Deadline: June 7, 2021
*Please note that we only accept submissions written for the stage or theatre by American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations artists.
For the 11th Annual Short Play Festival, Native Voices wants to know What is Home? For so many around the world this past year, “Home” – literal or metaphorical – has become the centerpiece of many of our lives.
What is Home? Is it a structure? Is it where you are? Or where you come from? Is it the communities in which you surround yourself, or the communities that shaped you?
At Native Voices, we understand and appreciate all the complexities that make up your “home”. Is “home” your ancestral lands? Does it live in the hearts and minds of your communities? Does it live with your Aunties and cousins? Or maybe, is “home” your studio apartment or your suitcase? Has your notion of ‘home” changed in the past year? We want to know: What’s your story? What is your home?
We want to hear from you! Share with us a glimpse of home. The only limitation is that your play must be no longer than 10-minutes. For ten minutes, you can take the audience on any journey you want. We cannot wait to see what you bring to life!
Plays chosen to participate in the 11th Annual Short Play Festival will also be entered to win the Von Marie Atchley Excellence in Playwriting award – a $1,000 cash prize!!
Scripts longer than 15 pages or read aloud at longer than 10 minutes will not be accepted. Fresh, surprising perspectives are welcome, and unique theatricality is a must.
Some ideas to spark the imagination are:
- Sovereignty
- Traditional Homelands
- Language Keepers
- Passing On Traditions
- Family
- Friends
- Diaspora/ Removals
- Urban/ Rural/ Reservation/ Village
- Coming Home/ Leaving Home
- Homesickness
- Boarding schools and assimilation
- Protecting Home/ Environment
Full-Length Plays
Deadline: August 2, 2021
Native Voices is currently accepting submissions of full-length plays (60+ pages) by American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations playwrights addressing all themes and topics.
2022 Playwrights Retreat and 28th Festival of New Plays
The Retreat and Festival bring artists to Los Angeles to work on 3–4 plays through a rigorous directorial and dramaturgical commitment for 8–10 days in May/June. The Retreat culminates in public staged readings of the plays at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles and La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego. Selected playwrights receive artistic support as well as an honorarium; out-of-town artists receive roundtrip airfare plus lodging in Southern California.
Selection Process: Full-length plays (60+ pages) received by August 2, 2021 will be read and evaluated. A select number of playwrights will be invited to submit formal proposals detailing their developmental goals should their play be chosen for the short list. Scripts will then be sent to a committee of nationally recognized theatre artists for further evaluation. With their help, Native Voices selects up to four plays for the Playwrights Retreat and Festival of New Plays. Playwrights will be notified in February 2022.
A Note About the Native Voices Distance Dramaturgy Process
Months prior to residencies, selected playwrights participate in dramaturgical conversations with an assigned director and dramaturg. Workshops with these creative teams and a cast of professional actors commence once the playwright arrives on-site. It is important to note that these conversations and workshops are playwright driven, allowing the writer to shape their own developmental path. Selected playwrights should be prepared to dedicate adequate time to this process prior to arriving on-site.
2022 OPEN Submission for Production Consideration
We accept scripts all year long. Do you have a full-length script that has been developed and produced that you’d like us to consider for a future Native Voices production in Los Angeles? Please follow the Checklist for All Submissions below and in the Native Voices Script Submission form check the box for 2022 General Production Consideration.
Checklist for All Submissions
Please label script attachment as follows: PlayTitle_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: MyNewPlay_Doe, J.doc).
All submissions must conform to a standard play-script format (one-inch margins, #12 Times or Courier font, all pages numbered).
Include a title page with full contact information (mailing address, phone numbers, e-mail address) and a draft or revision date.
Include a character breakdown at the beginning of your script.
Provide a biography of 75–100 words. Please label attachment as follows: Bio_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: Bio_Doe, J.doc).
Provide a press ready photo of at least 300dpi. Please label attachment as follows: Photo_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: Photo_Doe, J.doc).
Provide development history for the play. Label attachment as follows: DevHistory_PlayTitle_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: DevHistory_MyNewPlay_Doe, J.doc).
To submit, fill out our online form and upload your submission materials here: Native Voices Script Submission Form
Please do not send treatments or outlines. Previously submitted plays should only be resubmitted if the play has undergone significant dramatic changes. Previously produced plays should be submitted under the 2022 General Submission for Production Consideration. Plays that are not selected are kept on file for consideration for future opportunities. Playwrights are encouraged to make multiple submissions (up to three per event), but selection will be limited to only one play per playwright, per event.
Where to Send Submissions
We now only accept electronic submission (preferably PDF format).
To submit, fill out our online form and upload your materials here: Native Voices Script Submission Form