National Ten-Minute Play Contest

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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.

Submission Guidelines:

• Characters in submitted plays should be in the age range 18-28.
• Submissions will be limited to the first 500 scripts we receive each year.
• In order to level the playing field, scripts will only be accepted during a focused submission window of September 1-November 1.  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.
• Entries will be acknowledged by postcard in December. Playwrights will be notified of their finalist or non-finalist status the following summer.
• 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.