our Staged Reading Series. Plays chosen will be presented in Season 2026-2027 which begins in September, 2026.

We are looking for plays within the following parameters.

Full length, with or without intermission

No longer than 90-105 minutes

No more that 6 characters

No children or teens

Plays will be selected to be performed over the course of the 2026-2027 Season. They will be presented as a Staged Reading, with one performance, and minimal rehearsal. There will be the opportunity for audience feedback.

You may submit any number of plays but it must be a new work that has not been fully produced elsewhere.

You will be notified via email by September 30, 2026. Selected playwrights will receive a stipend of $100 for the performance.

A Classic Theatre is a 501c-3 non profit community theatre. www.aclassictheatre.org For any questions, please email Cindy at calexander@aclassictheatre.org

Winding Road Theater seeks 10-minute plays

Website

Deadline: none listed - once they receive 500 scripts

SUBMISSION FORM

• Blind submissions only. Please remove all identifying information from your script.
• Include a title page containing only the title of the play.
• Include a separate page with a short synopsis and logline.
• Plays should run approximately 8-10 minutes in performance.
• Original works only.
• Please submit plays that have NOT been produced for a paying audience. 
• All genres, styles, and themes are welcome.
• Scripts must be submitted as PDF files.
• Standard Dramatists Guild play formatting is required.
• One submission per playwright.
• Playwrights are responsible for securing rights or permissions for any third-party material.

This year, we are expanding our submission cap and will accept up to 500 scripts from playwrights in Tucson, across the United States, and around the world.

Whether this is your first play or your fiftieth, we can't wait to read what you've been writing. 

​HOW THE SELECTION PROCESS WORKS

Every script submitted to Eight 10s in Tucson enters a blind review process designed to give each play a fair and thoughtful evaluation.

Submissions are read by a cultivated team of volunteer readers representing a variety of theatrical backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Each script is read by multiple readers and advances through several rounds of consideration before final selections are made.

Once we reach the finalist pool, our focus shifts from evaluation to curation. Our goal is to build a festival that showcases a dynamic mix of voices, styles, themes, and theatrical experiences.At the conclusion of the process, eight plays will be selected for full production as part of the Spring 2027 festival.


WHY EIGHT 10s?

Eight 10s in Tucson brings together playwrights, directors, actors, students, educators, and theatre companies in a celebration of new work and fresh voices.The 2026 festival featured artists from Winding Road Theatre, Live Theatre Workshop, Scoundrel & Scamp, and Pima Community College Theatre Arts, creating one of the most collaborative festivals in the event's local history.​

We look forward to continuing to create spaces and share stories with our local arts community, telling stories about our shared human experiences.

Origins New Works Program at CVRep 2026-2027

Website

Deadline: July 25, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

Established in 2023, the Origins New Works Program at CVRep is a safe, creative, and collaborative environment for writers, directors, and composers to hear their work out loud and see their work reach its full potential.

Each season, four new, undiscovered works will be invited to participate in a 29-hour staged reading in the Coachella Valley, fully funded and produced by CVRep. One of these four projects will be selected to be produced the following theatrical season on our Main Stage. It is a true ‘page to stage’ program that is committed to seeing the full development of the next Broadway Show.

GUIDELINES

- The Origins Program is open to any original, unpublished and unproduced FULL-LENGTH play or musical which is in line with our artistic vision and mission. The goal of the program is to help writers develop unfinished work in a collaborative environment.

- CVRep is in pursuit of thought-provoking, innovative theater of substance and storytelling which highlights the diverse voices and experiences of the American culture.

- We are unable to consider plays and musicals which require more than 15 cast members.

- Playwrights must reside in the United States and be able to attend rehearsals.

Please be prepared to submit a synopsis and bio in addition to:

- 20 page sample of your script in PDF form (title page/cast breakdown do not count toward page count)

- Up to three demo tracks (if your project is a musical)

If we would like to request a full copy of your script we will contact you within 8-12 weeks. Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we are only able to respond to work that is in line with our artistic vision and goals. 

We appreciate your patience as we give each submission ample time and careful consideration.
For additional information please email kgilligan@cvrep.org

2026 LSU SciArt New Play Festival

Website

Deadline: June 30, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

Louisiana State University (LSU) is proud to announce the return of the SciArts New Play Festival, taking place in the Fall of 2026. Co-sponsored by the LSU College of Science, the LSU School of Theatre, and the LSU Office of Research and Economic Development, this groundbreaking festival will showcase staged readings of new accurate science plays selected from submissions across the nation.

The LSU SciArts New Play Festival is now accepting submissions. We are inviting playwrights to submit their original, unpublished, full-length play that explore the intersections of science and art. Playwrights selected will be flown to Baton Rouge for rehearsals, offering them the opportunity to refine their works in collaboration with experienced theatre professionals. Additionally, playwrights selected will receive a cash reward and recognition of their contribution to the festival. 

• Submissions must be original, unpublished plays, full-length plays (one or two acts accepted)

• Plays should prominently feature accurate science as a thematic element or integral part of the storyline 

• Plays should be submitted as a PDF document

• Ensure the script is formatted according to standard industry guidelines

• Over the course of the summer, a panel of theatre and science faculty will evaluate submissions and select the top three plays for the festival

• Selected playwrights will be notified via email by September 1st 

• Playwrights of the selected plays will be flown to Baton Rouge for workshop rehearsals

• Each selected playwright will receive a cash prize

• The festival will occur at the Music & Dramatic Arts Building on the LSU campus

For inquiries or assistance, please contact Zoe Godfrey-Grinage at zgodfr1@lsu.edu. 

UMBRELLAS FOR FISH seeks one-act plays, monologues and dramatic scenes for the September issue

Website

Deadline: August 25, 2026

We are now accepting submissions for our September 2026 Issue.
Website: https://ufjournal.wixsite.com/umbrellas-for-fish/submissions

Email: ufjournal@aol.com

Umbrellas for Fish is an international literary journal devoted exclusively to absurd and existential drama. We publish work that wrestles with the irrational, the unexplainable, and the darkly comic—plays, monologues, and dramatic scenes that invite audiences to sit with uncertainty rather than resolve it neatly.

We believe theatre is a space where logic can be bent, time can fold back on itself, and a fish might, against all reason, carry an umbrella. We welcome voices from around the world and across all career stages, from debut playwrights to established dramatists.

We seek dramatic work that is bold, strange, and alive—pieces that take risks with form, voice, and theatrical logic.

We are particularly interested in work featuring:

• Absurdity, existential tension, or cosmic indifference
• Innovative dramatic structures and theatrical experimentation
• Strong, stageable writing and memorable dialogue
• Meaningful ambiguity rather than simple confusion
• Themes exploring meaning, identity, freedom, mortality, and the human condition

We are not seeking conventional realism without a twist, shock value without purpose, or work that resolves its contradictions too neatly.
Accepted Categories

• Absurd Plays
• Existential Drama

• Experimental Theatre
• Playwriting Essays

Length:

• One-Act Plays (up to 10 pages)
• Flash Drama (up to 2 pages)
• Monologues (up to 2 pages)

• Dramatic Scenes (up to 10 pages)
. Playwriting Essays (up to 5 pages)

Submission Guidelines

• Submit manuscripts in DOC or DOCX format only
• Use a readable 12-point font
• Number all pages
• Include a title page with the title and author's name
• Include a third-person author bio (50–100 words) at the end of the manuscript
• Scripts should follow standard dramatic formatting
• Simultaneous submissions are welcome; please notify us if accepted elsewhere

Prepare your manuscript according to the guidelines above.

• Include a 50–100 word third-person bio.
• In the body of your email, include:Your name
• Title of the work
• Genre category
• A brief 1–3 sentence description of the piece
• Attach your manuscript as a DOC or DOCX file.
• Name your file: TITLE_LASTNAME.docx
• Send your submission to ufjournal@aol.com

Subject Line Format:
SUBMISSION — [Title] — [Genre]
Key Dates

Submissions Open: Now Open
Submission Deadline: August 25, 2026
Response Time: 4–6 Weeks

Issue Publication: September 2026

Fee:
There is no reading, submission or publication fee.


Rights
If a work is selected for publication, the playwright retains all intellectual property, copyright, and performance rights to the work. By accepting publication in Umbrellas for Fish, the author grants the journal non-exclusive permission to publish the work as part of the September 2026 issue. All rights revert to the author upon publication, and the author remains free to reproduce, perform, or republish the work elsewhere, provided that first publication in Umbrellas for Fish is acknowledged where appropriate.

Payment

Umbrellas for Fish is a non-paying market. As an independent journal operating without grants, institutional funding, or regular donations, we are currently unable to offer royalties, honoraria, or other forms of monetary compensation to contributors.

Authors whose work is selected for publication will receive publication credit and worldwide exposure through the journal.Editorial Vision

Umbrellas for Fish takes its name from the absurdist spirit that animates the work we publish: the belief that theatre can illuminate issue. the mysteries of existence through contradiction, imagination, humor, and uncertainty.

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

We look forward to reading your work.

Warm regards,

Editorial Team
Umbrellas for Fish: An International Journal of Absurd & Existential Drama
Email: ufjournal@aol.com