The Playwrights Group ~ sit in on a session and see for yourself

The Weekly Workshop

Join our nationwide community of playwrights on Zoom. 

It’s a great way to stay connected and motivated.

 

Participating in a weekly workshop can give you the kick you need to see your script through from beginning to end.  You can bring in anything you’re working on — a full length script, a musical, a TV pilot, whatever. And when your script is ready — we’ll present it in a Public Reading. We also bring in Guest Speakers, like Pulitzer Prize winner Margaret Edson (Wit). 

 

 

Sit in on a session and see for yourself!

Tuesdays or Thursdays 7 - 9:30pm EDT

 

Check out our website for more details and rates. 

 

Script Consultations

 

If you don’t have time for the workshop but have a script you’d like some feedback on — just send a PDF of your script and you’ll get a critique via email and/or video conference. See website for rates.

 

Richard Caliban has worked with  individuals on their scripts from all over the world — Indonesia, China, Greece, Australia, Serbia, as well as right here in New York. A script consultation will provide you with feedback on the structural soundness of your story, the dramatic arc of your protagonist, thematic unity and much more.

 

Online One-on-One Courses

 

If you’re looking for more, check out our One on One Online Playwriting Courses:

 

•       The Art of Playwriting

•       Write a Play in 10 Weeks

•       3 Hour Short Course

 

All are with instructor Richard Caliban, and since it’s One on One, the courses can be adjusted to fit your level of experience. 

 

Please visit our website for further Info and Rates: 

 

www.theplaywrightsgroup.com

 

Contact us at 

scripts@theplaywrightsgroup.com

Playwrights Horizons ~ Unplugged

Website

Deadline: October 8, 2024

SUBMISSION FORM

We invite artists to submit scripts for “Unplugged” productions.

“Unplugged” is a new production model that de-emphasizes physical production costs, keeping artists’ pay a priority. We aim to produce our inaugural “Unplugged” show in our 2025-2026 season. Our goal is to find new approaches to theater-making in the hopes of building a healthier and more sustainable future.

Before automation. Before intelligent lighting instruments. Before lavalier microphones, animatronic robots, projection mapping. Before falling chandeliers and swinging Spidermen. Before multimillion-dollar lobby renovations and subscriber perks. There was a text, a stage, an actor, an audience.

Playwrights Horizons exists to put as much new theater in front of as many audiences as possible. To this end, we’re pursuing some new approaches to making theater which turn the financial constraints of these times into an asset, valuing people and artistry over materials and spending. In a climate where shorter seasons have led to fewer jobs for artists (boo!), our aim is to expand programming (yay!), to produce more with less, and to rediscover what is essential about theater.

“Unplugged” is one of several tactics we’re experimenting with to get there. It will be a mainstage show that’s intentionally conceived around a minimal budget for physical production, focusing on a creative design rather than on material goods. It is neither a workshop production nor a stepping stone to a larger production. And crucially, working on Unplugged projects won’t mean working for lower fees. Writers, directors, designers, design assistants, actors, and stage managers will be contracted on all applicable union agreements; compensation will be consistent with traditional productions on Playwrights’ mainstage and not reduced by a restricted production budget. The motto: People, Not Stuff.
Come experiment with us?

Through October 8, we’re inviting eligible submissions for “Unplugged”

Playwrights Horizons is inviting playwrights to submit scripts specifically for the “Unplugged” producing model. We are seeking plays that are large in imaginative scope but lend themselves to a radically reduced production budget. Submissions will be accepted through this portal, provided they meet the following criteria:

Playwrights must be based in the United States.

Playwrights are invited to submit one play only, during this submission period.

Plays must be full-length, and as yet unproduced in New York City.

Plays must be written for no fewer than three actors, and no more than six actors.

Please note that we will not accept re-submissions of plays you have sent Playwrights Horizons, now or in the future. Additionally, because of the high volume of submissions and small size of our staff, we regretfully are not able to respond to each application.

The Unplugged Challenge 

Re-invention will take a shared commitment to embrace the discipline and limitations of producing differently, from every artist, producer, and staff member on the team. We’re in this together.

Submissions will only be considered with an artist’s explicit agreement to adhere to…

THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT!

21 days in the rehearsal room + 3 days of tech onstage.

1 week of previews (including preview rehearsals) + a 4-5 week run.

Set will be assembled from pre-existing in-house inventory, not built.

Lighting will use conventional equipment from in-house stock. No rentals.

Sound will use in-house stock. No rentals or mics.

Costumes will be shopped or pulled, not built.

Limited use of live music in performance.

No child performers, projections, turntables, automation, animals, water, blood, fire, sand, snow, confetti, flying, or special effects.

Apart from the core creative team (playwright, director, set designer, costume designer, lighting designer, sound designer, and their assistants), there will be one modest budget line for a single additional team member (e.g. fight director, intimacy coordinator, vocal coach).

Questions to Consider When Determining if a Play Is Suitable for Unplugged:

Do the Rules of Engagement excite your imagination around the play? Can the play honor all the rules? In what ways will the play, and the creative process, actively benefit from a spare approach? Does a work of Realism (such as Long Day’s Journey Into Night, The Piano Lesson) truly require a realistic, life-like design? What do you love about watching a run-through of plays in a rehearsal room? Does the play’s language evoke setting?

Theater is a humble materialist enterprise which seeks to produce riches of the imagination,
not the other way around.
– Charles Ludlam

Interested? Got questions? On Monday, September 23rd at 6pm, Natasha Sinha (Associate Artistic Director) and Lizzie Stern (Literary Director) will host an information session. Please RSVP here; a Zoom link will be sent on September 23rd. 

If you’d like access to the recording, please email lit@phnyc.org.

FRESH WORDS-AN INTERNATIONAL LITERARY MAGAZINE is open for submissions

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2024

FRESH WORDS-AN INTERNATIONAL LITERARY MAGAZINE is open for submissions for its Special One Minute Plays/Monologues Anthology titled 'TO BE OR NOT TO BE' (Volume 1) . Please send all submissions to dramaanthologyfreshwords@gmail.com as per the following guidelines:

1. The work should be a 1 minute play/monologue that deals with on of the following:

• Doubt and uncertainty
• Life and death
• Madness
• Existentialism and the meaning of life and death
• The pain and suffering of life
• The fear of the unknown in death
• The balance between life and death
• The consideration of how one deals with life and death.

2. We shall not accept works promoting or glorifying- violence, sexual abuse, racism , hatred or any political ideology.

3. Maximum 5 submissions per playwright.

4. The length of the plays/monologue/soliloquy should be decided by the playwright, keeping in mind that the performance time should not exceed 1 minute. (NOTE: if selected the performance rights and intellectual property rights of work will exclusively remain with the playwright, we shall request for one time publication rights in the anthology. The copyright of the work will revert back to the playwright immediately after publication of the anthology.)

5. Also please send a short note on the inspiration behind your work.

6. All submissions to be sent to dramaanthologyfreshwords@gmail.com

7. Submission deadline: September 30th, 2024. (The selected playwrights will be informed on or before October 10th, 2024 through email.).

8. Mention YOUR NAME followed by 'SUBMISSION FOR TO BE OR NOT TO BE ANTHOLOGY (Volume 1)' in the subject line of your email.

General Guidelines:

1. All submissions must contain a cover letter and a short literary profile (about 70 words) of playwright in third person narrative.

2. All submissions must be sent typed in MS Word or PDF doc as attachment with the email.

3. The author should mention:

Legal Name:

Pen name (if any):

Snail mail address:

4. Playwright must send a high resolution photo (JPEG format) of self as a separate attachment with the submission.

5. Simultaneous submissions are welcome but please immediately inform us in case they are accepted elsewhere.


Website: https://sites.google.com/view/freshwordsmagazine/home?authuser=0

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fresh-Words-An-International-Literary-Magazine-106332345070389/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQmmN1p8jcbIa6rUxzCzL2Q

Support us: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/freshwordsmag


NOTE: THERE IS NO SUBMISSION, PUBLICATION OR PARTICIPATION FEE.

Go Try PlayWrite September 2024

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2024

SUBMISSION FORM

We're proud to announce a new monthly playwriting contest in collaboration with Bamboo Ridge Press. Every month, Kumu Kahua's artistic director Harry Wong III will select a writing prompt on the first day of that month. We're looking for 5-page monologues or 10-page scenes based on that prompt; the due date for submissions are always the last day of the month. All entries must be written in traditional play format; instructions on this format can be found here (https://www.dramatistsguild.com/script-formats), courtesy of the Dramatists Guild.

There will be one winner each month. Scripts will be submitted to the judges anonymously. Winners will receive $100 and a subscription to Bamboo Ridge Press. Woo!

The prompt for September 2024 is:

A joke prompt. First write a joke at the top of the page. The joke does not have to be an original joke you made up. It can be a joke you heard. Then write a 10-page maximum scene dramatizing the joke. “Knock knock,” jokes; “why did the…?,” jokes; “did you ever notice”; etc. Any joke you’d like to see acted out. Also, you can just use the joke as inspiration for the scene. You do not have to have a chicken crossing the road… or, you can, if you like.

Call for original, short plays by playwrights from tri-state area (NJ, NY, PA).

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2024 at 11:59 PM

South Street Players (southstreetplayers.org) is seeking original, short (10 mins preferred, 15 mins maximum) plays for its 14th Annual Tri-State Theatre Festival. The event will take place November 8-10, 2024 in Spring Lake, NJ.

The festival, which receives more than 300 scripts annually, is committed to presenting the finest and most unique original, short plays written by local playwrights from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The event also serves as an artistic fundraiser, with all proceeds going to SSP to help maintain its commitment to producing high-quality, extremely engaging theatrical experiences for our audiences.

Submission Rules and Process:

Seeking original comedic and dramatic short plays from playwrights currently living in the Tri-State area only(NJ, NY and PA).

Plays must be 15 pages or less. Submissions of longer than 15 pages will not be considered.

Plays should include no more than 4 characters and be in standard playscript format.

Playwrights may submit more than one play, but please be sure your name and email address is on the title page of each script.

SSP is a family theatre – no excessive swearing, no nudity.

No royalties or payment will be provided to playwrights should their play be chosen for the festival.

Plays will only be accepted via email: southstreetoneacts@gmail.com

The Geyer Performing Arts Center One Act Festival

Website

Deadline: October 10, 2024

Submissions open now for original one act play scripts. The Geyer Performing Arts Center is hosting a One Act Festival in January 2025 and we want to feature your new play.

Please send submissions to David DeFazio at ddefazio47@comcast.net no later than Friday, October 10th 2024.

Submission Guidelines:

- Seeking scripts between 15 and 30 minutes long.

- Both previously produced scripts, and never before produced scripts are welcome for submission.

Please let us know any performance history of your one act play. We look forward to reading your submissions!

Request for Proposals: *snap* Festival

Website

Deadline:  September 30, 2024

SUBMISSION FORM

The Flynn is committed to using the arts to build connections and strengthen communities. The *snap* Festival is a celebration of the power of first-person narratives. We believe everyone has stories to tell and that sharing these stories teaches empathy by allowing us to recognize commonalities and learn about each other’s unique experiences.

From January 24 - 26, 2025, the Flynn will celebrate the power of storytelling and solo performance with a weekend-long festival that will include workshops and solo performances by professional and emerging artists.

Through a series of performances and workshops, we will create a dialogue between performers and the audience and provide opportunities for the community to join and support the conversation. Performances will include meaningful time for questions and thoughts from the audience. Our expectation is that performers will listen to audience feedback and have it shape their work and that our audiences will develop a deeper understanding of this important art form.

All writers, poets, rappers, storytellers, and other solo performers from New England and New York are invited to apply and submit a proposal for a performance to be showcased in the 2025 *snap* festival. Selected works will be performed by the artist and told from the first-person perspective. We are interested in stories about your experience told from your perspective. 

Artists and Projects will be chosen based on the following criteria:

1. The work you submit illuminates your unique perspective.

2. Works must be new, original, and must not be previously produced. This festival offers the opportunity to showcase a piece that has not yet been performed in front of an audience. Scripts or the equivalent must be submitted as part of this application.

3. You will be performing your own work and will perform it with no other performers.

4. Your piece must be written and performed in the first person.

5. Performance length will be approximately 15 minutes. The performance may be a complete work, or a section of a longer work.

Resources

1. An honorarium of $500 will be provided.

2. Accommodations will be provided for the duration of the festival.

3. Up to $200 in travel costs will be reimbursed.

4. The Flynn will cover the production costs of the festival including stage labor, sound equipment, security, ushers, and box office. All final production costs and expenses will be decided by the Flynn Center at its discretion. This festival is primarily about the development of a new work and requests involving other production elements (set, lights, costumes, etc.) may not always be accommodated.

5. The Flynn will actively market and publicize the festival and the public showing of your work on January 25, 2025 in FlynnSpace.

6. Your work may be selected for further development with an invitation to serve as an artist in residence.

Timeline

1. August 1 – September 30, 2024: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

2. Final date to submit an application is Monday, September 30, 2024.

3. A brief in-person or zoom interview will be scheduled as part of the selection process.

4. Proposals will be chosen by the Flynn and a panel of judges.

5. Artists will be informed of their acceptance no later than October 31, 2024.

6. The *snap* festival takes place January 24 – 26, 2025 with performance of new works on January 25, 2025. You will arrive in Burlington on January 23 for a group dinner!

Schedule
The festival will take place at The Flynn Center from January 24 – 26, 2025. The performance of your 15-minute piece will be on January 25, 2025 in the Flynn Space.

FutureFest 2025

Website

Deadline: October 31, 2024

Or when they have received 375 scripts

Submission fee will be waived for members of the Dramatists Guild. 

SUBMIT VIA GOOGLE DOCS

The Dayton Playhouse invites playwrights of all races and ethnicities, all gender identities, all physical abilities, and all ages to submit scripts for consideration as a Finalist for FutureFest 2025.

Festival dates: July 18 – 20, 2025. The Dayton Playhouse will hold the 2025 festival in person.

The submission deadline for FutureFest 2025 is October 31, 2024.

FEE
$20 submission fee per script. This fee will be waived for members of the Dramatists Guild. Checks and money orders should be made payable to “The Dayton Playhouse”.

Fees may be paid online by following this link to our online payment system.

ELIGIBILITY
Entry must be an original work written for THE STAGE and intended for an English-speaking audience*. No musicals or plays for children will be accepted. Plays must be full length with a run time of at least 75 minutes. The script must not have been published, or produced where admission was charged, prior to FutureFest 2025. Staged readings/workshop productions are not necessarily disqualifying factors. Playwrights may submit no more than two scripts for consideration for FutureFest 2025.

* Scripts may include phrases/sentences from other languages, even characters speaking in other languages, but the primary language of the script must be English.

DEADLINES
Submissions will be accepted August 31 through October 31, 2024 (electronic submission). The Dayton Playhouse will limit the total number of submitted eligible scripts to 375. Dayton Playhouse reserves the right to close submissions prior to October 31, 2024 should the submission limit be reached.

SCRIPTS
Electronic submissions of scripts are required. Scripts in PDF format are preferred. Word or Google Doc formats are acceptable.

Submit an anonymized copy (no name/contact info) of your script, in standard play format with pages numbered. After the title page include a brief synopsis, character breakdown, setting, and scene breakdown, if applicable. The script submission form (link below) must be filled out for each script submission. If applicable, the form also provides the opportunity to submit an image of your Dramatists Guild membership card.

Please note that entries that do not comply with our guidelines will be disqualified. Scripts must be submitted electronically via the Submission Form or via email as an alternative method. Script evaluations will not be provided.

CONSENT
Playwright gives the Dayton Playhouse permission to print scripts for reading/production purposes.

Should your script be selected and produced as one of the five Finalists, you must be available to attend, in person, the weekend festival (July 18-20, 2025) in Dayton, Ohio and participate in all events. Finalists must acknowledge “FutureFest 2025 at the Dayton Playhouse” as well as the Festival cast when the script is published. The winning playwright grants the Dayton Playhouse permission to produce the winning play as part of its 2025-2026 or 2026-2027 mainstage season.

SELECTION PROCESS
Each entry is guaranteed a minimum of three reads. The original play reading committee, following many months of discussion and voting, narrows down the entries to 15 – 18, which are then read by the entire committee before they select the 12 semi-finalists. A second committee selects the five finalists. During FutureFest weekend, the plays will each have a staged reading and be publicly adjudicated by a panel of theatre professionals (nationally-based and regional). Following the final production of the weekend, the adjudicators vote and select the winning script.

FINALISTS
Finalists will be posted on the Dayton Playhouse website (www.daytonplayhouse.com) in May 2025.

AWARDS
A $500 honorarium will be awarded to the winning playwright; all Finalists will each receive a $100 honorarium. The Dayton Playhouse provides the five Finalists travel (within the continental U.S.) to Dayton and lodging for FutureFest weekend.

The Dayton Playhouse reserves the right to produce a full production of the winning script for a future season, free of payment of rights. The show will have 6 performances over a two week period. The winning script will receive a full production as a part of a Dayton Playhouse mainstage season with six performances. Exact production dates are to be determined but will fall between March 2026 and May 2027. The winning playwright will have the opportunity to update the script based on feedback from the FutureFest weekend and participate in the production process.

SUBMISSION PROCESS
All submitting playwrights must complete the submission form for each submitted script. Please click this link to access the Script Submission Form:
FutureFest 2025 Script Submission Form

The form requires use of a Google account, and includes an option to upload script PDF documents. If you do not have or do not wish to use a Google account, as an alternative, you may e-mail the script to futurefest@daytonplayhouse.com. Please include in the body of the email your:

● Name

● Full mailing address

● Email address

● Website (optional)

● Play title

● Play synopsis (500 characters maximum)

● Attach anonymized play in PDF format

● Attach Proof of Dramatists Guild membership, if applicable

DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY
The Dayton Playhouse invites playwrights of all races and ethnicities, all gender identities, all physical abilities, and all ages to submit scripts for consideration as a Finalist for FutureFest 2025. The Dayton Playhouse seeks to learn if the diversity of our submitting playwrights aligns with the diversity of our FutureFest Finalists.

To do this, we ask the help of our submitting playwrights. At the end of the Script Submission Form is a link to an OPTIONAL anonymous Demographic Survey. Please consider completing this survey so we can better understand the level and types of diversity of our submitting playwrights. (Survey Link for Playwrights submitting by email.)

QUESTIONS
Contact Tina McPhearson or Debra Strauss, FutureFest 2025 Co-Chairs, at 937-424-8477, or email futurefest@daytonplayhouse.com.

Women's Work Project 2024

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2024

The WOMEN’S WORK LAB for short plays provides a supportive and nurturing environment to emerging and mid-career women playwrights while maintaining a rigorous feedback process that leads to production within six months.

Six playwright members are selected each year, along with a similar number of directors. The LAB meets monthly (Sundays) from February through June, allowing for time in between sessions for writers to continue to develop and revise their work in response to specific feedback from the dramaturgical team. Members are expected to bring work to each session beginning with the development of an original short play BASED UPON AN ASSIGNED THEME.

Monthly feedback from the dramaturgs focuses on the nuts and bolts of creating a 15-30 minute script ready for production. In a process unique to NPTC, feedback is given in a unified manner so playwrights do not have conflicting advice about what to work on, and so that the script moves forward according to NPTC's instructions as the producing entity. This approach creates a collaborative group from which members can draw inspiration and energy while modeling professional standards. Scripts are then produced in our ANNUAL WOMEN'S WORK SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL.

Note: those still enrolled in a degree-seeking program are ineligible for applying.

Playwrights should apply by MIDNIGHT, SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 by sending the following as email attachments, with the email Subject Line “Women’s Work Application” 

to SP-APPS@newperspectivestheatre.org:

**Please include: **

• a full resume, including specific information on your training as a writer (i.e. degree program, workshops, etc.) and website URL if applicable
• a 10-15 page writing sample from a playscript 
• a personal statement explaining your understanding of the purpose of the LAB and why you wish to be a member, including goals for your own growth and development if selected. Please include in this statement how you choose to be identified re: ethnicity and gender (she/they).

(Please note that ALL 3 items are required to be considered.)

Rover Dramawerks annual 10-Minute Comedies Contes

Website

Deadline: Until 300 plays have been received.

Submit via  Google Form

Rover Dramawerks announces the return of our annual 10-Minute Comedies Contest! We are seeking 10-minute comedies or farces to be a part of our 25th Anniversary Season.

• Submissions will be accepted starting September 23 until 300 plays have been received.
• Only the first 300 10-minute plays will be accepted.
• Comedies only! No musicals. No dramas. No one-person plays.
• Plays may have been produced previously but not in the DFW Metroplex.
• Plays may not be published.
• Playwrights may submit only one 10-minute play. Additional plays submitted by a single person will result in disqualification.
• A cast list and brief synopsis must be included.
• Only PDF files will be accepted. Other formats will not be read.
• Any play longer than 12 pages will not be read.
• Name and contact info must not appear anywhere on the script (i.e. this is a blind submission process). 
• Submissions will ONLY be accepted using the form provided: Google Form
• There is no fee.
• Please do not submit a play you have sent to us in the past!

Up to ten plays will be chosen to be a part of Rover’s 10-Minute Comedies, June 5-21, 2025, with all winners receiving a $100 prize. The audience will also vote on the “Best of the Fest,” and that overall winner will receive an additional $100.

Rover Dramawerks performs in a black box theatre set in a thrust that seats about 100. Please take this into consideration when presenting your work to us. We strongly recommend that you check out our website at https://www.roverdramawerks.com/ to see the types of plays we generally produce.

Please note: The judges reserve the right not to award prizes or productions if they feel the caliber of plays received does not warrant a winner.

Courtship of the Winds Election 24 Issue

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Drama: We are interested in short verse plays and one-act plays.

Recognizing the importance of the upcoming presidential election, the winter issue of The Courtship of Winds will be a special Election Issue and will be published before the election. We are looking for submissions that touch in some way on the place we find ourselves in the U.S., trying to right a teetering democracy. As our situation is not unique in the world, writers and artists in other countries should feel free to submit work that speaks to the situations in their countries. Submissions should still be works of art, as opposed to simple diatribe. Other than that, there are no narrow restrictions.

Submissions for the Election Issue are open until October 1. Follow the regular guidelines for the specific genre of the work you are submitting but submit using this form.

ART OMI Writers Residencies

Website

Deadline: October 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM EDT

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE


RESIDENCY DATES:

Spring:

Thursday, March 27–Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Thursday, May 8–Wednesday, May 28, 2025


Autumn:

Thursday, September 4–Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Thursday, October 9–Wednesday, November 5, 2025


DECISION NOTIFICATION: January, 2025

Art Omi: Writers hosts authors and translators from around the world for residencies throughout the spring and fall. The program’s strong international emphasis provides exposure for global literary voices and reflects the spirit of cultural exchange that is essential to Art Omi’s mission.

Each applicant is required to provide 4 (four) separate items in total:A cover letter, which provides the following details: country of birth, country of residency, the language in which you write, your preferred residency dates. Please note we have two sessions per year: Spring (March 27 - May 28) and Fall (September 4 - November 5). Additionally, please let us know how you heard about Art Omi: Writers, why you want to come to Art Omi: Writers and what you expect to get from the experience.
A brief (2 pages, maximum) statement about your work history, referencing publications, performances and writing credits. This can be submitted in CV format.
A writing sample, no more than 25 pages. The work sample does not have to be published or related to your current project and can be a combination of multiple samples.
A one page description of the work to be undertaken while at Art Omi: Writers.

Your writing sample does NOT have to be an English translation; please submit your writing sample in your mother tongue. All other documentation must be submitted in English.

Your cover letter should be provided in the designated Cover Letter field. Items 2-4 should each be provided as separately uploaded files.

Alumni of the program are eligible to reapply after 5 years.

To be considered for a 2025 residency, your application must be received electronically by the end of the day, October 15, 2024 (11:59 p.m. EDT).
Notifications will be provided by the first week in 2025 at the latest.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Please contact the following for questions:

Technical Support: support@submittable.com

Program Application Questions: DW Gibson, dwgibson@artomi.org

Art Omi strongly encourages residents to be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 by the start of their residency program.

The Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers Fellowship 2025

Website

Deadline: September 27, 2024, 5 p.m. EDT. 

Notification: March 2025
Award Period: September 2, 2025–May 22, 2026
Stipend: $85,000

The Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers supports projects that draw on the research collections of The New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (formerly the Humanities and Social Sciences Library). The Center seeks top-quality writing from academics as well as from creative writers and independent scholars. Visual artists whose projects require extensive use of Library collections are also encouraged to apply. Visit www.nypl.org/research-collections for detailed information about the collections of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street.

Successful candidates will need to work primarily at the Schwarzman Building rather than at other divisions of the Library. Applications from those working in languages other than English are welcome; however, the applicant must be conversant in English, and application materials must be in English. Fellowships will not be granted for academic projects to post-doctoral fellows or to applicants doing graduate-school dissertation research.

The Center seeks diversity in race, ethnicity, age, gender, field, and type of project. The Center aims to promote dynamic conversation about the humanities, social sciences, and scholarship at the highest level—within the Center, in public forums throughout the Library, and in the Fellows' published work.

In order to avoid real or apparent conflicts of interest, the Cullman Center does not accept applications from New York Public Library staff members or their partners, or from people active on the Library’s Board of Trustees, Board Advisory Committees, or Library Council.

Fellows are required to work at the Cullman Center for the duration of the Fellowship term and may not accept other major professional obligations during the term. Fellows may have a few prior commitments but must limit research trips, attendance at scholarly meetings, and speaking engagements to short periods of time. Anyone who needs to be away for more than two days must notify the Center's Director or Deputy Director. The Library will pro-rate stipends for Fellows who spend excessive time away from the Center.

The Cullman Center will not accept dossier letters in place of new letters of recommendation.Completed applications and supporting materials—research proposal, curriculum vitae, letters of recommendation, and creative writing sample or art work sample—must be submitted by September 27, 2024, 5 p.m. EDT.

The 2025 Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival seeks full-length plays

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2024

SUBMISSION FORM

The Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival honors new American plays that provide dynamic performance opportunities for college-aged actors.

The festival endeavors both to recognize playwrights for their outstanding work and to provide a resource for universities across the country to identify dynamic plays with robust roles for college-aged actors for production at their institutions. The festival features both a full-length and short play division.

The 2025 Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival will be held in person at the Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre and Dance on the River Campus of Southeast Missouri State University from May 25 to May 31, 2025.

The festival will feature staged readings of five Official Selection full-length plays and ten Official Selection short plays, as well as workshops and seminars on playwriting and new play development.

After the festival, one full-length play will be selected for the festival’s top prize and will receive its world premiere in the 2025-2026 Dobbins Conservatory Mainstage Season and will be considered for publication by Concord Theatricals, the world’s most significant theatrical company, comprising the catalogs of R&H Theatricals, Samuel French, Tams-Witmark, and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection.

FULL-LENGTH SUBMISSIONS

Seeking non-musical plays that have:

• A cast with all or nearly all characters between the ages of 15-25 (with no more than two characters outside of that age range).
• A mid to large-sized cast (i.e., at least five actors, preferably at least ten).
• A running time of at least 80 minutes.
• Significant representation (in both number and quality) of roles for female-identifying actors.
• Dynamic, fully-drawn roles to challenge student actors.
• Thematic values that will speak to college-aged artists and audience members.

The festival also places a value on plays that have the potential to provide performance opportunities to actors from under-represented groups.

Please note: The Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival is specifically seeking plays in which the characters are in their teens and early twenties, not simply characters that could be played by actors in their teens and early twenties. The festival is not seeking plays with characters that are “ageless” or “any age.” Plays should be about characters who are experiencing late adolescence and early adulthood.

Full-length plays should not have had a previous full production. Workshops and readings are fine.

Finalists for the festival’s top prize will receive airfare and housing to participate in the Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival on the campus of the Jeanine Larson Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre and Dance at Southeast Missouri State University in May of 2025. Staged readings of the finalists’ plays will be presented as part of the festival, and the winner of the prize will be announced at the end of the week-long event.

The winning full-length play will receive:A world premiere production in the 2025-2026 Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre and Dance theatre season.
Consideration of the play for publication by Concord Theatricals, the world’s most significant theatrical company, comprising the catalogs of RandH Theatricals, Samuel French, Tams-Witmark, and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection.
A meeting for the playwright with new play acquisition staff at Concord Theatricals.

Submissions are due October 1, 2024.

Writing classes with James Anthony Tyler

Writing A Full Length Play in 10 Weeks

Don’t worry if you’ve never even attempted to write a play, have written half a play, or have written many plays. All are welcome to this 10 Week Workshop to write a play rooted in nuanced characters and unique theatricality. You’ll learn creative ways to think about character behavior, dialogue, and keeping the stakes of your play high. I’ll share my experience bringing my plays to life, but most importantly you will write your own full length play!

Class are on Zoom, Saturdays 5pm-8pm EST, starting Oct. 5th

Class Price: $515


TV Pilot Writing Course 

You will leave the class with a One-Pager/ Treatment / Outline and Script for your TV Pilot. 

12 Week Course that will be on Wednesdays from 6pm-9pm EST via Zoom starting October 2nd and ending December 18th. 

The Maximum number of people for this class will be 10.
Class Price $600 

Feel free to send me an email @ jamesatyler@gmail.com if you want to sign up!

Instructor's Bio - https://tisch.nyu.edu/about/directory/dramatic-writing/100896103

Words Cubed 2025

Website

Deadline:

Until they receive 200 submission


OUR MISSION
As part of an ongoing commitment to create a diverse body of work, Words Cubed, the new play program at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, nurtures and develops openly-submitted and commissioned-based new plays by providing a professional platform for readings, workshops, and fully realized productions.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
Unproduced scripts ready for development. We are not looking for the ‘best’ play submitted, rather a great one that will benefit from our process. Also, part of our selection process is how the two selected plays complement one another and the current season. Additionally, a play that is similar in theme or plot to recent Words Cubed selections is less likely to be chosen.

We love big epic casts, but we’ve found the streamlined development process is best suited to smaller cast shows (6 actors or less). We are open to Shakespeare-adjacent works, however, we are interested in all genres. The last two Words Cubed Festivals have not included Shakespeare-adjacent works. If you are submitting a Shakespeare-adjacent work, it must be able to stand on its own for audiences that don’t know the original.

WHAT WILL WORDS CUBED DO FOR YOU?
Words Cubed and the Utah Shakespeare Festival will provide travel to Cedar City, Utah and offer a stipend, lodging, and tickets to our currently running shows. We will provide you with a cast, director, and stage manager, four days of concentrated script work (12 hours total), and four public readings with audience feedback.

WHAT WILL THE READING LOOK LIKE?
Words Cubed readings are simple in scope. This choice is both practical, as there is limited rehearsal time, and artistic, as the goal is to focus on the story and allow the playwright to hear it in front of an audience. We encourage teams to utilize stage directions to paint the fuller picture for the audience. These are “music stand readings”, so lines are not memorized. There are no design elements.

FINE PRINT
No fees. The only thing we require is a signed contract with the following agreement: After your play leaves our process, any subsequent production or workshop will contain the following language: “PLAY TITLE was developed, in part, through Words Cubed, Utah Shakespeare Festival’s new play development program.”

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION
Thank you for your interest in submitting a play to Words Cubed. Our submission process for 2025 opens September 16, 2024 and continues until we’ve received 200 submissions. You will be notified by June 1, 2025 whether or not your play was selected. 

To have your script considered for Words Cubed, please click the link: SUBMIT A PLAY

FAQ

• You may only submit one play per year.
• If a script was submitted to Words Cubed in the past, it cannot be re-submitted.
• We only accept unproduced plays.
• Straight plays only, please. Words Cubed is not designed to support a sufficient development process for musicals.
• We only accept updated script drafts if your play makes it to the finalist pool. We will notify you if you become a finalist.
• The two selected playwrights must be available for the Cedar City in-person workshop during the week of August 3 or 10, 2025.
• If you have further questions, please reach out to words3@bard.org.

Click here for a PDF of these submission guidelines.

Submission Wanted for Playwrights Script Reading Season 2025 at Lumos Players

Website

Deadline: December 1, 2024

New Deadline: October 1, 2024

CALLING ALL PLAYWRIGHTS! We understand writing a play can be a journey. This is a great opportunity to have your plays read aloud and have a constructive group discussion to help further you in your playwrights process. 

We accept all kinds of play; 10min, 1 act, full-length plays, musicals, comedies, dramas, etc.

If interested in submitting a play for this edition please email lumosplayers@gmail.com with your script attached. Deadline for submissions is December 1, 2024. We will be announcing the 2025 Playwrights Script Reading Series on January 1, 2025.

All readings and discussions will take place the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7:30pm and will be over ZOOM.

DATES FOR READINGS:

February 12, 2025 @ 7:30PM
March 12, 2025 @ 7:30PM
April 9, 2025 @ 7:30PM
May 14, 2025 @ 7:30PM

Players Theatre Self Producing Artist Residency 2024

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2024 11:59 PM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

The Players Theatre is dedicated to helping original plays and musicals move onto an Off Broadway or New York run. While many shows move onto readings and festivals few move beyond this point. Through mentoring and a box office split this program is meant to help creative teams self produce their show.

Proposals should include:

- a brief description of play or musical

- estimated length or running time

⁃ number of actors and musicians

⁃ link to sample tracks (musicals only)

⁃ development history

⁃ creative team bios

- PDF of script/book

Applicants are responsible for producing their show. This would include, but is not limited to, hiring cast, stage manager, creative team, creative design and implementation, rehearsals and marketing. Players Theatre will assist on marketing and consult on production.

For a split of the box office Players Theatre provides theatre, lights and sound, technician and box office personnel.

Productions should be no more than 90 minutes in length.

If you are NOT from the New York area you will need to be prepared to be in New York at your own expense to produce your production.

Only one submission is allowed per applicant per round.

We use Submittable to accept and review our submissions.

FRIGID New York Call for 10 Minute Plays

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2024

Submit via online form at https://forms.monday.com/forms/78a10e815a9810c0f244cbd285bc477b?r=use1

Who knows what lurks in the long, cold nights as we creep through darkness towards the winter solstice? We huddle together around our little lights for safety and warmth and tell each other stories of what might be out there as some sort of charm against the monsters being real. In fact, it was once tradition to tell ghost stories on Christmas Eve, something that has fallen by the wayside with the exception of A Christmas Carol, but the darkness is still out there.

FRIGID New York’s Resident Artistic Directors Martha Lorena Preve and Jimmy Lovett are piloting a new project with a two-night presentation of curated short play readings on themes of winter, the holidays, and the horrors therein. Scripts will be accepted through October 1st.

We’re looking for scripts that deal with the ghosts of Decembers past, with winter dread and snowy monsters. Bring us your holiday horrors and your solstice dreams, your dark nights and your melancholic days. From scary to sentimental, ghosts can bring forth all kinds of emotions and memories. Perhaps the spirit of a favorite uncle is pulling pranks from the other side or maybe the Christmas goose is out for blood. Whatever they might be, we want to meet your holiday spirits.

Script Requirements:
- Approximately a 10 minute run time and no longer than 15 minutes
- Stand alone piece and not an excerpt from a larger whole
- English language (in future editions of this project, we hope to expand this)
- Connect with the theme in some way

Writers may submit more than one script, though we will not select multiple scripts from the same writer. Writers are not required to attend in person and may submit from anywhere, including outside of the US. There are no fees associated with this project.

Script will be accepted until October 1st and selected writers will be notified in the first week in November. The selected writers will receive an $80 stipend. Directors and performers will be selected by Frigid and a call for those positions will go out at a later time. Performances will be on the evenings of December 7th and 8th and will be ticketed to support Frigid New York’s work with indie artists.

Stonecoast Review open for submissions for Winter Issue

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Dramatic Works.  Limit submissions to 12 pages or less. One submission per author, per submission cycle.

• Send submissions via Submittable only
• Please include a short cover letter and bio (50- and 100-word max. respectively).
• We accept one prose submission, one poetry submission (of up to three poems), or five pieces of visual art per author, per submission cycle. Submissions that do not abide by these rules will not be considered for publication. 
• Your work must be previously unpublished. (Stonecoast alumni may submit already published work for consideration as reprints.)
• We encourage simultaneous submissions. However, please withdraw your submission immediately if it’s accepted elsewhere. If you submit multiple poems and one is accepted at another publication, please attach a note on Submittable identifying which poem is no longer available.
• Please adhere to standard manuscript format: double spaced, 12 pt., Times New Roman font. Poetry may be single spaced. (If you tell us that diverging from these rules is integral to your piece, we will consider it.)
• While we love to represent stories with raw, emotional truth, we ask that you refrain from submitting pieces featuring excessive sex, violence, assaults, or suicide. 
• We will reject pieces determined to be written by the use of AI software

The Stonecoast Review celebrates inclusive and ethical storytelling. The diversity of voices amplified here intend to represent all races, ethnicities, cultures, gender and sexual identities, and abilities. We seek and promote the work of emerging writers from underrepresented groups. By doing so, we celebrate the principles of the Stonecoast MFA Program’s “Writing for Inclusivity and Social Equity” (WISE) initiative.

We work with our contributors to:Amplify their stories with respect, authenticity, and editorial integrity.
Share their work with as wide of an audience as possible.
Mitigate the longstanding power dynamics and biases inherent in Western storytelling.
Create a collaborative atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.

Stonecoast Review is edited by students and alumni from Stonecoast’s low-residency MFA Program in Creative Writing through the University of Southern Maine.

Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival seeks short plays

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2024

Seeking non-musical plays that have:

• A cast of characters exclusively in their teens and twenties.
• Dynamic, fully-drawn roles to challenge student actors.
• A running time of 10-25 minutes.
• Thematic values that will speak to college-aged artists and audience members.

The festival also places a value on plays that have the potential to provide performance opportunities to female-identifying actors and actors from under-represented groups.

Plays should not have had a previous production under an Actors Equity agreement. Non-union productions, workshops, and readings are fine.

The ten Official Selection short plays will receive:A staged reading at the 2025 Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival.

Publication in the anthology Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival 2025: The Short Plays, which will be distributed nationwide through online and retail outlets.

Nomad Theatre seeks 'By the Fireside' Submissions

Website

Deadline: September 15, 2024

SUBMISSION FORM

Nomad Theatre seeks 2-4 new, unproduced one-acts to be a part of our upcoming show, By the Fireside in February 2025 in Normal, IL.

Nomad's mission is to provide an immersive theatre experience by exposing audience members to eclectic and moving stories, taking theatre outside of a traditional theatre space and into site-specific locations.

What happens inside a cozy cabin by the fire in February? Step inside the Davis Lodge on the shores of Lake Bloomington for one-act plays that take place in this warm and inviting cabin. Within the rustic walls of a secluded retreat, characters grapple with their pasts, secrets and unexpected encounters. The cabin transforms into a character itself, whispering stories of love, loss and redemption.

Selected plays must take place at in a cabin with a fireplace. We encourage you to use the space creatively. They must be unpublished and unproduced at the time of submission.

A picture of the space has been included for your reference.

This call is open to all playwrights in the United States. Selected playwrights receive a $40 honorarium, full production of their show and a ticket to attend. We encourage anyone to submit, even if you’ve never written a play. We want to support underrepresented playwrights, including women, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, disabled, neurodiverse, etc, and encourage you to submit.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

How well it meets the theme of 'By the Fireside'

Overall writing quality (Plot - we like different or quirky, weird, out-of-the-box theatre; Character Development; Dialogue)

Suitability for our actors and space - low tech, 1-4 characters, flexible casting

Submissions will open on May 5th and close on September 15th, 2024. Selected playwrights will receive notification by January 8, 2025. If you have not received notification from us by that date, we did not choose you for the production.

Submission Guidelines:

1 submission per playwright.

a running time of 30-45 minutes long

A cover page should include the title, the playwright’s name, contact information, a brief synopsis, and character descriptions.

Pages should be numbered.

Minimum of 1, maximum of 4 characters

Label your document as TitleOfPlay_LastName

Must take place in a cabin around a fireplace.

No musicals.

We suggest formatting similar to the Dramatist Guild Guidelines: https://www.dramatistsguild.com/sites/default/files/2020-01/General-SFI-Formatting-Guidelines-Complete.pdf


If you have questions or need any accommodations for submission, please email nomadtheatresubmissions@gmail.com

Fresh Binder’s 2024 Fall Cohort

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2024

Fresh Binder’s 2024 Fall Cohort is for Transgender/Non-Binary/Gender Non-Conforming playwrights in the NYC area. Over the course of 10 weeks, the group will create individual 10 minute plays under the theme “FALLING FALling fallen” that will be presented at a reading at the end of the process.

We meet in mid-town Manhattan on Tuesdays from 6-9pm in person.

If interested, please fill out this google form with some questions and a 10 minute sample (preferably a 10 minute play, but can be a part of a larger work): https://forms.gle/tejoyxZ7wxeqzU7j6

Any questions, please email freshbinderproductions@gmail.com or visit our website freshbinderproductions.com 

Maxim Mazumdar New Play Award 2024

Website

Deadline: September 15, 2024

SUBMISSION FORM ONLINE

Playwrights around the world (with or without representation) are encouraged to submit their plays and musicals each season for consideration for the Maxim Mazumdar New Play Award. The winning play receives a guaranteed cash prize and a full production in an upcoming subscription season.

While there are no requirements for style or content, Alleyway seeks plays that are wholly original, uniquely theatrical, and completely authentic. Winning plays will be production-ready, and must not have had a professional production (workshops, readings, or educational productions excluded).

For all submissions, Alleyway seeks a diverse and inclusive representation of plays, stories, themes, locations, styles, as well as a diverse range of playwrights. Preference will be shown to works with vibrant characters and distinct voices, which engage in authentic human connection while representing a uniquely theatrical experience.

47th Annual One-Act Playwriting Competition at the Little Theatre of Alexandria (LTA)

Website

Deadline: September 16, 2024

For a play to be considered for this competition, the submission(s) must be an original, unpublished, and un-produced (not staged for a paying audience, including festivals with paid tickets, as of the date of entry) play.

LTA intends to provide some form of staged reading or production for the winning plays. At this time, a schedule for this has not been confirmed.

LTA shall have the right to produce winning scripts without payment of royalties in 2024 or 2025. Shows that receive a paid production during the submission period must be withdrawn, with another play allowed for substitution through September 16th. All production and publication rights remain the property of the playwright.

To participate in the 47th Annual One-Act Playwriting competition, you must follow all of the guidelines on the following pages. Any questions can be directed to the One Act Chairs at oneactslta@gmail.com.

Deadline:
You must submit your entry and payment no later than September 16, 2024. If your play is not submitted by this deadline, your play will not be considered for the competition.

How to Submit Your Show:
Please use the link below to fill out our submission form. You will be asked for some information about yourself and to upload your shows directly to the form. If you have any issues submitting your show, please email us at oneactslta@gmail.com. Please note that the form will only allow you to upload a file if you are using a gmail account. If you do not have one, please email us for additional instructions.

LTA One Acts Submission Form

Script Guidelines

• Script Formatting All plays must be sent as a PDF file. Any other electronic format will not be accepted.
• Script must be in blind copy formatting (meaning, no identifying information about the author should appear in the script, including name, address or contact information).
• Script must include a list of characters with descriptions, a brief synopsis of the show, and numbered pages. 

Scripts that do not meet the above guidelines may not be scored.

• The approximate run time of the show must be 20 to 50 minutes.
• Shows cannot include nudity. However, strong themes and language are welcome.
• The submission must be a stage play. Film, TV or other scripts will not be accepted.
• The show cannot be a musical or a play with live instrumentation.
• The show cannot be the same submission from the year prior unless significant

re-writes have been made to the script. For more information, email the chairs at oneactslta@gmail.com.

Technical Requirements 

Given that the winners will be staged, the show must be written to meet technical specifications for the theater. A limited budget (amount yet to be confirmed) will be made available to the production team. Examples from previous years are provided below, but if you have questions on whether your show would meet technical specifications, you can email oneactslta@gmail.com.

Set: One large set piece (e.g., a rooftop) or a few smaller/medium-sized pieces (e.g., a bus seat, sand dunes)
Props and costumes: Should be readily available or easily made
Light and sound: Show should be accommodated with basic lighting instruments and minimal sound effects.
Special effects: Some special effects can be accommodated (e.g., fog) ○ Combat and/or intimacy choreography: Must be minimal
Music: Shows with live music cannot be accommodated.


Judging

Scripts will be judged on the following categories:Concept
Production Elements
Dramatic Action
Characterization
Dialogue
Ability to be performed within technical requirements

Prizes
Prizes of $350 for 1st place, $250 for 2nd place and $150 for 3rd place will be awarded. Winning scripts will also be offered an opportunity to have their script workshopped before going to production.

Notification of Outcome
Finalists will be notified in mid-November 2024, and final winners will be selected by the end of 2024. All playwrights will be notified of their final status by the end of 2024. LTA is proud to offer feedback to authors who request it. Feedback will be provided to all authors who request it by the end of January 2025.

Questions?
If you have any questions about the submission process, please email oneactslta@gmail.com.