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Monday, April 30, 2018

4th STREET THEATER FIFTH ANNUAL TEN PLAY FESTIVAL

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We started this festival August 2014 as the 6x10 Festival.  Since then, this festival has just grown dramatically.

We have added additional performance days and in 2017 decided to produce 10 of the plays since we have such an overwhelming number of scripts submitted.

2018 FESTIVAL
Performances: August 2018
All performances are at 8 pm except Sundays, which begin at 3 pm.
General Time Line:
Script Submission March 1 to May 1st
Call for directors - June
Auditions - July

GUIDELINES
  • Plays will be accepted for consideration beginning  March 1st and the submissions will close on May 1st at 6:00PM Central Time. Plays submitted after that time will not be considered.
  • No submissions will be accepted before March 1st
  • No submissions will be accepted after May 1st
  • We will only accept one version of the script.  Please do not send revision.
  • A cover page that includes title of play, playwright's name, playwright's complete address, phone number and email.  Please visit: https://anatomyofapilot.com/2013/04/17/pilot-titles-round-2/ for an example of a cover page.
  • Playwrights name cannot appear anywhere within the play itself. If it does, the play will not be considered.
  • Plays are to be no more than ten pages in length, no multiple scenes, no extensive set requirements.
  • No more than six characters.
  • If the play is a collaboration, the info requested in number one of this list is required for both parties.
  • Plays submitted will not be returned and should not have been produced anywhere else.
  • Please do not ask for special consideration for any of these requirements.
  • No feedback will be given on plays not selected.
  • Everyone will be contacted by email for selected and not selected plays.
  • There is no entry fee.
  • Each playwright may submit a maximum of two scripts for review.
The preferred method of submission is email to lpauli2006@comcast.net (preferably as a PDF or Word document) or via US mail to Linda Pauli, 1937 Texas St., Chesterton, IN 46304.

Mailed scripts must arrive by the May 1st Deadline.  No other methods of delivery will be accepted
Failure to follow these guidelines for submission will automatically disqualify a script(s) from consideration.

By submitting a script for consideration, the playwright agrees that the 4th Street Theater may produce the script during the Festival. The playwright agrees to waive any royalty for the production of the piece in the festival and relinquishes all rights to casting decisions or scenic choices.

For further information, contact Linda Pauli, Festival Producer, at lpauli2006@comcast.net.

Information on director application guidelines as well as auditions for actors will be posted after the plays are selected.

Sunday, April 29, 2018

Chicago's City Lit Theater's "Art of Adaptation Festival"

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Submissions invited to THE ART OF ADAPTATION - the 11th annual festival of stage adaptations of non-dramatic literature

$200.00 prize to be awarded to each of six accepted entries. Additional bonus prize of $300.00 to festival winner.

City Lit Theater will present THE ART OF ADAPTATION on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 22, 23, and 24 and is currently soliciting for pieces for the festival. 

The cash prize pool has been tripled to $1,500.00 for this year's festival. 

City Lit staff will select six (and only six) adaptations, each of which will be awarded $200.00. The selected adaptations will be given two performances over the course of the weekend with performances on Friday and Saturday night and a marathon of all pieces on Sunday.  A panel of judges will view the Sunday performances and award an additional $300 cash prize to the adapter of the piece judged the best of the festival. The deadline for submissions is May 8, 2018.

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THE ART OF ADAPTATION takes place at City Lit Theater, in the historic Edgewater Presbyterian Church building at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue. The performance schedule is Friday, June 22 and Saturday, June 23 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, June 24 at 3:00 pm. 


THE RULES:


1. The piece must be 20 minutes or less. If it exceeds the 20-minute limit, it will not be eligible for the prize.



2. The piece must be an adaptation of non-dramatic material—a short story, an essay, a memoir, poetry, an excerpt from a novel, a video game, and so forth; but not material from a play.



3. The piece must be a world premiere adaptation.



4. The adapter is responsible for any royalties that are due for the piece, as well as for any rehearsal or production expenses. City Lit does not provide rehearsal space prior to tech rehearsal, and does not provide the services of a director or any actors.



5. The piece submitted must be the piece performed - no drastic changes can be made to the script after it is accepted.



6. Each piece selected will be performed on the same simple festival set with the same simple light plot. A stock of furniture will be provided. The adapter is responsible for all scenic elements, furniture, costumes, etc.



7. City Lit has a stock of furniture, costumes and props that is available to adaptors. Adaptors must provide a $20 deposit for any stock used. The deposit will be returned in full when all items are properly returned.
 
8. City Lit will provide the performance space, festival stage lighting, backstage and front-of-house crew, publicity, programs, tickets and the cash prizes.

To submit a proposal for entry into the festival, send a .pdf copy of your adaptation script to Katy Nielsen at AofA@citylit.org.  

Proposals must be submitted no later than May 8. Selections will be announced by May 10th.

Seeking 10-minute plays for show at Lucky Jacks on Orchard Street

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Rose Desena and Peggy Howard Chane run a monthly show in their Lounge at Lucky Jacks on Orchard Street downtown NYC.

We are looking for Original writing of Short Stories, Plays or Essays. Please see the rules below. We like funny, romantic, or political.

There is no fee to submit.

The shows will be completely produced by the group.

Our resident Director: Peggy Chane directs all the works.

There is no payment to the writer.

THE RULES: (Please follow carefully)

NY writers only

1. You must attend the evening, and send out the invite via email that we provide.

2. Not more then 10 Min.

3. Please list Characters

4. 2 Line synopses

5. Finale Drafts (we can not accept changes once we send it to the actors

6. No more then 3 to 4 characters

7. Only small hand held props No set (stage is small we use stools)

8. No lighting (we only have a simply spots)

9. No nudity

10. No actors under 18

11. Street clothes with some simple enhancements work best

12. You May attend the rehearsal that is done a few hours before the show

13. Send PDF with contact details to the address below, name and contact on the first page

EMAIL your work to: rdesena40@gmail.com

DEADLINE: On Going.

We are looking for June, and then Sept shows (we break for the summer).

https://www.facebook.com/PlaysandPizza

Seeking Submissions for the 2018 Midwest Dramatists Conference

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The Midwest Dramatists Center ('MDC”) is pleased to announce the second Midwest Dramatists Conference, to take place September 27-29, 2018. MDC is a Kansas City, Missouri-based organization and we invite play submissions from playwrights across the country.

Industry professionals from New York City, Beth Blickers (literary agent with APA), and Sean Grennan (playwright), will attend play readings held during the conference and conduct workshops for the playwrights whose plays have been selected for the conference. Additional adjudicators will be announced on our website this summer.

We are currently seeking 10-minute plays with no limitations on theme. The plays must have no more than four characters and be unpublished, but previous productions or readings are acceptable.

The deadline for submissions is May 20th, 2018, and selected playwrights will be notified by July 15th, 2018. Up to 48 playwrights will be selected. There is no submission fee, the conference will provide actors and directors, and the number of submissions will be capped at 500. Only one submission per playwright is allowed.

For selected playwrights, conference registration is $220, and playwrights whose plays are chosen are required to attend to have their plays read. Conference registration includes opening night reception, breakfast and afternoon snacks Friday and Saturday, a Gala dinner held Saturday night, Saturday morning breakout sessions, as well as feedback on their plays by the adjudicators and the MDC literary manager during the readings. More details about the conference will be announced at www.midwestdramatists.org.

Please send scripts to director@midwestdramatists.org as a blind submission (no name or other identifying information) and include a brief biography and any production history in a separate document.

The conference will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Olathe, Kansas, 12080 S Strang Line Road. There is a special hotel discount for artists visiting from out of town. Please contact us if you need accommodations.

Saturday, April 28, 2018

The Chameleon Theatre Circle announces its 19th Annual NEW PLAY CONTEST

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Submission Deadline: April 30, 2018

The Chameleon Theatre Circle (located in the Twin Cities area in Minnesota) is seeking original works that have never been produced. All styles and genres are welcomed (i.e. one-acts, musicals, full length dramas, etc.). The winning plays is scheduled to be showcased in a concert-format festival in November 2018. All shows submitted will automatically be placed on the slate of shows in consideration for the 2019/2020 season by the Season Planning Committee.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
We are proud to announce that for the 19th consecutive year we are not charging a submission fee! To enter you must complete an entry form, which can be found on our website at www.chameleontheatre.org/newplay, and submit it along with three (3) copies of each script to the address below. We request that copies of the plays be printed double-sided to save on paper, mailing costs, and storage. If you are submitting a musical, also include 3 copies of the music on a CD or flash drive.

Do not bind any author identification with your scripts. We will distribute the scripts “blind” to our readers for complete objectivity. Include the show’s title on at least the first bound page. Once the winning scripts have been chosen, we will disclose the playwrights’ identity to our readers (and the world).

We do not accept plays that have been previously produced. We do accept plays that have had workshops and other readings. Receipt of play(s) will be acknowledged by e-mail only upon request. Scripts are non-returnable.
As in past years, this year’s contest will have multiple categories.

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

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

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

MUSICALS
If five or more musicals are submitted, the theatre reserves the right to create a “musical” category. Musicals are defined as any original play using original or rights permitted musical dialogue to further the story and/or the characters. Winners, if any, will be awarded a prize amount based on the length of the musical i.e. full-length, one-act, and 10-minute. In the absence of enough qualifying scripts, or if the theatre determines not to create an additional category, any musical will be entered into the appropriate category as defined above.

THEATRE-FOR-YOUTH
If five or more plays intended for and/or by youth are submitted, the theatre reserves the right to create a “theatre-for-youth” category. Theatre-for-youth plays are defined as any original play intended for young audiences, young participants, or both. Winners, if any, will be awarded a prize amount based on the length of the play i.e. full-length, one-act, and 10-minute. In the absence of enough qualifying scripts, or if the theatre determines not to create an additional category, any theatre-for-youth submission will be entered into the appropriate category as defined above.

OVERALL CONTEST WINNER/AUDIENCE FAVORITE WINNER
At the theatre’s discretion, we reserve the right to designate or not designate an “Overall Contest Winner” from any category and an “Audience-Favorite Winner” from any category at the conclusion of the New Play Festival. No additional prize money is awarded, just bragging rights.
Each playwright may submit up to two plays in any combination. Please submit three (3) copies of each script (plus 3 copies of the music on CDs or flash drives for musicals) and the required entry form(s) by April 30, 2018 (in hand, not postmarked by) to:
The Chameleon Theatre Circle 19th Annual New Play Contest 7287 153rd St W # 240069 Apple Valley MN 55124 www.chameleontheatre.org newplay@chameleontheatre.org
Chameleon has produced 23 original plays over the course of 20 seasons!

Barrington Stage Company New Play Award

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$25,000 PRIZE AWARDED TO A WINNING PLAYWRIGHT

WINNER ANNOUNCED IN DECEMBER 2018

In 2018 Barrington Stage will take their commitment to playwrights and new plays to a new level with a National New Play Award. Barrington Stage is proud to announce the creation of The Bonnie and Terry Burman New Play Award for an outstanding play in 2018. The winner will receive $25,000, with two runners-up receiving $5,000 each.

Submissions will open on December 12, 2017 and will close April 30, 2018.

There is no fee for entry.

WHAT/WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

The play…

  • must be new full length play that has not been produced professionally
  • must be unpublished and not yet licensed
  • must be free and not attached to any producers or directors
  • must be able to be performed with 8 actors or less
  • must be wholly original and not an adaptation or translations of existing foreign language plays
  • must be a play that has not already been sent to Barrington Stage Company for consideration

The playwright…

  • must be a U.S. resident
  • can only submit one play
  • can not be an immediate family member of a BSC staff or board member.


WHAT IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A NEW PLAY?

  • A brief letter of endorsement from a professional theatre, commercial producer, literary agent, playwright development organization, the head of MFA playwriting program or a playwriting professor at an MFA playwriting program must accompany the script. Each endorsing organization/person/agent can only endorse two plays.
  • A PDF of the script that does not include the author’s name, agent info, developmental/award history or year written anywhere within the script; please number all pages.
  • 150 word bio of the writer
  • 150 word synopsis of the play (that does not contain the writer’s name)
  • 150 word developmental history of the play, if any
  • Any special needs of the play (live animals, on-stage pool, 3 children, etc.)

HOW TO SUBMIT

All submissions must be sent through an online application. Link can be found here.

You are able to save your work on the application and return to it at a later date.  If you have any questions about the award or the application, please e-mail Alyssa Anderson-Kuntz, Project Coordinator, at newplayaward@barringtonstageco.org.

WHAT ARE THE PRIZES?

Grand Prize (1 recipient)

$25,000

  • a developmental staged reading with a professional cast and director
  • all travel and housing covered for the staged reading
  • a possible full production at Barrington Stage Company

Runner Up Prize (2 recipients)

  • $5,000 each
  • developmental staged reading with a professional cast and director


WHAT IS THE SELECTION PROCESS?

Scripts will be read and evaluated through a blind submission process by BSC’s literary team.  A group of finalist plays will be read and evaluated by the New Play Award Committee, comprised of distinguished artists and playwrights in October 2018.  Winners will be announced in December 2018.

WHAT DOES BARRINGTON STAGE ASK OF THE PLAYWRIGHT?

Barrington Stage will ask for a right of first refusal for a world premiere of all award recipients that will expire 90 days after Barrington Stage presents the staged reading of the play.

BMI Theatre Workshop

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Deadlines
Composers/Lyricists: August 1, 2018.
Librettists: June 1, 2018.
Applicants will be notified by August 21, 2018.

Application Materials

  • Composer: Three contrasting compositions - uptempo, comedy song, ballad. Please include copy of score which includes lyrics.
  • Lyricist: Three contrasting lyrics in PDF format - uptempo, comedy song, ballad.
  • Composer/Lyricist: Three contrasting songs - uptempo, comedy song, ballad. Please include copy of score which includes lyrics.
  • Librettist: A script sample of at least ten consecutive pages. Material written for the stage is preferred, but screenplays or teleplays are acceptable. Material need not include songs. Please include a sample of comedy writing.
  • Note that if you apply as a composer and a lyricist, you will be accepted as one or the other (that is, as either a composer or a lyricist) and you will be assigned different collaborators over the course of the year. If you apply as both a composer/lyricist and a librettist and are accepted as both, you will spend your first year as a composer/lyricist only, as the two groups meet at the same time.

Auditions

Select applicants will be invited to audition in early September. Librettist are accepted on the basis of their written materials and are not required to audition.

At the auditions, composers and composer/lyricists will be asked to perform at least two contrasting theatrical compositions; lyricists will be asked to recite samples of their theatrical lyrics. All auditions must be done live, using a piano.

Program upon Acceptance

The Workshop runs September through May in New York City. Prospective members must make their own living arrangements in the city or be able to commute weekly.

During the first year, composers and lyricists are paired off and are asked to create appropriate songs based on scenes from various sources. The writers perform their assignments, which are then discussed by the other writers and the moderators. There are analyses and discussions of current and past musicals, with an eye to understanding form and structure. Every effort is made to insure that each writer retains his or her individual style.

In the Workshop’s final phase (Second Year), teams work on a musical. The Workshop functions as a forum and a sounding board for works in progress, as music and lyrics are critically evaluated and open dialogue is encouraged.

At the end of each Second Year, the Workshop Committee determines which writers from the group are invited to join the Advanced Workshop. Not everyone is asked. This Workshop is intended for writers of professional caliber who are expected to contribute to the vitality of the musical theatre scene.

The Librettist Workshop reads and critiques its members’ work in a moderated roundtable discussion format, with material going through various drafts from on-one synopses to fully scripted scenes. There are occasional cold readings of an entire project.

Schedule & Fees

The First Year Workshop meets Monday at 6:15 p.m. The Second Year Workshop meets Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. The Advanced Workshop meets Monday at 4:00 p.m.

There is no fee to apply for or participate in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.

Friday, April 27, 2018

Embassy of Foreign Artists

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Application period is between the 1st and the 30th April every year.

The Republic and Canton of Geneva, in partnership with Laps association, founded the Embassy of Foreign Artists – residency for foreign artists in 2012. With the participation of foreign creators, local artists and cultural institutions in Geneva, this project aims to create an interactive network that will encourage the development of new approaches and reflections.

EoFA residency programme is a site for cross-disciplinary research and creativity in Geneva. Our spaces foster all stages of the creative process, from initial experimentation and reflection to the showcasing of finalized work. The conception and production are important stages and we offer the public the possibility to follow them and to engage with the artists in order to better understand their practices.

We place a particular focus on the quality of our projects and we consider our activities as tools for emancipation and alternatives to globalized culture. Our role is to offer support and a space for innovative and critical practices that engage with these fields and form a part of the reflection of our society.

Residency offer

Our house has four bedrooms as well as several common spaces: bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, and a living room.  The EoFA suites can accommodate three residents at a time for a period of three or six months.  The fourth suite is reserved for local associations and institutions as accommodation for their visiting artists for periods of at least one month. The stay provides:
– A private room as well as a working space and access to common areas shared with other residents.
– A residency of three or six months (the desired length of stay must be specified on the Application Questionnaire).
– A grant of 1200.- Swiss francs per month for the length of the stay.

Requirements for applicants


Candidates must respond to the following criteria:

– The open call is addressed to all professional artists coming from following artistic fields: performing arts, visual arts and applied arts (fine arts, dance, theatre, music, literature, comics, cinema, etc.). Cultural practitioners, active in the research of contemporary cultural practices, such as curators, play writers, set designer or from other fields and applied disciplines (architecture, design) are also invited to apply.
– Be in possession of a wide range of creations, publications and performances at a professional level.
– Not be currently registered in a basic artistic training course.
– Not be living in Geneva/Geneva region.
– Speak English.
– Be above the age of 28 years in the year of the residency.
– Accept and agree to pay costs related to their travel and artistic production.

Selection process

A jury will select Grant beneficiaries. Candidates will be informed of the jury’s decision by beginning of July 2019. It is not possible to appeal the jury’s decision. 
Allocation of the grant and residency are dependent on the obtainment by the candidate of a residence permit for Switzerland and proof of insurance covering medical assistance and accidents in Swiss territory during the period of stay in Geneva.

New Voices Series seeks one-act scripts

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The New Voices Series is looking for your original one act scripts! Our call is open from March 1 to April 30, 2018 to select a script for possible inclusion in the DC Fringe Festival in 2019. It is free to submit.

New Voices is a project of NextGenLTA, which represents those under 40 who act, tech, direct and enjoy theater at the Little Theater of Alexandria. New Voices puts on performances of new work twice a year with directors under 40.

Playwrights and characters may be of any age.

We are looking for scripts that address challenging topics; shows can be comedy or drama, but should have well developed characters and themes that move an audience (to laughter or tears, your choice!)

Requirements of the script:
  • Must be original; can have been performed other places.
  • Must have a run time of between 45-80 minutes, no intermission. Scripts with run times outside of this will not be considered.
  • Strong language and mature themes are very welcome, but we do not consider shows with nudity. Characters may be any age.
Before you submit:
  • Please do not submit a script previously sent for New Voices. Please do not submit political scripts, as our Fall 2018 show will have this theme. No musicals/movement pieces will be accepted at this time.
  • We accept scripts from writers of any age; in the event that two scripts are of otherwise equal quality, we will select the writer under 40. You may choose not to identify if you are under or over 40, but will not be given the under-40 preference as a tie-breaker if so. 
  • One script may be submitted per playwright.
  • 10-15 pages of the winning script will be posted online during the audition call in a google doc so that actors may familiarize themselves with the script.
The process
  • Scripts must be submitted in blind PDF format by April 30th, 2018. No late or incomplete entries will be considered.
  • All scripts will receive a notification shortly after the closing date; the top five to ten scripts will move on to an in-person reading of the selection committee in May.
  • Those that receive a reading but are not selected will receive brief feedback as to why the committee did not select them; scripts not receiving a reading will not be given feedback.
  • The winner will be notified by June 1, 2018.

The winning script will be submitted for inclusion in the 2019 DC Fringe festival, with an additional performance at the Little Theater of Alexandria in Alexandria, VA.

As the festival has the ability to accept or reject shows, in the event it is not selected for Fringe it will receive several performances at the Little Theater of Alexandria where New Voices is housed. The winner agrees that no rights of any kind will be paid for these performances at Fringe and/or at LTA in summer 2019, and that New Voices will bear the sole responsibility of selecting the director and any/all cast and crew. New Voices will also be responsible for paying all expenses for the mounting of this show at Fringe and/or LTA. New Voices will not pay for the playwright to travel to DC, but will offer free tickets to the playwright if they choose to attend. The winner also agrees that no other theater in DC, MD or VA will be allowed to perform the play from the time of selection until August 2019.

To submit a show, please go here: http://bit.ly/NVSubmissionform
Any questions, please contact newtheatervoices@gmail.com.

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Dramatists Guild Foundation

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DGF Fellows is open to playwrights and musical theater writers who have participated in an organized theatrical workshop within the last ten years, have participated in a graduate program in theatrical writing within the last five years, or have comparable experience, such as one or more professional productions. Musical theater writers may apply as individuals or in teams of up to three collaborators. Playwrights may only apply as individuals.

Admitted playwrights and musical theater writers will receive a stipend, and meet twice a month in NYC to share progress on their pieces and receive feedback from Program Chairs, guest artists, and the Fellows class.

Application Timeline

April 27: Applications close

FELLOWS APPLICATIONS WILL NOW STAY OPEN UNTIL

12PM (EDT) ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 2ND

Early fall 2018: Selected Fellows announced

Application materials can only be submitted online.

The full application will consist of:

• Excerpts from a play or musical in development. Please note that you must apply with excerpts from the show you would like to develop in the program.

• A cover letter responding to the following prompt: “Describe a time when you felt part of a community.”

• A letter of recommendation from a theater educator, mentor, collaborator or colleague. This is optional, however, DGF will require this of some applicants based on experience.

DGF encourages writers of all backgrounds to apply.

For questions, please email applications@dgf.org or call 212-391-8384.
You can also Tweet your questions to @dgfound.

APPLICATIONS ONLINE

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

ALOHA THEATRE SEEKS SCRIPTS FOR 25TH ANNUAL ORIGINAL PLAY FESTIVAL

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Aloha Theatre has announced its request for new stage plays which have not been published or produced, for its 25th annual Original Play Festival, which will be presented August 15-18, 2018, at the historic, 1932 vintage theatre in Kainaliu, in the district of Kona on the “Big Island” of Hawaii.

Scripts of any length and on any subject will be accepted, and must be received by May 1, 2018.

Due to the limited preparation time for the festival, musical entries will not be accepted.  Also ineligible are scripts which have won contests or which have already received staged readings.

Entries are limited to one per playwright and must be submitted electronically in Word or PDF format to opf@alohatheatre.com.

The script file must contain a list of characters and a brief description of the play, but should not contain the playwright’s name.  A separate file must also be submitted and must include the title of the play and the playwright’s name, mailing address, phone numbers, and email address.  This helps to insure anonymity in evaluation and selection.  Authors retain rights; Aloha Theatre performance rights are limited to the dates of the festival.  Scripts will be posted on a special, secure section of the theatre’s website during the selection process to facilitate access by the OPF XXV Selection Committee.  Entries must be received by May 1, 2018.

Plays selected will be mounted as staged readings, with minimal rehearsal, actors holding scripts, and simple technical presentation.  The committee’s official selections will be made by early June; notifications will be made in mid June; auditions for actor / readers will be held in early July; rehearsals will be conducted once a week for each play from mid July to mid August, and the festival will be presented at the Aloha Theatre August 15-18, 2018.  A wrap up discussion and celebration will be held Sunday afternoon, August 19. at which time the “Opie” award will be presented.  This is a people’s choice honor bestowed on the best script of the festival, as determined by popular vote of audience members.  The Opie Award winning script will be presented to Aloha Theatre’s season planning Kokua Committee for consideration as a possible future mainstage production.

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

PLAYLAB CLASS OF 2019

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PLAYLAB CLASS OF 2019 APPLICATION

Through a year-long series of monthly meetings, the PlayLab (in NYC) serves as a developmental process for playwrights to build new plays with constructive feedback from fellow writers, directors, and the artistic staff of Pipeline. Each PlayLab playwright will develop a full-length play over the course of the season.

PlayLab playwrights commit to participate in the following programs:
  • Monthly Meetings (July 8, August 19, September 9, October 21, November 18, December 9, January 6, February 10, March 10, April 14, May 12, June 9)* – All PlayLab playwrights and the artistic team of Pipeline will be in attendance.
  • Pop-Up Office Days – Over the course of the season, Pipeline will host a series of Pop-Up Office days for PlayLabbers to all get in one room and write side-by-side.
  • Kick-Off Event (August/September 2018) – A “get to know you” event for the PlayLabbers, the Pipeline staff, and the Pipeline ensemble. Each PlayLabber will share a few pages from the play they’ll be working on over the coming year.
  • Springboards (3 throughout the season, dates TBD) – “In-progress” workshops throughout our year together. PlayLabbers are given dedicated time, space, and collaborators (including members of our ensemble and community) throughout the season to explore specific questions related to their play development and tailored to the needs of the writer and the material.
  • Annual Retreat (May 10-12, 2019*) – Each playwright will attend the Pipeline annual retreat, during which each developed full-length play will be given its first cold reading.
  • Week of Extraordinary Risk (June 2019): Each playwright will write a full-length play to be presented as part of the Week of Extraordinary Risk reading series in June.
  • PlayLab playwrights are also expected to attend Pipeline events throughout our tenth season. PlayLabbers will play an active role in the 2019 Gala as champions of Pipeline, to speak to their experience to the greater Pipeline community.

*Dates subject to change.

Who Should Apply?

In line with our vision, we are looking for artists who are excited to collaborate with Pipeline and fellow playwrights in developing plays that create imaginative new worlds and use bold and inventive methods to transport audiences. We like big dreamers, working to figure out a project in the earliest stages of incubation. We want to make something from scratch with you, so are interested in hearing about your spark of an impossible idea that we can help you grow into a big courageous new play.

The PlayLab works at a rigorous pace, so we’re also looking for energetic and ambitious artists who are excited to roll up their sleeves and get to work with us and who are interested in having a year long commitment to explore, discover, collaborate, and grow.

Special effort and attention is paid to building a dynamic, diverse cohort and community. We encourage playwrights of all races, ethnicities, genders, abilities, physical presentation, and educational and professional backgrounds to apply.

Our vision: we believe that an unbridled imagination is a force of magic with the power to provoke a more courageous and compassionate world.

Got questions about our mission and vision and if your work aligns with ours? We suggest you first familiarize yourself with our production history (specifically work produced from 2012 onward) as well as the work being developed in this year’s PlayLab. Still have questions? Contact our Director of Artistic Development, Tom Costello.

What to Expect

PlayLab playwrights meet once a month to review pages of their projects with one another through cold readings and dramaturgical discussion. Additionally, PlayLabbers will participate in our Springboard Events – 3 short workshops (tailored to the writer’s specific needs) where they will collaborate with members of the Pipeline community to dig deeply in specific questions pertaining to their plays.

We strive to build a strong sense of community within our PlayLab, so each month the meeting travels to a different PlayLab or Pipeline artistic team member’s home, often the host provides food for the group (reimbursed by Pipeline). PlayLab playwrights should be excited to work within a collaborative group atmosphere, and enjoy providing one another with constructive feedback.

Throughout the season, Pipeline’s artistic team will work with each writer to determine ideal goals and writing deadlines to help maintain steady progress leading towards the readings.

Members of the PlayLab are part of the Pipeline family for the year, and as such, are expected to attend our retreat in May, where company members and playwrights will get a chance to together read through PlayLab playwrights’ full drafts, get away from the city for some dedicated writing time, and probably play Capture the Flag (be sure to stretch first…there have been injuries).

Though the primary aim of the PlayLab is to support playwrights in turning their biggest, wildest ideas into finished plays, our secondary aim is to expand each playwrights’ artistic community. Through our Week of Extraordinary Risk, Springboards, and Retreat, we introduce our PlayLab playwrights to our large and vibrant artistic community, but we also invite each playwright to bring with them their own contacts. In this way, the PlayLab program is designed to spark new artistic collaborations between theatre artists of all kinds. PlayLab playwrights can expect to walk away from the program with an exciting new roster of directors, actors, and designers to work with for years to come.

Submit!

We are now accepting PlayLab submissions! To submit, please complete part 1 and part 2 of the application process by April 30, 2018, 11:59PM.

Part 1

Please email the following to playlab2019@pipelinetheatre.org with the subject line: [LAST NAME] 2019 PlayLab Submission. Please combine all materials into a single PDF document and be sure to name your file in the following format [LASTNAME_Playlab2019].

  • Your Resume
  • Your Bio
  • Information about your proposed play (we’ll take anything from an outline, to a paragraph description, to a sample of 10 pages or fewer)
  • A full-length theatrical writing sample (We wanna get to know you!)

Part 2

Upon submission of your application materials to playlab2019@pipelinetheatre.org, you will be sent a google form. The form must be completed for your application to be final. The form will ask you to provide the following:


  • Your first and last name
  • The title of your proposed play
  • A short synopsis of your proposed play (400 words or less)
  • The developmental history of your proposed play (400 words or less)
  • Your responses to the following questions (250 words or less each):

– How does your play align with the Pipeline mission and vision?
– Why are you excited to be a part of the PlayLab and Pipeline’s community?
– What are the big questions you have about your play at this point? What about this play is challenging to you as a writer?
– Why are you interested in developing this play in a group setting? How will you contribute to the PlayLab community?
Major conflicts July 2018-June 2019
Are you currently pursuing an MFA and/or are you in any other writers groups?
How you heard about the PlayLab!

Some finalists can expect to be contacted late-May for follow-up interviews via phone or skype.

Questions?

Send ‘em to Tom Costello. He has the answers: tom@pipelinetheatre.org.

All applicants will be notified by June 7, 2018.

Monday, April 23, 2018

Summer Writing Classes at Primary Stages ESPA!

Summer 2018 classes at Primary Stages ESPA are now open for enrollment! Here are just some of the classes in our lineup of opportunities in the writing department:

Instructor: Kara Lee Corthron (Writer, AliceGraceAnon at New Georges)
If you’re just stepping into the world of playwriting, welcome!

This class will guide you through the development of your first draft, providing concrete deadlines, constructive feedback, and a collaborative environment that will encourage you to get your ideas on the page.
Winter Miller (Writer, In Darfur at The Public)
Eddie Sanchez (Writer, Barefoot Boy with Shoes On at Primary Stages)
Chisa Hutchinson (Writer, Somebody’s Daughter at Second Stage)
Michael Walkup (Producing Artistic Director, Page 73)
Liz Duffy Adams (Writer, Or, at Women’s Project)

Instructor: Crystal Skillman (Writer, Geek, Rain and Zoe Save the World)
Tackle the revision process and develop a stronger version of your play.

Instructor: Adam Kraar (Writer, New World Rhapsody at MTC, Wild Terrain at EST)
Learn to distill a compelling story into the shortest possible dramatic form, think outside of the box of structure, and have some fun.

Instructor: Morgan Jenness (Former Dramaturg and Associate Producer, The Public; Creative Director, In This Distracted Globe)
This 5-week crash course in dramaturgy will look at its basic history and theories, and the language of effective dramaturgical dialogue.

Instructor: Josh Koenigsberg (Writer, “Orange Is the New Black”)
This 3-day intensive is your opportunity to learn the structure and language of television writing, and gather the tools to develop an idea of your own into a pilot.

Instructor: Abe Koogler (Writer, Fulfillment Center at MTC, Kill Floor at LCT3)
In this 2-day workshop, begin and make substantial progress on a brand-new play by using an intuitive approach to dramatic structure, inspiring an organic writing process that bypasses the critical brain.

Instructor: Stefanie Zadravec (Writer, The Electric Baby at Two River Theatre Company)
This 2-day workshop will help you conquer the overwhelming task of writing about yourself and your work.

Classes begin in June. Click here for the full list of writing classes.

Our award-winning faculty, comprised of working professionals in the field, provides practical skills and expert guidance in a collaborative community atmosphere.

Primary Stages ESPA provides students easy and convenient payment plans to break up tuition. For more information, call 212.840.9705 x215 or email espa@primarystages.org.

TBT seeks full-length plays

web site

Deadline: April 30, 2018

Should you have any questions please contact us at talkback.submissions@gmail.com .

TBT is dedicated to producing staged readings of full-length new work. For our purposes, "new work" means that the play has never been fully produced. Previous readings and workshops do not render the piece ineligible. We are creating a forum for conversation, and as such we are seeking plays that raise questions about pertinent social, political, or environmental issues of our time.

The next call for submissions is for plays that highlight public safety issues. Topics could include, but are not limited to, gun violence, responsible policing, domestic abuse, and addiction.

At the beginning of May, we will commence our play selection process. We will announce the chosen play in late-June. The reading will take place in Orange County, California in September or October of 2018. While we highly encourage playwrights to attend rehearsals and readings, we understand that it may be impractical in some cases and do not require it. We encourage local and non-local playwrights to submit.

In addition to a desire to foster conversation within our diverse community, TBT also seeks to support new voices in American theatre and local artists. As such, the playwright of the selected work will receive a writer's fee and will not be responsible for the payment of actors and directors nor the rental of spaces. Please note that TBT cannot provide any additional funds for travel or lodging, though we may be able to help arrange either.

To submit your play for consideration, go to the submission form. Be prepared to answer some basic questions about you, your play, and the important issues your story addresses. You will be asked to upload your full script in PDF form, and we ask that you include a title page and use the file name format LASTNAME_TITLE.pdf.

PLEASE READ THESE ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES CAREFULLY. ANY SUBMISSION THAT DOES NOT FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. These guidelines will also be posted directly on the submission form.

Talk Back Theatre currently accepts submissions via Google Forms. If you do not have a Google account or prefer not to submit through Google, you may email us for an application form to submit to us directly. DO NOT EMAIL YOUR SCRIPT WITHOUT AN APPLICATION FORM. It will not be accepted.

1. Submissions must address or highlight a pertinent public safety issue.
This call is seeking plays that touch on gun violence, responsible policing, domestic abuse, addiction, or other issues that fall into the category of public health and safety. Think about what important social issues the audience and panel might discuss after the reading.

2. Submissions must be full-length plays.
This includes plays of one or more acts that are not significantly shorter that 75 pages. We are seeking plays that are over one hour in performance. This excludes 10-minute plays, stand-alone scenes, and one-act plays significantly shorter than 75 pages.

3. Submissions must be unproduced scripts.
For our purposes, previous workshop performances or staged readings do not count as productions.

4. Submissions must NOT be one-person shows.
Talk Back Theatre is not currently producing readings that feature only one performer, even if that piece fits the other guidelines listed.

5. Submissions should NOT rely heavily on extensive movement/dance or media (projections, music, etc.).

Scripts are not disqualified for including any of these elements. However, our readings have minimal blocking and we cannot accept scripts that require dance or other serious movement (including fight choreography), nor can we accept scripts the require projections or other media, including music. If you do not believe your script can or should be presented without any of these elements, please choose a different play to submit.

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Thespian Production is seeking one-act plays

web site

Thespian Production is seeking one-act plays for its one-act play festival in NYC 2018.  Plays should be between 10-15 minutes in length and have no more than four characters.

We are accepting submissions from any genre.

We love producing new and unpublished works but do accept works already produced. Multiple submissions are accepted.

Plays should have simple set requirements. Since we are a community theater, plays with too much vulgar language will not be accepted.

Please include synopsis and contact information. Plays will be accepted through April 30, 2018. Submit plays to thespianproductioninc@gmail.com.   Thank you.

Friday, April 20, 2018

The Ten-Minute Musicals Project

web site

Since the inception of The Ten-Minute Musicals Project, over sixteen hundred submissions have been received, from librettists, lyricists and composers in fifteen nations: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Uruguay, Ireland, England, France, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the Ukraine.

Stories 1.0 is the full-length musical comprised of works selected in the first several rounds. Several works in Stories 1.0 were workshopped in San Francisco, New York City, Miami, and Nashville over the years. Individual segments have been independently workshopped in Dallas, Chicago, London, and Boston.

SEEKING: Complete original stage musicals which play between seven and twenty minutes. Works which have been previously produced are acceptable, as are excerpts from full-length shows, if they can stand up on their own.

MUSICAL STYLE AND THEATRICAL FORMAT: Any musical style: pop, rock, C&W, show, opera, etc; or theatrical format: comedy, mystery, drama, etc.

CAST SIZE: Maximum of ten performers—five women and five men.

SUBMISSIONS SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

1. A printed script. (Note: printed on paper; not sent as a computer file on disk.) And please make sure your POSTAL ADDRESS appears on it.

2. Lead sheets or piano score. (This need not be at all elaborate; very basic is fine.)

3. A CD or DVD of either the entire piece or just the musical material.

4. A stamped self-addressed large envelope if you want the work returned. (Submissions from outside the USA should enclose four INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE COUPONS to cover postage. These can be obtained at your post office.)

CONCERNING THE ABOVE, PLEASE NOTE:  NO ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS -- HARD COPIES ONLY

DEADLINE: Simply postmarked by August 31st. (Do not waste money on overnight express, registered, or certified mail. All that's requested is that the package be postmarked by August 31.) Response will be by November 30th.

FINANCIAL REMUNERATION: $250/US royalty advance for each piece selected, with an equal share of licensing royalties when produced.

SEND TO:

The Ten-Minute Musicals Project
Michael Koppy, Producer
P.O. Box 461194
West Hollywood, CA 90046 USA

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

“The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.” — Orson Welles
“The more restrictions you have, the easier anything is to write.” — Stephen Sondheim

The single most important piece of advice we can offer is to caution that it will surely take much time and effort to create a quality work. (Occasionally a clearly talented and capable writer and composer seem to have almost “dashed” something off, under the misperception that inspiration can carry the day in this format. But all the works selected in previous rounds clearly evince that considerable deliberation, craft, and time were invested.)

We’re seeking short contemporary musical theater material, in the style of what might be found on Broadway, off-Broadway or the West End. Think of shows like Candide or Little Shop of Horrors, pop operas like Sweeney Todd or Chess, or chamber musicals like Once on this Island or Falsettos. (Even small accessible operas like The Telephone or Trouble in Tahiti are possible models.) All have solid plots, and all rely on sung material to advance them.

Of primary importance is to start with a strong story, even if it means postponing work on music and lyrics until the dramatic foundation is complete. This is one reason we suggest (but do not require) that musicals be based on a short story, play, film, poem or teleplay—either in the public domain (usually meaning it was originally published more than seventy-five years ago) or for which adaptation rights have been obtained. (While we’d love to have pieces based on works by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Rod Serling, or Stephen King, getting the rights to adapt a work still in copyright can sometimes be difficult. Stories by writers like Ambrose Bierce, Jack London, and Guy de Maupassant, among many others, are in the public domain and can be freely adapted.)

We prefer works using larger casts. If from six to the maximum of ten voices are used it’s a big plus. (Think “Production Number”.)

Fast-paced comedy material has an advantage.

If adapting a story, you might consider setting it in another time or place, or even changing the character genders.

We’ve found that fairy tales generally end up being too cute and trite.

A narrator often slows things down. Trust audiences to get the story through what characters say, sing and do. And it’s better for a character to share his or her reactions to what is happening than to simply describe events—we can see them unfolding with our own eyes.

Be wary of writing only introspective musical “moments,” as they usually stop the progression of the plot. Solo ballads should be thought of as icing on the cake, as you'll surely still need other sung material—much of it uptempo—which advances the plot in duets, trios, and production numbers.

Don’t worry if an idea seems “unstageable”. That’s what directors, designers, choreographers—and rehearsals—are for.

Finally, please understand that NONE OF THESE OBSERVATIONS ARE GOSPEL. They’re simply recommendations based on what we've learned from seeing works submitted previously. Given that, please take them seriously. However, nearly every one of these recommendations has been ignored by at least one of the works so far selected. In the end what matters most will be the idea and aim of your piece and how effectively they are realized.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

PROBLEMATIC PLAY FESTIVAL

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The Problematic Play Festival will force us into conversation about the theater industry’s play selection process and the topics that are “off the table” in the American theater. Through an open submission process, we seek playwrights who are willing to discuss, stage, and confront their “problematic” work, providing a space for in-depth, critical, facilitated conversation between artists and audiences.

Throughout the process, we are asking what it means for work to be deemed problematic: Are these scripts “problematic” because they break some kind of universal rule, or have we personally deemed them “problematic” due to our own explicit or implicit biases around certain cultural, social, or political issues? Are there certain lines (of representation, privilege, and identity) that playwrights simply cannot cross? Is there some work that simply should not be done?

The staged reading series will take place in October 2018 at Z Space in San Francisco. Each staged reading will include facilitated discussions before, during, and after the reading; these discussions are the heart and the point of the festival.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Playwrights must be willing to be present (either virtually or in person) to discuss their play with a facilitator and audience.

Any length but longer plays (one-act or full-length) preferred

If you are interested in submitting your play and being part of this conversation, please prepare the following:

Script of your unproduced “problematic” play.

One page explanation of who you are, why you wrote the play, what makes the play “problematic” to you or to others, and what you might want to discuss with an audience.

Optional: up to three documents that show that the play has been rejected by gatekeepers (artistic directors, literary managers, major institutions, foundation officers, etc.).

Please attach all documents as PDFs and email to roser@zspace.org with subject line Problematic Submission by May 1, 2018. Notifications will be sent by July 1, 2018.

COLLABORATE

If this project intrigues you and you would like to be involved as a reader, facilitator, actor, director, producer, or in any other capacity, please email roser@zspace.org with a bit about yourself and your interests.

This project is supported by a LMDA Bly Creative Capacity Grant.

Monday, April 16, 2018

Manhattan Rep's Summer One Act Play Competition 2018

Seeking fully produced,
(cast, directed and ready to be performed by July 2018) 
7 - 20 minute One Act Play Productions for

Manhattan Rep's Summer One Act Play Competition 2018
July 19 - August 3, 2018 
at Manhattan Repertory Theatre, 
17-19 West 45th St. Third Floor NYC

$1000 prize for the Best Short One Act Play Production!

Each one act play will be given a short tech rehearsal, a full dress rehearsal with the other plays participating, a minimum of 3 performances and 3 more performances if your play goes on to the Finals on Thursday August 2 at 6:30 pm and Friday August 3 at 6:30 pm and 9 pm.

To submit your 7 - 20 minute fully produced One Act Play Production please email:

The complete script of your one act play as a .pdf,
a synopsis of the play,
the character breakdown,
the set and lighting requirements, 
the play's production history (if it has been produced before and where)
your mailing address,
and a creative team leader contact email address to:

manhattanrep@yahoo.com by May 31, 2018.

Please put “Summer One Act Play Competition” in the subject heading. 

We will contact you within a week, if not sooner,  as to your acceptance.

Plays that we love will be accepted on a First-Come First-Served basis.
The earlier you submit the better chances you have of being accepted for we may end submissions before May 31, 2018, if we fill up all available performance slots for we are only accepting 25 plays.

There is no submission fee.  NON-EQUITY ONLY. 

We will supply a technician to run the sound and lights.

Once accepted, there will be a $150.00 participation fee.

For more information about the voting process, and how we run this competition, please log on to: www.manhattanrep.com

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