We never post opportunities that require a submission fee. LEARN MORE.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

$10,000 PRIZE FOR BEST NEW PLAY ABOUT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

web site

$10,000 PRIZE FOR BEST NEW PLAY ABOUT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
STAGE INTERNATIONAL SCRIPT COMPETITION
(S T A G E: Scientists Technologists and Artists Generating Exploration)

THE DEADLINE FOR 5TH CYCLE ENTRIES IS DECEMBER 1, 2011.
Scripts will be accepted beginning September 15, 2011.
For detailed guidelines, please visit: www.stage.cnsi.ucsb.edu/competition/guidelines.

Submitted plays must explore scientific and/or technological stories, themes, issues or events. Multi-media theatre pieces, non-traditional plays and new forms are encouraged. Science and/or technology must figure prominently in the script, whether in form or content or both. This competition is not open to plays written in the genre of science fiction.

Previous judges include Pulitzer, Tony, Olivier & Nobel winners: David Auburn, John Guare, David Lindsay-Abaire, Sir Anthony Leggett, Dr. Alan Heeger, Dr. David Gross, & Dr. Douglas Osheroff.

STAGE is a partnership between the Professional Artists Lab (www.proartslab.ucsb.edu) & the California NanoSystems Institute (www.cnsi.ucsb.edu) at the University of California.

Download the new STAGE International Script Competition poster at: www.stage.cnsi.ucsb.edu/competition/.

Madlab Theatre Roulette

web site


To maximize your chance of selection, please read all the guidelines carefully before submitting.

All submissions should be send to andy@madlab.net

Please put “THEATRE ROULETTE SUBMISSION” in the subject line. If you do have have email, please call 614.221.5418 to set up different arrangements.


Theatre Roulette is a juried festival.


Submissions must arrive no later than November 1st, 2011.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES


Scripts should be between 5-45 minutes in length. Scripts of greater lengths will be considered, but due to time constraints, it is unlikely that unsolicited full-length plays will be selected for the festival, unless you are a Nobel or Pulitzer winning writer, in which case, your script will automatically be accepted for production as long as you waive your standard royalty, which would probably be more than the budget for the entire festival. If you are not sure whether or not you have won a Nobel or Pulitzer Prize, please find out through the glory of the world wide web and let us know.


You may submit multiple scripts.


Due to our environmentally conscious president, you must email your script to us. If emailing is absolutely impossible for you, please call us at 614.221.5418 so we can make alternate arrangements.

Please send your script attached as a Microsoft Word (2000 or older) document or PDF format. Scripts should be emailed to andy@madlab.net. Please put “THEATRE ROULETTE SUBMISSION” in the subject line. If “THEATRE ROULETTE SUBMISSION” is not in your subject line, your submission may not be received. All submissions will receive a reply email to ensure that your submission was received.


For ROULETTE, MadLab pays $50 to each playwright or 10% of our box office receipts - whichever is more. The 10% is split among the 9-11 plays that get selected.


If you’ve made it through all of this, congratulations. At least you’ve got the potential patience to deal with the travails of theatrical production. If you have any questions, please email them to Managing Director Andy Batt at andy@madlab.net


Thanks for your interest. Good luck with your submission, and regardless of the outcome here, be sure to keep writing and producing new works.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Studio Roanoke play submission guidelines

web site

Studio Roanoke, a small theatre dedicated to new plays and the people who create them, is committed to making Roanoke, VA, a nationally recognized ignition point for new play development. We accept independent and agency-represented submissions year round for consideration in our regular season of new works and two reading series, the Workshop Reading Series and Guerrilla Playhouse. We proudly abide by the Dramatists Guild of America's Bill of Rights.

OUR SPACE and PRODUCTION CONSIDERATIONS

Our performance venue can be arranged either as an intimate proscenium space that seats approximately 45 patrons or as a thrust space that accommodates up to 60. The stage is relatively small (roughly 28’ wide by 15’ deep), with ample backstage space, but no wings or flies. There is a balcony above and upstage of the main performance area that is frequently used as an additional performance area. The plays are performed by local non-Equity actors and directed and designed by professional staff and invited guest artists.

Preference is given to scripts with relatively small casts. Submissions of scripts with 12 or more characters should include a proposed doubling plan with the character list. All productions are minimal, with budgets for props, lights, set and costumes intentionally limited (e.g., generally $500 for our mainstage productions). As such, scripts relying on elaborate/expensive production demands tend to diminish our likelihood of selecting them for production. Our goal is to focus on the writing and the script’s inherent theatricality rather than on material spectacle or design elements. We hope to give playwrights an opportunity to see and hear their plays on stage so they can focus on developing the script for future, more elaborate productions.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

We’re interested in full-length and one-act plays of any style or genre except musicals or works targeted primarily toward children. Any adaptations must be from work in the public domain or be accompanied by proof that the playwright has secured the rights to the source material. Since our focus is on developing new work, we tend to shy away from scripts that have been published and/or received multiple previous productions...though this isn’t an ironclad rule. We’re particularly interested in works with a strong narrative through-line and compelling characters, yet we encourage innovative, non-traditional plot structures, new approaches to characterization and theatrical use of the space.

While the playwright is welcome in rehearsals and performance, we are typically unable to provide accommodations or to reimburse travel expenses. If the playwright is unable to be in attendance, we will communicate via email and phone to the extent practicable to allow the writer to have approval of production elements and creative communication with the director and design teams.

Main Stage: Full-length plays or a full evening’s worth of related one-acts. Playwrights whose plays we select for production as part of our Main Stage season are granted a 12-performance run and paid royalties.

Workshop Reading Series: This new series, which replaces our former Lunchbox Series, provides an opportunity for playwrights of new scripts to hear their work performed aloud before an audience and to receive developmental feedback from audiences and artists. Works developed in this series will be given strong consideration for inclusion in our Main Stage at a later stage in their development. These seated readings are offered to our audiences on the fourth Sundays of alternate months, beginning in January 2011. Plays should be complete full-length works or a full evening's worth of related one-acts. Playwrights are offered a $25 royalty for the performance.

Guerrilla Playhouse: This series often presents more experimental short pieces (30-60 minutes) ranging from solo performances, darker material, works involving audience interaction and/or participation, and plays with a rock-n-roll sensibility. Guerrilla Playhouse runs on the second Sunday nights every month, and the theatrical performances are paired with a live set from an invited musical artist or group. Playwrights are offered a royalty of 20 percent of the door for a one-night performance. To see Director of Guerrilla Programming Ben R. Williams' specific guidelines, please click here.

Shows in our Main Stage and Workshop Reading series receive a post-show talkback moderated by a member of our resident artistic staff. The Studio’s resident dramaturg and/or literary manager provide dramaturgical notes in the program for Main Stage productions to spur deeper consideration of the script by the audience. Playwrights who are able to attend the production are invited on stage following the performance to join the discussion and ask or answer any questions that arise. Playwrights have found our moderated post-show discussions particularly valuable as they further develop the script.

Studio Roanoke designates its productions as developmental workshops, allowing playwrights to offer their works as “world premieres” to other theatres after their appearance at the Studio. We place no future financial obligations on playwrights whose work is developed on our stage, though, of course, we certainly welcome contributions from playwrights whose experiences at Studio Roanoke have contributed to any fame or fortune they achieve afterwards. We do request, however, that playwrights premiering works on our stage require that the Studio is credited as a contributor to the development of the script in publications and/or program text associated with subsequent productions.

HOW TO SUBMIT

To save printing, copying and mailing expenses (not to mention trees), we now accept only electronic submissions. Please submit your work in standard play script format—you may download Samuel French’s Formatting Guidelines here. We prefer to receive your script as a PDF file if possible; otherwise, we will accept an MS Word document. Include as part of your script a title page with the title, your name and your contact information, and a separate page with character descriptions and setting information. Save the file with your last name and the title of the play with no spaces or underscores (e.g. ShakespeareJuliusCaesar.pdf).

As a separate document accompanying your script, please include a cover letter with a brief playwright bio and brief synopsis of your play (each 100 words or less), and a concise description of the play’s prior production history (if applicable). Save this file with your last name and the word “cover” (e.g. ShakespeareCover.pdf).

Include these two separate documents as attachments in your email. Send Main Stage and Workshop Reading Series submissions to literary@studioroanoke.org; Guerrilla Playhouse submissions should be sent to gardenback@gmail.com. In the subject line or body of the e-mail, please indicate for which series you wish to be considered (Main Stage, Workshop, or Guerrilla).

The literary staff will respond as quickly as possible to confirm receipt of your submission, and then again once we’ve had a chance to review your material. Like most literary departments at American theatres, however, we’re understaffed and over-worked, so please allow at least eight to ten weeks before expecting a response to your submission.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Bare-Knuckle Theatre Festival Submissions

web site

The cops tried to shut us down, but they couldn’t shut us down. They tried to contain us, but they couldn’t contain us. No, ladies and gentlemen, The Bare-Knuckle Theatre Festival is back for round two!

Five shows go in, one show comes out on top.

In the spirit of community: companies, organizations and self-producing individuals with original one-act plays are encouraged to submit. It’s a great opportunity to reach new audiences, self-promote, network and bring a little extra cash your way.

The Rules

Submit your best 10-20 minute play. After 20 minutes it will fade to black.
Bring your own cast. We can supply a stage manager the night of.
Bare-knuckle plays require minimal sets (Tables and chairs provided), no major lighting or sound cues.
No submission fee, only paying attendees can vote.
Any theme or topic, no casting limitations.
Winner by audience ballot gets 50% of the profits, so bring fans.
Hosted by your well-intentioned friends at the Altruistic Theatre Company.

To Enter:

To apply, contact us by email to submissions.altruistic@gmail.com.

Submit:

A character break down and short synopsis of the work.
A full script
Writer/Company Bio and website
Producer contact information
Deadline for the next bout is June 20th, 2011

Participants will be notified by July 1st.
The show will be hosted in late July at 10pm.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Urban Stages Emerging Playwright Award

web site

Emerging Playwright Award
Established in 1986, Urban Stages' EMERGING PLAYWRIGHT AWARD has been presented to the best of new, innovative playwrights whose works speak to the whole of our society. Urban Stages' on-going mission is to develop and produce new, exciting multi-cultural works that are issue-oriented.


The Guidelines
WHEN TO SUBMIT
Submissions are received throughout the year. Finalists are first included as part of the Urban Stages fall or spring reading series. The award is then announced in the spring. Plays that are finalists are presented as staged and workshop readings. These readings are a collaboration between playwright and director.

AWARD
A cash prize of $500 (in lieu of royalties) will be awarded to the winner. There will also be a staged production of the play in New York City. Urban Stages reserves the right to withhold the prize and not declare a winner if no play of merit is found. Before production of the award winning play, a contract will be signed between the playwright and the company. This contract is approved by the DRAMATISTS GUILD.

ELIGIBILITY
Full length plays are preferred. Submissions are open to playwrights in the United States. Plays may have been developed elsewhere, but never produced in New York City. There is no limit to submission. Subject matter and character variations are open.

GENRE
We prefer full length plays for submission. No translations or adaptations. On RARE occasions, Urban Stages will consider exceptional musicals and one-act plays that fit our mission. We do; however, consider plays for younger audiences for our outreach program.

CAST SIZE
Cast size is limited to no more than nine actors.

TO BE INCLUDED WITH EVERY SUBMISSION
A biography and/or author's history of the play, character breakdown, and brief description or synopsis of the play.

SUBMISSION FORM
All scripts must be firmly bound. No changes or revisions accepted after submission. No double-sided pages.

SUBMISSION REVIEW
It usually takes two to six months for us to read and process your script. We ask that you please do not call or email our offices in the interim to inquire on the status of your play.

PLAYS RETURNED
The play should be accompanied by a manuscript size SASE with appropriate postage. If there is no manuscript size SASE, the play will not be returned. Please do not include loose cash, stamps, labels or metered postage. A SAS Post Card should be included if you want acknowledgment of arrival. If you do NOT want your manuscript returned, but want a response letter of our decision, include a #10 SASE. If no SASE's are included with your submission, it will be discarded at time of rejection. If we are interested in your play, we will contact you by phone or mail. Please include the name, address and phone number of author on the title page.

HANDLING
All scripts will be handled with care, but Urban Stages will not assume responsibility for lost or damaged scripts. RETAIN A COPY OF YOUR SCRIPT.

WHERE TO SEND
Please send manuscripts to:

Urban Stages
555 8th Avenue, #1800
New York, New York 10018

Bookmark our website for the schedule of our main stage productions and tour into the New York Libraries.

Thank you for your interest.

The Fire Department script submission guidelines

web site

Script submissions are by email only. Please send the first ten pages and a brief synopsis to thefiredept@gmail.com, and please put "script submission" in the subject line. We are currently looking for material that tackles issues of political significance in inventive and daring ways.

Clubbed Thumb submission guidelines

web site


Clubbed Thumb will accept submissions that fall within the following guidelines:

Unproduced in New York City
Running time: 90 min or under.
Intermissionless
Must feature substantial and challenging roles for both men and women
At least 3 characters – we prefer medium sized ensemble casts
Clubbed Thumb produces plays that are funny, strange, and provocative. Please check out our history area to get a feeling for our sensibility and a selected chronology.

Please do not send scripts that fall outside these guidelines.

If you would like to submit a play, please send it to:
Clubbed Thumb 141 East Third St. #11H New York, NY 10009

Please do not bind scripts; pages should be loose or clipped with a binder clip.

Clubbed Thumb does read and respond to every play submitted. However, with a staff of two, this may take many months. Please be patient and do not follow up on the status of your submission. Please wait for a response to one play before sending another.

Scripts will not be returned. Sorry, electronic submissions are not accepted.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

May 2011 Play of the Month: THANK EMILY by Richard Manley



Part 2 is available on the Play of the Month page

Here is the recording of the May 2011 (part 1 of 2) Play of the Month: THANK EMILY by Richard Manley. Performed by Alice Anne English, Claire Warden and Bruce Barton does stage directions. Thanks to everybody for your great work and sharing your talent.

We asked Richard what inspired the play:
I completed Thank Emily just a few days before I sent it to you. It was inspired by two overlapping events. The first was the reading in a literary magazine of an article about the ongoing battle between the academic poets and the natural poets. The work of the academics is often complex in form and dense with literary/historical allusion – and as such, inaccessible to most readers. It tends to be a circle of readership – academic poets read and critique other academic poets. Not always, but often. The natural poets, however, while more popular to the general public, are often dismissed by academia as undisciplined and amateurish. Although there are some wonderful academic poets (e.g., T.S. Eliot), and I have no problem with precision of form and rich language, I tend to side with the latter group. The first poets were shepherds. This unique use of language came from the heart, and was meant to capture life’s passions. Whitman is a prime example.

The second event was a lengthy letter from one of my dearest friends, a woman who came to her love of books relatively late in life. Consequently, she is all curiosity and wonder. There are no assumptions; there is no pretense. She’s just hungry for lovely sentences. The letter’s timing was coincident with reading the article. In the course of describing her experience with a particular book, it was clear she had the work of a shepherd in her hands, and was wringing from it all the emotional satisfaction she could manage and it could provide.

The two women on the train were meant to capture the dichotomy explained in the first paragraph. As an added tweak, Emily Dickinson would probably side with me.

more about Richard and the cast here...
The submissions for the June Play of the Month are currently being accepted (until June 5) and we will announce the winner shortly after that date.

Monday, May 16, 2011

The Flea Theater Play Submissions

web site

The Flea regularly produces 4 – 6 new plays per year. We are offering this questionnaire to consider propositions best suited for The Bats. See more information about The Bats.

Because The Bats are a young ensemble, we are only interested in work which reflects and features performers in their 20’s. (In other words, if your play is in a naturalistic style and requires grandparents or children, please do not occupy your time and ours by submitting answers to the questionnaire.) Although we seek large diverse casts, we are open to smaller ensembles – but do tend to favor plays that reflect the company’s diversity and size. We do favor work which is risk-taking, politically relevant, sexually charged, and intellectually engaging.

This questionnaire allows us to get a snapshot of your work – and enables us to efficiently consider work for this extraordinary company. Please be advised to fill out the answers thoroughly and feel free to use your writing skills to begin the conversation about you and your proposed work. (Incomplete questionnaires will not be considered.)
Contact Info

Please give your name, email address, phone number, and city where you currently reside.

(Go to their web site to see the submission form.)

Shakespeare project

NYCPlaywrights member Nancy McClernan was included in the Happy Birthday Shakespeare blogger project.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Avant-Garde Arts Festival

web site

Variations Theatre Group, Inc (VTG) is proud to announce its first annual American Avant-Garde Arts Festival to provide an opportunity for theater artists to develop new, fresh work.

Selected pieces will receive a showing at the beautiful Hudson Guild Theatre in Chelsea, Manhattan beginning the week of July 10th, 2011. During the course of two (2) weeks, each piece will be assessed by audiences and a panel of judges selected from the entertainment world. There will be three (3) official rounds of the festival, with winners of each round chosen by audience and judges.

VTG defines a “submittable piece” as any theatrical work that can be given a proper showing in a 30-minute time slot. These include one-act plays, performance art, cabaret acts, improv troupes, comedy acts, dance pieces or short films - pieces that are engaging, daring, and “push the envelope.”

(Please note - there is NO submission fee but if your work is selected there is a participation fee based on your share of theatre rental and overhead. VTG is a nonprofit theater committed to public service.)

For more information and to download an application form, please go to www.variationstheatregroup.com.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Midtown International Theatre Festival's Short Subjects

web site

(please note - there is NO submission fee with the MITF code - if your work is selected there is a participation fee.)

The Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF), now in its twelfth season, is proud to announce the third year of the Short Subjects Division. The Short Subjects is a repertory of plays running from 30 - 60 min. performed in their own intimate venue, with lower participation fees and ticket prices than other plays in the MITF. The Short Subjects is an excellent opportunity to test new theatrical ideas in a less-demanding environment than full-length plays in larger venues.
The following facts and rules set the Short Subjects apart from the rest of the MITF:
Every play gets 3 performance slots in the WorkShop Theater’s 30-seat Jewel Box theater. We attempt to honor requests for slots (“third week only, please!”) but our scheduling decisions are final. Performance dates are July 12 – 31, 6 – 10 pm weekdays and noon – 10 pm weekends.
All plays must be 30 - 60 min. long. Scripts must be in standard playscript format, in Word or PDF, E-mailed to us*.
The application fee is waived if you use the code MITF in your application.
The participation fee is only $75, payable on acceptance of the script by the MITF, by check or PayPal.**
There is a simple one-page agreement, sent on acceptance of the script and payment of the participation fee.
Deadline is June 6, 2011.
The production is responsible for producing the play, including finding actors, director, board op, props, costumes, rehearsals, etc; the MITF provides the theatre and some shared scenery (cubes, table, chairs).
You may not produce your show as an Equity showcase, and Equity is not issuing waivers for this program. All shows must be non-union.
Production values must be kept to a minimum: costumes and hand props only. We provide rehearsal cubes, chairs, and a table.
We provide box office services and venue management.
The MITF keeps 100% of the door.
Tickets are $15 for shows running 45 – 60 min., and $12 for shows running 30 – 45 min. Each playwright and director gets 1 comp to each of their performances. Comps are non-transferable. There are press comps but no industry comps. The production must purchase any additional seats they wish to comp. All Festival participants may see each others’ shows for free, on a standby basis.
Your show will be allotted a tech rehearsal running at least 2 hours, during the hours of 10 – 5:30 weekdays during the Festival (July 12 – 29).
We don't do staged readings; production must be off-book. Plays not off-book during tech rehearsal will be removed from the line-up.
While you may submit a program of related short plays totaling 30 - 60 min., the MITF will not “marry” two or more unrelated short plays into one program.

*Standard playscript format for us is 12 pt Times Roman; character names in the middle on their own line; line spaces between speeches and stage directions; indented stage directions. E-mail all scripts (no snail-mail please!) to john.chatterton@gmail.com.
**Please add 3% for PayPal handling fees. Make PayPal payments to john.chatterton@gmail.com. Send all paper checks to: 1 Penn Plaza # 6228, New York, NY 10119. Paper checks should be made out to MITF.

Friday, May 13, 2011

ARCADIA - A Special Offer for visitors to this web site





A Special Offer for NYCPlaywrights
Book now for savings of up to $42.50 per ticket!

Performances now – June 19
$79* Select Orchestra & Front Mezzanine
$59* Rear Mezzanine

Wednesday matinees
$67.50* Orchestra & Front Mezzanine
$52.50* Selected Orchestra
$37.50* Rear Mezzanine

(*Regular prices $71.50 - $121.50)

3 ways to purchase tickets:



  1. Visit Broadwayoffers.com and use code ARITO79
    (hint: you may have to disable your pop-up blocker to go directly to the code page.)

  2. By phone: Call 212-947-8844 and use code ARITO79

  3. In person: Bring a print out of this email to the Barrymore Theatre 243 West 47th Street (between Broadway & 8th Avenue)

Performance Schedule
Tue at 7pm; Wed at 2pm & 8pm; Thu at 7pm; Fri at 8pm;Sat at 2pm & 8pm; Sun at 3pm

For more information, visit www.ArcadiaBroadway.com



* Offer valid on select seats for performances through 6/19/11. Additional blackout dates may apply. All prices include a $1.50 facility fee. Limit 9 tickets per order. All sales are final – no refunds or exchanges. Not valid in combination with any other offer. Offer may be revoked or modified at any time without notice. Cast and performance schedule are subject to change. Standard service fees apply to all phone and internet orders.




Learn more about Tom Stoppard's ARCADIA at Wikipedia.org

The cast of ARCADIA discusses the play on Youtube - watch here.

Battle of the Playwrights

web site

Times Square, New York-> Battle of the Playwrights.

DEADLINE May 20, 2011 3 Minute Play Festival. The bash will be June 27 - 29th, 2011. This production will be performed in our theater, The Shell Theater, located in Times Square. Chosen plays will be posted May 23rd, 2011

Turtle Shell Production is seeking short plays, 60 – 180 seconds in length, for a short play festival in June – no more than two plays per playwright. Please send your 1 to 3 minute play(s) to oneminuteplayfest @yahoo .com , including a statement giving Turtle Shell permission to produce your play(s) and a phone number where you can be reached. The selected playwrights will be notified and their names posted on our website at turtleshellproductions.com. The plays will be presented on June 27 - 29nd in our theater located in Times Square, NY

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Sight/Site Specific Video Monologues: NYC

web site

Sight/Site Specific Video Monologues: NYC

We are looking for 60 second monologues about incredible sights at incredible sites in New York City.

Were you recently chilling on the Great Lawn in Central Park with a friend and ended up witnessing a mugging? While waiting on the subway platform for the F train did you get flashed by a woman in a trench coat? Were you sipping coffee in a café near the GW Bridge when you looked up to meet your future fiance? Write about it!

We want your 60 second submission about amazing sights at amazing locations – sight/site specific monologues about incredible events at specific spots in NYC.

Your monologue should be:

“Sight specific” – about an event you witnessed/experienced and “site specific” – set in a specific NYC location and

Around 60 seconds in length (hint: that’s way less than a page in length).

Submissions should be sent to michole@projectytheatre.org IN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL no later than May 20, 2011.

NO ATTACHMENTS WILL BE OPENED.

We will choose our top 5 choices to be announced on our blog and website June 25, 2011. The 5 winning monologues will be cast, shot, and fully produced by Project Y and released on our website and YouTube.

Athena Theatre submission guidelines

web site

Guidelines:
Athena Theatre is seeking plays to read in our monthly play reading series. The purpose of this series is to develop new works which explore a new voice, expresses storytelling in an unconventional way, challenges both the artists as well as the audience to think outside of the box. The play may explore views on religion, race, gender, politics, social change, hunger, blindness or disability of any kind.

Please note we are only considering staged plays at this time with a cast of ten or less.

From the play reading series, a play will be picked to develop into a staged reading. The staged readings will be performed on a quarterly basis. Please check back to view our staged reading schedule.

When submitting please include all of the following:

-a brief cover letter stating how you think your play fits our mission statement as well as the how it relates to our past productions.

-a one page summary

-character breakdown.

We will contact you within one month if we are interested in doing a play reading of your play. The play reading series was developed to explore original work.

E-mail to: Patrick Varon (Literary Manager)OriginalPlay@athenatheatre.com

PLEASE NOTE: As Athena Theatre transitions to producing in Los Angeles as well as New York, we cannot review unsolicited play submissions.

If your play is solicited, please indicate whom referred you and let us know how your play relates to our season.

We are only accepting full length plays at this time. Please do not submit one acts, short plays or musicals. We are particularly interested in a new voice, a new kind of story telling, a style which is unconventional. Thank you.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Play of the Month - June 2011

Announcing NYCPlaywrights June 2011 Play of the Month call for submissions.

Send your 10-minute play to NYCPlaywrights.

One play is selected from the submissions for that month and NYCPlaywrights videorecords a reading of the play. The play will be posted on the NYCPlaywrights web site.

For more details about the play of the month project go to this page on the site: play of the month or click the tab at the top of this web page.

Since the NYCPlaywrights web site is viewed by 2,500+ unique visitors per month, there is the potential for many more people to see a reading-performance of the play than at a typical 10-minute play festival.

10-Minute Play of the Month: JUNE 2011

The theme for June is "down the shore" - which is a mid-Atlantic states expression for going to an oceanside beach.

Some plays that might meet the theme - a day at the beach, a scene set in Atlantic City, a sailboat trip on the ocean.

Deadline: Sunday, June 5, 2011, 11:59 PM

1. Send only one ten minute play per author to
info@nycplaywrights.org.

2. The script submission should be sent by email, with the play itself
as a file attached to the email. File format should be in either
Microsoft Word (.doc) or .pdf.

3. The script can be no longer than 10 pages (not including title
page, setting info page, etc. but only from where the actual on-stage
directions and dialog begin.)

4. The script should be in standard playscript format. If you are not
sure what that is, see this page on the NYCPlaywrights web site:

http://nycp.blogspot.com/p/playscript-formatting-template.html

Plays that are not in standard format will be rejected immediately.

5. Make sure you have your name and your email address on the title
page of the script.

6. Plays can be from anybody, anywhere in the world, but must be
primarily in English (a few non-English phrases are acceptable, but
the phrases must include English translations in production notes or
stage directions.)

7. There is no fee for submission - and no payment given for the plays
selected. Do not send a submission if you are expecting monetary
compensation.

8. The NYCPlaywrights selection decision is final and NYCPlaywrights
reserves the right to select no plays from those submitted.

9. The selected play will be videotaped as a reading during an
NYCPlaywrights meeting and posted shortly after, during the month of
June.

10. The playwright will be asked to review the video recording before
it is made public.

11. The video recording of the play reading will be posted to the
NYCPlaywrights YouTube account and from there embedded into the
NYCPlaywrights blog. The embedded section may be an excerpt of the
play reading rather than the entire reading.

12. The play must reflect the month's theme in some meaningful way.

Any questions email Nancy at info@nycplaywrights.org

Saturday, May 7, 2011

May 2011 Play of the Month: THANK EMILY by Richard Manley

The May Play of the Month has been selected: Richard Manley's THANK EMILY.

The reading of the play will be video-recorded and posted to the NYCPlaywrights web site by the end of May 2011.

Friday, May 6, 2011

National Ten-Minute Play Contest

web site

The guidelines for the National Ten-Minute Play Contest are changing! Please read the following policies carefully before submitting your play.

Beginning in 2011, we are redirecting the focus of the Contest toward the primary production opportunity for ten-minute plays at Actors Theatre: The Apprentice/Intern Tens. An annual event that takes place in January, the A/I Tens consist of a bill of 8-10 world premiere ten-minute plays, fully produced in Actors’ Victor Jory Theatre and performed by our Apprentice Company of young actors.

As a result of this refocusing and our individual programming needs, Actors Theatre of Louisville and City Theatre of Miami will no longer co-sponsor the National Ten-Minute Play Contest, though each theatre will separately continue its commitment to finding and producing excellent ten-minute plays, and getting to know the work of writers around the country. Playwrights who wish to submit a ten-minute play to be considered for City Theatre’s Summer Shorts Festival should visit www.citytheatre.com for more information.

Plays that were submitted in the last round of the Contest, for the November 1, 2010 deadline, will still be considered by both Actors Theatre of Louisville and City Theatre.

What’s Changing?

Characters in submitted plays should be in the age range 18-28.

Beginning with the next contest (deadline: November 1, 2011), submissions will be limited to the first 500 scripts we receive.

In order to level the playing field, scripts will only be accepted between September 1st and November 1st. Effective immediately, scripts sent outside this window will no longer be accepted. Please do not send your script before September 1!

If your play is received after we’ve hit the 500-script mark, you will be notified.

If you submitted a play before we posted these new guidelines on March 1, 2011, it has been entered into our current contest cycle, whether or not it was submitted by the November 1, 2010 deadline. You will be notified if your play is a finalist in the summer of 2011. This exception applies only to scripts mailed before March 1.

Entries will be acknowledged by postcard in January. Writers whose plays are selected for production will be notified by December 2012.

And, As Ever:

Each playwright may submit only one script—send us your best!

We are unable to accept electronic submissions.

No scripts will be returned.

Each script must be no more than ten pages long. (We start counting pages after the title page and character list, if applicable.)

Previously submitted plays, plays that have received an Equity production, musicals, children’s shows, and any unsolicited longer one-act or full-length plays are not accepted and will not be returned nor receive a response. Plays that have received Equity waiver showcase productions are eligible.

Each manuscript must be typed and individually bound or stapled.

Title page must include the playwright’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address.

The volume of scripts submitted hampers our ability to comment individually on each work, so we do not offer criticism.

All ten-minute plays will be considered for the Heideman Award ($1000)* and production in the Apprentice/Intern Tens, an annual event in the winter.

Playwrights must be citizens or permanent residents of the USA.

Panowski playwriting award

web site

The Playwriting Award was established in 1977 by the Forest Roberts Theatre at Northern Michigan University. From 1978 through 1993, the Shiras Institute, a prominent Upper Michigan philanthropic fund, participated in this event, which was known as the Shiras Institute/Forest Roberts Theatre Playwriting Award. Beginning with the fourteenth annual competition, Dr. James A. Panowski, director of the Forest Roberts Theatre, has provided financial assistance for the competition in memory of his parents, Albert and Mildred Panowski. In 1993, Dr. Panowski became the sole benefactor of the competition, which now bears the name of his parents. The award is designed to encourage and stimulate artistic growth among educational and professional playwrights. It provides students and faculty the unique opportunity to mount and produce an original work on the university stage. The playwright will benefit from seeing the work on its feet in front of an audience and from professional adjudication by guest critics.

Judging

Each play will be read and judged by members of a screening committee. Semi-finalists will be read by a select departmental committee and finalists will be judged by an undergraduate and graduate theatre student, the director, the designer, a playwriting instructor and an at-large play reader.

Award

~ $2,000 cash award to the winning playwright.

~A fully-mounted production during the following year’s theatre season.

~ The winning playwright will be flown to Marquette to serve as Artist-in-Residence the week of the show.

~ The production of the winning play may be entered in the American College Theatre Festival competition.

~ Room and board will be provided.

~ Classroom and media appearances, along with conducting seminars and workshops will be part of the residency.

~ The winning playwright may be asked to participate in a script development workshop, working with a professional dramaturge, the director, and an assembled cast.

Transportation, room and board will be provided.

Winning Playwright

Northern Michigan University has the right to produce the play for five performances, as part of the theatre season and for any additional performances if entered in the American College Theatre Festival.

Northern Michigan University has the right to use the name of the play and the author's name in publicity and promotion.

Northern Michigan University has the right to negotiate with the playwright for future productions of the work.

In the event of all subsequent publications or productions of the winning manuscript (or versions thereof), and as one of the stipulations of the award, the author agrees to indicate in a footnote or in the playbill that the script won the Mildred and Albert Panowski Playwriting Award by the Forest Roberts Theatre at Northern Michigan University.

Northern Michigan University will not make any additional claims to the use of the script.

The winning playwright is ineligible to enter future playwriting competitions at Northern Michigan University.

The Forest Roberts Theatre reserves the right to video tape the production for archival purposes and/or the Kennedy Center/ American College Theatre Festival

Playwriting Competition Rules

1. There is a broad theme selected each year for the competition that entries for that year must adhere to. There is no restriction to style.

1.2. Theme:

The Panowski Playwriting Competition theme for entries submitted during 2011-2012 is “environmental issues.” This includes but is not limited to sustainability, climate, biodiversity, conservation, natural disasters, environmental health, natural resources and resource depletion, population effects, land use, energy, etc.

2. The competition is open to any playwright, but only one play per playwright may be entered per year.

3. Entries must be original, full-length plays or musicals. They also may be co-authored, based upon factual material or an adaptation. The applicant must be the owner and controller of the copyright. The legal clearance of materials not in the public domain is the full responsibility of the playwright.

4.One-act plays and works previously entered in playwriting competitions sponsored by Northern Michigan University are ineligible.

5. Submission is restricted to plays that have not been previously produced or published.

6. No revisions will be accepted once a script has been submitted.

7. No written or oral critique will be given on plays submitted.

8 .Entries may be submitted starting February 15, 2011 must be received no later than September 1, 2011 to be considered for the current theme. The Winner will be announced in December.

9. Northern Michigan University reserves the right to accept or reject any play entered in the contest.

10. Paper scripts must be securely bound within a notebook, cover or folder and clearly identified. All entries must be accompanied with a synopsis, unbound from the script, of no more than one page. Scripts bound with staples or fasteners are not acceptable. They must be either typewritten or word processed. Entries not meeting these criteria will be disqualified.

11. By submitting a paper copy of the script the playwright agrees to allow their work to be scanned into a PDF.

12. Each paper script must be accompanied with a stamped, self-addressed envelope and a 3 X 5" index card with:

Name
Address
City, State & ZIP
Area Code & Phone Number
E-mail Address
TITLE OF PLAY

Index card should be paper-clipped to the script!

IMPORTANT:

13. Paper entries not accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient postage will not be returned.

14. All entries will be handled with extreme care, but Northern Michigan University cannot assume responsibility for lost or damaged scripts. It is suggested that playwrights retain copies of their scripts.

The Chameleon Theatre Circle is seeking original works

web site

12th Annual New Play Contest

The Chameleon Theatre Circle is seeking original works that have never been produced. All styles and genres are welcomed (i.e. one-acts, musicals, full length dramas, etc.). The winning plays will be showcased in a concert-format festival in September 2011. All shows submitted will automatically be placed on the slate of shows in consideration for the 2012/2013 season by the Season Planning Committee. The submission deadline is May 31, 2011.

SUBMITTING GUIDELINES
There is no submission fee! You much send three (3) copies of each script, one (1) copy of our 12th Annual New Play Contest Entry Form. Do not bind any author identification with your scripts. We will distribute the scripts "blind" to our readers for complete objectivity. Do not bind any author identification with your scripts. We will distribute the scripts “blind” to our readers for complete objectivity. Include the show’s title on at least the first bound page. Once the winning scripts have been chosen they will be published on our Web site.

We do not accept plays that have been previously produced. We do accept plays that have had workshops and other readings. Receipt of play(s) will be acknowledged only by request by e-mail. Scripts are non-returnable.

TEN-MINUTE PLAYS
Three to five winners will receive $25 each plus a reading at the New Play Festival. All short plays will be entered in this contest. Generally, scripts of about 15 pages or less will fall into this category.

ONE-ACTS
One to two winners will receive $50 each plus a reading at the New Play Festival. Any play that can be joined with one or two other shows of similar length to make up a complete evening of theatre will be entered in this contest. Generally, scripts of about 20-60 pages will fall into this category.

FULL-LENGTH
One winner will receive $100 plus a reading at the New Play Festival. Any play that can constitute a complete evening of theatre will be entered in this contest. It is important to note that these shows can be one, two, or more acts, as long as it makes up a complete evening of theatre.

MUSICALS
If five or more musicals are submitted, the theatre reserves the right to create a "musical" category. Musicals are defined as any original play using original or rights permitted musical dialogue to further the story and/or the characters. In the absence of enough qualifying scripts, or if the theatre determines not to create an additional category, any musical will be entered into the appropriate category as defined above.

THEATRE-FOR-YOUTH
If five or more plays intended for and/or by youth are submitted, the theatre reserves the right to create a “theatre-for-youth” category. Theatre-For-Youth plays are defined as any original play intended for young audiences, young participants, or both. In the absence of enough qualifying scripts, or if the theatre determines not to create an additional category, any theatre for youth submission will be entered into the appropriate category as defined above.

OVERALL-CONTEST WINNER/AUDIENCE-FAVORITE WINNER
At the theatre's discretion, we reserve the right to designate or not designate an "Overall Contest Winner" from any category and an "Audience-Favorite Winner" from any category at the conclusion of the New Play Festival. No additional prize money is awarded, just bragging rights.

Each playwright may submit up to two plays in any of these combinations:

* One full-length play
* One one-act
* One ten-minute play
* One full-length play and One one-act
* One full-length play and One ten-minute play
* Two one-acts
* Two ten-minute plays
* One one-act and One ten-minute play

Please submit three (3) copies of each script, plus one (1) entry form by May 31, 2011* (in hand, not postmarked) to:

The Chameleon Theatre Circle
12th Annual New Play Contest
P.O. Box 240069
Apple Valley, MN 55124-0069

*This is a rolling deadline. Any plays submitted after this date will be considered for the following year's contest.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

April 2011 Play of the Month: TRANS-FORMATION by Elaine Romero



Here is the recording of the April 2011 Play of the Month: TRANS-FORMATION by Elaine Romero. Performed by Alice Anne English, Mike Durell, and Allan Brown doing stage directions. Thanks to everybody for your great work and sharing your talent.

We asked Elaine what inspired the play:

I wrote the play for a couple of reasons. I'd been thinking about the representation of women in the theatre. I'd been thinking about opportunities for women playwrights. I'd been thinking about all the women who dedicate their lives to the acting craft and wait for the roles that we may never write for them, or manage to get produced for them. I kept thinking about all this waiting, and in the play, declared: WE SHALL WAIT NO LONGER.

And, perhaps the biggest thing, is a close friend underwent gender reassignment surgery during the same time. As Alison shared her life story with me, I realized my character could have another layer of her quest. I think plays can mean many things at once and perhaps this one does. And not to overload the why question, but I'd been working on a play about a transgendered historical character, CATALINA DE ERAUSO, and I often write a sister play in conjunction with my longer pieces.

more about Elaine here...
The submissions for the May Play of the Month are currently being reviewed and we will announce the winner within the next week.

Blog Archive