Special Call for Scripts, Fall/Winter 2013–2014

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The American Indian Boarding School

Native Voices at the Autry is America’s premier Equity theatre company dedicated to the development and production of new works by Native American, Alaska Native, Pacific Island, and First Nations playwrights.

We are currently seeking scripts that specifically address the American Indian boarding school system and surrounding issues. A part of American history not found in the average textbook, Indian boarding schools were first instituted in the late nineteenth century and operated well into the twentieth century. They were established as a means of assimilating Native American children into the Anglicized, Christian belief system. Many have described the boarding schools as a system of cultural genocide, especially in light of reported abuses that took place in the schools.

Scripts may address the Indian boarding school from either contemporary or historical perspectives. They may focus on the experience of students, families, the boarding school itself, or on related issues stemming from the boarding school system. We invite engagement with topics such as the continued imprint of the boarding school on Native American families and cultural memory; the ongoing effort to preserve Native languages and religious practices in a post–boarding-school era; or parallels between the failures of the Indian boarding school system and the problems that plague our school systems today. Other ideas might include stories of success brought on by access to education; the World War II Code Talkers or other Indian leaders or activists who came from the boarding school system; or the struggle to reconcile assimilation with the pressing need for cultural preservation.

Please note that we only accept submissions written for the stage or theatre by Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations artists.

Full-Length Plays (60+ pages)
Submissions due February 15, 2014

Where to Send Submissions
We now only accept electronic submissions (in PDF or Word format):
To submit, fill out our online form and upload your materials here.

For questions or more information, e-mail nvliteraryassociate@gmail.com.
Selection Process: Full-length plays (60+ pages) received by February 15, 2014, will be read and evaluated. Select scripts will then be sent to a committee of nationally recognized theatre artists for further evaluation. With their help, Native Voices selects up to five plays for workshops and readings. Playwrights will be notified in May 2014.