Ongoing now
Every day for 20 days (to celebrate our 20 years of existence!) we will be posting a prompt at VenusTheatreCompany on Instagram.
We invite playwrights to create around these images/suggestions.
Plays may have no more than seven performers and MUST empower women.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Beginning December 15, we will be taking play submissions originating from these prompts. At the beginning of 2021, we will publish five of these plays in our first ever ANTHOLOGY!!!
Objects of Survival: Plays of the Pandemic
IS THIS A SHORTS COMPETITION?
Venus is always seeking full length plays. We’d prefer two acts but they are becoming more and more extinct. We are not seeking shorts.
I’VE ALREADY WRITTEN A PANDEMIC PLAY, CAN I JUST SUBMIT THAT?
Objects of Survival: Plays of the Pandemic is a collaborative effort with respect to being socially distanced. Venus usually receives about 200 play submissions a year. This year, we are all in it together. Plays need to be written around/inspired by the prompts that we are providing.
CAN I JUST SEND MY WRITING TO YOU ON THE DAY I WRITE IT?
You can but it won’t be read. Submissions will begin to be received on December 15th and we will have guidelines posted for you to follow. Please follow those guidelines or understand that the work will be disqualified.
WILL YOU STAGE MY PLAY?
This is a competition for the very first publication of Venus Theatre. An Anthology entitled: “Objects of Survival: Plays of the Pandemic”. Once all submissions are received, between December 15 and January 15, Venus will announce the five chosen plays to be published by Valentines Day. Once published it is our great hope that many companies may choose to produce them. We can only guarantee the quality of our selection process.
WILL YOU PUBLISH MORE THAN FIVE PLAYS?
This project is set to publish five full length plays. We usually stage four women empowering plays a year, so we added one in the anthology as a bonus.
IS THERE A FEE?
The first submission is always free. There is a fee beyond the first submission. This has come about because we’ve had playwrights submit 5-10 of their plays at once. We would like to see one piece from you per year.
WHAT IF I HAVE A PLAY I’M READY FOR VENUS TO PRODUCE NOW?
We are in the midst of a pandemic. Venus is not able to stage at this time so our Anthology project has taken the place of productions. This will go on until it is safe to gather in our small space again. The last thing we want is anyone getting sick on our watch.
DO I HAVE TO WRITE ABOUT EVERY OBJECT EVERY DAY?
The prompts will be posted daily for 20 days. This marks 20 years of producing empowering plays for women. They can be used however the writer prefers. The only rule is to not submit a full length play until December 15. How you get there is your process. And we respect that.
WHAT STYLE ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
We seek plays that stay true to themselves. Whatever the style or timeline. We would prefer comedies where possible. We’re kind of tired of feeling hopeless and depressed.
PLAY SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
PLEASE NOTE: ALL PLAY SUBMISSIONS WILL BE READ IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.
We prefer two acts, if possible, so we can sell things at intermission to pay the bills.
ALL SUBMISSIONS
- must empower women
- MUST HAVE a majority of female characters
- must be plays (not music or video projects)
- must have dynamic tension built into each scene
- are made with the understanding that the playwright will never be the director and vice versa
SUBMIT: Open dates. Plays will be read in December.
ROYALTY: If selected playwrights will receive a percentage of box office sales under the Dramatists Guild contractual guidelines.
ELIGIBILITY: Full length plays are preferred. MUST have strong female characters with interesting storylines.
GENRE: Drama or Comedy for adult audiences.
CAST SIZE: Cast size is limited to no more than seven actors. (please do not submit scripts without this breakdown specified in the case of multiple roles)
SPACE: The Venus Theatre Play Shack seats 30 audience members, alley staging, immersion theatre.
TO BE INCLUDED WITH EVERY SUBMISSION: A biography and/or author’s history of the play, character breakdown, and brief description or synopsis of the play.
SUBMISSION FEE: No fee. One submission per reading period.