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Thursday, October 30, 2014

Actors Theatre of Louisville 2015 NATIONAL TEN-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL

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Established in 1989, the National Ten-Minute Play Contest remains one of the most enduring and significant means by which the literary staff at Actors Theatre of Louisville connects with American playwrights and is introduced to vibrant new voices for the stage.

We will accept submissions for the 2015 National Ten-Minute Play Contest from September 1 – November 1, 2014 (postmark dates).

Established in 1989, the National Ten-Minute Play Contest remains one of the most enduring and significant means by which the literary staff at Actors Theatre of Louisville connects with American playwrights and is introduced to vibrant new voices for the stage. We consider all submissions for the Heideman Award—a $1,000 cash prize given out each January—as well as for production in the Apprentice/Intern Tens and the Humana Festival of New American Plays.

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 at Actors Theatre of Louisville and performed by our Apprentice Company of young actors.

Contest Guidelines:
- Scripts should be submitted between September 1-November 1 (postmark dates).
- Characters in submitted plays should be in the age range 18-28.
- Each script must be no more than ten pages long. (We start counting pages after the title page and character list, if applicable.) Title page must include the playwright’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address. Each manuscript must be typed and individually bound or stapled.
- Each playwright may submit only one script—send us your best!
- 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. Playwrights must be citizens or permanent residents of the USA.
- We are unable to accept electronic submissions. Please mail submissions to: National Ten-Minute Play Contest, Actors Theatre of Louisville, 316 West Main Street, Louisville, KY 40202-4218.
- Submissions are limited to the first 500 scripts we receive each year. 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. No scripts will be returned.
- 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)*, as well as for production in the Apprentice/Intern Tens and the Humana Festival of New American Plays.

*The Heideman Award was established in 1979. Made possible by the late Ted Heideman, a Louisvillian, the $1,000 cash prize is bestowed annually upon the winner of the National Ten-Minute Play Contest (1990 – present).

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Tiny Theater Application call at The Brick

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Tiny Theater
December 12 & 13, 2014
A mini theater festival performed in a box.

TINY THEATER = theater / dance / dance-theater / puppet-theater / object-theater / installation that takes place in a 6' x 6' x 6' space — and in under 10 mins. Performers and scenic elements must not exist outside the box at any point during each piece. To apply and for more information, click herehttp://goo.gl/forms/LF6LofWVoM

Deadline: November 1
Notifications: November 5th


Monday, October 27, 2014

PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Awards

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PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Awards for Master American Dramatist, Playwright in Mid-Career, and Emerging Playwright ($7,500 and $2,500)

Three awards from PEN and the Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater honor a Grand Master of American Theater, a mid-career playwright with an outstanding voice, and an emerging playwright who demonstrates great promise.

Three playwrights are selected for the following honors: a specially commissioned art object will be presented to a master American dramatist, in recognition of his or her body of work; a cash prize of $7,500 will be awarded to an American playwright in mid-career, whose literary achievements are vividly apparent in the rich and striking language of his or her work; and a cash prize of $2,500 will be awarded to an emerging American playwright whose work to date has demonstrated initial critical success and poses great promise of further dramatic achievement.

In all three cases, PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater honorees are writers working indisputably at the highest level of achievement. The awards were developed to reflect Laura Pels’s dedication to supporting excellence in American theatre as well as PEN’s commitment to recognizing and rewarding the playwright’s literary accomplishment.

Eligibility and Nominations for the 2015 Awards

Deadline:
Submissions are now open. Nominations for the 2015 Awards will be accepted between September 1, 2014 and October 31, 2014.

Who is eligible:
Award for Master American Dramatist: candidates are proposed by the judges. Nominations are not accepted.

Award for an American Playwright in Mid-career ($7,500): candidates must be playwrights writing in English who have had a professional production of at least two full-length works mounted in a theatre of at least 299 seats and contracted specifically for either limited or open runs. Authors who have written only one-acts or books for musicals, or who have only translated the works of others for English-language audiences, will not be considered. The work of writers produced by regional theaters across the United States will be given consideration equal to work produced in major metropolitan centers.
Award for an Emerging American Playwright ($2,500): candidates must be playwrights writing in English who have had a professional production of at least one full-length work contracted specifically for either limited or open runs. Authors who have written only one-acts or books for musicals, or who have only translated the works of others for English-language audiences, will not be considered. The work of writers produced by regional theaters across the United States will be given consideration equal to work produced in major metropolitan centers.

How to submit a nomination:
Award for Master American Dramatist: candidates are proposed by the judges. Nominations are not accepted.
Award for an American Playwright in Mid-Career: Playwrights may not apply on their own behalf. They must be nominated by their peers—producers, agents, critics, or other playwrights—who are expected to write a letter of support, describing in some detail the literary character of the candidate’s work, accompanied by a list of the candidate’s produced work.
Award for an Emerging American Playwright: Playwrights may not apply on their own behalf. They must be nominated by their peers—producers, agents, critics, or other playwrights—who are expected to write a letter of support, describing in some detail the literary character of the candidate’s work, accompanied by a list of the candidate’s produced work. Electronic copies of the playwright's work may be requested by the judges.

Please send nominations to:

PEN/Laura Pels Intl Foundation for Theater Awards
PEN American Center
588 Broadway, Suite 303
New York, NY 10012

For more information, please contact awards@pen.org.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

CALL FOR MUSICAL THEATRE PLAYS - THE RICHARD RODGERS AWARDS 2014

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The American Academy of Arts and Letters seeks musicals, plays with songs, thematic revues, or any other comparable work for its 2014 Richard Rodgers Awards. These awards, created and endowed by Richard Rodgers in 1978 for the development of the musical theater, subsidize full productions, studio productions, and staged readings by nonprofit theaters in New York City of works by composers and writers who are not already established in this field. The winners are selected by a jury of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

A. REQUIREMENTS AND ELIGIBILITY

1. The term musical theater is understood to include musicals, plays with songs, thematic revues, or any comparable work. The submission of innovative and experimental work is encouraged. The work submitted must be of significant length to fill an evening, and it may consist of a group of smaller, related pieces.

2. The jury will consider only completed works. Care should be taken to submit the work in its best possible form as it may not be submitted again, in another year, even if substantially revised.

3. Only one submission by a collaborative group or a sole creator will be accepted. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

4. Works by members of the Academy and previous winners of the production awards are not eligible for consideration. Former winners of Richard Rodgers awards for staged readings or studio productions may submit new works.

5. An applicant whose works in the musical theater have received professional or amateur productions in New York City or out of town is eligible unless, in the judgment of the jury, the applicant has already achieved significant recognition in the field of musical theater through the work submitted or through any previous work. Under special circumstances and at the discretion of the jury, applicants who have achieved recognition in fields outside the musical theater may be eligible. Works which have been produced by professional theater companies before a paying audience are eligible only if such productions received no more than 21 performances by a for-profit company or 50 performances by a nonprofit company.

B. SUBMISSION OF MATERIAL

1. The name(s) of the author(s) must be blocked out on each of the items submitted, with the exception of the application form. Write only the title of the work on the script, plot summary, CD.

2. Entry must include four items:

a) Script with lyrics, preferably with no binders or metal clips. Do not send score, videos, or visuals.

b) Half-page synopsis of the action, and a list of characters.

c) CD must contain at least 45 minutes of music, including a minimum of eight songs, recorded in chronological order. Orchestrations are not necessary; piano and vocals are sufficient. Songs must be in sequence on the CD and each song clearly keyed into the script. Please include a separate track sheet of recorded songs with page numbers indicating where they appear in the script, and specify the total number of minutes recorded.

d) Application form signed by all collaborators in a sealed envelope with the title of the work on the outside. Applicants submitting work which has already been produced must give full information concerning these productions, including programs. A work is not eligible if one of the collaborators is deceased.

3. If the submitted work (or a portion thereof) is an adaptation of material which is not in the public domain, candidates must submit licenses, permissions, or authorizations necessary to permit the work to be produced in conformity with applicable copyright laws. The music must be original.

4. Materials will be returned if a self-addressed, stamped mailer is enclosed. Addresses must be valid for at least six months. The Academy will take all due care of materials, but it cannot be held responsible for their safe return.

5. Applicants will be notified of the jurys decision by March 2015.

C. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1. All rights to the material submitted shall remain the property of the author(s); the Academy will not retain any control over, or rights in, the work after the award production.

2. The decisions of the jury will be final as to eligibility and all other matters.

DEADLINE: MATERIAL MUST BE RECEIVED BY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2014

Saturday, October 25, 2014

CALL FOR 10-MINUTE LGBTQ PLAY

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Call for Submissions for the third BUA Takes 10: LGBT Short Stories evening of ten-minute plays. BUA Takes 10 will run three weekends from March 27-April 11, 2015 at Buffalo United Artists at Alleyway Theatre, 672 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14202.

Submission Guidelines:

*All plays must have an LGBT theme that is central to the play’s premise. (This means that changing pronouns on another play probably won’t work.)

*Playwrights may submit one or two plays, but if you submit two, please do so in separate emails.

*Please don’t resubmit plays that were submitted previous years. You think we don’t remember, but elephants got nothing on us.

*All plays must be no longer than ten minutes, which may actually mean fewer than ten pages. If you’re not sure, please read it aloud. No exceptions, no matter how brilliant the extra minutes may be. We mean it.

*All plays must have minimal set requirements. Plays chosen will receive full productions at BUA’s black box theater, but with ten plays being performed, there is no time for elaborate set changes.

*Please email LGBT ten-minute plays with minimal set requirements to buasubmissions@gmail.com in standard format in Word or PDF.
*Email subject line should have your name and title of your play, e.g. MARY BROWN/MY AWESOME GAY PLAY.

*Body of email should contain contact information (including email and phone) and the play’s production history ONLY. You don’t have to write a cover letter, so please don’t. Anything other than the requested information is only going to give us a bad first impression (i.e. you don’t follow rules).

*Submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines will not be considered.

The Deadline:

Submissions must be received by October 31, 2014. We prefer earlier to later, as we read and cull as the submissions come in.
You will receive a confirmation email when we receive your play. Finalists will be notified by email by January 15, 2015, and the selected playwrights will be announced on Official Playwrights of Facebook. We are sorry we cannot respond to each individual playwright.

The Producer:

Buffalo United Artists will provide directors, actors, designers, and technical crew for the run of the show. If necessary, directors will contact playwrights at the start of or during the rehearsal process. For more information about Buffalo United Artists, please visit our Web site: http://www.buffalobua.org. Dates are tentatively set for March 27-April 11, 2015, but are subject to change.
The Production:

Plays will be presented together as an evening of theater. Chosen playwrights will receive a copy of the program, four complimentary tickets to be used any night of the run, and a $25 royalty. If you’re here in person—which we strongly encourage—you’ll get some free drinks, too.

If you have questions, please contact buasubmissions@gmail.com

DAYTON PLAYHOUSE FUTUREFEST

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NOTE: Submission fee is waived for members of the Dramatists Guild.

2015 is the 25th year for the Dayton Playhouse’s one-of-a kind New Works Play Festival.

Visit  www.daytonplayhouse.com for complete submission guideline information.      

$20 submission fee.  This fee is waived for members of the Dramatists GuildChecks and money orders should be made payable to “Dayton Playhouse”.  
   
ELIGIBILITY:  Entry must be an original work (NO musicals, plays with music, or plays for children) that has not been published or produced where admission was charged prior to FF 2015.  

Staged readings/workshop productions are not disqualifying factors.

DEADLINES:   Submissions will be accepted August 1 through October 31 (postmark).

SCRIPTS: Submit a blind copy of your script, securely bound, typed in standard play format, with pages numbered.  Include a list of characters/descriptions, scene breakdown, and a brief synopsis of your play. Your script(s) should be accompanied by a cover letter, including playwright contact information (address, phone #, e-mail address) and resume.  If applicable, also submit a photocopy of your Dramatists Guild membership card.

Please note that entries that do not comply with our guidelines will not be accepted.

If mailing, submit via Media Mail.  If you would like confirmation that we received your script, include a SASP (no envelopes).  Eliminated scripts will not be returned.  Script evaluations will not be provided.

CONSENT: Playwright gives the Dayton Playhouse permission to photocopy scripts for reading/production purposes.  Semi-finalists will need to provide a PDF of their script.
                      
Should your script be selected and produced as one of the 6 finalists, you must be  available to attend the weekend festival and participate in all events.

Finalists must acknowledge the Dayton Playhouse if/when script is published.

The winning playwright awards the Dayton Playhouse the option to produce the winning play as part of its main stage season royalty free.

AWARDS: A $1000 honorarium will be awarded to the winning playwright; runners-up each receive $100.  The Dayton Playhouse provides the 6 finalists travel (within the    continental U.S.) to Dayton and housing for FutureFest weekend (July 16 - 19, 2015).

SELECTION PROCESS: 
Each entry is guaranteed a minimum of 3 reads/evaluations.  Readers narrow down the entries to 18 - 20, which are then read by the entire committee who selects the 12 semi-finalists.  A second committee selects the 6 finalists. 
                           

During FutureFest weekend, the plays are staged and publicly adjudicated by a panel of 5 theatre professionals (New York based and regional).  Following the final production of the weekend, the adjudicators vote and select the winner.

 SUBMIT TO:    Dayton Playhouse FutureFest, P.O. Box 3017, Dayton, OH  45401-3017 or email  to futurefest@thedaytonplayhouse.com 

QUESTIONS:   Contact FutureFest Program Director, at futurefest@thedaytonplayhouse.com or  937.424.8477              

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Lightbridge Theatre and James Downing Theatre seeks short plays with a Christmas/Holiday theme


Lightbridge Theatre and James Downing Theatre is in the process of producing a new Christmas/Holiday Short Play Fest Show consisting of several short plays with a Christmas/Holiday theme. We are opening up submissions for writers, actors and directors to have their work seen. This will be a three show event over the course of one weekend. The play will take place either December 5-7 or 12-14 at James Downing Theatre in Edison Park Illinois.

Guidelines are as follows:

Rule: Original Work Only
Theme: Christmas or December Holiday
Style: Comedic, Dramatic or anywhere in between
Language & subject matter: Theatregoers are the general public and may include minors. We request material rated for General Audiences or With Parental Guidance. (PG)
Length: 10 minute play to be delivered by 2, 3 or 4 people on stage
Set: Bare stage (or on the set of the venue’s current show), will have access to minimal props if needed such as tables, chairs, sofa.
Tech: Lights up, Lights down, No specials.

Deadline: October 28th 5:00pm


Along with your play, please include your full name, email, phone number and a 50 word bio for the program.

***Also include written permission for us to perform and videotape your written work. If chosen, you will be notified via email by 11/5/14.

This is an unpaid gig. If your play is selected, as a writer you would be invited to attend the show for free, your play would get production credit and we would give you a link to the show video.

If you're interested in submitting, we are looking for 7 short plays approximately 10 minutes in length for this show. You can send in more than one if you like. We will choose 7 entries for the show. Selections will be at our discretion as to what fits into the theme and guidelines. 

American Renaissance Theater Company (ARTC) is seeking new playwright members

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ARTC is a 39 year-old membership organization of theatre professionals. Each week, in a Chelsea area studio, our workshop provides uniquely specific and supportive feedback to our members - actors, writers, and directors - as they present their works in progress. We also produce several public presentations each year as well as occasional Equity Showcases. There are no dues or fees except for a suggested donation at meetings.

Membership is via application and interview.

If interested, please submit a professional resume and a 10/15 page writing sample to: artcorg@gmail.com

Please be sure to put Playwright Submissions in the subject line.

















The Great Gay Play and Musical Contest


Dramatists Guild Members are exempt from paying this entry fee by using the discount code 2014DG when applying. You will be asked to provide your DG number.

The Great Gay Play and Musical Contest seeks to develop the highest quality work with LGBT characters or themes. We seek material that is innovative and groundbreaking, and that deals with LGBT history, or issues of importance to the community. While we do appreciate the traditional well made play with LGBT themes, we like hearing fresh stories told in new ways. and we hope to begin relationships with writers looking to engage in that work.

As you explore our website, you will see on our production history that we have already produced world premieres of material that has been developed in the contest. And we have produced Chicago premieres of work done elsewhere, along with historical LGBT pieces. http://pridefilmsandplays.com/pfp-production-history-and-awards/

And while there is an entry fee to apply, Dramatists Guild Members are exempted from that fee.

Awards & Prizes

The contest generally has a semi-final round, and a final round of up to five finalists. The finalists receive $400 cash prize and a chance to work with the artists of Pride Films and Plays to develop their work in rehearsals in Chicago. The finalists work is presented in 'enhanced staged readings' performed at the Center on Halsted, and featuring members of the PFP Artistic Ensemble along with guest artists.

Rules & Terms

Pride Films and Plays
www.PrideFilmsandPlays.com
773 250 3112
Pridefilmsandplays@gmail.com

The Great Gay Play and Musical Contest

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN A PRIZE. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. The entry period for The Great Gay Play Contest (the "Contest"), sponsored by Pride Film and Plays (the “Sponsor”), an Illinois not-for-profit corporation, begins September 1, 2014 at 12:01 am. Central Time (CT) and ends October 31, 2014 at 11:59:59 p.m. CT (the “Entry Period”; October 31, 2014 will be referred to as the “Deadline Date”). Sponsor’s computer is the official timekeeping device for the Contest. Void where prohibited by law.

1. ENTRANT ELIGIBILITY:

The Contest is open to individuals who are at least eighteen (18) years of age or the age of majority in the state/country/province in which they reside on the date of entry who are legal residents of, and physically residing in, one of the fifty (50) United States (excluding Puerto Rico, United States territories, possessions, and protectorates, and foreign based United States military installations) or one of the following countries:

Albania Hungary
Andorra Iceland
Argentina Ireland
Armenia Israel
Austria Italy
Australia Jamaica
Azerbaijan Japan
Bahamas South Korea
Belarus Latvia
Belgium Liechtenstein
Bolivia Lithuania
Bosnia/Herzegovina Luxembourg
Brazil Malta
Bulgaria Mexico
Canada Monaco
Chile Montenegro
Columbia Netherlands
Costa Rica New Zealand
Cyprus Norway
Czech Republic Poland
Denmark Portugal
Egypt Romania
Estonia Russia
Ecuador Slovakia
Finland Slovenia
France South Africa
Germany Spain
Georgia Sweden
Greece Switzerland
Hong Kong United Kingdom
Venezuela

Sponsor, employees of Sponsor, prize donors and all of their respective partners, parent companies, divisions, subsidiaries, affiliates, trustees, franchisees, licensees, distributors, advertising, promotion and public relations agencies and their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, independent contractors, representatives and agencies (collectively, the "Sponsor Entities") are not eligible to participate in the Contest and/or win the Prize (as defined below). Additionally, relatives of such employees and persons living in the same household as such employees (whether related or not) are not eligible to win. For the purposes of this Contest, “relatives” is defined as spouse, domestic partner, parent, in-laws, grandparent, brother, sister, children and grandchildren.

2. ELIGIBILITY:

All plays and musicals entered into the Contest must be original. Plays or musicals adapted from pre-existing material will not be accepted, unless the author of the Play is also the owner of the material from which the Play is adapted or has the rights to said material. Plays must be written in standard play format, in English and can be no more than 120 8 ½” x 11” pages in length and in PDF format. The title of your PDF should be the exact title of your play – or your play title with GGPC – but should not include your name or any other words in the title. Do not put any information on or in the play that would identify you and/or your co-author(s) including, without limitation, your name, your co-author’s name(s), your contact information or your co-author’s contact information. Entrants will be judged only on the play accompanying their entries. Entrants will not be allowed to rewrite or correct their plays once submitted. Do not submit anything with your play including artwork. Any additional material accompanying the play will be discarded.

Scripts that have no production history will be accepted. We will also consider scripts that have been supported with staged readings or workshops as well as scripts that at the time of entry have had one community theater, educational theater, or one non-Equity production (which ran for no more than 25 performances). Plays which have received Equity productions are not eligible.

Plays which do not meet the above requirements will be disqualified.

Be sure to retain a copy of your play because Sponsor will not return the play you submit for the Contest.

3. HOW TO ENTER:

You can enter the Contest via the Internet only.

There is a fee to enter the Contest (the “Fee”). Members of the Dramatists Guild and the PFP Writers Network are exempt from that fee. Entries must be paid with Visa/MasterCard/American Express/Discover. The amount of the Fee is based on the date of entry as follows:

Date of Entry Fee

September 1 to September 30, 2014 US $30.00
October 1 to October 31, 2014 US $45.00
Dramatists Guild Members are exempt from paying this entry fee by using the discount code 2014DG when applying. You will be asked to provide your DG number.

To enter, log on to www.filmfreeway.com, find the information on our Contest page, and follow the appropriate links to register. Register for the Contest by including your name, your mailing address, your primary phone number (with area code/country code), your cell phone number or alternate phone number (if any) (with area code/country code), your birth date and your e-mail address. You will attach your script to the Film Freeway entry, and need not send it any other way. Music for musicals (in mp3 filesO should be emailed to PrideMusical@gmail.com. Entry can only be made electronically – no snail mail applications will be accepted under any circumstances.

Authors may enter one play only in the contest.

Entries submitted or received after the Deadline Date will be disqualified.

4. SELECTION OF CONTEST WINNER

The Contest winner will be determined by two (2) rounds of judging. Each round will be judged by a panel of judges selected by Sponsor in its sole discretion.

Subject to the provisions of this Paragraph 4, the first round panel judges will judge all eligible play entries received by the Deadline Date. That panel will select up to five (5) finalists based on the following judging criteria: play characters (20%); dialogue (20%); story and structure (20%); originality (20%); and overall impression (20%) (collectively, the “Judging Criteria”). Judge’s comments/forms will not be made available to Contest entrants.

Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary and in the event that fewer than twenty (20) entries are received by the Deadline Date, the Sponsor has the right to cancel the Contest. In the event of such cancellation, all entry fees will be returned.

Each finalist will be notified via telephone and/or e-mail on or about January 2, 2015 that he/she, subject to verification, is a finalist. If a potential finalist, within two (2) days of Sponsor’s first attempt to reach him/her: (i) cannot be reached, (ii) fails to respond to the notification, (iii) declines to serve as a finalist, and/or (iv) has his/her notification returned as undeliverable, an alternate winner may be selected in Sponsor’s sole discretion. If the potential winner, within five (5) days of notification, (i) fails to return a completed affidavit of eligibility, liability/publicity release, or other documents(s) as required by Sponsor, (ii) fails to provide Sponsor with a copy of his/her valid government-issued photo identification or social security number, and/or (iii) is found to be ineligible, an alternate winner may be selected at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right to modify the notification and affidavit/release procedures in connection with the selection of an alternate winner, if any.

Each finalist’s play will be performed as an enhanced stage reading during the Gay Play and Musical Weekend (the “Festival”) in Chicago, Illinois, USA in the first quarter of 2015, with final dates to be announced. Details of these staged readings are found in the PRIZE section below.

The winner of the Contest will be chosen from the finalists by a third panel of judges which includes PFP’s Artistic Associates and Artistic Ensemble. The Contest winner will be announced at the Festival following the final staged reading.

In the event of a tie in any judging round, the play entry with the highest “overall impression” score will move forward into the next judging round or will be declared the winner in the final judging round. If two or more tied entries have received the same “overall impression” score, the tie will be decided based on the entry with the highest “story and structure” score.

5. PRIZE:

The finalists will receive a prize of $400 each.

In addition each Contest finalist’s play will be performed as an enhanced staged reading at the 2015 Gay Play and Musical Weekend in Chicago, Illinois, at the Hoover-Leppen Theater in the Center on Halsted. Casting for each staged reading will be conducted by Sponsor in advance of that staged reading; cast members for each staged reading will be selected in Sponsor’s sole discretion. Each entrant acknowledges that one performer may perform the role of more than one character in that entrant’s play.

Finalists who wish to attend one or more staged readings are solely responsible for all costs and expenses to attend the reading including, without limitation, transportation to and from Chicago, housing in Chicago, meals and ground transportation in Chicago. Finalists are invited to join their artistic team for up to ten (10) hours of rehearsal in Chicago.

There will be no additional prizes awarded to the winner chosen by the judging panel.

After previous Gay Play Weekends, PFP entered into developmental or production contracts with various finalists. But if one is a finalist in spring 2015, one should not assume that a similar contract will be offered.

Decisions made by Sponsor are final in all matters, including interpretation of these Official Rules and awarding of the Prizes, and cannot be appealed. No substitutions of the Prizes are offered, except that Sponsor and the Sponsor Entities reserve the right in their sole discretion to substitute a Prize(s) or any portion of a Prize(s) for a prize(s) of equal or greater value. No transfer of a Prize(s) to a third party is permitted and the cash value of a Prize(s) will not be awarded in lieu of a Prize where it applies, except in Sponsor’s sole discretion. Any applicable international, federal, state and local taxes, including, without limitation, excise tax (including sales tax), and other expenses not specifically set forth herein are the sole responsibility of the Contest finalists and the Prize winner (as applicable).

6. RIGHTS

By entering, each entrant acknowledges and agrees that Sponsor and the Festival each have the non-exclusive, irrevocable and royalty-free right to make use of that entrant’s play for judging purposes and to perform that entrant’s play as a staged reading at the Festival as further described in the PRIZE section above. Each entrant agrees, as a condition of entry, not to exhibit, disseminate, produce or broadcast, or authorize any third party to exhibit, disseminate, produce or broadcast, in any manner, media or format, the play submitted as part of his/her entry (or portions thereof) for a period of one (1) month following the conclusion of the Contest.

7. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

Each Contest entrant represents and warrants the following:

The entry is submitted voluntarily and is not submitted in confidence, and no confidential relationship between the entrant, Sponsor and Sponsor Entities is intended to be created by these Official Rules or the submission of the entry.

The play is wholly original to the entrant (and any coauthors) and was written solely by the entrant (and any coauthors). Entrant and any coauthors are the sole and exclusive owners of all right, title and interest in and to the play and they have the sole, exclusive and unconditional power and right to submit the play under the terms and conditions of this Contest.

The play has not been copied from any other source or previously broadcast or otherwise distributed or disseminated in any medium or format.

The play is not in the public domain.

The play does not violate the rights, common law, statutory or otherwise, of any person or entity.

Sponsor shall have the right to disqualify any play which, in Sponsor’s sole judgment, violates the representations and warranties contained in this Paragraph 7. Each entrant agrees that he/she will obtain, at entrant’s sole cost and expense, the written permission/consent/release of any person or entity depicted or mentioned in the entrant’s play if in the sole judgment of Sponsor such permission/consent/release is required. If entrant fails to secure such permission/consent/release, Sponsor shall have the right to disqualify the entry.

8. LIMITATION ON LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER:

All entries must be completed in full in order to be eligible. Any attempted form of entry other than as described herein is void. Entries generated by a script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified. No mechanical reproductions, alterations, or forged entries allowed. Incomplete, illegible, and corrupted entries are void. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual (and his/her entry) who tampers with the entry process.

Any person who supplies false information, enters by fraudulent means, or is otherwise determined to be in violation of these Official Rules in an attempt to obtain the Prize will forfeit the Prize won and may be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. You further agree to not knowingly: damage or cause interruption of the Contest; prevent others from using the Contest; or obtain or modify another user's account information without their consent.

CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST VIOLATES CRIMINAL AND/OR CIVIL LAWS. IF SUCH AN ATTEMPT IS MADE, SPONSOR MAY DISQUALIFY ANY CONTEST ENTRANT MAKING SUCH ATTEMPT AND SPONSOR MAY SEEK DAMAGES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

Sponsor and Sponsor Entities are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, destroyed, forged, damaged, tampered with, mass machine generated, unintelligible, incomprehensible, misdirected entries, otherwise not in compliance with these Official Rules or mail related to or resulting from participation in the Contest. Sponsor and Sponsor Entities are also not responsible for Internet traffic congestion, technical, hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed software transmissions which may limit an entrant’s ability to participate in the Contest or damage to user’s system as a result of participation in the Contest or downloading any information necessary to participate in the Contest. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel or modify the Contest if the Contest is not capable of running as planned, including, without limitation, any computer virus, malfunction, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failure or other cause beyond its control which corrupts, threatens or adversely affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper operation of the Contest.

As a condition of entry, you agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor. Except where prohibited by law, by entering this Contest, you consent to (i) the use of your name, voice, picture, likeness, image and biographical data and/or any other information contained in your entry in advertising, promotional and marketing materials by Sponsor and the Sponsor Entities worldwide in all media now known or hereafter discovered (including Sponsor’s and Sponsor Entities’ web sites) without additional compensation, notice, approval or review and (ii) the modification, editing, adaptation, electronic alteration, use, assignment and/or disposal of online entries however it sees fit and for any purpose without any notice or compensation to you or any third parties. By entering this Contest, you agree to waive any right to claim ambiguity with the Official Rules. You acknowledge that if you are chosen as the Contest winner, certain of your personally identifying information may be disclosed to third parties at least as required by law, including, without limitation, on a Winner’s List.

All Prize claims and documents provided by the Winners must be verified by Sponsor.

EACH winner, by acceptance of a Prize, agrees to release Sponsor AND the Sponsor Entities from AND AGAINST any and all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, death, disability, attorneys’ fees, costs of litigation and settlement as well as damages or losses to persons and property that may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership, REDEMPTION or use of A Prize or while traveling to and/or from a location to obtain or use A Prize.

Neither Sponsor nor the Sponsor Entities make any warranty, representation, or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to the use of any Prize including, without limitation, quality, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose. Further, no responsibilities are accepted for any additional expenses, omissions, delays, re-routing, or acts of any government or authority.

Sponsor and Sponsor Entities shall not be liable to any winner or any other person for failure to supply a prize or any part thereof, by reason of any acts of God, any action(s), regulation(s), order(s) or request(s) by any governmental or quasi-governmental entity (whether or not the action(s), regulations(s), order(s) or request(s) prove(s) to be invalid), equipment failure, terrorist acts, earthquake, war, fire, flood, explosion, unusually severe weather, hurricane, embargo, labor dispute or strike (whether legal or illegal), labor or material shortage, transportation interruption of any kind, work slow-down, civil disturbance, insurrection, riot, or any other cause beyond Sponsor’s sole control.

9. GOVERNING LAW.

The Contest and these Official Rules will be governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, USA without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of Illinois or any other jurisdiction) which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Illinois. The Illinois state and federal courts located in Cook County, Chicago, USA shall have exclusive jurisdiction in the event that any dispute arises regarding the Contest or the Prize. Any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action. Any and all claims shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred including costs associated with entering this Contest but in no event attorneys’ fees. Entrants hereby waive all rights to claim punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased.


10. WINNERS’ LIST:

A Winner’s List can be viewed at www.pridefilmsandplays.com by June 15, 2015.

11. OFFICIAL RULES:

For a copy of the Official Rules, go to www.pridefilmsandplays.com.

SPONSOR: Pride Films and Plays, 3023 N. Clark Street, Suite 327, Chicago, Illinois, USA 60657.

© 2014 Pride Films and Plays. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation is currently accepting grant and fellowship applications

web site

The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation is currently accepting grant and fellowship applications for its Artist as Activist program.

Deadline: October 31, 2014

Artist as Activist provides game-changing resources to artists (of all disciplines – visual, performing, media, and beyond), designers, and other creative professionals who are addressing important global challenges through their creative practice. In years past this support has included a commissioned print edition to benefit a particular cause or organization. Today the Artist as Activist program is comprised of three distinct grant opportunities:
Artist as Activist Fellows: artists and legally established art collectives with a demonstrated commitment to applying their creative work to the public sphere will receive up to $100,000 over two years, along with a suite of value-added support. Fellows will be selected through an open call for proposals.
Artist as Activist Travel & Research Grants: a separate pool of funds has been reserved for similar artists seeking support (ranging from $2,500 to $10,000) to travel or conduct research related to this aspect of their work. Travel/Research grantees will be selected through an open call for proposals.
Artist as Activist Organizations: Ten organizations from across the U.S. that have been exemplars in supporting artists working at the intersection of art and change will receive general operating support.These organizational grants are by invitation only.

Program Values and Beliefs
  • Consistent with our commitment to upholding the legacy of our founder, Robert Rauschenberg, all of RRF’s philanthropy programs operate with a set of core values that embody his work as both an artist and a philanthropist. These values include experimentation, fearlessness, and pushing boundaries. Rauschenberg also sought to learn from other cultures, and to share his own knowledge in exchange for what he learned. The Artist as Activist program retains this approach with a particular focus on:
  • Creative problem-solving and solutions orientation – looking at an issue in new ways that actually shift its paradigm.
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration – experience and enthusiasm for working with people who have a variety of expertise, experience, and training, as well as those whose beliefs, values, and norms differ from your own.
  • Risk-taking – an ability to move outside of the status quo; comfort with uncertainty, improvisation, and/or iteration in the context of continuous learning.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

THE DENNIS AND VICTORIA ROSS FOUNDATION is seeking stage or screen work

No web site available

THE DENNIS AND VICTORIA ROSS FOUNDATION is a non-profit organization that
is seeking to produce and bring to the public’s attention dramatic work by
talented New York City artists who have not yet achieved significant
commercial success. Our goal is to mount quality productions in NYC that
advance the artist’s work and visibility. We accept stage or screen work
of any topic and type including full lengths, shorts and showcases.

Selected work will be produced and promoted at the cost of the foundation,
with creative input from the artist. We welcome artists with an interest
in hands-on production roles, but it is not a requirement.

Work is accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. You may submit as many
pieces as you like at a time. Submissions must be in PDF format only.

Please follow standard stageplay formatting guidelines where applicable.

Please include in your email:
-Name
-Best means of contacting you
-A brief statement about your experience in the theater, artistic goals,
or any notes on your submission(s)
-Any desired production role and relevant experience


Please send submissions, or any questions, to dross@dvrf.org

2015 Prize for Women Playwrights

web site

WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS for the 2015 Prize for Women Playwrights at this link.

The last day to submit is November 1, 2014.

The Kentucky Women Writers Conference awards a biennial Prize for Women Playwrights to bring more scripts by women to the stage, through a collaboration among our program, a partnering theater, and a guest judge. The winner receives a world premier production for a paying audience plus a cash prize of $500, and the winning script will be workshopped prior to its production. If you would like to receive our bi-monthly listserv with updates about this contest and our other programming, please send your request to kentuckywomenwriters@gmail.com.
Partnering Theater

Actors Guild of Lexington will produce the winning script as the final play in its 2014-15 season. Learn more about Actors Guild here.

Guest Judge

Playwright Carson Kreitzer will select a winner from approximately 5 finalists.
Eligible Playwrights

The competition is open to all women playwrights. There are no restrictions on age, residence or experience. Co-authored scripts are eligible if at least 50 percent of co-authors are female.

Eligible Plays

One-act or full-length scripts in English, with a running time between 45 and 90 minutes, that have not been published or commercially produced as of the entry deadline and will not be published or produced before the release of the KWWC production. However, scripts that have been staged in a workshop production or script-in-hand staged readings are eligible.

Deadline and Timeline
Entries must be electronically submitted by November 1, 2014
Winner will be posted on our Web site by February 20, 2015
Winning script will be workshopped in March or April 2015
Production will occur in May or June 2015
$500 cash prize

Subject Matter, Casting, and Production Limitations

We are seeking new plays that can be produced as world premieres. We place no limitations on subject matter. Scripts may be based on factual events, purely fictional, or adaptations. We are not seeking musicals or children's plays. 

Limitations:
  • Reading time must be in the range of 45-90 minutes.
  • Casts must be limited to 8 actors (1 actor may play multiple roles).
The production will be in a small black box theater. Set, lighting, sound, costume, and prop requirements should be kept to a minimum.

Judging Process and Criteria

All entries will be screened by KWWC staff for completeness and adherence to contest guidelines. Judging will consist of two rounds. In round 1, a diverse panel of theater professionals and educators will choose 5-10 finalists. In round 2 our guest judge, Carson Kreitzer, will choose 1 winner. Judging will be guided by literary merit and theatrical potential.


Past Winners & Guest Judges

Naomi Wallace was our first judge in 2011 and chose Keliher Walsh’s play, Year of the Rabbit, produced by Balagula Theatre in Lexington. Kia Corthron was our next judge in 2013 and chose Jo Morello’s E.G.O.: The Passions of Eugene Gladstone O’Neill, also produced by Balagula.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Snowdance 2015

web site

The Snowdance® 10 Minute Comedy Festival is a festival of original comedies that run 10 minutes or less. Submitted scripts will be judged by the Snowdance Selection Committee. A selection of scripts will be chosen for production during the Snowdance Festival in the winter of 2015. These selections will round out a complete performance. Audiences attending Snowdance performances will have the ability to vote for the production they enjoyed the most. The votes will be tallied throughout the five week festival run, and the Snowdance “Best in Snow” will be awarded to the winning playwright after the final performance on March 8, 2015. Cash award of $300.00 to “Best in Snow,” with $100.00 awards going to both 2nd and 3rd place.

Through November 1st - Call for scripts.
November -Scripts chosen for production will be announced.
February 6 – March 8, 2015 - Run of festival performances.
March 8, 2015 (immediately after final performance) - Announcement of “Best in Snow.”To enter a script, please follow these steps.

Competition is open to original, unpublished, 10 minute or shorter plays free of royalty and copyright restrictions. Musicals, adaptations, and translations will not be considered. 

One entry per playwright.
Plays must run 10 minutes or less. A rule of thumb - 1 page (8 1/2 x 11) of single spaced, average dialogue will total about 90 seconds. Read it out loud - time it – test it – and re-write if need be.
Submissions must be postmarked on or before November 1st 2014.
Manuscripts must be on standard 8-1/2” x 11” paper, cleanly typed and securely bound. 

Scripts should follow standard format. (Check any scriptwriting book in your library)
Plays can have a cast of 1 to 5 characters and should be easily staged. Avoid any elaborate set requirements. And remember it is a ‘COMEDY FESTIVAL’.
The writer’s name, address, phone number, and e-mail address (if applicable) should be included on the title page and only the title page. The title page should also include a cast list, set requirements, and a 1 to 3 sentence synopsis of the play.
Submit one (1) copy of your script.
Send scripts to:
SNOWDANCE
C/O Sixth Street Theatre
318 Sixth Street
Racine, Wisconsin 53403
Any questions can be directed to Rich Smith at (262) 632-6802 or by e-mail at snowdance318@gmail.com.Plays selected for the festival will be produced by Over Our Head Players.

BlackFry Productions seeks full-length plays

web site not yet available

BlackFry Productions is a new production company whose main focus will be to find plays that provide a voice or a platform to raise awareness of social issues, either large scale or on a very local and personal level, that exist in New York or elsewhere in the world. We would love to find plays that tell us stories of peoples lives that others may not have insight to or about issues from a surprising angle or viewpoint. 

The aim is that the pieces we produce will have the effect of not only making the audience aware of these worlds, but showing them the issue from an insiders point of view. Almost documentary making but in full and real play format. 

We are looking for writers that have a direct relationship with what they are writing about and a strong passion to get their experience or stories out to audiences. 

We are looking for full length plays, but if we receive a good group of shorter One Act plays that we could put into 1 night to begin with and test out for possible expansion into full length, that is also a possibility. A sort of pick a Playumentary night. 

Think of this like a mixture of the Moth, Anna Deavere Smith and Chris Thompson's Carthage.

It is really important to know why the writer wrote the piece and what it means to them.


I hope this is enough. Thanks in advance to all who submit.

We are estimating the production to take place in February, subject to finding the write piece/s. Submissions should be in by November 14th

Send submissions to nina@blackfry.com

Saturday, October 18, 2014

13th Street Repertory Company submission guidelines

web site

To have your play considered for production by 13th Street Repertory, the play is first evaluated by our literary staff.

Play Submission Guidelines
  • ½ page synopsis
  • Two-sentence log line
  • 10 consecutive pages of your best dialogue
  • Character descriptions
  • Brief staging needs
  • Include a SASP with the play title on it
  • Submissions require a post-mark.
Please mail to:
13th Street Repertory Company
Literary Department
50 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011

Readings are of plays written by up-and-coming new playwrights.

Play themes and styles vary greatly.

All readings will be followed by a short Q&A with the playwright, director, and cast.

Houston Family Arts Center is looking for a new, unproduced play

web site

Houston Family Arts Center is looking for a new, unproduced play to premiere as part of its 2015-2016 season.

HFAC produces “family-friendly” plays – not “children’s theatre,” but contemporary or period plays which do not contain strong language or adult themes. Some plays that HFAC has produced that fit into these parameters include "Over The River and Through the Woods" by Joe DiPietro, "A Raisin in the Sun," by Lorraine Hansberry, The 39 Steps by Patrick Barlo"Death by Design" by Rob Urbinai, and "Driving Miss Daisy" by Alfred Uhry.

Please submit a synopsis, character breakdown and 20-page sample to Artistic Director Teri Clark at teri.clark@houstonfac.com .

The deadline is November 1, 2014. 

The selected playwright will be brought to Houston for the opening.

EST/Sloan Project seeks works about science

web site

Deadline for artist proposals and script submissions: November 1, 2014
Deadline for regional development grants: December 1, 2014

The EST/Sloan Project commissions, develops and presents new works delving into how we view and are affected by the scientific world. These plays examine the struggles and challenges scientists and engineers face from moral issues to the consequences of their discoveries.

The Project is designed to stimulate artists to create credible and compelling work exploring the worlds of science and technology and to challenge existing stereotypes of scientists and engineers in the popular imagination. The Project commissions and develops new works throughout EST’s developmental season, including one Mainstage Production, as well as workshops and readings in an annual festival called FIRST LIGHT.

Now in its 15th year, the EST/Sloan Project has awarded commissions totaling more than $450,000 to more than 140 artists. Previous commissionees include: Billy Aronson, Mike Daisey, Jason Grote, Ann Marie Healy, Michael Hollinger, Israel Horovitz, Tina Howe, Shirley Lauro, Emily Levine, Romulus Linney, Quincy Long, Cassandra Medley, Dan O’Brien, Carey Perloff, Bill Pullman, Jaquelyn Reingold, Tommy Smith, Caridad Svich, Vern Thiessen, Alex Timbers, Bridgette Wimberly, David Zellnik, Stillpoint Productions, and The Royal Shakespeare Company.
Commission Awards

Commissions will be awarded to individuals, groups and creative teams for full-length and one-act plays and musicals. Commissions range from $1000 to $10,000. Commission amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis, as are deadlines for drafts, finished work, and research support (if appropriate). Extant, full-length works may be submitted and are judged on a script-by-script basis by the EST/Sloan Project staff. Rewrite commissions for existing scripts range from $1,000 to $5,000.

Commissions are also available for regional theaters who wish to sponsor a local project focused on science and technology, either by commissioning a new script or developing an extant piece. Commission amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis, but average $5000.
Submission Guidelines

The EST/Sloan Project is open to a broad range of topics related to the issues, people, ideas, processes, leading-edge discoveries, inventions, and/or history of the "hard" sciences and technology.
Hard sciences include the following areas:
  • Mathematics
  • Physics (geological, nuclear, theoretical, etc.)
  • Biology (evolution, zoology, animal behavior, ecology, molecular, genetics, etc.)
  • Chemistry (industrial, biochemistry, etc.)
  • Neuroscience
  • Anthropology and Archaeology
  • Technology includes:
  • Computer Science
  • Software Development, Computer Development
  • Engineering (civil, chemical, mechanical, electrical, aerospace, vehicle design)
  • Space Research
Areas not considered for commissions include:
Science Fiction
Medical Conditions and/or Victims of Disease
Psychology and Human Behavior

How to Apply

New Commissions

Individuals, creative teams and theatre companies interested in receiving an EST/Sloan Project commission should submit the following as their application for a grant:
A one- or two-page description or a simple outline/synopsis of the project. This document should describe the actual story being explored, the source of inspiration behind the idea, and how the science being portrayed would be inherently dramatic in the piece.
A resume or biography of each collaborator involved.

Rewrite Commissions

Individuals, creative teams and theatre companies interested in receiving an EST/Sloan Project rewrite grant should submit the following as their application:
A draft of the script.
A one- or two-page cover letter detailing the development history of the play, your goals for a rewrite commission, and any questions you have about the current draft.
A resume or biography of each collaborator involved.

A selection committee evaluates the proposals and makes the final decisions. Candidates may be asked to revise aspects of their proposals, provide writing samples, and/or arrange a meeting to discuss their project as part of the selection process.

Deadline for artist proposals and script submissions: November 1, 2013

Deadline for regional development grants: December 1, 2013
Regional Development Commissions

Theatre companies interested in receiving an EST/Sloan Project regional development grant should submit the following as their application for a grant:
A current draft of the script, or a one- to two-page description or outline of the project.
A resume or biography of each collaborator involved.
A one- to two-page cover letter detailing the development history of the project and your goals for the commission.
An estimated budget for the project.
Delivering Your Submission

We accept scripts in the following manner...
Email (preferred):

sloanproject@ensemblestudiotheatre.org
Via regular mail:

The Ensemble Studio Theatre

Attn: EST/Sloan Project

549 West 52nd St.

New York, NY 10019

Phone: 212-247-4982

Please contact us with any questions.

Best of luck to you,

EST/Sloan Project Staff

Discount tickets: SHATTER

$10.00 discount for the critically-acclaimed Shatter at Urban Stages

Urban Stages presents the American premiere of Shatter by Trina Davies (a former Words by Women submission)

1917 Halifax. The largest man-made explosion before Hiroshima hits Nova Scotia, Canada. Devastation unimaginable; the witch-hunt begins for someone to blame. At the center of it all stands Anna Maclean, a teenager whose first romance is threatened when her family considers an enemy within their fold. Shocking and surprisingly relevant to our post-9/11 world, this critically-acclaimed Canadian play in its American premiere is an eerie examination of the cycles of fear.

Starring Jackie Hansen*, Hollis McCarthy*, Michael Chris McGuire* & Rebecca Nelson*

Use code PRE15 to get $15 tickets during previews OCT 18 - OCT 22.
And catch a performance of this play through Nov 16.


urbanstages.org/shatter for more information

Discount tickets: DEAR DEIRDRE

Calliope Theatre Company presents

Dear Deirdre
A dark comedy written & directed by Matt Crowley
Starring Will Dagger, Drew Lewis*, and Rachel Sachnoff
Stage managed by Elizabeth Gambal

October 30 - November 1 @ 7 pm, November 2 @ 2 pm 
The Drilling Company
236 W 78th St, New York, NY


We're excited to offer NYCPlaywrights members discounted $10 tickets when they use the offer code "gazette.

*Appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity

Equity approved showcase.


Testimonial - Matt Crowley

Thanks to Matt Crowley for allowing NYCPlaywrights to share his kind words...
Dear NYCPlaywrights,
I've long been a huge fan and user of your blog - it helped me launch my playwriting career, so I'm extremely grateful. 
Matt Crowley
Website

Discount tickets: PLAYING ON AIR

Playing On Air starts this Monday

Contemporary short plays, written and performed by dynamic, award-winning playwrights and actors.

Experience an electric evening of three short plays as they are being recorded live for a public radio broadcast.

This Monday evening's readings include:
Tasha Walks by Kim Merrill; director Brian Mertes with Steven Boyer, Marsha Mason
Fifth Planet written and directed by David Auburn with Bobby Moreno, Amy Ryan
Breakfast at the Track by Lanford Wilson; director Caitriona McLaughlin with David Furr, Jeanine Serralles

An interactive Q&A with the actors and playwrights will follow each play.

Discounted tickets available in limited supply. 
Use Promo Code: POADISCOUNT to receive 33% off $10 
Check out the full Playing on Air series.  

Friday, October 17, 2014

The Storefront Theatre: A FESTIVAL OF 10-MINUTE PLAYS

web site

We are accepting submissions for our 3rd annual 10-minute play festival to be presented on March 7 and 8, 2015. A panel of judges will select 8-10 plays to be presented as concert readings and will choose a first place winner who will receive a cash award of $100.00 and a second place winner who will receive a cash award of $50.00. Other playwrights will receive complimentary tickets for themselves and a guest Recently read or produced plays are acceptable; published plays are not. No musicals, no plays requiring children in the cast. Plays should have no more than five (5) characters with three men, two women or three women, two men. They should be intended for a general audience.

Please submit by email as follows:

EMAIL 1:
The subject line should contain the title of the play followed by the words “contact info.” (Example subject line: Pedro’s Revenge contact info.)

The body of the email must include the title of the play and the playwright’s contact information:
• playwright’s name
• mailing address
• phone(s)
• email

Do not send contact information as an attachment to the email.

Do not send the play as an attachment to the email.


EMAIL 2:
Attach the play to this email. The title of the play should be the name of the attachment and in the subject line. (Example subject line: Pedro’s Revenge).

The attached file should include cast, set requirements, and script.

Do not include your name and/or contact information either in the body of the email or in the attached play.

Submissions that fail to meet these guidelines will not be accepted.


SUBMISSIONS DATE:
September 1 through October 31
SUBMIT TO:
mail@thestorefronttheatre.org

Award-winning playwrights and all playwrights to be included in the festival reading will be notified by December 31, 2014.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

RED PLAYWRITING COMPETITION

web site

2015 RULES & GUIDELINES

Seeking bold and dynamic new plays that embrace the Red Theater aesthetic.
The competition winner will receive a staged public reading with the Red Theater Company in Chicago as well as with the collectives in Lincoln, Omaha, and Purchase NYC. The three runners up will also receive a staged reading of an excerpt of their play.
ARTISTIC CRITERIA

We are looking for work that is THEATRICAL and PERSONAL. Theatrical means a work that could only be fully realized in a theater. It should take full advantage of the temporal and connective nature of human performers interacting with a living audience.

Personal means that the work uniquely and vividly wrestles with the dualities present in the human condition. For example: that we are alive but will die; that the more knowledge we have, the more foolish we feel.
Please surprise us with difficult ideas, impossible stagings, and a powerful heart.

STRICT GUIDELINES

1) As we have a huge number of submissions, any not following the guidelines will sadly be discarded.

2) Email subject lines must be in the format of PLAY TITLE, AUTHOR’S NAME.

3) Please submit your play as a PDF to the following email: scripts@redtheater.org

4) The play needs to be at least 60 minutes running time and no longer than 120.

5) The play can not have received a professional production defined as: any full production. Plays with prior educational or community theaters; workshops or staged readings are allowed.

6) Adaptations are accepted as long as the author has complete rights.

7) The play should be written in, or translated into, the English language.

8) We can only accept one submission per playwright.

9) Please ensure your script includes a list of characters and that the pages are numbered.

10) In the interests of impartiality, please do not include your name anywhere on the script (or in the PDF title). Please provide your contact details in the email only.
RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL

As Red Theater Chicago is serious about producing new works from theatrical playwrights, RTC invokes an 18 month Right of First Refusal to produce the PREMIERE production of the winning script as defined by the date of the first public staged reading. Playwrights agree to receive $75 per performance in royalties for the duration of the premiere run. Submission to this competition constitutes agreement with the above fine print, rules, and regulations.
DEADLINE

The competition opens for submissions on July 1st, 2014.

Deadline for submissions: October 31st, 2014.
Winners and a shortlist will be announced on or before January 31, 2015.

Performances of selected material will occur at a date and time TBD.

All entrants will be contacted, but please note that we cannot give individual feedback to every applicant.

Ask dangerous questions theatrically.

Schreiber's Shorts - call for short plays

web site

Call for plays!

Schreiber's Shorts FREEDOM Short Play Festival – 2015

Schreiber's Shorts: Freedom
This is a call for short plays (10 minutes) that explore freedom. We invite playwrights to consider different manifestations of freedom, including personal, political, religious, historical, romantic, and philosophical. Dramas and comedies are both welcome. We encourage creative interpretations of the idea.

Plays should be in English and submissions from playwrights outside of the US are strongly encouraged.

Sets and costumes should be minimal: rehearsal furniture only, nothing that requires specially built pieces. Props should be those items typically found in an acting studio props closet.

We encourage submissions that make creative use of sound and lighting. Live sound (including Foley sound effects) is/are encouraged, as well as any prerecorded sounds or music you imagine being part of your play. We have a wide variety of lighting instruments available (so specials and practicals are okay), although we do not have moving lights or a follow spot.

Deadline for submissions is December 1, 2014. 
Plays will be produced at the Gloria Maddox Theatre at T. Schreiber Studios in March, 2015.


PLAYS MUST NOT HAVE HAD NEW YORK PRODUCTIONS BEFORE MARCH 2015

By submitting an entry, you are affirming that you are the sole creator of the play, and entitled to confer performance rights. You further affirm that, if your play is chosen, you will grant performance rights, royalty-free, to the T. Schreiber Studio & Theatre for up to twelve performances during its Schreiber's Shorts: Freedom Festival March 2015. The play remains the sole property of the playwright.

There is no fee for submission. 
Please send all scripts in pdf or Word document format to: tschreibertheatre@gmail.com with the heading "Schreiber's Shorts" and the name of your play.

One Act Playwriting Competition - Shakespeare in the 'Burg

web site

The One Act Playwriting Competition in conjunction with our Second Annual Shakespeare in the ‘Burg theater festival scheduled for March 27-29, 2015 in Middleburg, VA.

CATEGORIES

There are two categories of plays that will be judged: Plays written by students ages 12-17, and plays written by adults, ages 18 and over. Please note that you can write in any style you choose; this is not a “Shakespeare” writing competition, so plays in any genre are welcome.

There is no monetary prize for the competition, but the winning plays will receive a public reading with an audience. The winning plays will be performed the weekend of March 28-30, 2015 at the Middleburg Community Center in Middleburg, VA.

RULES

Open To All Playwrights

Scripts must be original, unpublished and not produced professionally. Musicals, monologues, adaptations, film scripts and television scripts are not eligible. Scripts may be performed in a workshop environment but may not have had a public performance.

The goal should be to produce a small to medium-sized cast, one-set show with running times of no less than 25 minutes and no more than one hour.

No more than one submission per playwright. Give us your best work!

All scripts must be typewritten. If sending a hard copy, please number the pages and use paper clips or staples to ensure your pages stay together.

Submissions should include:
  • Playwright bio.
  • Brief Synopsis
  • Contact page with name, address and telephone number of the playwright, along with a separate title page with no contact info or name. On all subsequent pages, only the title of the play should appear at the top of each numbered page. This will be a blind competition. Judges will not know the names of the authors while judging the plays.
  • Cast of characters with descriptions.
Scripts will be judged on concept, dramatic action, characterization and dialogue. All production and publication rights remain the property of the playwright.

The decision of the judges is final. While we do not assume responsibility for the loss, damage or return of scripts, all reasonable care will be taken. If you want your script back, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope and we will make every effort to return it to you.

FORMAT

Scripts should be formatted in keeping with traditional playwriting manuscripts. Since these are one-act plays without scene changes, it is not as critical to include scene headings. However, feel free to include stage directions and an “at rise” description (what will happen as the lights come up or the curtain rises).

Put all stage directions in parentheses.

Use 8-1/2 x11 paper if submitting a hard copy.

Number all pages in the upper right hand corner.

Include the title of the play in a header on every page.

Margins should be one-inch, right and left, top and bottom.

USE ALL CAPS to identify the character speaking.

If a character’s speaking lines go over a page break, identify the character speaking with a second character tag on the new page—e.g., JOHN (cont’d).

Double space after stage directions or dialogue and before a character tag.

If formatting becomes confusing or difficult, then choose a format and stick to it. Consistency in formatting is the most important thing.

Where To Send Your Script

Send a duplicate copy, not your original. Send hard copies to:
Genie Ford
36523 Mountville Road
Middleburg VA 20117
OR

You may also email your script to: genie@printmanagementinc.com, and in fact, we prefer emails.

In the subject line, please write: Shakespeare in the ‘Burg One-Act Play

WHEN To Send Your Script!

The deadline for entries is a postmark or email by October 31, 2014.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

2015 ATC INTERNATIONAL MINIFEST

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Anyone can submit an original script, provided that it has not been professionally performed.

Playwrights can only submit two (2) scripts in total each year.
The running time of the script can be no longer than 30 minutes in length.
The scripts selected will be chosen not only for their dramatic quality and writing, but also for their suitability for the actors (and numbers of actors) available in any year. As MiniFest is modestly funded, scripts will also be considered from the point of view of their production requirements.
Scripts must be submitted electronically no later than midnight on October 15, 2014, Atlantic Standard Time. No late submissions will be accepted.
Playwrights are invited to attend rehearsals, by agreement with their director. Rehearsals start in the first week of January, 2015.
MiniFest may choose to present as many as eight plays over two consecutive nights. Each evening of plays may be presented as many as three times.
Successful playwrights will not be offered royalties.
Script submissions will only be accepted after a correctly completed application has been received.

SUBMITTING YOUR SCRIPT ITSELF:
Your script can only be submitted electronically in Word format. If you do not have Microsoft Word, or program that will save as a Word document, you can download the free Open Office and save the file as aWord document. No PDF or other formats will be accepted.
You can only enter two (2) plays in the competition.
The first page, the Covering Page of your script, include:
  • the name of your play
  • the playwright’s name
  • the contact information of the playwright (address, telephone number & email address).
  • On the second page, the Character Breakdown and Setting Page, include:
  • the character breakdown in your script (e.g. Sally – a CEO.)
  • the setting (e.g. An apartment in NYC.) that your play occurs.
  • the Time (e.g. The present.)
As the play goes to the jury anonymously, please make sure that the pages of the script following theCovering Page (including the Character Breakdown Page) do NOT contain your name.

Please make sure the document editing features are unlocked or disabled. This to enable removal or manipulation of pages for jury and production purposes. No changes to the text itself will be made.
Please make sure your actual script pages are numbered, and contain (header or footer) the name of your play.

Submissions Now Open for Playwrights’ Week 2015

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Deadline: OCTOBER 15, 2014 (11:59pm EST)
Playwrights’ Week is our annual, open access festival of new work that seeks to provide playwrights with crucial creative resources in a nurturing and rigorous laboratory setting.

The Lark is committed to providing access to all playwrights and is proud to seek out plays that reveal underrepresented and vital perspectives. All playwrights will receive consideration without regard to demographics, professional experience, geographic location or history with the organization. Our Open Access Program serves as the central entry point for play submissions at the Lark and encourages the development of new voices.

Writers Selected for Playwrights’ Week are Provided with:

– Ten hours of rehearsal time with a creative team (including director and actors) to address self-identified development goals
– A public staged reading at the Lark
– A peer-based community of support and conversation for the week.
– Housing and travel (for all out of town writers)
Submitted Plays are Evaluated Based on the Following Lark Support Criteria:
– Plays which are ambitious, fresh, playful, engaging, energizing, provocative, powerful, and theatrical
– Plays that reveal unheard and vital perspectives
– Playwrights with clear goals about their writing who are open to a development process
SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES:

– Submit ONE completed application and ONE full-length play. There is no official minimum number of pages for submitted plays and a one-act play can qualify as a full-length, however, we do not accept 10-minute or multiple, short one-act plays.
– Writers living outside of the United States can apply if the script was originally written in English.
– No more than ONE play per playwright will be considered.
– List ONLY the play title on the cover page. NO personal information.
– If you are emailing your submission, please attach only Word or PDF files.
– If you are mailing your submission, double-sided pages are appreciated if possible. Application materials should not be attached to the script itself. Hard copies will not be returned.
– We are not able to consider musicals for this particular program.
A Complete Submission is Composed of Two Parts:

– A completed application form.

– A full-length script, with the playwright’s name or any identifying information removed. We are committed to a blind reading policy and it is important that each writer remains anonymous during the initial stage of review.

We strongly encourage you to submit your application form and script (in Word or PDF form) electronically.
Email/Postmark Deadline: OCTOBER 15, 2014 (11:59pm EST)
Download the Application Below:

Word Doc.

PDF

Please EMAIL your script and completed application as two separate attachments in the same email to:

OR

MAIL completed submission materials to: submissions@larktheatre.org

Lark Play Development Center
c/o Playwrights’ Week 2014 Submissions
311 West 43rd Street, Suite 406
New York, NY 10036

Please feel free to contact us with any questions by sending an email to: submissions@larktheatre.org

(Housing and travel will be provided for all out of town writers.)

Center Theatre Group submission guidelines

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If you've written a script and would like to send it to Center Theatre Group, please submit a brief description of the work and from five to ten sample pages. Your description need not be a full synopsis of the plot. Describe the play—the world, the characters, the conflict, your reasons for writing it. The sample pages, of course, will be most helpful to us in deciding whether or not to request the full manuscript. Multiple submissions are not encouraged.

You may also include any supporting materials—such as a résumé, audio tape and/or reviews of your work—that might allow us a broader view of you and your work. Please allow us approximately six to eight weeks to review your submission. As always, please include a SASE for all correspondence and, should you desire it, the return of your materials.

CENTER THEATRE GROUP
Literary Department
601 W Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Friday, October 10, 2014

Paul Enger Play Reading Series

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Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is seeking submissions of original, unproduced plays of any length for the inaugural season of its Paul Enger Play Reading Series, which will be held the second Tuesday of each month starting October 14, 2014 and running through June 2015.

Submitted plays will be screened by a selection jury. If selected, playwrights will be notified by the Series Coordinator and given a scheduled date for the reading of their play. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT IF YOU ARE UNAVAILABLE ON TUESDAY EVENINGS. 

Readings will begin at 7 pm and be held in Holy Trinity’s community room. Time permitting, playwrights will also be allowed an optional Q&A session with the audience following the reading for feedback and discussion about their works. Selected playwrights (and their actors) will have access to the space beginning at 4:30 pm the day of their scheduled performance.

Selected playwrights will be responsible for casting the actors for the reading, providing copies of their script for the actors, and complying with the existing rules and regulations of the Actors Equity Association Staged Reading Guidelines (for more on AEA guidelines, please visit their website: https://www.actorsequity.org/docs/codes/Stage_Reading_Guidelines.pdf). Holy Trinity will provide the space and seating with minimal set-up/tear-down of the staging area.

THERE IS NO COMPENSATION FOR THIS PLAY-READING SERIES.

If you would like your play to be considered for the series, please send an email with the subject line “PLAY SUBMISSION” to playreadings@holytrinitynyc.org with the following:

-a copy of your script in .PDF format
-a brief synopsis of your play
-a short bio
-contact information

SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS October 14, 2014. 

Submissions received after that date will not be considered. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS ONLY.

A running time of 75 min or less is suggested but not mandatory. The selection jury is looking for works of various topics in order to present a diverse collection of plays over the course of the season so as to reflect the inclusive nature of Holy Trinity Church.

The mission of the Paul Enger Play Reading series is to honor the memory of Paul Enger, a beloved member of Holy Trinity and a prolific writer, and provide a venue for upcoming playwrights to have their plays read and workshopped in order to nurture artists in a manner reflective of Holy Trinity’s core values.

2015-16 Reva Shiner Comedy Award

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The fee will be waived for Dramatist Guild members with an enclosed photocopy of a membership card.

We are currently accepting submissions for the 2015-16 Reva Shiner Comedy Award (deadline Oct. 31, 2014). The top 10 finalists and the winner of the 2015-16 Reva Shiner Comedy Award will be announced at the end of March 2015.
  • "Full-length" plays will have a complete running time of between 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes) to 2 hours 15 minutes (135 minutes).
  • Plays submitted must be unpublished at the time of submission. Plays that have received developmental readings, workshop productions, or productions at small theatre companies are acceptable. No scripts with previous productions at major regional theaters will be accepted. Once entered, subsequent activity does not change the acceptability of the script.
  • Each submission must include a synopsis (1 page or less) including the cast size. A separate page should include a brief bio of the playwright, and production/development history if applicable.
  • Each submission must include a cover letter with contact information and a $10.00 reader fee. Agent submissions require no fee. The fee will be waived for Dramatist Guild members with an enclosed photocopy of a membership card. The BPP only accepts U.S. checks or money orders (Make check payable to "BPP"). No international checks or money orders will be accepted. If submitting internationally or if you want to avoid paying by check, pay online with your credit card here:
  • Make sure to note with your submission that you have paid the reader fee online.
  • It is preferable for musicals to include a demo CD. The complete score is not necessary but may be included. All plays are read by BPP's literary personnel led by and including the Literary Manager and Artistic Director.
  • We do not accept e-mail submissions. Scripts will not be returned. Blind submissions are not necessary. Please include all contact information. Plays submitted in previous years will be accepted.
  • The BPP reserves the right not to name a winner and/or name a winner but not commit to a reading or production.
Send to:
Reva Shiner Comedy Award
Bloomington Playwrights Project
107 W. 9th Street
Bloomington, IN 47404
  • Scripts must be postmarked by October 31, 2014, and received no later than November 10, 2014. We are not responsible for postal delays, and recommend you not choose to send Media Mail unless you are submitting several weeks in advance.
For further information, write BPP, Attn: Literary Manager, 107 W. 9th Street, Bloomington, IN 47404. For faster replies, please e-mail us at literarymanager@newplays.org

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