UMBRELLAS FOR FISH seeks one-minute plays

Website

Deadline: October 2, 2026

Submission email:  ufjournal@aol.com

HOW TO SUBMIT

1. Prepare your manuscript according to the guidelines above.

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

3. In the body of your email, include:

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

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

5. Name your file:

YOURNAME.docx

6. Send your submission to:

ufjournal@aol.com

SUBJECT LINE FORMAT

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

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

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

UMBRELLAS FOR FISH
An International Journal of Absurd & Existential Drama

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

What can happen in one minute?

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

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

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

Your play has approximately one minute.

What will happen before nothing does?

THEME & SUBTHEMES

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

Writers may interpret the following themes freely and imaginatively.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

15. One Minute Before Nothing Happens

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

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

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

We welcome:Monologues

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

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

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

Maximum Length: 2 pages

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

Response Time
Approximately 1–2 weeks

Publication Date
OCTOBER 15, 2026

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


RIGHTS

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

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

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


PAYMENT

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

EDITORIAL VISION

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

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

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

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

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

ONE MINUTE BEFORE NOTHING HAPPENS

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

PUBLICATION DATE: OCTOBER 15, 2026

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.

Madlab Theatre Roulette 2027 seeks short plays

Website

Deadline: December 1, 2026

Email all submissions to andyb@madlab.net.

Scripts should be 5-20 minutes in length.

Include a short synopsis and production history in the body of the email.

If you are an Ohio playwright, please put "Theatre Roulette Submission - Ohio" in the subject line.
If you are a Columbus college student playwright, please put "Theatre Roulette Submission - College" in your subject line.

All other playwrights, please put "Theatre Roulette Submission" in the subject line.Scripts must be in .pdf or .docx format.There is a limit of 2 submissions per playwright.

MadLab Theatre is seeking short play submissions for the 28th annual Theatre Roulette festival.
Theatre Roulette has 3 separate nights of plays. One night will be reserved for Ohio based playwrights. One night will be reserved for Columbus based college playwrights. And the third night will be reserved for anyone and everyone else.Submission deadline is November 1, 2026 or until we reach our 500 submission cap.

The production will take place from March 18-April 3 of 2027.

All playwrights will be notified of our decisions no later than December 1st, 2026.

The Soliloquist Journal seeks soliloquies

Website

Deadline: October 20, 2026

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

"Share Your Soliloquy"

For our Fall 2026 Issue, The Soliloquist Journal invites poets and writers to dissect the mechanics of memory loss— chosen and unchosen. What do you let go of on purpose? What slips away against your will? What do you misremember, and why does the misremembering feel like its own kind of truth?

We are looking for raw, vulnerable, and authentic poetry and soliloquies that trace the edges of what has been lost, blurred, or deliberately buried.

SUBTHEMES:

Selective Erasure — The things we choose to forget on purpose: a face, a
betrayal, a version of ourselves we've outgrown.

Phantom Memory — The ache of a memory that lingers after the thing
itself is gone—like sensation in a missing limb.

The Unreliable Archive — Misremembering as its own act of creation: when
the story we tell replaces the thing that actually happened.

Inherited Forgetting — Family silences, generational gaps, and the things
left unspoken until they simply cease to exist.

The Slow Fade — The involuntary kind of forgetting: aging, illness,
distance, and the quiet grief of watching a memory dissolve in real time.

Clockhouse opens for submissions for Volume 14 (summer 2027)

 Website

Deadline: November 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

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

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

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

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

Dramatic Work for Stage or Screen

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

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. 

Complimentary tickets available: IS THIS THING ON?

Complementary tickets are available for Adam Bradley's autobiographical solo show, Is This Thing On? - a 60-minute piece combining storytelling and live music, exploring identity, responsibility, and what happens to the parts of ourselves we put aside along the way.

A deeply human solo show about the version of yourself you put down — and whether it’s ever too late to pick it back up.

Tickets at Eventbrite.
Use complimentary code: COMP

Complimentary tickets are offered on a first-come, first serve basis for the performances on Friday September 19, 7PM and Sunday September 20, 2PM. (The Saturday performance is sold out.)

TIP: your best chance for available tickets is the Sunday performance.

Chain Theatre

312 West 36th Street
#4th floor New York, NY 10018

Premiere Stages seeks full-length plays

Website

Deadline: November 1, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Submissions are limited to one script per playwright.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10th annual PlayGround Solo Performance Festival

Website

Deadline: September 15, 2026 by 11:59pm

SUBMISSION FORM

PlayGround invites submission of proposals for the 10th annual PlayGround Solo Performance Festival, to take place at PlayGround’s San Francisco venue, Potrero Stage, with live online simulcast, January 15-February 7, 2027. 

PlayGround is interested in diverse voices and approaches, including storytelling, clowning, music, dance, multimedia, comedy, etc. In addition to new works by individual writer-performers, we are also interested in collaborations between separate writers and performers as well as adaptations of existing material in the public domain, historical biographies and/or historical events. BIPOC, trans/gender-nonconforming, and artists with disabilities encouraged to apply. 

Running time for proposed pieces can be up to 50 minutes without intermission.

FESTIVAL GUIDELINES

PlayGround will select up to 20 performers to each receive 3 public performances at Potrero Stage with live online simulcast within the festival period. Performers will each receive 2 hours of technical rehearsal (date and time TBD). PlayGround will provide the theater, simulcast setup and digital platform, front-of-house and technical staff, marketing, publicity, and box office services.

– Selected projects will receive three performance slots over the course of the festival

– Selections will be determined by lottery; up to 15 slots will be guaranteed to PlayGround-affiliated artists and up to 5 slots will be offered to non-PlayGround artists

– Projects must culminate in the off-book public presentation

– Performances in the 2027 Solo Performance Festival must run be between 30-50 minutes with setup/strike of no more than a half-hour on either side.

– Projects must participate in PlayGround’s radical accessibility program, including free admission (with PWYC donation option) and online simulcast.

– Projects involving union artists will have the opportunity to be presented under PlayGround’s SAG-AFTRA New Media Agreement (deferred) and all performers, regardless of union status, would then be expected to sign a SAG-AFTRA agreement; projects are solely responsible for the terms of artist compensation and for fulfilling those terms.

– Upon selection, projects will be responsible for remitting to PlayGround a $600 facility licensing fee for three performances, due by October 1, 2026.

– PlayGround will provide the following: fully-equipped Potrero Stage, Technical Director, House Manager, Board Operator, Streaming Broadcaster, as well as co-marketing, production management consultation (1 hr), and box office services;

– PlayGround will split box office proceeds 50/50 with producing teams.

Cambiando the Script seeks one-act plays

Website

Deadline: September 6, 2026

Send submissions to operations @amttheater.org

Cambiando the Script returns to AMT Theater on Monday, October 19, 2026, for an evening celebrating the power of bilingual storytelling and the voices that bridge cultures through live theater.

We are currently accepting submissions of original one-act plays with a running time of 45 minutes or less that seamlessly blend Spanish and English into the storytelling. We welcome all genres—including comedy, drama, thriller, romance, musicals, and experimental works. The only requirement is that both languages are woven naturally into the script, reflecting the authenticity and complexity of bilingual life.

We are looking for playwrights who create compelling, thought-provoking stories that explore identity, family, community, love, resilience, and the many experiences that shape our multicultural world. Whether your play entertains, challenges, or inspires, we want work that demonstrates how language can deepen character, emotion, and connection.

If you’ve written a story that lives naturally between Spanish and English, we encourage you to submit your play and become part of an evening dedicated to celebrating bilingual voices on stage.

Submit your script and help us continue changing the conversation—one story at a time.

Selected plays will be presented as staged readings at AMT Theater on Monday, October 19, 2026, giving playwrights the opportunity to hear their work performed before a live audience.

Qutub Minar seeks one-minute plays

Website

Deadline: September 20, 2026

We publish poetry, short stories (maximum 500 words for each story), one minute plays, interviews, book reviews, memoires and travelogues. 

You can submit up to 3 one minute plays at a time.

1 All submissions must carry a cover letter and a short literary bio-data (about 70 words) of the author.

2. We accept submissions only by email. All submissions must be sent to editorqutubminarreview@gmail.com

3. All submissions must carry:

Full legal name of the author:

Pen name (if any):

Postal address:

By submitting your work you accept that you hold the copyright of the work and there is no need to get permission of any third party to publish your work. After publication the copyright of the work will revert back to the author.

We notify the authors regarding acceptance of their works.

Unfortunately, there is no pay at this time.

Blue Ink Award 2026

Website

Deadline: August 31, 2026 by 11:59 PM CT

SUBMISSION FORM

1) There is no fee to submit.

2) Each play must be submitted with a letter written by a qualified theater professional or teacher recommending the play. “Qualified theater professional” is defined as an artistic director, director, literary manager, agent, theater professor, or someone in a similar artistic leadership position.

3) This contest is restricted to plays written predominantly in English. Worldwide submissions are accepted.

4) Submissions must be original, unpublished full-length plays. Adaptations are accepted with proof of rights held unless source text is in public domain.

5) Musicals, translations, and children’s plays are not accepted.

6) Playwrights may submit only one (1) manuscript per year.

7) Plays that have been professionally produced or published are not eligible. Plays that have had a workshop, reading, or non-professional production will be considered.

8) Plays may not be under option or scheduled for professional production or publication at the time of award announcement.

9) American Blues Theater reserves the Right-of-First-Refusal to produce the world premiere of the winning manuscript for one (1) year beginning on date of the public announcement of the winner.

10) Plays and recommendation letters must be submitted digitally as a PDF or Word Document via the submission form at AmericanBluesTheater.com.

11) If you need technological accommodations to submit your play, you may send scripts to American Blues Theater, 5627 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60659. Scripts are ineligible if received after Monday, August 31.

12) Questions should be sent to info@AmericanBluesTheater.com.

Cut to the Chase festival seeks short plays

Website

Deadline: September 1, 2026
Or when they receive 300 submissions

DO NOT SEND THEY HAVE REACHED THEIR SUBMISSION LIMIT

Cut to the Chase ten-minute play festival showcases six new plays with moment-to-moment acting in an intimate theater space.

This year's festival will present the theme: At What Cost?

Eight performances will take place November 5-8 and 12-15, 2026 at The Lookingglass Studio Theatre in Chicago.

Play submission must meet the following requirements:

● One-act plays of no more than 12 minutes (no musicals)

● Minimal set and prop requirements

● Previously unproduced in Chicago

● Only one submission per playwright

● Please do not submit a play previously submitted to Cut to the Chase

● Writers are encouraged to submit plays that generally fit this year's theme: At What Cost?


Important format requirements:

● PDF files only

● Include play title and playwright's name on the script

● File name for the PDF should be as follows: "[play title] by [playwright's full name]"
For example: The Tempest by William Shakespeare (No underscores, draft numbers, festival name or any other information in the file name please.)


Submission Deadline: September 1st 2026 or after 300 plays are received. 

There is no fee to submit. Selected playwrights will receive a $100 stipend. 

The Jokes On Her Annual Comedy Prize seeks full-length comedies by women

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2026

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

The Jokes On Her Annual Comedy Prize awards the winning playwright a $5,000 grant, an industry reading of her play in New York City in partnership with WP Theater and New Georges, and a featured appearance in a “Women Writing Comedy for the Stage” Q&A at The Drama Book Shop.

Jokes On Her will further support the playwright by identifying and facilitating future development opportunities.

Submissions are now open for original full-length comedies that have never been produced or published. Developmental readings and workshops are acceptable; however, plays under option or scheduled for production, licensing, or publication are not eligible. 

The Jokes On Her Comedy Prize is open to women (identifying & femmes inclusive) playwrights residing in the United States or Puerto Rico who are 21 years of age or older at the time of submission. Plays must be the author’s own work.

FAQs

Stage Left seeks one-page plays

Website

Deadline: August 31, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

Spokane's Stage Left Theater proudly continues its ONE PAGE play festival in October 2026. 

We are currently accepting submissions from all over the world, presented in traditional reader's theater format. 

We'll choose 30-40 plays for the festival and playwrights will be informed by September 15.

The Bite Sized Theatrical Spooktacular 2026

Website

Deadline: August 31, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

We are looking for original short plays (or other theatrical pieces) that are 10 minutes or less. 

This production is on Halloween, and we encourage any submissions that may resonate thematically, whether they directly relate to Halloween or not. 

While we will consider anything and everything, we especially want to see submissions that are comedic or spooky, as this fits best with the tone of the evening! 

Have something that isn’t quite a play, but you think fits? Send us a video link! 

Because we are small and have limited tech, easy-to-produce pieces are more likely to be selected. We also recommend submitting plays with a smaller cast size. 

You may submit up to three plays, but please note we will only accept one play from each playwright for the event, and we may only be able read one script in your submission. 

Scripts that have not been been accepted in previous years will only be reconsidered if they have undergone revisions. Please note this in your submission!

About the event:

The event will take place the evening of October 31st, in New York City. Exact time and  location TBA.

Playwrights are encouraged to submit from anywhere, and local playwrights may be as involved in the process as they would like!

We work to match plays that need them with directors and actors, and help to coordinate rehearsal space.

This is an unpaid event, as we are not profiting from it. 

To submit, please send your script and/or any supporting materials by August 31st via the form on the submission page! 

Go Try Play Write - August 2026

Website

Deadline: August 31, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

August 2026 prompt An aftermath prompt. Write a ten-page maximum scene about neighbours coming together after a hurricane. It's hurricane season here in Hawai‘i. They could be long-time friends. They could be estranged. They could have been fighting before the hurricane. And when I say “coming together” I don’t necessary mean cooperating. How do people interact after a catastrophe?

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!

Actors Theatre Playhouse Seeking Original Scripts for Ten-Minute Play Festival

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2026

Note: they may close submission window before this date

The Actors Theatre Playhouse of West Chesterfield, New Hampshire, and Brattleboro, Vermont, is accepting ten-minute play submissions for its festival in June of 2027.

The Playhouse is seeking ten-minute plays.

ONE SUBMISSION 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, 2026. 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 excess scripts for consideration next year. Approximately 12 finalists will be selected and notified, with eight winners announced following auditions and casting in March 2027.

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 to encourage the production of new works while exposing our actors and directors to the techniques and practices of working with playwrights and producing new plays.

For information about the theatre, go to www.atplayhouse.org

Scenes from the Staten Island Ferry 2026

Website

Deadline: September 15, 2026

-Please send two hard copies, bound or stapled, blind submission (removable cover page with title, author and all contact information) with page numbers and the name of the play on each page to:
Sundog Theatre, “Scenes 2026”, PO Box 10183, Staten Island, NY 10301.

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

Sundog Theatre in NYC is seeking one-act plays for “Scenes from the Staten Island Ferry 2026”

This is Sundog Theatre’s 25th presentation of new and original, one-act plays about our favorite boats.
This year’s theme: Anniversary!

Plays can be comedies or dramas. However, humor is always appreciated.

Writing Guidelines:

-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.

-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, as well as 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.

Theme: Anniversary!

Submission Guidelines:

-We are not accepting 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. We will let you know by email that we have received it.

-NO SUBMISSION FEE

-6 plays are chosen by a reading team; writers each receive $200 and plays are produced in five November 2026 performances in Staten Island, NY. Plays are cast in NYC, rehearsed, and performed on stage.

-Playwrights of selected plays will be contacted in September and their names/play titles listed on Sundog Theatre’s website in Fall 2026.

Please direct questions to: info@sundogtheatre.org/Susan Fenley, Producer.

Downtown Urban Arts Festival (DUAF) is seeking theatrical productions

Website

Deadline: October 26, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM ON THEIR WEBSITE

DUAF is seeking theatrical works (plays, musicals, and solo performances) for its 25th Annual season to be held in June 2027 in Manhattan, New York City. We support 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 (up to 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 2027 festival 

Playwright Supports:

• No submission or participation fees 
• $1,200 (short) and $2,000 (full) playwright stipends
• Mentoring with an experienced theatre professional
• Actor and director stipends
• Casting support 
• Technical design and operation 
• Reimbursed rehearsal space rentals
• Actors' Equity Showcase Code application administration
• $1,000 awards for best full, short and audience

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

Website

Deadline: September 1, 2026

Submissions should be sent to Jeffrey@theatrethree.com

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

Guidelines:

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

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

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

Playwrights will receive a $150 stipend.

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

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

Invisible Theater seeks monologues for Fourth Annual Going It Alone

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

Tuscon Arizona

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

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

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

• Open to all playwrights worldwide

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

Any topic

1 submission per playwright permitted

10-12 monologues will be selected.

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

Open: Journal of Arts & Letters seeks drama submisisons

Website

Deadline: December 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

 Submissions must be made in PDF file format only.

Open: Journal of Arts & Letters will consider fee-free submissions of drama whose effects can be experienced either on the page or in production.

Submit a file with up to 5000 lines, including title, byline, dramatis personae, and stage direction.

O:JA&L will consider several formatting options for drama: 1) conventions of formatting published by Gordon State College, 2) suggestions for formatting published by The Dramatists Guild, or 3) play formats in specialized software programs for writers like Final Draft or Movie Magic. Submissions which deviate by degrees of magnitude from these conventions of form will be declined.

Submitters should include a cover letter. This cover letter should contain, in the manner of a screenplay, a HEADER for the work, a LOGLINE of up to 30 words, and a SYNOPSIS of the work (without spoilers) of up to 150 words. This cover letter should also include a third-person professional biography of the playwright in 100 words, more or less.

OTHER THAN YOUR NAME, DO NOT INCLUDE PERSONAL INFORMATION ON THE SUBMITTED PDF. IT IS THIS PDF THAT WILL BE LINKED TO THE PUBLISHED POST.

Open: Journal of Arts & Letters will only consider plays that have never before been produced or published. Submissions must be made in PDF file format only.

Italian-American Playwright Series 2026-2027

Website

Deadline: September 12, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

Organizers: Kairos Italy Theater, Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo’ at NYU and the John Calandra Italian American Institute

Opportunity: Selected plays will be given a public reading at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo’ at NYU or at the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute.

We are seeking submissions from Italian American playwrights for unproduced, contemporary plays never staged before (Readings and workshops are fine). This initiative aims to spotlight authentic Italian American voices and stories that reflect the diverse experiences, heritage, and cultural intersections of the Italian American community.

Each playwright could only submit ONE play.

• EligibilityThe playwright must self-identify as Italian American.
• Plays must not have been professionally produced. (Readings and workshops are fine)
• Preference will be given to works that explore Italian American identity, history, family, or culture.
• Plays 40 to 75 minutes long (mid and full length)
• We are NOT accepting 10 minutes plays

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

In the form you will submit the following:

Full script in anonymous form (no name or address) and in PDF format;
A short play synopsis (max 250 words);
A brief playwright bio (max 150 words), including any personal connection to Italian American heritage;
A statement (max 200 words) on how your play speaks to Italian American themes and on your connection to Italian-American identity.

Timeline

Submission window opens: August 3rd
Submission window closes: September 12th
Notification of selection(s): November 10th
Readings dates: TBA

If you have any question, please send an email to info@kitheater.org

Playwrights First submission window open

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2026

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

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

​Award:

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

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The International Human Rights Art Festival seeks 10-minute plays

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Website

Deadline: October 31, 2026

Email submissions to: Patchworkplayfest@gmail.com

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

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

Nine finalists will have their play produced in our festival.

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

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

Submission Requirements:​

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

The script doctor is in the house! 🩷

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

Script Services:

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

More about Sarah:

Sarah has taught group writing classes for the Hoboken Historical Museum, Project Write Now, The Knowledge Project, and the Hudson Valley Writers Center. This year, her vampire satire Not Gucci was named a Top 30 play by Centre Stage's 24th Annual New Play Festival, her full-length horror/comedy Delulu was read at AWP Baltimore 2026, and her period piece Last Sunrise was performed at Under Saint Marks Place, NYC in June. She is represented by Anthony Tall and works part-time for the Dean's Office at Columbia University, School of the Arts.

Visit Sarah's website to learn more and connect.

10th Annual New Play Lab 2027 at the annual William Inge Theatre Festival

Website

Deadline: After they receive the first 100 submissions

Application Guidelines

• All scripts must be submitted in PDF format and emailed to submissions@ingecenter.org.
• Give your script file the name 2027 + Title (for instance, 2027 Bus Stop).
• Limit script length to a 30 minute read-time – not page count. (Submissions longer than 30 minutes will be disqualified).
• Character list must include character description as well as any descriptions relevant for casting.
• Applicants must enter a short synopsis of their play as it might appear in the Play Lab program. (Maximum 75 words. Please include any content warnings.)
• Applicants must send a brief bio with their submissions.

The New Play Lab at the annual William Inge Theatre Festival is a partnership between the Kansas Arts Commission of the Kansas Department of Commerce and the William Inge Center for the Arts at Independence Community College, Kansas

The 10th Annual New Play Lab seeks to connect national established and emerging playwrights to participate at the 44th William Inge Theatre Festival, April 29-May 1, 2027. Each year, Playwrights are connected with professional playwrights, directors, dramaturgs and actors.

Selected New Play Lab playwrights receive:A professional staged reading of their play before an audience on the main stage of the William Inge Theatre
Feedback on their play facilitated by national theatre professionals.
Additional playwriting classes and seminars exclusive to New Play Lab participants, including a masterclass with William Inge Theater Festival guest playwrights.
Networking opportunities to meet with theater professionals from across the country.
Entry to all festival events, including two meal events.
Meal vouchers to enjoy local restaurants in William Inge’s Hometown of Independence, Kansas.

Applications Period

Those chosen will be notified in January 2027. Note: the receipt of applications will be limited to the first 100 to apply. Only the first 100 applications will be reviewed. Therefore, applicants are urged to submit early, as the number of applicants may reach its limit quickly.

The submitted plays will be reviewed by a panel of national theatre professionals.

Playwrights may submit either a 10-minute play or one-act play, no more than 30 minutes read-time. Plays that are longer than 30 minutes will be disqualified.

Plays should require no more than 6 actors. The play may be designed to have actors play multiple roles. If that is the case, doubling must be indicated in the character list.
Character list must include character breakdown (age, race and gender identity for the purpose of casting).
Playwrights may only submit one play per cycle.

Attend

Playwrights are required to attend the Festival. If you cannot attend, you are ineligible to apply.

Each playwright is required to attend the New Play Lab Masterclass and Workshops taught by professional playwrights during the Inge Festival.

Each playwright is required to attend the reading of their play during the Play Lab. More details will be sent out to those accepted.

Travel, transportation, and lodgingFor pre-planning purposes, selected playwrights should at least plan to attend Wednesday evening April 28, 2027, through Sunday morning May 2, 2027.

Each playwright is responsible for their own travel, transportation, and lodging needs.

Local lodging information will be shared with those accepted. (Complementary transportation to and from the Tulsa Airport is available upon prior arrangement.)

Conference Fees

There are no fees for the application process. Selected Playwrights will be responsible for their travel and lodging.

Benefits

Professional Public Reading: Playwrights will receive a professional public reading of their play, as well as feedback from national theatre artists.

Opportunities to Network: Each year the New Play Lab creates a new cohort of playwrights, in addition to opportunities to network with our professional Guest Artists
Exclusive Seminars and Masterclass: The New Play Lab Playwrights receive at least two masterclasses exclusive to New Play Lab playwrights.

Festival Celebration: New Play Lab Playwrights will have full access to three days of all public and private Festival events, including the other play lab readings, productions, social events, workshops, panels, meals and much more.

If you have any questions, feel free to email ahovell@indycc.edu.

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.

HELLO GODOT! (VOLUME 12) seeks short plays

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What happens when nothing happens?

What if tomorrow never comes?

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

What if leaving is impossible?

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

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

THE SUBTHEMES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

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

Your play might be:

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

We welcome plays involving:

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

But these are starting points, not restrictions.

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

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1. Originality

All submissions must be original and unpublished.

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

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

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

We are interested in what you do with the idea.

2. Length and Format

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

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

There is no strict performance-duration requirement.

A maximum of four characters is recommended.

Minimal casts and simple staging are encouraged.

Stage directions should be concise and purposeful.

Experimental theatrical forms are welcome, including:

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

However, the work should remain recognisably dramatic/theatrical.

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

3. Submission Details

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

File name:

HelloGodot_YourName_PlayTitle

Each submission should include a cover page containing:

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

Email your submission to:
dramaanthologyfreshwords@gmail.com

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

4. Multiple Submissions

Playwrights may submit up to four plays.

Each play must be submitted as a separate document.

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

Please submit all plays in a single email.

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

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

All other rights remain with the playwright.

6. Eligibility

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

7. Selection Process

All submissions will be evaluated by the editorial team.

The editors will consider:

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

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

Selected playwrights will be notified by email by:

October 05, 2026

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

8. COMPENSATION

This is currently a non-paying market.

Selected playwrights will receive:

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

International exposure through Fresh Words

CONTENT POLICY

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

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

46 Minutes Collective Mixed Bag show

Website

Deadline: September 14, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT

Brooklyn NYC

SUBMISSION FORM

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

What we are looking for: 

In-development work that has not yet premiered. One or two developmental readings or showings is okay, but we are looking for work in the earlier stages of development. 

Works in any medium: performance art, dance, theater, film, music, poetry, multi-media, interactive art, magic, mime, juggling, etc. (these can be excerpts of longer works).

Artists who are looking to investigate or discover something about their work.

Cast: Up to 10 performers

Length: Up to 15 minutes

We Can Offer:

A low-tech performance space at Brick Aux to share your work - 628 Metropolitan Ave Brooklyn

One, 20-minute spacing rehearsal/tech the hour before the show.

A Stage Manager to assist with the run of show.

Photos and video of your piece.

An audience of fellow artists and creatives to share in your developmental process with the option for feedback from the audience if that is helpful for your process.

Marketing through the 46 Minutes Instagram and mailing list. If selected, we will ask for additional marketing materials from you/your team.

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

A $100 stipend for your work and time.

What You Bring:

Collaborators and creative team.

Any desired props, costumes, lights, design elements, etc. beyond what exists in the Brick Aux space.

An understanding of what you need to present your own work at whatever stage it's at in your process.

An openness to the liminal space that is in-process work and a desire to discover what can be learned when presenting a rough draft.

Please Note: The artist is responsible for all rehearsal process needs. We are unable to provide any rehearsal space or financial assistance at this time. This is designed to be an in-process showing, so we encourage you to come as you are with whatever you have created at this point in time. 

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

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

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

The Greenhouse seeks 10-minute plays

Website

Deadline: August 31, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

Seeking 10-minute plays on the theme of "Lovely and Temperate."

• Submissions should be inspired by the current quarter's theme. 
• Submissions must be original works. 
• Scripts must be free of identifiers of the author (e.g., headers, footers or a title page with author's name) for the purpose of anonymous selection. Your name will be attached to your submission via the submission form, and you will be fully credited for your submission if selected. 
• Script should included a list of characters on the first page. 

Selections will be made on two major criteria:

1. Strength of storytelling 

• Clear beginning, middle, and end 
• Obvious conflict and climax 
• Does the story grab you quickly? 
• Are the characters interesting? 

2. Format appropriateness 

• Approximately 10 minutes 
• No more than 5 characters 
• Minimal technical needs

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

Facebook
Instagram

Deadline: September 1, 2026

DO NOT SEND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR SUBMISSION WINDOW

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.
• 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.

Vidalia Theatre Company seeks 10-minute plays for Summer Harvest

Website

Deadline: September 7, 2026

The Vidalia Theatre Company in Atlanta, is accepting submissions for its annual Summer Harvest show of 10-minute plays to be produced in July 2027.

The theme for this show is “Dating… the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly.” We’re looking for plays that explore the full gamut that is the world of dating. Stories that deal with the fun and the pain in trying to find a romantic partner. We are only seeking plays that fit this theme at this time.

Submissions should contain 2-4 characters, simple set and prop requirements, and provide opportunity for diverse casting.

Adult language and content are permitted as long as it is relevant to the story and not gratuitous.

Submissions cannot have been previously produced in the Atlanta Metro Area.

Limit 2 submissions per playwright.

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:

your email and telephone
city, state (or country if outside USA) in which you reside
Number of characters
Comedy or Drama
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)

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

Onstage/Offstage Podcast 2026 seeks short plays for Halloween

Website

Deadline: August 31, 2026

Or when they receive 100 submissions

SUBMISSION FORM

Onstage/Offstage Theatre Podcast s looking for 10-minute plays to produce and air on its podcast.

It's a HALLOWEEN theme! And it must be a COMEDY.

Please read all requirements below, especially noting the dates and times during which submissions will be accepted. If you send a submission outside this timeframe, it will not be read!

By submitting, you agree to all the following:

1. Selected plays will be cast and produced by Onstage/Offstage Theatre Podcast artists. If selected, you agree that performances of your play will be broadcast on WRFI 88.1 Ithaca Community Radio, podcasted at www.onstageoffstage.org and Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify (and others). Your name as playwright will be prominently displayed. We will also share a link to your website and other pertinent URLS, if you like.
2. **Playwrights agree to do a short interview to accompany the episode airing their play.**
3. ****SUBMISSIONS ARE WELCOME BY THIS FORM ONLY FROM WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, TO MONDAY, AUGUST 31****. OR WHEN WE REACH 100 SUBMISSIONS. 
4. Remember this is audio! Don't submit plays that require extensive reading of stage directions. The work should be overwhelmingly dialogue.
5. Comedies BETWEEN 8 and 10 MINUTES. **THREE (3) characters maximum.** **No monologues.**
6. No excessively offensive language. Not that we are against strong language in a work, but we have to bleep it for broadcast and that's more work for us. The recording remains au naturel for the podcast.
7. Format: Submit your play IN PDF FORMAT ONLY with playwright contact info, synopsis/teaser, cast info on cover page, and pages numbered. (You'd be surprised. No, really, you would.)
8. ONE PLAY PER PLAYWRIGHT. 
9. Follow this format for file names: LAST NAME Play title: SHAKESPEARE Hamlet Goes Camping
10. NO FEE TO APPLY.

Has your play been produced before? Good for you!!. Send it anyway!!

I'd love be able to remunerate you for your creativity, talent, and efforts in writing and submitting your work, but I am a very small operation (me, that's it) and my funding is nil. Best I can offer is a chance to talk about yourself as an artist and a audio recording of your play produced on air.

**We exuberantly encourage playwrights from historically marginalized communities to submit!**

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.