Theatre Write Now seeks playwrights

Website

Deadline: January 5, 2025 11:59 PM EST

SUBMISSION FORM

To apply for the FREE cohort, please fill out this form fully. Space is limited, and applications are due no later than 11:59 PM EST January 5th.

Applicants will be notified of involvement by January 19th.

About the Program:

Theatre Write Now seeks to support early-career playwrights in New York City by creating a space where writers can generate new theatrical works, building a community of peers through cohort-based collaboration and feedback. 

Cohort 3 Details:

THEATRE WRITE NOW IS A GENERATIVE WRITING PROGRAM! You will be pitching a new script concept to the cohort if selected as a participant. Theatre Write Now does not allow previously written work. Cohort Playwrights are NOT allowed to direct or act in their own projects.

Cohort Writing Sessions:

Monday nights, 7 pm-10 pm IN PERSON

Starting on January 26th, ending April 13th

Staged Reading Series:

1 show per week, starting the week of April 20th

Each reading process will rehearse 7-10 pm Monday through Friday of their assigned week, with a 7 pm performance the following Saturday.

Staged readings will be a nonunion, week-long process, each consisting of volunteer performers and production-paired directors, with rehearsals in the evenings, Monday to Friday, and the performance on Saturday. There will be one reading process per week, starting on April 20th, with the last performance being on June 26th. Attending the full rehearsal process is encouraged but not required. 

Where:

All cohort meetings, reading rehearsals, and performances will be in Manhattan, New York. This is not a remote/virtual program

Organized by Alex Kopnick and KOPCORP LLC

www.kopcorp.art

Seeking Decolonization Stories seeks one-act plays

Website

Deadline: December 10, 2025 at 11:59 PM PST

SUBMISSION FORM

Submissions in Spanish and Portuguese also accepted.

The prompt

We seek to commission non-musical one-act plays that focus on the underexplored relationships between our communities and climate change. We call on playwrights with the desire to share stories of resistance, celebration, and truth.

We are looking for playwrights who write in Spanish, Portuguese, native languages, English, or any combination of these to send a sample of playwriting that they consider representative of their work in light of this prompt. We will accept applications from November 1st to December 10th. From the applications we receive, our selection panel will choose 3 to 5 playwrights to be part of the resident cohort of Decolonization Stories: Climate Change Edition. This commission includes a playwriting residency, workshop, and public reading as part of the Decolonization

• Selected playwrights will have eight (8) weekly meetings between April and May 2026, followed by four (4) bi-weekly meetings between June and July 2026 with playwright Diana Burbano. All meetings will be on Zoom.

• Each playwright will write a one-act play responding to the prompt.

• Each playwright will receive $50 after signing the agreement and attending the first day of the

four-month residency.

• Each playwright will receive $950 compensation upon delivering their completed script.

• Commissioned works will be workshopped during the summer of 2026.

• Commissioned works will be presented as staged, directed readings in the fall of 2026.

To apply:

Please submit application materials here:

- At least one sample of theatrical writing in Spanish, English, or Portuguese*

- A one-paragraph statement of professional goals and aspirations

- A one-paragraph statement of why you were drawn to this call

- A one-paragraph statement about your community ties to Climate Change that motivates you to tell this story.

We are commissioning three to five plays centered on Black, Indigenous, Latino/a/x, and queer voices. We are seeking stories in Spanish, Portuguese, native languages, English, or any combination thereof that focus on the relationship between colonization and climate change.

These works will be developed and presented as staged readings at La Lengua's Fall 2026 festival in San Francisco, CA.

What are the Decolonization Stories?

Our residency and festival, Histories of Decolonization, is a platform for disseminating information about the ongoing legacy of colonization, specifically in the Americas. The project works to combat misinformation by centering narratives that shed light on the real impact and consequences of colonization that still exist today. We aim to create a space for playwrights with personal experiences and nuanced perspectives on this topic, providing an opportunity for knowledge sharing and mutual growth. You can check out our first edition's festival here.

What is Climate Change?

Climate Change describes the measurable shifts in the Earth’s temperature and weather patterns over a long period of time. Since the 1800s, the biggest catalyst for these shifts has been human activity. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, industrial processes, and agriculture are all contributors to the ongoing Climate Change crisis.

Why focus on Climate Change?

While Climate Change remains a salient aspect of public discourse, we rarely see conversations centered around the impact of Colonization on Climate Change. The increasingly boundless pushes for land acquisition (“legal” and otherwise) and the prioritization of new construction over conservation and preservation are examples of modern colonial practices.

By investigating these human activities and uncovering their roots in the colonial practices of resource exploitation, the establishment of settlements, and the displacement of native populations, we can better understand how Colonization exacerbates the Climate Change crisis.

We are living in a time where these realities are being denied and change-makers are often silenced, cast out, or criminalized. As art-makers in an increasingly digital world, we believe in the power of theatre to inject humanity back into the conversation. We also understand our role in bringing light to overlooked perspectives and giving space to the voices of our most vulnerable.

Our past Decolonization Histories Festival featured the play ‘The Arid Silence of Water’ by Viviana Calderón (a playwright and member of our second cohort), which offered insight into how colonization and the indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources connect and impact the daily lives of our communities. This piece played a key role in determining the direction of our Decolonization Histories project in this third edition.

Downtown Urban Arts Festival/DUAF 2026 is Open for Submissions

Website

Deadline: December 8, 2025

Please submit to https://www.duafnyc.com/submit

Downtown Urban Arts Festival (DUAF) is seeking theatrical works (plays, musicals, and solo performances) for its 24th Annual season to be held in June 2026 in downtown New York City.

DUAF supports diverse, new, and emerging voices from America’s burgeoning multicultural landscape. Over 200 playwrights have participated in DUAF and some have gone on to greater success on Broadway and have claimed top prizes such as the Pulitzer, Tony and Obie awards and nominations.

Submission Categories:

Short-length play (under 45 minutes)

Full-length play (up to 70 minutes)

Eligible Projects: 

• Plays do not exceed 70 minutes
• Plays should be new or existing work with minimal exposure 
• Plays should not have any other production in New York City during the 30-day period before and after the 2026 festival 

Playwright’s Supports: 

• No submission or participation fees 
• $800 (short) and $1,200 (full) playwright stipends
• Actor and director stipends
• Casting support 
• Technical design and operation 
• Reimbursed rehearsal space rentals
• Actor’s Equity Showcase Code application administration
• $1,000 awards for best full, short and audience

Submission Checklist: 

• Playwright's bio with contact info including name, address, phone # and email
• Photo of playwright
• Synopsis of theatrical work
• Complete script of theatrical work
• Estimated running time of work

Please submit all attachments as .pdf. Photos must be in either .jpg or .jpeg.

For more info about DUAF, visit: duafnyc.com.

GreenMan Theatre Troupe's sixth annual 8 to the Bar 10-minute play festival

Website

Deadline: January 6, 2026 at 11:59pm CST
Or the first 120 plays received.

As of 12:55 p.m. central time, December 6, submissions for 2026 are now closed.  We have received our reading quota.  In addition to the U.S., five plays were submitted from Canada, and one each from Australia, Mexico, Italy, Japan, Hungary and Belgium.  Thank you so much for your interest!

GreenMan will be presenting Eight to the Bar, an evening of eight 10 minute plays. The prompt is “Lights! Camera! Action!” The show will be performed in July 2026 in Villa Park, Illinois. Eight plays will be selected. Cash prizes for the selected plays will be determined by the audience voting on their favorites during the run of the show:
1st Place - $200.00
2nd Place - $100.00
3rd Place - $50.00

PLAY SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1. Playwrights may submit one play at forms.gle/hAL5nG7sqQgXqTjA7 from 9:00 a.m. (central time) December 6, 2025 through 9:00 a.m. (central time) January 6, 2026 or until the quota of 120 plays is received. NOTE: for the 2025 production, the quota was reached within the first eight hours. Selected plays will be announced on June 1, 2026. Regional restriction: None. Playwrights must be currently residing on the planet Earth. Scripts with previous performances are permitted, but must be unpublished.

2. Do not include playwright name or contact information anywhere except the cover page.

3. Prompt – “Lights! Camera! Action!” Actions speak louder than words. It’s a small space, so a three-person-swordfight is a bad idea. Think outside the box.

4. Content – Anything rated G to R. No nudity or excessive violence, but other than that – go for it.

5. Restrictions – No more than six actors per script will be cast. Doubling of parts will be permitted. Keep the set and props simple. A table or two and some chairs. Easily obtainable props. If your script requires six foot tall carnivorous pigs, we will be unlikely to do it justice. But you can go the Second City route: chairs can become car seats, couches or six foot tall carnivorous pigs.

6. Format – Limit: eight pages. Plays must be written in English and must be submitted electronically as PDF files. The playwright’s name must not appear anywhere but the title page; the judging is to be completely blind. Stick to standard play format: one inch margins, 12 point Courier or Times font. Title page (containing playwright’s name, address and e-mail), cast list page with brief descriptions of characters, followed by no more than eight pages of script. The judges will read the finalists out loud to get a timing; anything longer than ten minutes will be disqualified. 

A sample format is found here - don’t stray too far from this.

7. Genre – Comedy, drama, mystery, tragedy, farce… pretty much anything except monologues, musicals or children’s shows. Also, we’re looking for original works. Adaptations are permitted, but the original source must either be in the public domain, or have adaptation rights secured in writing by the playwright.

8. Quota – We will read up to 120 plays. No more than 120 will be accepted.

9. Entry Fee – There isn’t one.

10. Royalties – None; prizes only. Comps – the playwright and one friend will be admitted free, as many times as they want to come.

11. Rights – GreenMan Theatre Troupe will have the right to perform your play for this production only. Photographs will be taken, and unless requested not to by the playwright, plays may be video recorded for online viewing on YouTube, Facebook, etc. All other rights are retained by the playwright.

12. Directing – Director submissions will be open on April 1, 2026. Playwrights may submit to direct.

13. Selection – Sixteen plays will be chosen for the final list. Eight directors will be selected, who will read all the scripts and choose three plays he/she would like to direct. In most cases, directors get their first or second choice. So you might get to direct your own play, but don’t bet the ranch on it.

If you have any questions, please direct them to GM10MP@comcast.net.

Denver Quarterly seeking short plays & monologues

Website

Deadline: February 16, 2026 2:00 AM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Denver Quarterly is interested in texts intended to be performed in some capacity-- including one-act plays, flash mobs, performance art, monologues, scripted choreography-- or work that is meant to be performed solely on the page but bears in mind certain conventions of the theater/stage. Poems and short stories are not accepted under this category.

Policies:

Performance submissions should generally consist of no more than 4,000 words, but may be much shorter as the project requires.

Excerpts from longer works are permissible.

If you are submitting performance texts with particular formatting, we recommend saving your file as a PDF.

Please submit only one piece to one category for our consideration, and please wait until you have heard back from us before submitting again.

Simultaneous submissions are permitted, and please notify us promptly if your work has been accepted elsewhere by adding a note withdrawing your piece in Submittable. We do not read previously published work.

Once Upon a Crocodile open for short plays

Website

Deadline: not specified

Send your play pasted into the body of an e-mail with “Submission” in the Subject line, to: onceuponacrocodile@gmail.com

Seeks short plays:  2000 words maximum.

Black, 12pt Times New Roman font, please. Make sure to proofread your work before flapping it at us.

Once Upon A Crocodile publishes fiction to 6,000 words and poetry to 45 lines. “Once Upon A Crocodile is an e-zine that wants to bring a mile-wide grin to its readers (snaggle-toothed or not) with humorous stories and poetry.” Read the complete guidelines here.

Verbal abuse won’t be tolerated from writers or would-be writers. If you send insulting, angry messages at any point in the process (even after your piece is published) then the Crocodile won’t be reading anything else from you and your piece will be retracted. Thanks for your understanding.

The Crocodile aims to respond within one month, and you will be asked for a short biographical doohickey on acceptance. If you’ve heard nothing after a month, send a message to the same email address above but put “Query” in the subject line.

While acerbic or sarcastic humour is excellent, we draw a definite line at sexism, racism, or derogatory works about the LGBTQ community, including non-binary people.

The Crocodile can’t pay writers now, though that may change in the future. He will promote your work on social media, because he has opposable thumbs.

Nomad Theatre seeks 10-minute plays

Website

Deadline: January 1, 2026 at midnight

SUBMISSION FORM

Nomad Theatre seeks 6-10 short plays to be a part of our upcoming show, Down on Honey Dew Acres in May 2026. Submissions will open on August 11th and close on January 1st, 2026 at midnight. 

Selected playwrights will receive notification by April 7th, 2026. If you have not received notification from us by that date, we did not choose you for the production.

Down on Honey DEW Acres will blend immersive storytelling with the laid-back spirit of farm life.

Selected plays must take place in a cedar barn on a real Central Illinois farm: Honey DEW Acres. We encourage you to use the space creatively. They must be unpublished and unproduced at the time of submission.

Submission Guidelines:

• 1 submission per playwright.
• 8-15 pages long (or about ten minutes in length) 
• Formatted using the Dramatist Guild Guidelines: https://www.dramatistsguild.com/sites/default/files/2020-01/General-SFI-Formatting-Guidelines-Complete.pdf
• Cover page should include title, playwright’s name, contact information, brief synopsis, and character descriptions.
• Playwright’s name MUST NOT appear on any other pages.
• Pages should be numbered.
• Minimum of 1, maximum of 4 actors (characters may be double cast)
• Must take place in a barn.
• No musicals.

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

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.

Van Lier New Voices Fellowship 2026 Application

Website

Deadline: December 18, 2025 at 11:59pm EST

APPLICATION FORM

With the support of The New York Community Trust and the Jerome Foundation, the Van Lier New Voices Fellowship provides substantial support to two BIPOC playwrights under the age of 30. You can read more about what the Van Lier New Voices Fellowship provides here.

About the Application Process

Applications open October 23rd, 2025 at 10:00am EST.

Applications close December 18th, 2025 at 11:59pm EST.

Applicants may only apply once per application year.

There are two rounds of review. Each application is thoughtfully reviewed by a broad reader pool of industry professionals, Van Lier Fellowship alumni, and Rattlestick staff. Each application is reviewed in the first round by at least two different readers. A semi-finalist pool will be identified and moved on to the second round. These applications will be reviewed by at least two different readers, as well. Applicants advancing to the finalist round will be notified in February/March 2026.

Finalists are selected through two rounds of consideration and are required to reconfirm their eligibility (see eligabilty requirements below). Six finalists are granted an interview with a selection panel, including representatives from Rattlestick Theater.

Two playwrights will be awarded the Van Lier Fellowship in May 2026.

Eligibility

An Eligible Van Lier Fellow:

Is between the ages of 18 - 30 in May 2026. Why? The New York Community Trust, which carries out Edward and Sally Van Lier’s legacy of arts appreciation, specifically benefits arts groups and training programs to provide education, training, or other support to young artists under 30. The Van Lier New Voices Playwriting Fellowship falls under the umbrella of these predetermined age parameters and is legally obligated to fulfill this goal.

Identifies as a BIPOC individual.

Resides in, or within a 30 mile radius of, New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, or Staten Island), or Minneapolis, MN. Or, plans to relocate to the NYC or Minneapolis area permanently by May 2026.

Is not enrolled as a full-time or part-time student in any degree-granting program from May 2026 to May 2027.

Demonstrates exceptional talent in playwriting and theater-making, with a deep appreciation for the collaborative nature of the creative process.

Expresses why this is a particularly timely opportunity for their participation in the Van Lier New Voices Fellowship.

Note: Current Rattlestick Theater staff, board members, and review panelists are not eligible to apply.Questions? Email vanlier@rattlestick.org! No phone calls please.

Palace Theatre Short Play Festival

Website

Deadline: January 9, 2026

 SUBMISSION FORM

At The Rex Theatre, Manchester, New Hampshire 

To be eligible for the Palace Theatre Short-Play Festival you must be a United States Resident.

The 2026 Festival is seeking Short- Plays.

Each writer may submit no more than ONE Short Play.

All plays submitted for the festival must be between 8 and 15 Minutes.

Entries must be submitted in a PDF Document format.

Submitted plays should not have had a previous professional production (readings and workshops are OK).

Playwrights will be responsible for casting + Directing their own Plays.

Please note if you require casting assistance from local theatre partners, please indicate so on the casting questions on the submission form.

-Plays may not be written using any generative artificial intelligence (AI).

-Plays must be written primarily in English (the use of non-English words or phrases within the context of the play are allowed).

Playwrights will be responsible for the accommodation of their cast during the festival – The Palace Theatre will work with you to acquire discount rates with our Hotel Partners.

Accepted Short Plays will be notified: Monday February 2nd 2026

Chosen Playwrights are asked to pay a one-time $100 Pre-Production Fee.

There is No-Fee for the following: Theatre Rental, Audio Visual, Sound Technician, Lighting Technician, Rehearsal Space.

Plays will have access to a Video Wall upstage Center. The Video Wall is 25’ Wide and 13’ Tall. 1080i resolution and can run MOV and JPEG files.

Performances will be:

• Friday April 10th 2026 @ 7:30pm
• Saturday April 11th 2026 @ 7:30pm

All Performances at The Rex Theatre, Manchester New Hampshire 03104

Cash Awards for Best Play

Each ticketholder to the festival will have a chance to vote in Audience Choice.

Awards for the following:

Audience Award for Best Play 2026

Judges Award for Best Play 2026

14th Annual Columbus Black Theatre Festival seeks monologues and one-act plays

Website

Deadline: February 28, 2025

SUBMISSION FORM

Mine 4 God Productions is accepting monologues and one-act plays that have diversity, inclusion, and equity of people of color characters for our 14th Annual Columbus Black Theatre Festival (CBTF) that will be held July 2nd, 3rd & 5th, 2026 at The Columbus Performing Arts Center Van Fleet Theatre, located in downtown Columbus, Ohio.

The theme for 2026 is Still Going Strong: Voices of Triumph! Our Founder/Artistic Director, Julie Whitney Scott, was given this theme, as usual, through prayer. It’s a theme that inspires hope and resilience in the face of trouble. The theme represents those that have continued to stay strong before, during, through and after personal storms have invaded their lives, and how they were victorious in the end. It must be a story that is a story and not a lecture to push your views on others. It must be about everyday people and their everyday lives and their voices of triumph.

The entries need to meet the following criteria:

1) No more than 6 characters (Actors can play double-roles if more needed.)

2) No derogatory, hate based, sexually explicit work will be reviewed or accepted.

3) Have minimal set/light requirements.

4) 15 to 20 minutes long for one-act plays. 5 to 10 minutes long for monologues.

5) Written blocking notes of the play can be rearranged by the director to meet venue space.

6) Submit in play format a titled script and a blind script without any identifying information, other than the title, in Time New Roman 12 font, normal spacing and Word Doc or PDF format.

7) Only one play submission per playwright.

8) Complete the submission entry form at www.mine4godproductions.com

Submissions are accepted December 1, 2025, to February 28, 2026. Submissions are free so don’t miss the deadline.

*Due to the number of plays received each year, you will not be notified unless your play is accepted. However, you can email us after March 15th, 2026, and we will be happy to give you feedback on your submission at mine4godproductionsllc@aol.com

The Robert J. Pickering / J.R. Colbeck Award for Playwriting Excellence 2026

Website

Deadline: December 31, 2025

This annual award was established to honor past member and playwright, Bob Pickering, and to provide a vehicle for playwrights to see their works produced. In 2020, the award was renamed to also honor longtime BCCT member and Pickering director, J.R. Colbeck. $200 is awarded for first place, $50 for second place and $25 for third place.

Types of Plays Accepted

Full length, unproduced plays and musicals. Children's plays are accepted. We are unable to return without a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Selection Process

BCCT committee members read and review each entry and select ten finalists from which the first, second, and third place winners are chosen by the membership at large.
Production

BCCT reserves the right and agrees to produce the first place winner in this yearly competition. First place winners are required to sign a production contract.
Production House

BCCT productions are staged in the historic Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater, Michigan. Built in 1882, Tibbits is a completely restored 500-seat proscenium theater.
How to Submit

BCCT does not accept digital submissions. Send hard-copy submissions to:

Branch County Community Theatre
14 S. Hanchett St.
Coldwater, MI 49036

A “Looking For A Play” Festival seeks full-length plays

Website

Deadline: December 16, 2025

SUBMISSION FORM

For any questions, concerns, or further communication, please email us at mac@apotheosistheatregroup.org

Performance: March 1st, 2026. 12PM - 9PM

Venue
Arts on Site, Studio 3R
12 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10003

The Apotheosis Theatre Group is seeking submissions of original full-length plays for our upcoming A “Looking-For-A-Play” Festival. Selected playwrights will have scenes from their work featured in a staged presentation, giving audiences and our team a first look at their stories. From these presentations, one play will be chosen for full production with Apotheosis — an opportunity to bring your vision from page to stage. 

Black Woman Genius project ~ semi-finalists to be announced January 4, 2026

Thanks to everybody who submitted their monologues to the Black Woman Genius project. 

The submissions are now closed.

SEMI-FINALIST SCRIPTS

The semi-finalist script selections will be announced Sunday, January 4, 2026. 

The semi-finalists will be listed on this blog and an excerpt from each monologue (if permission is granted by the playwright) will be displayed in a blog post, one per day, along with any website links or other contact information the author wishes to share. 

THE WINNING MONOLOGUE

The award-winner will be announced Sunday, January 18, 2026. Excerpts from the semi-finalist scripts will begin posting that day one monologue per day, and the winning monologue will be posted after all the semi-finalist monologues have been posted.

The winning monologue will be selected from the semi-finalist monologues. The winning monologue will be recorded with an actor and an excerpt of the recording will be posted on NYCPlaywrights.org and on the NYCPlaywrights YouTube channel (if permission is granted by the playwright) along with author and actor contact information, biographies, etc.

The author of the winning monologue will receive an award of $100.

Hepburn Hooks Theatre Co "Brown Skin Girl" seeks short plays

Website

Deadline: December 15, 2025

To submit your play, go to www.hepburnhooks.com/2025brownskinnedgirls or flash the QR Code.

For the second edition of our evenings of shorts, we are seeking out four female, BIPOC playwrights whose works we will fully produce and present at a London venue to be determined.

A clear element of inspiration for our very first endeavour is legendary superstar and timeless icon Beyoncé's 2019 song "BROWN SKIN GIRL", a gorgeous, heartfelt celebration of Black girl/womanhood. Its music video (which we enjoin you to watch, if you haven't already, features a plethora of Brown Skinned Girls and illustrates the broadness of this term!)

The plays may be set in any era, they may tackle whatever subject you desire, the stories may even not centre Black/Brown women at all!

We are quite simply looking to pick the brains of young, BIPOC female playwrights from all over the world and get a sense of how they feel about the world at large, or about very specific things in it. Let your imagination run wild, do not be afraid to be goofy, cringey, subversive or unapologetically militant - we want to see and hear it all!

• There is no entry fee for this opportunity. 
• This year, we are happy to announce that all four selected playwrights will receive a 100 GBP stipend. The remaining three playwrights will be offered a free yearlong subscription to www.playsubmissionshelper.com, the most comprehensive and up-to-date online directory of play submission opportunities available anywhere. 
• Playwrights must be aged (at least) 18 at the time of submission. 
• Your play should have a running time of 10 to 15 minutes. 
• Your play should require no more than 4 actors and minimal props. 
• Your play should be in English (mainly). 
• The play should be original, unpublished and it should not have been performed in the UK as of the day of submission. 
• Submissions containing copyrighted material that does not belong to you cannot be accepted. 
• Unfortunately, we cannot yet accept musicals. 
• Your play should NOT BE BLIND. 
• The document you submit should be a PDF. 
• Unfortunately, written feedback will only be provided to short-listed writers. 
• All submissions are final. No revisions to the text of a play will be accepted after it is submitted. 

The Hunter College MFA Playwriting Program is accepting applications through January 15th!

The Hunter College MFA Playwriting Program is accepting applications through January 15th! 

Please visit https://theatre.hunter.cuny.edu/mfa for more information.

Vivid Stage seeks full-length plays, 2025

Website

Deadline: December 31, 2025

Submit by e-mail: info@vividstage.org
​
OR
​
Mail printed script to:

Laura Ekstrand, Artistic Director

VIVID STAGE
Oakes Center
120 Morris Avenue
Summit, NJ 07901

Playwrights, we'd love to read your script! Please take a look at the parameters below. Scripts will be considered for our Meet the Artist reading series in May, and for production on our mainstage.

SUBMISSIONS: We accept scripts from November 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, or until we reach our cap of 300. Please DO NOT SUBMIT plays from January through October. Responses are made annually in late spring.

Also, please DO NOT SUBMIT BLIND COPIES of your script. Make sure your name and email address are on the script itself. We use your contact info in the script to reply to your submission. If you submit a blind copy, your script will not be considered.

Many thanks for sharing your time and talents.

Full-length comedies or dramas (no musicals)

Solo shows for our Summer Solo reading series are welcome

One script per writer

Cast size of no more than 9

Contemporary topics

Focus on “the human story”

Warmth and optimism

Please check spelling, punctuation and format

Review our mission and history for further information on what we’re seeking

​
Please note:

No teen or child casts

No historical or period pieces

No short plays (less than 60 minutes)

No musicals


Submission Guidelines

ellipsis… literature and art open for submissions for the 2026 issue

Website
 
Deadline: December 16, 2025 at 2AM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

ellipsis… literature and art is a nationally and internationally recognized journal published by the students of Westminster University since 1965.

We accept original English language submissions in poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction, drama, and art. Submit poems in one document, please. Our submission period is August 1 through December 15 for poetry, short fiction, drama, and creative non-fiction. We accept art submissions from August 1 through January 31.

Please include a 75 word contributor’s note and your address, telephone number, and email address.

Simultaneous submissions are welcome but withdraw your submission immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. Note that we do not republish pieces, including work online.

We usually pay $10 per poem and page of visual art, and $3 per page of prose, plus two free copies of the issue. We cannot pay international contributors.

New issues of ellipsis… literature and art are published each April.

Drama 2025-26 submission: Please submit one English language drama piece per year, up to 8,000 Words. Use 12 point font.

2026 Carlo Annoni International Playwriting Prize (9th Edition)

Website

Deadline: April 30, 2026

Send your submission to info@premiocarloannoni.eu

The Carlo Annoni International Playwriting Prize is now open for submissions with topics concerning the LGBTQ+ community, including love, diversity, and identity in a time of gender fluidity

Submissions of any length are accepted: full-length plays, as well as short plays, 10 minutes, including those already performed.

1000 € Awarded to the two best plays (English and Italian), ceremony in Milan, September 2026, and special jury mentions on multiple categories.

Gitelman & Good Publishers Playwrights Contest

Website

Deadline: December 31, 2025

Send your submission to submit@gitelmangoodpublishers.com

Please consider submitting your full-length play for high schoolers on the theme of "A Better World." Three winners will be selected for an opportunity to have their submitted play published in the Gitelman & Good Publishers catalog.

As a contest participant, your play will be reviewed ahead of general submissions.

Theme: "A Better World"

If you have a great full-length play for high schoolers that explores this theme, please read the submission guidelines below and send your submission to submit@gitelmangoodpublishers.com.

Artistic Guidelines. Please consider the following contest guidelines before submitting. We seek plays that...

• Explore the theme "A Better World." 
• Are challenging, beautiful, and fun. 
• Explore the lived experiences of adolescents. 
• Are appropriate for high-school actors and audiences. 
• Are full-length (greater than 60 minutes). 
• Have been produced, with production photos. 

Prize: $1,000

Author Information. Please provide a submissions packet that includes:

• Name 
• Email address 
• Preferred gender pronouns (optional) 
• Artistic statement, endeavors, and/or goals 

Script Information. Please provide:

• The entire script 
• Production history 
• Production photos 
• Other relevant information (optional) 

p.s. If you have a great play that you'd like to submit that does not explore this theme, we'd still love to read it! Please visit this page for general submission guidelines.

NAMT's Festival of New Musicals 2026

Website

Deadline: December 16, 2025

SUBMISSION FORM VIA SUBMITTABLE

Now in its 38th year, NAMT’s Festival of New Musicals is the cornerstone of NAMT’s mission to be a catalyst for nurturing musical theatre development and production.

In 1989, the Festival of New Musicals was created to provide a forum to celebrate the new musicals that were being produced and presented around the country. Since then, the Festival has introduced musical theatre producers to 300+ musicals and 600+ writers from around the world. More than 85% have gone on to subsequent readings, workshops, productions and tours; been licensed; and/or recorded on cast albums as a direct result of the Festival!

Held over two days in New York City every fall, the Festival produces 45–minute presentations of eight new musicals before an audience of over 800 industry professionals with the experience and resources to move the work forward. We look for new musicals at all stages of development from the broadest possible range of voices.
Festival Purpose and Goals

The Festival’s immediate goal is to connect writers with producers, particularly NAMT Members, and extend the development trajectory of presented musicals by establishing new creative partnerships. Over time, the long–term goals are to expand the musical theatre repertoire, advance the musical theatre art form and support the field.

QUALITY & RANGE

Showcase quality new musicals by musical theatre creators of all identities and backgrounds with a wide breadth and depth of stories, styles, sizes and stages of development.

CONNECT WRITERS & PRODUCERS

Encourage a forum to spark new collaborations and ventures.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provide musical theatre artists with a professional networking & breakthrough opportunity showcasing their creative talent.

DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTIONS

Encourage future development and productions of selected new musicals.

Our 38th Annual Festival of New Musicals will take place on October 22 & 23, 2026.

We never take any royalties from our writers or ask them to pay for their participation in the Festival. The Festival is funded solely through sponsorships, grants and donations contributed by government agencies, foundations, organizations and individuals.

Step 1: Is Your Show Eligible?

Any new musical can be submitted for consideration as long as it meets the criteria below.

Must-Haves:

• The Musical must be complete and ready for readings, workshops and/or productions. No placeholder scenes or songs. No abbreviated or summarized scenes or songs.
• The Musical should have a demo that is an accurate representation of the music and style of the show and at least 50% of the score (meaning half of all of the music) must be available to submit on demo.
• The Musical must have full underlying rights clearances for any pre-existing material used (music, source material, etc.) in the script.
• The Writers must be ready for readings, workshops and/or productions at the time of submission and available for presentations in October 2026 at the Festival.

Your Project is Ineligible to be Submitted if: 

• The Musical is already being licensed through a professional licensing house.
• The Musical has been produced on Broadway. [Shows that have had readings, workshops and/or productions (including regional or Off-Broadway) are still eligible.]
• The Musical has already been submitted to the Festival three times. Each project can only be submitted three times for review by the committee.
• The Musical has already been selected for the NAMT Festival of New Musicals as one of our main presentations (excludes shows presented as part of our supplementary programming including concerts, cabarets & showcases).
• The Musical is not complete, missing songs or scenes.

You should also consider:

• Writers are writers-only for the NAMT Festival process and may not direct, music direct or star in their presentations. No exceptions.
• Writers must be available for all rehearsals in person in New York City. Rehearsals may begin as early as October 11, 2026. NAMT does not provide housing or travel assistance.

Still have questions? Check out the Eligibility FAQ.

Step 2: Compile Your Information

Please note the following deadlines for the 37th Annual Festival of New Musicals:December 16, 2025: Early Deadline for All Submissions
January 6, 2026: Late Deadline for All Submissions ($40 fee applies)

Shows submitted by the early deadline require no fee for submission. Shows submitted after the early deadline will be charged a $40 late fee, which must be paid by credit card on the submission portal. No exceptions.

Deadlines expire at midnight PST (west coast time).

All the information you need about the writers and (if applicable) agents, production/development history and more is outlined in the application, but you should read this entire page before prepping your materials.

You may save and return to your application without having to complete it all in one sitting.

Grosse Pointe Theatre 13th Annual Ten Minute Play Festival

Website

Deadline: November 30, 2025 at midnight

Plays should be sent by email to taketensubmissions@gmaiI.com.

Grosse Pointe Theatre announces their 13th Annual Ten Minute Play Festival in early May 2026. Ten-minute scripts for consideration will be accepted up to the deadline of midnight, November 30, 2025. 

The theme for 2026 is The Waiting Room. Each play should center around some type of waiting area or room and the interactions of people who must spend time in that usually uncomfortable situation. Plays that do not involve a waiting room situation will be disqualified without notice.

The winning plays will be presented on a black-box stage without doors or windows. The only set dressing to be used are three folding chairs, a desk and desk chair and a multi-purpose bench. In addition to a list of characters, the separate title page should include a three-sentence synopsis of the action of the play, as well as contact info for the playwright.

Questions? playfestival@gpt.org

Go Try PlayWrite November 2025

Website

Deadline: November 30, 2025

SUBMISSION FORM

November 2025 prompt. A lawyered by turkey prompt. 

Write an eight-page maximum monologue of a turkey either convincing you to spare them or eat them. Pick one or the other. Make the person being convinced as particular and individual as possible; we, the reader/audience, should know the person being convinced as well as we know the turkey. Happy Thanksgiving!

Theatre Now Soundbites festival seeks 10-minute musicals

Website

Deadline: December 1, 2025

SUBMISSION FORM

​

Theatre Now defines a 10-minute musical as any piece that can be performed in 10 minutes or less; has a beginning, middle, and end story arc; and includes music. Having produced over 100 pieces, we want musicals that are diverse and current, that test the musical form and communicate a well-crafted story. We accept musicals across all styles and genres and are happy to consider foreign language and/or bilingual scripts. 

We strongly encourage submissions from female, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ writers as well as writers with disabilities.

​​

Please review the following criteria thoroughly before sending your submission:

• Ten-minute musicals will be accepted from July 1st, 2025 - December 1st, 2025 at midnight.
• Submissions will not be considered before July 1st or after the deadline.
• Musical theatre writers can submit no more than two scripts during the current submission period.
• The story must have a beginning, middle, and end.
• We accept submissions in foreign languages or that are bilingual. Although the application process is in English, the work itself may be submitted and performed in any other language if selected.
• Each piece must include music.
• All submissions must be submitted via the submission form. No physical copies.
• Each musical must not exceed ten minutes when performed. If accepted, cuts may be required.
• Longer one-acts or full-length musicals will not be considered, although the submission may be a 10-minute portion of a longer piece as long as it tells a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end story arc.
• A musical may be a previously-produced work with a production history.
• We have no formal script formatting guidelines, but all scripts should be easy to read.
• The volume of submissions prevents us from providing feedback on all submissions.
• If your piece is visual (i.e. choreography-heavy), please include video footage or detailed descriptions. 

We expect to contact all writers by mid-February, 2026 on the status of their submission with one of the following emails:

 

An acceptance email into the festival that will include additional information to confirm their involvement. 

A waitlist email. In the event an accepted musical declines their participation, a selected waitlisted musical will be notified to serve as a replacement.

The remaining musicals will receive a "not selected" email and are encouraged to submit again next year.

 

*All criteria is subject to change*

Mini Plays Magazine seeks short plays and monologues

Website

Deadline: December 15, 2025

Theme: UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Format: 1-Minute Plays and Monologues
Length: Maximum one page (A4 size).
Submission Email: miniplaysmag@gmail.com

The curtain didn’t close. The letter was never sent. The apology… still unspoken.

Mini Plays Review invites you to explore the weight of what’s left hanging — the stories suspended mid-air, the emotions caught in the throat, the promises half-made and paths not taken.

For our December 2025 issue, we’re seeking bold, haunting, funny, and deeply human one-minute plays and monologues centered on UNFINISHED BUSINESS— those lingering threads in our lives that refuse to be neatly tied.

What haunts your characters? What did they never say? What door did they almost walk through? What project, love, feud, or dream remains… incomplete?

We want your most potent, emotionally charged micro-dramas — pieces that crackle with tension, ache with regret, or fizz with the energy of something almost resolved.

Suggested Subtopics Include:

• The voicemail you recorded… but never sent

• The conversation that ended mid-sentence — years ago

• The letter tucked in a drawer, addressed but unsent

• The audition you walked away from — and still wonder about

• The apology rehearsed a thousand times… never spoken

• The last chapter of a story you couldn’t bear to write

• The reunion that almost happened — tickets bought, then refunded

• The secret you meant to confess… but the moment passed

• The job you quit without notice — and still dream about

• The “I love you” that died on your lips

• The fight that ended in silence — and never resumed

• The project abandoned… but never forgotten

• The ghost that still sits at your kitchen table

• The question you meant to ask… before they were gone

Theatre Southwest is accepting short play submissions

Website

Deadline: December 31, 2025 at 11:59 PM

Please email scripts to: heaton_it_up@hotmail.com

Please mail scripts to:
Theatre Southwest
3939 Hillcroft 
Suite 160
Houston, TX 77057
Attn: TSW-RTM
Postmarked by: December 31, 2025

Theatre Southwest is accepting short play submissions starting November 1st, 2025 thru December 31st, 2025 for its Annual Readers' Theatre Matinee!

This year the TSW-RTM will happen on Sunday, January 18th, 2026 at 3:00 P.M. and our event producer Brian Heaton will be accepting 5-10 minute scripts till the end of 2025.

Selected plays will be read and voted on by the audience in attendance and the Audience Favorite will receive a $100 cash prize!

Guidelines for this this year's event are as follows:

Scripts will be accepted via snail-mail and email.

Scripts entered should be in PDF format for email. Printed entries should be in standard play format and bound in a 3-hole punch folder or with brads.

Limit of 1 entry per playwright of an original work that is unpublished, and unproduced.

There is NO ENTRY FEE.

ALL scripts should be numbered with title, list of characters, brief synopsis of play and playwright's contact info on title page.

No Monologues or one man/woman plays will be accepted.

ALL genres of plays will be accepted.

ALL plays should be able to be read within 5 to 10 minutes, no longer, no exceptions. If using standard play format a good gauge would be if the play's text is 4 to 11 pages long (excluding title page).

Please make sure the play you are submitting is conducive to Readers' Theatre, simple stage directions, story mostly expressed through dialogue, not action.

Approximately 8-12 plays will be selected to be given a performance level read, and the playwrights selected will be informed prior to the event.

The Road Theatre Company seeks samples of full-length plays

Website

Deadline: December 15, 2025

Please let us know if you would like to apply for Under Construction at The Road, by giving us a 20 page sample from a full length play and a pitch for the next play you’d like to work on. Please include a bio of your work as a playwright.

Please send submissions to underconstruction@roadtheatre.org

The Road is proud to begin its SEVENTH year of Under Construction, a playwright’s group that develops socially and politically relevant voices and thoughts to the American stage. Under Construction will be meeting both virtually and in person in 2026 and is open to playwrights on a national level. We will be selecting 8 playwrights to join the virtual 2026 cohort and 8 playwrights to join us live at our theatre.

Beginning in January 2026, this group will meet twice a month live (TUESDAYS @ 7PM). And on Zoom for the virtual cohort (Day/Time TBD). As we get closer to full reads, sessions will be every week. Regular Attendance is required!

Each playwright must enter this group with the beginnings of a new play, and we will work collaboratively for a 10-month gestation process on the development of each piece. Concluding with a directed reading at our theatre. This program is modeled for playwrights who would benefit from a structured space to receive feedback from peers, all in the supportive environment of The Road Theatre Company. The goal of Under Construction is simple: to leave with a deeper knowledge of playwriting through collaborating and sharing with one’s peers, and for each participant to create a new piece of theatre that is workshop ready; a curated play! Playwrights are given live readings in our state-of-the-art theatre on Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood. Initial drafts will be read by fellow playwrights, but participants in thisprogram will also have access to The Road’s talented ensemble of theatre artists for private readings, as well as support from the Artistic Team at The Road. The Road is committed to UC, over the past 5 Under Constructions, the Road has produced 5 plays. UC6 readings are beginning in January 2026 and we hope to have a play from that series as well.

We look forward to hearing from you! We will be interviewing candidates after the first of the year

ENCORE Theatre Playwriting Competition 2025

Instagram

Deadline: December 30, 2025

Submit your entry by email to arinvanjari@yahoo.com

ONEJARI Arts Crafts & Music (Plainfield NJ) is happy to announce their third ENCORE Theatre playwriting competition.

We encourage creativity and to continue the activity started by Ashok Vanjari, we are inviting talented playwriters to submit their work. We will be accepting applications in two categories:

• Ten-minute plays

• Thirty minute plays

Plays may be written on any subject in English, Hindi or Marathi.

• Winning plays will be staged during an evening of Encore Theater Festival in April 2026

Please Note - Our last competition's selected playwrights plays were staged during our 2024 & 2025 Encore Theater festival.

• Winning Ten minute and Thirty minutes plays will be produced by ONEJARI Arts Crafts & Music or by invited Theater Institutes, to be staged during an Encore Theater Festival.

Prizes will be made possible through the generosity of ONEJARI Arts Crafts & Music

If any individual or Institute wants to be a part of this project please contact: Dolly Vanjari at arinvanjari@yahoo.com

**Both categories will be awarded cash prizes! **

Submission details:

• Entries containing all content are welcome, but please note that preference will be given to those that would be appropriate for most audiences and can be staged. 
• Entries must be received by the deadline to be considered. 
• All entries are final, but playwrights will have the opportunity for feedback and revision if selected as winners. 
• Entries will be judged by a panel of judges. 
• The winners will be notified by email and announced publicly. 

• Please be sure to submit with followings....
• Your Name
• Your Email
• The title of your work
• Duration of your play
• Only original work that has not been previously staged will be permitted to participate

• IMPORTANT - Please make sure that your name is not on any part of the play except the Cover Page as we submit our shows to a panel, blind. for selection...

The Ground Floor's 2026 Summer Residency Lab Application

Website

Deadline: December 12, 2025 by 5PM PST

SUBMISSION FORM

Please note: the submission form does allow you to save the application midway through, but we highly recommend that you complete this in one sitting to avoid any errors or technical issues. If you have access needs to complete this application, please email groundfloor@berkeleyrep.org.

Thank you for considering the Ground Floor's 2026 Summer Residency Lab, which will take place June 15th - July 12th!

We suggest you download and complete this application as a Word document (available here) and then cut/paste your answers into this online form. In order for your application to be considered complete, we ask that you submit PDFs of your résumé and the résumés of any key collaborators separately. Please title these “Project Title.Last Name.pdf” - we will know how to differentiate each document based on the section.

HOW LONG IS A RESIDENCY?

In the last few years, residencies have ranged between one to two weeks. This is another opportunity to tell us what your dream length is, as well as the minimum duration that would be useful for you.

DO YOU ACCEPT MUSICALS?

Yes! Again, in your project description, please be clear as to what you need at this stage of your project’s development.

CAN I RECEIVE FEEDBACK ON MY SUBMISSION?

Unfortunately, we do not provide personal feedback on submissions. Due to the small staff’s time limitations, we do not have the capacity to respond in detail to individual applications.

WHAT DOES BERKELEY REP PROVIDE FOR THE SUMMER RESIDENCY LAB?

All lead artists receive a small honorarium. If you are coming from out of town, we will provide travel and housing — if you do not have a place to stay in the Bay Area. We eat dinner together every night, and coffee and snacks are available all day. Actors and directors are paid in accordance with union agreements.

CAN I SUBMIT MORE THAN ONE PROJECT?

Yes! We invite you to be a part of the curatorial process by limiting yourself to submitting two projects as the main artist contact. However, if another artist wants to list you as a co-collaborator, we completely understand.

CAN I RE-SUBMIT THE PROJECT I APPLIED WITH LAST YEAR?

Yes, but we highly recommend you acknowledge this in your application and share how your project and needs have changed since the previous year(s). Have you done any work on the project since your last application? Why are you continuing to pursue the development of this particular project?

I’VE APPLIED BEFORE AND HAVE NOT BEEN CHOSEN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SUMMER RESIDENCY LAB. SHOULD I KEEP TRYING?

Yes! Many of our previous participants applied for years before receiving an invitation. As mentioned above, we use the application to build and/or deepen relationships with artists. We intend to move through a relational artistic process, but are unable to do that if you do not continue to connect with us and inform us on your artistic development and evolution. Rejection is hard, and we do not take this process lightly — so please keep trying.

CAN I BRING MY OWN ACTORS? DIRECTOR? DRAMATURG?

When you apply for a project, we invite you to list your co-collaborators. We think of these people as the artists you need to continue to develop your project — this includes a director, dramaturg, designer, choreographer, or actor(s). If there are people you dream of including or roles you would like to fill, please include that information as it can be part of the development process. This is yet another opportunity to share with us your dream residency needs, as well as the necessary needs of the project.

WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE COLLABORATORS YET?

Co-collaborators are not needed. Some artists need and want a space to complete research and accomplish some writing. If you are further along in your process, we love making connections, so would love to support you in identifying collaborators that could be part of this process with you. For some of the work to be heard and seen, we do hire local artists to work on Summer Residency Lab projects. Keep in mind that we are a very flexible program. We have hosted composers, musicians, playwrights, directors, dramaturgs, actors, dancers, and visual artists. We thrive on experimentation.

Apricity Magazine seeks short plays for the 2026 issue

Website

Deadline: January 4, 2026 1AM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Apricity accepts submissions from the performing arts, including but not limited to original music, short film, short play, and dance. Scores, scripts, and screenplays count although live versions are encouraged. Please upload or include a link (of a Youtube video, a webpage, or a Google Drive file) to your submission as well as a brief description of your piece and how you arranged your performance. The maximum time allotted for videos is 15 minutes each. Simultaneous submissions are permitted.
Before you submit, please note the following:

NOTIFICATION: You may expect notification of your acceptance or rejection within three months of submitting your piece. As our staff is composed entirely of university students, however, we do not operate from the end of May through the end of August. Any pieces submitted in April and May may not receive a response until August. 

 NON-PROFIT: We are a non-profit student organization. We intend to direct all net proceeds towards publication improvement and charitable donations focused on education.

FEES: There is no submissions fee, nor is there any payment for publishing your work (currently). However, should you be published in the print publication, you will receive a free contributor’s copy. If you are published online and would like to receive a print edition, you will receive a 60% discount.

We welcome comprehensive use of English and other languages. If your piece contains non-English languages, please include an English translation. Though we are an international magazine, our staff’s common language is English.

We also welcome works previously published elsewhere. If a piece you submit has been accepted by another publication, we will credit the other publication.

If we accept your piece before it has been accepted by another publication, we request that the other publication credits Apricity Magazine upon publication of the piece.

If a piece you submit is accepted by a publication that claims sole publishing rights, please let us know so that we may remove it from consideration. (Do note, however, that most publications allow re-prints as long as the original publisher is credited.)

Works are considered on a rolling basis. All pieces submitted will be considered for online publication. After the deadline for print publication passes, we will consider all pieces submitted before the deadline that were accepted for online publication for print publication.

Kindly keep author bios to under 50 words.

Please note that Apricity Magazine is not active during the summer (from late May to late August). Any pieces submitted during this time will not be evaluated until the fall.

We will not tolerate any form of plagiarism.

The Westchester Review seeks 10-minute plays

Website

Deadline: Dec 31, 2025 11:59 PM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

The Westchester Review considers previously unpublished stories, creative nonfiction, and poems by established and emerging writers wherever they reside. We are an exclusively online journal, publishing quarterly issues.

We welcome submissions from a diverse range of writers, including voices and perspectives that have historically been underrepresented in the literary sphere. Past contributors are welcome to submit again. All submissions must come through Submittable.

We receive thousands of submissions every year and do our best to respond within five months. Please do not query the status of your submission until at least six months have elapsed.

FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS

Thank you for considering The Westchester Review as a possible home for your work. General submissions are free. We consider simultaneous submissions, but kindly notify us as soon as possible if a piece has been accepted elsewhere. Please include a cover letter that lists word count (for fiction and creative nonfiction) along with your name, address, phone number, and email address. If you have a connection to Westchester County, please note it in the applicable field in Submittable. Westchester authors are acknowledged, but a connection to Westchester is not required in order to submit, and will not affect submissions status.

Please be sure to submit your work through the appropriate portal. Submissions sent through the wrong portal cannot be read. Please submit work only once during a submission period. Multiple submissions cannot be read.

The Westchester Review is not currently a paying market. Our editors and readers are all volunteers. We do our best to promote the work of our contributors via social media.

We do not accept submissions of AI-generated work. We reserve the right to withdraw acceptances of any work found to be AI-generated, even after publication.

Do not send work in PDF format.

We do not accept translations in any of our categories.

Please do not submit revisions of previously declined work unless specifically requested to do so.

PLAYS

We consider 10-minute previously unpublished plays which must be double-spaced and sent as word documents. Anything longer will not be considered. Please do not send work in PDF formats

BREAK A LEG PRODUCTIONS seeks 20-40 minute plays for our 2026 Love Fest: Love on Location

Website

Deadline: December 1, 2025

Email your script as a PDF to plays.balproductions@gmail.com. 

The subject line should be "Love Fest: Title of Play – Playwright's Name."

We are looking for plays about love, set in a location that plays an integral part in the plot.

Submission Rules

- One submission per playwright
- No children's plays or musicals
- All characters must be performed by adult actors (18 years or older)
- Length must be 20-40 pages (any more and you will not be considered.)

Brave New Work, a short play development series seeks 10-15 minute plays

Website

Deadline: January 16, 2026

APPLICATION FORM

New York Shakespeare Exchange and The CRY HAVOC Company are thrilled to debut our collaborative project Brave New Work, a short play development series that invites NYC playwrights to create original work inspired by, expanding, reflecting upon, remixing, and critiquing the plays of William Shakespeare.

Across several weeks, four writers will craft short plays responding to a Shakespearean prompt through development workshops facilitated by NYSX and CRY HAVOC, culminating in a public reading of all four plays. Applicants need to be local to the NYC area to participate and we are especially seeking artists from underrepresented communities for this project. No fee to apply or participate; writers are paid a stipend for the use of their work in the public presentation.

In year one of this project—Shakespeare as Prologue—we are looking for playwrights interested in exploring the aftermath of Shakespeare’s plays. Apply with an idea for a new short two-character play that takes place after the end of a Shakespeare play (the moment after the play ends, five years later, 50 years later, 500 years later…)
The Guidelines

• You do not have to be a “Shakespeare Nerd” to participate in this project (but if you are, you are also welcome!)
• Select a single Shakespeare play as your starting point.
• We are looking for a proposal for a 10-15 minute play with two characters.
• One character must be from your chosen Shakespeare play; the other can be invented.
• Writers will be developing their plays in a workshop feedback process; we are looking for playwrights that are interested in discussing their work and supporting the work of others!

How does the collaboration work?
Each writer is paired with a facilitator—a CRY HAVOC or NYSX artist—to confer with before and after each feedback session. Facilitators moderate each session in support of the playwrights and their goals. The feedback sessions will include a combined roster of artists from the NYSX and CRY HAVOC communities, the Brave New Work writers, and their invited guests and colleagues.

The Schedule (all sessions will be in the evening)

Sun. 3/1: welcome meeting with playwrights and staff

Tue. 3/10 and Thu. 3/12: 1st draft feedback workshops

Tue. 3/17 and Thu. 3/19: 2nd draft feedback workshops

Tue. 3/24 and Thu. 3/26: 3rd draft feedback workshops

Tue. 3/31 and Thu. 4/2: rehearsal draft feedback workshops VIA ZOOM

Thu. 4/16: public reading of the play collection

ABOUT US

The CRY HAVOC Company believes that writing a script doesn’t have to be a solitary experience. Feedback at key points in the writing process can bring you closer to your goals. Our approach to script development places your writing goals at the center of the workshop discussion, ensuring that collaborators are offering feedback in service of the play you are trying to write.

New York Shakespeare Exchange uses Shakespeare's body of work as a starting point and toolkit for building stronger, more empathetic communities. We invite our fellow New Yorkers to form a relationship of “exchange” with Shakespeare’s legacy, creating new opportunities for artistic expression, social connection, and mutual learning. This active exchange between centuries-old works and contemporary points of view honors an essential quality of Shakespeare’s creative spirit - to search the world around us for inspiration, and our own imaginations for innovation.

Locally Grown Theatre is now accepting play submissions for its 2026 Season

Website

Deadline: December 1, 2025

Submit your script to: artistic.director@locallygrowntheatre.org 

We’re a small but mighty community theatre based in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, performing under the open sky — so we’re looking for scripts that thrive in the great outdoors!

What We’re Looking For:

Plays 50–90 minutes long

Simple tech and set requirements (we perform outside!)

Flexible cast sizes, ages 10–100

Family-friendly stories — think adaptations of classic literature, folklore, fairy tales, or even spooky season tales!

 Royalty: $50 per performance (we typically do 6 performances)

Our Mission:
The mission of Locally Grown Theatre is to plant the seed of theater; to cultivate the inner artist in youth; to nurture the love of theatre arts within the community; and to grow artists, of all ages, through experimentation in multiple theatrical forms.

If your play aligns with our mission and style, we’d love to read it!


Let’s grow something beautiful together — on stage and in our community.

Gather by Ghostlight seeks 10-minute plays

Website

Deadline: December 31, 2025

Or when they receive 300 submissions

THEY HAVE REACHED THEIR SUBMISSION LIMIT, DO NOT SEND.

GATHER BY THE GHOST LIGHT'S 3rd Annual Off-Broad Street Short Play Festival will take place in April 2026 at Le Chat Noir Theatre in Augusta, GA! And we want you to submit your script!

Open to stage play submissions worldwide from playwrights ages 18 and older.

• One submission per playwright.
• 12 pages or less.
• No monologues or one-person plays.
• No musicals.
• No screenplay scripts. This is a stage play festival.
• Open to ALL genres (adult language and situations are allowed).
• Plays must be in English language.
• Previously produced plays are okay.
• PDF files only (any other format will not be read).
• Submissions should have no author information on the script itself. Your contact info should only be in the body of your email.
• Playwrights of selected scripts will be notified in mid-February.
• No submission fee.
• The deadline is December 31st or once we receive 300 submissions (whichever comes first).
• The ONLY file attached to your email should be the PDF of your script with no author info.

YOUR SUBMISSION (IMPORTANT)

Your email should have these details included (copy and paste this if needed)
PLAY TITLE:
YOUR NAME:
YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS:
This is the ONLY info we need. Please don't add your resume, production history, or any other supplemental information.

IF ANY OF THE ABOVE GUIDELINES ARE NOT FOLLOWED, THEN IT MEANS THAT YOU LIKELY DIDN'T READ THROUGH THEM SO YOUR SUBMISSION WILL ALSO NOT BE READ

SELECTED SCRIPTS:
- A total of 8 selected plays will be performed in April 2026 at Le Chat Noir Theatre.
- Selected playwrights will each receive $50
- Selected plays will be published in the 2026 Off Broad Street Festival anthology by Ghost Light Publications. (Non-exclusive, all licensing rights still belong to the playwright).

The Solidarity Project: a Celebration of Historical Nonviolent Resistance

Website

Deadline: December 31, 2025

SUBMISSION FORM

Atlanta Dramatists is producing The Solidarity Project: a Celebration of Historical Nonviolent Resistance. They seek plays ranging from 10 minutes to 30 minutes which illustrate nonviolent resistance throughout history and all over the world. For the purposes of this project, scripts should be inspired by events that occurred prior to 2015. The focus of this festival is history, and the overall themes will be hope and empowerment. Scripts may be historically accurate, historical fiction, historical fantasy, etc. provided they are inspired by actual events.

The resistance depicted must be non-violent, but the play may contain violence in other aspects, such as if there were a violent reaction to a non-violent protest. Atlanta Dramatists is open to the use of music, puppetry, and dance as well as traditional “straight plays.” No projections or elaborate sets; this is a festival of plays that will all share the same set, though chairs, benches, blocks, and tables may be added or removed between pieces.

Each script may utilize up to 5 actors. Unless ethnic specificity is vital to the plot, please allow for flexible yet diverse casting.

Playwrights will receive royalties for the scripts selected. Performances will be at The Academy Theatre in Hapeville, GA, in 2026. (There is a chance the show will tour to other venues, as well.) Playwrights will receive 2 comp tickets. Playwrights may submit up to two scripts each.

Some examples to inspire your research (but you’re not limited to these!):

• Haiti 1946
• Indian Independence Movement
• Women of Liberia Mass Action For Peace
• South Africa: Anti-apartheid movement
• Scotland: 
• Anti-nuclear power protests 
• Holy Loch protests 1960-61
• Ireland: 
• Irish Non-cooperation Movement
• 1879 Boycott (Irish Land League)
• France:
• Coup of 18 Bromaire
• Jewish Refuge (le chambon-sur-lignon)
• America:
• Declaration of Independence
• Civil Rights Movement
• Children's Crusade
• Trail of Broken Treaties
• Kaho’olowe
• Montgomery Bus Boycotts 
• Women's Suffrage parade 1913
• Poland:
• Solidarity 
• Orange Alternative
• White Rose Resistance
• Arab Spring 
• Singing Revolution (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)
• Korea: March 1st Movement

And many more!

Spring Shorts: Savannah Country Day School Upper School Ten-Minute Play Festival

Website

Deadline: December 19, 2025

Performance Dates: April 23–25, 2026

The Upper School of Savannah Country Day School is seeking submissions of original ten-minute plays for our upcoming festival, Spring Shorts! Selected plays will be fully staged and performed by Upper School students in April 2026.

We are committed to the best-practice standards set forth by the Dramatists Guild for contests and festivals, including open, fair, and transparent procedures. Submissions will be accepted without reference to the author’s identity (judging is blind), and every playwright will receive notice of their submission status. We are seeking unpublished plays (previous productions are welcome), and all selected scripts will be performed by high school actors, so content and casting requirements should reflect that. Because this is a festival setting, technical simplicity is preferred. By following these principles, we aim to provide an equitable, professional, and artistically supportive opportunity for all participants.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION

• Eligibility: Open to all playwrights. Plays must be suitable for performance by high school students.
• Length: Running time should be between 9–11 minutes.
• Format: Please submit scripts in standard play format, as a PDF. Your name should appear only on the title page. Submissions will be read and judged blind.
• Number of Submissions: Playwrights may submit up to two plays for consideration.
• Compensation: A royalty of $25 per performance will be paid for each play selected.

SELECTION PROCESS
A panel of students and faculty will review all eligible submissions. All playwrights will be notified of their submission status by January 30, 2026.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Email submissions to: playsubmissions@savcds.org

• Subject line: Spring Shorts Submission – [Play Title]
• Attach your play as a PDF file. Ensure your name does not appear anywhere in the document except the title page.

Questions may be directed through Facebook or emailed to playsubmissions@savcds.org.

CHAIN THEATER Winter One-Act Festival 2026

Website

Deadline: November 30, 2025

APPLICATION FORM

February 6 - March 1, 2026

FREE TO PARTICIPATE

FREE REHEARSAL HOURS

ALL PERFORMANCES AT THE CHAIN THEATRE COMPLEX IN THE HEART OF MIDTOWN

Plays are chosen for the Chain Winter One-Act Festival based on originality, inspiration, and innovation. The background or experience of the playwright and premiere status is taken into consideration, but submissions will be judged on the quality of the play. All themes or genres are welcome. One-Act Play runtime must be no shorter than 10 minutes and no longer than 1 hour. Shows will be performed in person.

NON UNION shows will LIVESTREAM for at least one performance.

Chain Theatre is curating the event, not producing it - each production is responsible for staffing their own director, design team and cast.


PLEASE INFORM US IN THE APPLICATION IF YOU PLAN ON APPLYING FOR EQUITY SHOWCASE. All Equity Showcase paperwork is the responsibility of the producer, not the Chain Theatre. It is crucial that we have this information in advance because it affects our scheduling of the productions for streaming. If you do not plan on applying for Equity Showcase you cannot use Equity Actors.

You will assign a contact person for the piece; that person will be considered your play’s producer should it be part of the Festival. That person will receive all information and is responsible for passing it onto the rest of your team.

Though we will be doing overall festival promotion, you are responsible for the marketing of your piece.

Your entire team must be from the Tri-State area (New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut). We will not be accepting playwrights from any other areas of the country.

APPLICATIONS

The deadline for submitting to the 2026 Chain Winter One-Act Festival will be November 30, 2025. There are no submission or participation fees for the Chain One-Act Festivals. Complete the following application and you will be directed to information on submitting your play.

After completing the application form you will need to email a PDF (no Word, Pages, or Final Draft files, please!) of the script, and a brief cover letter explaining your goals for the play.

Applications ask for a contact name, address, phone, and email. Show contacts will be the one contact point between Chain Theatre and your production. The email given will be the sole email address that Chain Theatre will use to contact you regarding acceptance, any issues regarding participation, and festival communications.

We will need an estimated running time of your piece that will be factored into the programming. As such, we will enforce this time limit. If during your dress rehearsal or performance the play runs significantly over, we may insist that you revise or forfeit your participation in the festival and any ticket split revenue.

Applications that are not complete will not be accepted. No materials will be returned.

ONLY ONE SUBMISSION WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR EACH PLAYWRIGHT.

If any false information is given in the application the Chain Theatre will not accept any future submissions from the applicant. Your address, email, name must be accurate.


ACCEPTANCE

Notification of acceptance status will be sent by email on or about December 8, 2025.

If you are accepted into the festival, your email will inform you of the location of the organizational meeting to be held on December 15, 2025 at 6:30pm. IT IS REQUIRED AND MANDATORY THAT SOMEONE REPRESENTING YOUR SHOW BE AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING. This meeting is where you will receive your performance schedule and meet your fellow participants.

Each accepted ONE ACT show will be given 5 free hours of rehearsal space at one of the Chain Theatre rehearsal rooms. Availability and scheduling of these hours is at the Chain Theatre’s discretion. They must be used to rehearse the show in the festival and cannot be gifted, sold or used for other purposes. Additional rehearsal hours/locations are the production’s responsibility. If you choose to rehearse at one of the Chain Rehearsal studios you can book subsidized rehearsal space for this production for $10 an hour.

Each accepted show will receive a code for ticket tracking. Each show will receive 20% of the net box office for every ticket purchased using their code. (Code use for online sales is mandatory to receive this box office split. No exceptions.)


SCHEDULING

Each One-Act show will be guaranteed at least three performances. The precise number of shows is TBD, based on number of submissions and running lengths. However, depending on the schedule there may be more. Performance blocks will be at 6:30pm and 8:30pm during the week and will run throughout the weekend between 12-10pm.

There will be limited time between shows for changeovers. Keep in mind that when you are striking or setting up your show, another show is also likely striking or setting up. Minimalism rules. PLEASE FACTOR THIS TIME INTO YOUR TECHNICAL PLANS. Houses will be opened 5 minutes before the start time and will start promptly.

BOX OFFICE and TICKETING

Chain Theatre handles all aspects of ticketing and box office. Tickets will be $24 in advance online and $27 at the door.

TECHNICAL

You will need to keep the technical requirements of your show very simple. There will be no projection in shows. The Chain is equipped with a full light board and sound system, however the board will be shared by several shows and we will maintain a standard rep lighting plot. Keep light and sound cues as simple as possible. No show will be able to refocus lights. Each company will have only one cue-to-cue technical rehearsal in the venue which will be run by a Chain Theatre hired PSM. The Chain Theatre PSM will be running lights and sound for all shows at no cost to participants. Storage space/dressing room space is also limited and will be shared by all shows. You will be given a small, unlocked area to store your props, set pieces, and costumes, which must be completely cleared at the conclusion of your performances.

Any additional equipment your show requires should be listed on your application and will be need to be approved by Chain Theatre. Chain Theatre has the right to disqualify any shows that bring in unapproved technical elements. If approved, this equipment will be provided for your show by you. Chain Theatre assumes no liability for this equipment; it is your responsibility.

PUBLICITY

Chain Theatre will publicize the festival and coordinate overall press relations, including interviews and critic attendance. You may be asked to submit publicity photos and PR materials. You are also responsible for publicizing your own show through your own press releases, mailers, handbills, busking and/or posters. Should a critic accept your invitation to see a performance, this information must be forwarded to Chain Theatre so we may coordinate this. Chain Theatre will provide a blanket press kit to help all shows promote.

EXCLUSIVITY

If you are accepted to the Chain Winter One-Act Festival, part of our agreement prohibits the performance of your show anywhere in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut any time from acceptance into the festival through March 2027. Please keep this restriction in mind when accepting other invitations to perform your show during these months, particularly before you have received acceptance status notification from Chain Theatre. Chain Theatre is making an investment in you and your production. We are not previewing your show to take to other festivals and want our mutual efforts of promotion to bring an audience to this production.

If you can no longer participate in the Chain Winter One-Act Festival, you must notify us before December 7, 2025. If the production drops out after you are accepted, you will be disqualified from participating in future Chain Festivals.

WHAT TO DO NOW

1. Choose your show.

2. COMPLETELY fill out the application form.

3. REVIEW your completed application to make sure it is complete and correct.

4. EMAIL PLAY as per instructions received upon submitting application. Make sure that the PDFs of your script and cover letter are included in your submission email.

If there are technical issues, contact us at info@chaintheatre.org to discuss them.

5. Include the title of your show in the subject line of the email and on all relevant materials.

Should they become separated, this is how we will reunite them.


CONTINUE TO APPLICATION

If you still have questions, we are available to help you in advance of the deadline at info@chaintheatre.org. You may want to print and keep or bookmark these instructions and your original application for your reference. 

Masque & Spectacle seeks short plays for its March 2026 issue

Website

Deadline: January 31, 2026

Send drama submissions to masqueandspectacle@gmail.com. Attach written submissions in a single Word doc or docx file, and include the word “DRAMA” in the email subject line.

Masque & Spectacle reads submissions for its bi-annual issues November 1 – January 31 and May 1 – July 31. Submissions received outside of this time period will be automatically deleted. Responses can be expected within a month. Acceptance rate is around 10%. Submissions not titled/tagged or formatted or properly under the Submissions Guidelines will not be considered for publication. We only consider one submission per author/format during any given reading period. We generally avoid publishing authors in consecutive issues.

The theme for our March Issue is storms.

We do not accept previously published work, and we ask for First Electronic Rights and Non-Exclusive Archival Rights upon acceptance. Unfortunately, we are unable to pay contributors at this time.

Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please let us know if your work has been accepted elsewhere. Additionally, we do not typically publish the same authors in back-to-back issues.

For any queries, please contact us at masqueandspectacle@gmail.com.

Drama
We welcome 10-minute plays (up to approximately 10 pages in length). No full-length plays will be considered at this time. Shorter plays are also welcome.

While traditional plays are welcome, we are particularly interested in innovative and/or interdisciplinary texts that break new ground, either in relation to their subject matter, or in how the text itself is performed/written/represented on stage.

Playwrights may submit one previously unpublished 10-minute play for consideration. The script should be accompanied by a cover letter, which includes your name, address, phone number, and email address. Proper playwriting format should be used. If you are uncertain about this format, several examples can be found online.