Deadline: September 1, 2024
Submit scripts via e-mail to monologues@forwardtheater.com
Fess up! For our eighth Monologue Festival, Guilty Pleasures, Forward Theater would like to challenge playwrights to send us new, original scripts about the secret indulgences we dare not admit. Indulge in the joys, embarrassments, and sweet reliefs that come from embracing our most private delights.
Monologues may take the form of comedy, spoken word, drama, farce, autobiography, or pure fiction. Our goal is to craft a delicious, diverse slate of pieces for the Monologue Festival. Call variety our own guilty pleasure. We look forward to hearing from you!
Playwrights of any age or residence may submit their work for consideration.
1. Monologues must be written for a single actor to perform.
2. We do not accept musical submissions, adaptations, or children’s plays.
3. Monologues must be standalone pieces. Please do not submit a monologue extracted from a larger play or piece of work.
4. Monologues should require very simple production values. Set pieces, props, or any other effects needing set-up, strike, or special technical support may disadvantage an otherwise excellent submission.
5. We are soliciting new work for premiere production. If the piece has previously received or been part of a fully realized production, do NOT submit.
---
1. Submissions will be accepted starting JULY 1, 2024.
2. Monologues must be inspired by the Festival theme: Guilty Pleasures. We allow a lot of room for interpretation, but monologues that have clearly not been written with this festival in mind and/or do not fit the theme will not be considered. Please respect the time of our panel of judges and only submit monologues specific to this call for submission.
3. Monologues must be between two and ten minutes in length. A general rule of thumb for length of scripts is a maximum of five pages, double-spaced, using a standard format (twelve-point font). All lengths of up to ten minutes will be considered.
4. Each playwright may submit up to two scripts with no fee.
For each additional script, there is a $5 reading fee, payable by check to Forward Theater Company. Checks may be sent to Forward Theater Company, PO Box 14574, Madison, WI 53708.
5. Submit scripts in PDF format. Include a title page with name, address, phone number and e-mail address. Please do NOT list your name anywhere on or within the monologue copy itself to allow for confidential panel review.
6. Submit scripts via e-mail to monologues@forwardtheater.com. Please use the subject line “Monologue Festival Submission.”
7. Entries will be acknowledged by e-mail once they have been received.
8. Playwrights will be credited in marketing and playbill materials and will receive a $150 total royalty for the Festival performances. Playwrights are also entitled to two complimentary tickets to the opening performance.
Deadlines and Notifications
1. Submissions will be accepted until midnight on September 1, 2024. Submissions received after September 1 will not be considered for the Festival.
2. Winning scripts will be announced on our website in February 2025. Winning playwrights will be notified via email or phone on or before this time.
Evaluation Process
Screening: Each application will be screened for eligibility (title page and script in requested format).
Evaluation: Each script is read and evaluated by at least two first-round readers. Based on evaluations, up to 30 monologues will be considered by a second panel of 12-15 readers.
Selection: Based on evaluations and reader discussions, twelve monologues will be selected for performance in the Festival.
Feedback: Due to the volume of scripts submitted, we are unable to offer feedback for this project.
Additional Information
For questions about submissions, contact monologues@forwardtheater.com.
Visit the Guilty Pleasures Monologue Festival page for more information.
You can also follow us on social media for future updates.