The Colonial Players theatre in historic Annapolis is hosting a Promising Playwright Contest for unpublished scripts of all lengths and genres except musicals.
To be considered eligible, playwrights must be residents of one of the original thirteen colonies, West Virginia, or the District of Columbia.
The scripts must be original or adapted with permission, and cast size is limited to 10 actors. The winning script will be offered as a staged reading at the culmination of a summer 2013 weekend workshop. The playwright will be awarded a $1000 cash prize. Detailed contest guidelines and an application form are available on the Downloads page of our website. Scripts can be submitted by mail or electronically and must be received or postmarked no later than December 31, 2012. For more information, contact promisingplaywright@thecolonialplayers.org.
2012 – 2013 PROMISING PLAYWRIGHT CONTEST GUIDELINES
1. The competition is open to any aspiring playwright residing in any of the states descendant from the original 13 colonies (Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia), West Virginia, or Washington, D.C.
2. The Colonial Players, Inc. will accept mailed entries only if they bear postmarks between September 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012. Consideration will not be given to plays received with postmarks before or after this time period. Plays submitted electronically via email must be received by Colonial Players between September 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012. Consideration will not be given to plays that do not comply with these deadlines.
3. The winning play/playwright will be announced no later than May 1, 2013.
4. The Colonial Players, Inc. will present the winning playwright with a cash award of $1,000. The winning play / playwright will be given a weekend-long workshop with participation by the playwright in a rehearsed reading by The Colonial Players, Inc. In addition, The Colonial Players, Inc., at its sole option, may choose to give the play a fully staged production at a future date.
5. The Colonial Players, Inc. will consider one-act and full-length plays. Cast size is limited to ten actors or fewer. Musicals are not eligible.
6. To enter the Contest, contestants must submit:
a. the complete script,
b. a synopsis (two-page limit) of the play,
c. any ten (10) consecutive sample pages from the script, and
d. a completed application form with check-off list (see website).
7. If mailed, the complete script must be typewritten and firmly bound in a cover; no brads, no staples, and no ring binders. For all submissions, entries must comply with all requirements set forth in the Application Form, No. 4, items a through f. The author's name should appear only on the application, not anywhere on any other material. Scripts provided on electronic media (CD, USB drive, etc) will not be considered.
8. The Colonial Players, Inc. will consider only one submission per author or collaborative team. Plays submitted that do not conform to these requirements will not be considered.
9. Plays submitted must be free of royalty and copyright restrictions that would prevent The Colonial Players, Inc. from workshopping or producing the play.
10. No responsibility can be assumed by The Colonial Players, Inc. for lost manuscripts. All reasonable care will be taken to avoid loss. Scripts will not be returned unless accompanied by a manuscript size, self-addressed, and stamped envelope.
11. Printed manuscripts must be sent to The Colonial Players, Inc., Promising Playwright Contest, 108 East St., Annapolis, MD 21401. Electronic copies must be sent to promisingplaywright@thecolonialplayers.org.