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Deadline: April 30, 2020
After the success of the inaugural Bonnie and Terry Burman New Play Award in 2018, we are proud to announce the second round of the Burman New Play Award in 2020. Barrington Stage seeks an original, emerging new voice in the American Theatre. The winning playwright will receive $25,000, a staged reading and a possible full production. Two additional $5,000 awards will be given to playwrights who will each receive a staged reading at Barrington Stage.
The 2018 Grand Prize winner was Stacey Rose for her play America v. 2.1: The Sad Demise & Eventual Extinction of The American Negro; and the additional awards were given to Brent Askari for his play American Underground and Christina Quintana for her play Citizen Scientist. Both Rose’s and Askari’s plays received world premiere productions at BSC in 2019.
Submissions will open on January 2, 2020 and will close April 30, 2020. There is no fee for entry.
WHAT/WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
The play…
The playwright…
WHAT IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A NEW PLAY?
HOW TO SUBMIT
All submissions must be sent through an online application, applications will open January 2, 2020.
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 email Megan Nussle, Burman Award Project Coordinator, at NewPlayAward@BarringtonStageCo.org.
WHAT ARE THE AWARDS?
Grand Prize (1 recipient)
Runner Up Prize (2 recipients)
WHAT IS THE SELECTION PROCESS?
Scripts will be read and evaluated through a blind submission process by committee assembled by BSC. A group of finalist plays will be read and evaluated by the New Play Award Committee, comprised of distinguished artists in Fall 2020. Winners will be announced in late 2020.
WHAT DOES BARRINGTON STAGE ASK OF THE PLAYWRIGHT?
Barrington Stage will ask for the 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.
Deadline: April 30, 2020
After the success of the inaugural Bonnie and Terry Burman New Play Award in 2018, we are proud to announce the second round of the Burman New Play Award in 2020. Barrington Stage seeks an original, emerging new voice in the American Theatre. The winning playwright will receive $25,000, a staged reading and a possible full production. Two additional $5,000 awards will be given to playwrights who will each receive a staged reading at Barrington Stage.
The 2018 Grand Prize winner was Stacey Rose for her play America v. 2.1: The Sad Demise & Eventual Extinction of The American Negro; and the additional awards were given to Brent Askari for his play American Underground and Christina Quintana for her play Citizen Scientist. Both Rose’s and Askari’s plays received world premiere productions at BSC in 2019.
Submissions will open on January 2, 2020 and will close April 30, 2020. There is no fee for entry.
WHAT/WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
The play…
- must be a new full length play that has not been produced professionally
- must be available for its official world premiere production
- must be unpublished and not yet licensed
- must be free and not attached to any producers
- must be able to be performed with 8 actors or less
- must be wholly original and not an adaptation or translation of an existing foreign language play
- 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
- cannot 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 or literary agent must accompany the script. Each endorsing organization/person/agent can only endorse one play.
- 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, three children, etc.)
HOW TO SUBMIT
All submissions must be sent through an online application, applications will open January 2, 2020.
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 email Megan Nussle, Burman Award Project Coordinator, at NewPlayAward@BarringtonStageCo.org.
WHAT ARE THE AWARDS?
Grand Prize (1 recipient)
- $25,000
- a staged reading with a professional cast and director at Barrington Stage
- a possible full production at Barrington Stage Company
- all travel and housing covered for the staged reading and production
Runner Up Prize (2 recipients)
- $5,000 each
- a staged reading with a professional cast and director at Barrington Stage
- all travel and housing covered for the staged reading
WHAT IS THE SELECTION PROCESS?
Scripts will be read and evaluated through a blind submission process by committee assembled by BSC. A group of finalist plays will be read and evaluated by the New Play Award Committee, comprised of distinguished artists in Fall 2020. Winners will be announced in late 2020.
WHAT DOES BARRINGTON STAGE ASK OF THE PLAYWRIGHT?
Barrington Stage will ask for the 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.