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 They must be unpublished and unproduced at the time of submission.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.

ShortPlayNYC seeks short plays on the LUV theme

Website

Deadline: November 25, 2025

Submit through website: ShortPlayNYC.com/submit Formats: PDF, DOC & DOCX

Be Bold! Productions
Insta: @beboldtheatre FB: BeBoldProductions

Length of Play: up to 15 minutes (15 min max)
Type of Opportunity: Self-Produced full production, runs four days in a row

The play must be LUV themed, which means anything to do with love, whether romantic, sweet, or sexy, poignant or passionate, friendship or familial.

Playwrights may submit up to 2 plays. Plays must not run at another theatre in the New York City area within 2 months before or after this production. Submitters will be notified of acceptance or decline within 2 weeks of submissions closing.

If play is chosen, there is a $50 tech fee.

Dates of shows: One weekend out of three: Feb 5 – 22, 2026; Thurs – Sat 7pm; Sun 3pm

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!

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.

NYCPlaywrights seeks monologues ~ the theme is "Black Woman Genius."

 NYCPlaywrights seeks monologues.

THE DEADLINE IS SUNDAY NOVEMBER 30, 2025 at 11:59 PM.

The theme is "Black Woman Genius."

In November 2024, NYCPlaywrights began the "Resisting Fascism" project. The winning piece was a monologue, THE 92% by Bryan-Keyth Wilson that highlighted the fact that 92% of Black American women voters did not vote for Trump - and their intelligence and wisdom are increasingly clear.

The murder of Charlie Kirk was horrific, but that does not erase the fact that  he said hateful things like this:

“If we would have said three weeks ago [...] that Joy Reid and Michelle Obama and Sheila Jackson Lee and Ketanji Brown Jackson were affirmative-action picks, we would have been called racist. But now they're comin' out and they're saying it for us! They're comin' out and they're saying, "I'm only here because of affirmative action.

Yeah, we know. You do not have the brain processing power to otherwise be taken really seriously. You had to go steal a white person's slot to go be taken somewhat seriously.”

Kirk dropped out of community college to become a full-time political pundit, while the Black women he attacked graduated from Harvard and  Princeton and Yale.

And so this call for submissions seeks monologues on the theme of Black Woman Genius. 

SEMI-FINALIST SCRIPTS

NYCPlaywrights will select as semi-finalists as many of the scripts that we like and which meet the submission guidelines.

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

THE WINNING MONOLOGUE

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. 

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 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 💡

Failure to follow guidelines will result in your script being rejected.

As always, there is no fee for submissions. 

• The deadline is November 30, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.

• All rights will remain with the playwright.

• Monologues must be no more than two pages long, using standard 12-point text size and line-spacing.

• Send only one monologue script per author to genius@nycplaywrights.org.

• The monologue script must be submitted by the author of the script, no agents or others may submit. 

• The monologue script submission should be sent by email, with the script itself as a file attached to the email.

• The file format of the monologue script should be .pdf because it will retain your original script formatting.

• Make sure you have your name and your email address on the script.

• Plays can be submitted by anybody, from anywhere in the world but must be primarily in English (a few non-English phrases are acceptable, but the phrases must include English translations in production notes or stage directions.)

• A play that has had a production is acceptable.

• A play that has been published is not acceptable.

• There will be no money awarded for selected scripts except for the winning monologue.

• NYCPlaywrights' decisions are final.

• Any questions email info@nycplaywrights.org

PLEASE NOTE: when you submit your play, you should get an automatic response that says:

***

Thank you for sending your monologue to the NYCPlaywrights “BLACK WOMAN GENIUS” project.

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

The award-winner will be announced Sunday, January 18, 2026.

Nancy at NYCPlaywrights

***

If you don't receive the automatic response, email us at info@nycplaywrights.org to check if we received your script.

Please note:

• The monologues must be dramatic - we love facts, but the monologue must not simply be a lecture on some aspect of history or current events. A dramatic monologue should have an emotional impact and often will tell a story. We'd like to see creativity and invention.

• The call for submissions is open to any person, anywhere in the world. 

• Although the theme is Black Woman Genius, the character speaking in the monologue does not necessarily have to be a Black woman.

• Although this is a serious subject, you do not have to be grim. We welcome humor and playfulness, and we are just as interested in hopeful monologues, and anticipating a brighter future as much as we are in the injustices of the past and present.

DATE RECAP

• November 30, 2025 - submission deadline
• January 4, 2026 - semi-finalists announced
• January 18, 2026 - the winning monologue will be announced and then each day an excerpt from one of the semi-finalist monologues will be posted. 

Some genius prompts:

• Ida B. Wells, investigative journalist, sociologist, educator, and early leader in the civil rights movement.
• Aretha Franklin, voted Rolling Stone's greatest singer of all time - "a work of genius" (#2 is Whitney Houston)
• Valerie Brown, the first Black woman animated character on American television, resident genius of  the 1970s cartoon "Josie and the Pussycats"
• Alena Analeigh Wicker, in 2021, became the youngest person to intern for NASA
• Simone Biles, athletic genius
• Wanda Sykes, stand-up comedian, actor and writer
• Angela Davis, philosopher and political activist
• Dr. Ayda Mensah, character performed by Noma Dumezweni, the brilliant team leader and "favorite human" of Murderbot, from the sci-fi books and AppleTV+ series.
• Lorraine Hansberry, the young, gifted and Black playwright
• Kamala Harris, America’s first woman, Black and South Asian vice president, became the Democratic presidential candidate half-way through the 2024 campaign when Biden bowed out. She drew record-breaking crowds during her campaign and accurately predicted that Trump would use the US military against US citizens.

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

Walnut Outreach Playwriting Competition

Website

Deadline: December 12, 2025

Submit your script(s) electronically through our online form HERE

Walnut Street Theatre is searching for bold new voices to introduce students to the artform of live theatre with an inspirational and thought-provoking story that speaks to them directly. For over 40 years, our Touring Outreach company has brought high-quality, professional theatre to over 60,000 students annually across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware schools.

Now, we’re inviting playwrights nationwide to help shape our upcoming season with fresh, original work. Each year, Walnut produces 4 touring shows that bring theatre directly into schools and community spaces. These plays spark conversations, support curriculum goals, and make the magic of live performance accessible to young audiences. 

We’re looking for original plays or musicals (max. 50 minutes) that are age-appropriate for K–6 audiences. The Walnut utilizes a multicultural cast made up of 2 men and 2 women, and shows engage with themes including:

• Bullying.
• Social-emotional learning (SEL) and character development.
• Emergent reading and literacy.
• Black history and cultural celebration.
• Fairy tales and classic literature reimagined for today’s students. 
• Whether your work is funny, moving, musical, or magical—we want to hear from you. 

PRIZES

Grand Prize Winner – $1,500 cash advance against a royalty of a guaranteed professional production in the 2026–2027 Walnut Street Theatre Outreach Season. The winning playwright will also have the opportunity to participate in rehearsals in Philadelphia (or over Zoom, if not local).

Developmental Honorable Mentions – Complimentary staged reading of the show at Walnut Street Theatre, with feedback from our artistic team.

KEY DATES

Submission Deadline: Friday, December 12, 2025
Winner Announced: January 9, 2026

GUIDELINES

• Entries must be original, unpublished, unproduced plays or musicals of no more than 50 minutes. Co-authorships are permissible.
• Cast size must be 4 actors.
• Entries must be written in English and follow standard play script format.
• No entry fee.
• Adaptations and translations are welcome.
• Walnut Street Theatre reserves the right not to award a first-place prize if submissions do not meet artistic criteria. Walnut Street Theatre also has the right to use the author’s name, photograph, and title of any award-winning entry for publicity about the competition.
• Each award winner shall, in connection with future publication, production, publicity, programs, posters and advertisements about an award-winning entry, designate that the play is an “Award Winner of Walnut Street Theatre’s Outreach Playwriting Competition” 

All communication and questions can be conducted via email to walnutoutreach@gmail.com. No phone calls, please.

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. 

The Lake Macquarie One Act Play Festival 2026

Website

Deadline: November 13,  2025 12 noon

SUBMISSION FORM

The Lake Macquarie One Act Play Festival returns to Warners Bay Theatre (New South Wales, Australia) on Saturday 28 March 2026.

The Lake Macquarie One Act Play Festival is a theatre competition showcasing short, sharp and exhilarating one-act plays from Lake Macquarie and beyond.

The Festival aims to bring together local, state and national playwrights and performers to develop and strengthen the skills and experience of performing artists within Lake Macquarie.

Featuring plays that explore our society through story and performance, the Festival will bring the best of established and amateur theatre to the Lake Macquarie stage.

Prizes

The One Act Play Festival is held in a competition format, with a total prize pool of $1900 awarded to the following categories:

• Winner Outstanding Play Performance - $500
• Runner Up Outstanding Play Performance - $300
• Winner Outstanding Actor - $500
• Runner Up Outstanding Actor - $300
• Winner Youth Actor Encouragement - $300

Plays will be performed in front of a live audience, and entries will be judged by the judging panel in accordance with the judging criteria. Winners will be announced at the completion of session 2 of the festival Saturday 28 March 2026

Call for entries

Entries are now open for all to apply. Applications are encouraged from established and amateur artists, including independent theatre artists, writers, directors, schools, TAFE or University students and theatre groups both locally and nationally

Script submissions for the 2026 Festival will open on 8 October 2025 and will close on the 13 November 2025.

How to Enter

• The entry into the Festival is free.
• Entries will be accepted only if submitted online using the official entry form.
• Extension of the closing date or acceptance of late entries for the One Act Play Festival will be only at the event sponsors discretion.
• No entries will be accepted if delivered by hand, email or post. 
• Entrants requiring support to complete the entry form must contact Council staff by phone or email theatres@lakemac.nsw.gov.au by 12 noon AEST, 13 November 2025.
• All submissions are to be received online, using the link below

FAQs

Theater-by-the-Grove seeks full-length plays

Website

Deadline: November 14, 2025

Please send a full copy of your play in .pdf format to the production director, Joshua Kelly, at jtkelly@iup.edu.

Theater-by-the-Grove, the producing artistic company at Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance, is excited to open a call for new plays to be submitted for consideration for a full production in late February 2026 for the New Works Festival. Submissions from established, professional, working, or amateur playwrights will all be considered.

Plays Should Be:

Full-length—at least 1 hr. 30 min duration.

Unproduced—to have had no fully-staged production history. Previous staged readings and private workshops are acceptable, but the script should not have been done “on its feet” (with full staging and design) before a public audience.

Conceptually modern—the narrative should be situated in (or at least be designed for) a contemporary setting, to minimize design costs (e.g., bespoke period costumes, historical architecture, etc.). Stories that have these settings but do not require this kind of design will be considered.

Relevant—the themes of the play should have direct engagement with a concept, event, movement, conflict, or topic of interest for engaged and thinking artists and audiences (e.g., political events, pop culture trends, technological issues, etc.). We are looking for works that contain themes our university-level artists are passionate about exploring and presenting to the public.

Written “for” a college-age cast of 6 to 12 actors—a “medium” sized cast with flexibility in casting across genders, centering primarily around age-appropriate characters (18–30 years old), would be ideal. Scripts with characters that can flex to fit this need will be considered, as will scripts with slightly fewer or more characters that deeply spark our interest.

Submissions will be accepted until November 14, 2025, and reviewed until late November, at which point we will reach out to the selected playwright to confirm an agreement for production. Depending on the number of submissions, it may not be possible to individually inform all other submissions of their non-selection.

Plays can be in any format, but must include a detailed character description AND a brief synopsis at the beginning of the work. Questions can be sent to: Joshua Kelly, the director; Michael Schwartz, the production dramaturg (mschwart@iup.edu); or Carrie J. Cole, the IUP artistic director (cjcole@iup.edu).

This production is produced by the IUP’s Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance. The Lively Arts, a program of the College of Arts, Humanities, Media, and Public Affairs, presents nearly 200 performances, programs, and exhibits annually.

THINK FAST A virtual short play competition

Website

Deadline: November 17, 2025

At The Theater Project’s annual virtual one-act play competition, 7 to 10 short plays are selected for 3 pre-recorded broadcast performances. The goal is to give emerging writers in NJ and beyond the chance to platform their work!

After each broadcast, the audience will vote for their favorite play. After the final performance, judges will award Best Play, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Audience Favorite (Play) certificates.

The $500 Grand Prize is given to the playwright selected by the judges at the final performance.

• Email your script to OneActFest@TheTheaterProject.org with the required acknowledgement (below) between October 1, 2025, and November 17, 2025.
• One entry per writer ONLY.
• Online submissions only.
• No submission fee required.
• You MUST include the following acknowledgement in the body of your email: “If my play is accepted and I choose to take part in the festival, I understand that I will be responsible for the casting and rehearsal of my play and that I will be charged a $100 participation fee.”

Questions? Email OneActFest@TheTheaterProject.org.

Submission Requirements

Dramas and comedies accepted.
Maximum 15 minutes running time. Plays that exceed 15 minutes will not be considered.

Zoom Performances

Live talkbacks with playwrights follow the evening performances
All ticket buyers vote electronically for Audience Favorite Play at the conclusion of each performance and receive links to all talkbacks and the awards announcement.
Nominations and winners for Best Actor, Actress, and Director, Audience Favorite (Play), and Judges' $500 Prize are announced post-show Sunday afternoon at our virtual cocktail party (BYOB ;D)


How It Works

If your play is selected, ​​​The Theater Project will supply a stage manager/technical director to oversee the Zoom recording process.
Individual playwrights supply the actors and directors and make their own agreements regarding actor and director compensation.
Production Fee: $100. Participating playwrights (finalists) will be charged a $100 fee to cover the $500 prize as well as the cost of hiring the stage manager/technical director.
Playwrights invited to participate must have plays that are ready to perform and supply their own actors and directors who are recorded via Zoom by The Theater Project.

Why a production fee?

The Theater Project does not charge a submission fee for its THINK FAST festival. We do, however, charge a $100 production fee to help cover the cost of the $500 prize as well as the hiring of a stage manager/technical director to work with the productions on their technical needs, supervise a rehearsal, and record the final performance on TTP’s Zoom platform.

While we’d rather not charge a fee, we would be unable to offer this showcase without help from participating playwrights. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility!

Green Lung Studio seeks work for Spring 2026 season

Website

Deadline: none given

SUBMISSION FORM

Green Lung Studio is excited to announce that we are now accepting submissions from playwrights and theater-makers for our Spring 2026 season! We are seeking artists eager to share work-in-progress readings, first-look premieres, or full-length pieces in an environment designed to support experimentation and creative risk.

About Our Space:
Green Lung is an artist-run incubator and creative refuge located in Red Hook, Brooklyn. We are not a traditional theater; rather, we are a studio, a lab, and a gathering space for artists across various disciplines. Our programming is dedicated to uplifting new voices and embracing the "mess and magic" of work live performance.

Opportunities Include:
Readings Series: Share up to 25 minutes of new or in-process work on Monday nights, presented alongside 2–3 other artists. These evenings may also feature musicians or poets.
First Look + Full-Length Presentations: Present finished or evening-length work with flexible weekend scheduling and technical and performance support.

Key Details:
Performances can be held in Studio A (75 seats) or Studio B (40-50 seats).
We offer a 50/50 ticket split and provide front-of-house support.
There are no restrictions on plays that have been previously produced or published.

How to Apply:
Please complete our short submission form at [greenlungstudio.com/theatersubmit](https://greenlungstudio.com/theatersubmit).

We welcome submissions from artists at all stages of their careers. If you have any questions before applying, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at programming@greenlungstudio.com. 

You can also find us on Instagram: @greenlungstudio.

We look forward to reviewing your submissions!

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!

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.

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

Website

Deadline: December 1st, 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.)

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...

Las Vegas Little Theater’s 2026 ANNUAL NEW WORKS COMPETITION

Website 

Deadline: December 31, 2025

APPLICATION FORM

1. All plays must be full length (90 minutes or more). No musicals please.

2. Plays must have no more than 8 actors – doubling characters is allowed.

3. The set must be simple or representational.

4. Ideally looking for subject matter that will appeal to an age range of 18 – 30.

5. Seeking new plays that have not been professionally produced or published.

6. Plays will be screened by the competition committee. The top 5 will be submitted to the judges.

7. Prizes – 

1st prize = Production of the play in the Fischer Black box in May plus $150

2nd prize = $75

3rd prize = $50

8. Contestants must sign a release form(application) to authorize production

9. Scripts cannot be returned

10. Materials that are adapted from or otherwise derived from copyrighted source material must also submit permission to use the material at the time of submission.

11. The winning author agrees to the production of his/her play with no royalty payment. The author also agrees to allow LVLT to videotape the production. LVLT cannot provide transportation, lodging or other compensation for the author to travel to Las Vegas for the production.

12. Members of LVLT’s board of directors may not submit for this competition

13. Submissions will be accepted through Dec 31, 2025. The winner will be announced no later than March 30, 2026.

14. Decision of the judges is final. Any disputes will be decided by the LVLT board of directors.

15. Only 2 submissions per person please. If more than 2 submissions are received from an individual, only the first 2 received will be considered.

16. Each submission will be assigned a number and author’s names will not be provided on judge’s copies of the script to prevent any bias.


3920 Schiff Dr. Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
(702) 362-7996

Free tickets: ISAAC'S EYE by Lucas Hnath

Isaac's Eye 

by Lucas Hnath 

is a sharp, funny, and deeply human play about science, legacy, and the lengths we'll go to be remembered.

GO HERE FOR FREE TICKETS

At Open Arts Studio in Brooklyn.

Join us for an intimate in-person event at Open Arts Studio, Inc where you can immerse yourself in the world of Isaac Newton and experience his captivating story as he navigates love, science, and ambition. Don't miss this unique opportunity to witness a brilliant performance by 5 SCAD grads in the heart of Dumbo. Reserve your ticket today!

Show dates:
Friday, November 21st at 7pm
Saturday, November 22nd at 7pm
Sunday, November 23rd at 7pm

Location: Open Arts Studio, 68 Jay St, Studio 406A, Brooklyn NY

Cast:

• Steven Smith as Isaac Newton
• Alyssa Bianca as Catherine Storer
• Melissa Mitchem as Actor/Dying Man
• Rob Love as Robert Hooke

Directed by Chris Naughton

ELevated Productions NYC seeks full-length productions

Instagram

Deadline: rolling basis

All pitches must be submitted to this Google Form: https://forms.gle/Nx952TnEkyPqqPqq6. 

ELevated Productions NYC is booking our March-June 2026 programming

We are looking to fill these spots with a variety of new works that support our mission to give voice to the unheard by uplifting those who are underrepresented and overlooked within the theatre community.

Productions must be full-length, lasting at least 1 hour. Writers will receive a percentage of the profits from all ticket sales. There is no fee to submit.

Pitches will be reviewed on a rolling basis until all programming slots are filled. We will be in touch to set up a virtual meeting if we are interested in moving forward.

Please email theatrelevated@gmail.com with any questions and follow @elevatedproductionsnyc on Instagram to stay connected!

Barter Theater: Black Stories Black Voices

Website

Deadline: November 15, 2025

Send submissions (and questions) to Co-Directors James Jiggetts and Geovonday Jones at bsbv@bartertheatre.com

By submitting your work to Black Stories Black Voices, you are helping Barter Theatre curate a Black Appalachian Canon of both the past and the present. Whether you reside in Appalachia or not, we welcome any and all Black writers to submit relevant works.

Submissions sent in prior to November 15th, 2025 will be considered for a staged reading during Barter’s 5th Annual SHINE: Illuminating Black Stories in Spring 2026.

If you already have a piece of work set in Appalachia, we encourage you to submit it. If you do not have any Appalachia-inspired works but would like to write one, please consider a topic from our official Shine 2026 prompts list.

For any and all questions or content submissions, please email our Co-Directors James Jiggetts and Geovonday Jones at bsbv@bartertheatre.com

APPALACHIAN STATES: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Monologue Submission Guidelines

Playwright must be Black.
Monologues must be set in Appalachia. 
Monologues must be 3-5 minutes in length.
Monologues must be unpublished and not have had a professional production.
Monologues must be submitted electronically.

Scene Submission Guidelines
Playwright must be Black.
Monologues must be set in Appalachia. 
Monologues must be 5-10 minutes in length.
Monologues must be unpublished and not have had a professional production.
Monologues must be submitted electronically.

Full Length Play Submission Guidelines
Playwright must be Black.
Plays must be written by an Appalachian playwright or the plays must be set in the Appalachian Region.
Plays must be full length.
Plays must be unpublished and not have had a professional production.
Plays must be submitted electronically.

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.

Glass Ceiling Breakers: 2026 A Festival of Short Plays by Women Artists

Website

Deadline: January 17, 2026 at 11:59pm

Plays must be submitted here: https://forms.gle/nm27B6khACXkT6YbA

Theatre Revolution is proud to announce submissions are open for  Glass Ceiling Breakers: 2026 A Festival of Short Plays and Films by Women Artists

GCB 2026 is scheduled for June 5, 6 and 7, 2026 at the Philipstown Depot Theatre in Garrison NY.

Plays must be written by female or female identifying playwrights.

They can be produced or unproduced plays. Feel free to send us plays that were produced years ago that you'd like to revisit! Plays that are currently being workshopped are also welcome.

Plays should be no more than 10 minutes (we mean it!) 12 pages max (excluding the title page) in standard play format. Type size (12) with 1” margins.

If the play is 12 pages but longer than 10 minutes (lots of text) playwright may be asked for revisions if selected.

Save File as follows in PDF only: LAST NAME_TITLE OF PLAY_GCB26

Monologues are accepted but we prefer plays. Monologues should not be more than 3 pages.

BIPOC playwrights are strongly encouraged to submit.

Theatre and/or Playwrights will be informed in Early March.

If selected, playwrights and/or theatre companies are responsible for producing their play. There is no compensation for plays. Theatre Revolution may provide some production assistance (not financial) by connecting producers to possible actors, directors, and props. 

Only non-union actors may be cast in plays.

In all cases, Theatre Revolution will provide limited set pieces, lighting and sound equipment, and production staff. There will be a mandatory pre-production meeting via ZOOM for all playwrights or their representatives in March 2026. 

Questions? Email us. theatrerevolution1@gmail.com We are looking forward to reading your work!

Rover Dramawerks 10-Minute Comedies Contest

Website

Deadline: none - only the first 300 10-minute plays will be accepted

SUBMIT VIA GOOGLE FORM

Rover Dramawerks announces the return of our annual 10-Minute Comedies Contest! We are seeking 10-minute comedies to be a part of our 26th Season.

Comedies only! No musicals. No dramas.

No one-person plays. Other than that, no cast size limit.

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.

Only PDF files will be accepted. Other formats will not be read.

A cast list and brief synopsis must be included, but we ask that you do not include a cover page.

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).

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, running July 30 – August 15, 2026, with all winners receiving a $150 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 small theatre with little wing space that seats about 85. 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.

Clockhouse open for submissions for the Summer 2026 issue

Website

Deadline: November 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

​CLOCKHOUSE is a national literary journal published by Clockhouse Writers’ Conference, whose editors are MFA alumni of Goddard College.
​
We accept works of poetry, fiction, memoir, creative nonfiction, and ​dramatic works for stage or screen. We also accept submissions for cover art. We encourage submissions from both established and emerging writers.

We’re looking for work that beckons us to listen, share, and engage. Send us your best!

Before submitting, carefully read the general AND genre-specific guidelines. 

• All submissions must be original, unpublished work written by the author or, if you are submitting artwork for cover consideration, original artwork created by the artist
• Follow genre-appropriate formatting; Word documents preferred; double-spaced for fiction, memoir, and creative nonfiction​
• Include a bio of approximately 100 words or less
• Simultaneous submissions are welcome as long as you withdraw them if accepted elsewhereSubmit only through Submittable. No email or mailed submissions will be accepted
• Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will be discarded unread. 

Dramatic Work for Stage or Screen

• Short plays and screenplays in traditional and experimental styles
• Standalone work only (not part of a longer work); no monologues
• Submitted work should be written with the audience in mind
• Submit up to 10 pages plus cover page with title and character breakdown
• Follow the industry-standard formatting guidelines appropriate for the plays/screenplays including paginations

Discount tickets: BAMMY AN' BUXOM

BAMMY AN' BUXOM

by Tyla Harris

A young second-generation Jamaican-American, Jai, spends her precursor of Thanksgiving dinner attempting to bind a “duppy” that her great-grandmother believes is coming to collect her soul.

Use this link to receive the discount which will automatically be applied to the ticket price: 

Bammy an' Buxom 10% Off!

One of four plays to be shown at the CSP show! A ticket gets access to the other shows in the same night :) !

In celebration of her new-found independence, Jai, a young second-generation Caribbean-American artist invites her matriarchs to have Thanksgiving dinner at her new apartment. Over the course of a confusing night, Jai’s life changes as she finds herself entangled with grief and guilt in attempting to resolve her great-grandmother’s newfound battle with a “duppy” coming to claim her soul.

Tyla Harris is an Afro-Carribean Latina born, raised, and creatively crafted in Atlanta, GA. Tyla is a multi-hyphenate, most-notably recognized for her decade of work as an actress onscreen in commercial, television, and film, starring in various projects such as “For Life” (ABC), “Six” (History), “Tales” (BET), “Fantasy Football” (Nickelodeon), “Coins for Christmas” (BET), and more. With a Bachelors in Political Science (concentration in International Affairs) and over a decade in the entertainment industry, Tyla focuses her artistry on community-driven projects, producing, writing, and directing entertainment aimed at uplifting underrepresented communities while pushing the conversation on sociopolitical evolution through kindness and consideration. “Bammy an’ Buxom” is her first playwright work in the discipline of theater. TylaHarris.com

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.

Discount tickets: TODAY IS A GOOD DAY, NEW YORK NEW YORK

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY, NEW YORK NEW YORK

a one-woman show written and performed by Sonja Devi 

Running through November 22nd at Gene Frankel Theatre! 

Use code NYCPLAYWRIGHTS for 25% off tickets at http://www.todayisagooddaynewyorkny.com/

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.

PICK OF THE VINE – Season 24 - seeking short plays

 Website

Deadline: November 15, 2025

SUBMIT VIA SUBMISSION FORM

Little Fish Theatre is accepting scripts for our 24th Annual PICK OF THE VINE short play production to be produced in August 2026. 

This season’s theme is “The Unexpected Guest.” All Plays should relate to this theme

There will be a $100 flat fee royalty payment to playwrights per play produced.

Submission Guidelines:

1. Only ONE play may be submitted per playwright. There is no submission fee.

2. Submissions accepted starting Nov 1, 2025. (Two Weeks only) Submission deadline is Nov 15, 2025.

3. Submissions via google form only 2026 : https://forms.gle/UZux1nJqhYEJBimw5

4. Plays must include contact info (name, phone number, email address, home city and state, country) on the cover sheet.

5. Plays will require no more than 6 actors.

6. Plays will run no more than 12 minutes, no exceptions.

7. Plays will have minimal set, costume, prop, and special effect requirements.

8. Plays must include a title sheet with Title, Playwright, cast of characters (with brief description), and setting.

9. Playwright must submit a short response on how your play relates to our theme.

Timeline:

1. We will notify semi-finalists via email by Jan 3, 2026. Only those playwrights whose pieces have progressed to the semi-final round will be notified.

2. Playwrights whose pieces have been chosen for Production will be notified via email in late January.

THE ALEXANDER NDERITU PRIZE FOR WORLD LITERATURE (2025) seeks short plays

Website

Deadline: November 15, 2025

All entries are to be submitted in Adobe PDF format to: submissions(at)theafricangriot.com. 

In the subject tab, type: ‘2025 Alexander Nderitu Prize for World Literature Submission’. In the body of the e-mail furnish the following information:

- Title of your play
- Your full name 
- Your nationality
- Your age
- Your daytime telephone number
- Your preferred email address
- A brief bio (300 words max)

Add your short play as a PDF attachment. (Remember not to include any identifiers in the attachment.) The Judge’s decision is final. The winning entry will be published in The African Griot Review.

The African Griot Review is proud to announce the return of the Alexander Nderitu World Literature Prize! The 2025 Edition will honour original, one-act stage plays from anywhere in the world. 

A single winner will be chosen by the founder of the prize, Kenyan-born writer and critic Alexander Nderitu. 

The longlist will be announced in December 2025. 

The shortlist will be announced in February 2026 and the eventual winner will be unveiled at a literary event in April 2026. The winning playwright will walk away with a cash prize of Kshs 50,000, a one-year online promotion campaign by IT form Websoft Interactive and grace the cover of The African Griot Reviewmagazine. 

The 2024 winner of the prize was Nigeria’s Haliru Ali Musa, for his short story, The Pregnant Ghost. There is no entry fee.

ELIGIBILITY AND RULES

Territories: The contest is open to writers anywhere in the world, aged over 18.

Language: All entries must be in English. Translations and adaptations are not eligible.

Work: The entry must not be optioned, commissioned, performed or been previously published anywhere, including online. Simultaneous submissions are fine but please inform us if your work is published or staged elsewhere during the judging process. We’re looking for a play that is roughly 10 – 15 minutes long. A minute of dialogue is roughly one page of script. The playwright’s name must not appear anywhere on the submitted document. One may submit up to three different plays. Each play must have only one writer, no collaborators. Plagiarism and assistance from Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing tools are grounds for instant disqualification.

While not essential, the Standard Stage Play format is recommended. Free guide available here: https://caryplaywrightsforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/CPF_play_formatting2.pdf

Judging: This year’s contest will be judged by award-winning writer and critic Alexander Nderitu. Apart from penning his own stage plays, he has also authored two non-fiction books on the theatre business - Kenyan Theatre: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and This Time With Feeling.

For any inquiries regarding the Prize, please email: admin(at)theafricangriot.com

NYLon Fusion seeks 10-minute plays

Website

Deadline: November 12, 2025 ​

All submissions should be sent to nylonfusion@gmail.com 

NYLon Fusion is back and so is “This Rounds on Us”!
We’re excited to present: LIFE IN TRANSITION.

Please submit any scripts that speak to the following themes (each will have a separate festival within the 2025-26 season)

The Great Society

Each submission should be no longer than ten pages or approximately 10 minutes in length. Not have been previously produced.

We are accepting new works for our 2025/ 2026 This Round’s On Us festivals, each of which will focus on certain broad eras.(see below). But the plays do not necessarily have to be set in these time periods, but they should at least be informed by the social, cultural and/or political happenings of the time. Whether you find inspiration in the movies, music or theater of a particular era, the major events that formed the historical narrative or which have been ignored by history, or the everyday lives of people in the bygone days of the not-so-long-ago, you can send your 10-minute play to NyLonFusion@gmail.com

To be considered This Round's On Us please submit/email the following: A cover letter, brief synopsis, resume and full script to nylonsubmissions@gmail.com Please be specific as to which project you are submitting to. Write on the SUBJECT LINE For example: This Round’s On Us: The Gilded Age/ Cage.

NOTE: accepted plays are produced (including casting) by Nylon Fusion Theatre Company. Playwrights are encouraged to attend rehearsals. 

The Artistic Home Call for Submissions: Cut to the Chase

Website

Deadline: November 18, 2025
Or after 300 plays are received.

DO NOT SEND THEY HAVE RECEIVED 300 plays

This legendary one-act play festival showcases six new plays with moment-to-moment acting in an intimate theater space.

This year's festival will present the theme: I'm Still Here.

Performances will take place February 19-22, 2026 at The Den Theatre in Chicago.

Play submission must meet the following requirements:

• One-act plays of no more than 12 minutes (no musicals) 
• Previously unproduced in Chicago 
• Only one submission per playwright 
• Please do not submit a play previously submitted to Cut to the Chase 
• Writers are encouraged to submit plays that generally fit this year's theme: I'm Still Here 

Important format requirements:

• PDF files only 
• Include play title and playwright's name on the script 
• File name for the PDF should be as follows: "[play title] by [playwright's full name]" For example: The Tempest by William Shakespeare (No underscores, draft numbers, festival name or any other information in the file name please.) 

TYPE! Open for short plays

Website

Deadline: none given

SUBMISSION FORM

Thank you for considering sharing your work. TYPE! is free to read — we cannot pay for submissions or chosen work, but we will work with authors to promote the piece and their other writing. We also require written confirmation that submissions are original work.

Please note – due to the high number of submissions we receive we will only respond to those we wish to publish, however we do read EVERY submission. Submission also carries no guarantee of inclusion or feedback. Read this to find out what happens when you submit.

Seeking  Micro-plays - 1-2 pages long

Please send in your writing via the submission form.

LaGuardia Performing Arts Center Rough Draft Festival

Website

Deadline: November 20, 2025

SUBMISSION FORM

The Rough Draft Festival offers artists a supportive environment to develop their work and provides students and community with the chance to witness the creation of new theater pieces.

Rough Draft Reading Festival: An open call inviting professional and student
playwrights to apply, running in MARCH. Applications are accepted from October through mid-December, with a committee selecting five professional and five student playwrights.

Work-in-Progress Festival: Taking place in the fall, featuring two of the professional plays chosen based on audience surveys. This component provides a platform for both professional and student playwrights to develop their work further.

Workshops: The Rough Draft Festival offers workshops aimed at community engagement and artistic development:

Artist-Led Workshops: Professional artists lead workshops on various theater production aspects and thematic explorations.

After completing the interest form, email your full proposal package (including your script, budget, and any supporting materials) to lpacresident@lagcc.cuny.edu

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.

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.

11th Annual Pyro PlayFest 2026 Call for Plays Theme: "Spark of Creation: Humanity, Invention, and Expression"

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Deadline: January 12, 2026

 SUBMISSION FORM

Paris Junior College Department of Drama's 11th Annual Pyro PlayFest is now accepting submissions!

In a season celebrating new voices, we are looking for bold, original short plays that explore the heart of creativity — the human spirit, invention, imagination, and the drive to express. Whether you tackle these ideas literally, abstractly, or metaphorically, we want to experience the spark that fuels your storytelling!

The chosen submissions will receive a full production on our 3/4 thrust stage space performed by students and community members in late April 2026, right here in Paris, Texas, on the Duane Allen Stage in the Ray E. Karrer Theater.

Please note: This is a non-paying opportunity. While we are unable to offer financial compensation at this time, selected playwrights will have the opportunity to have their work brought to life in front of a live audience by a dedicated team of emerging artists and community members.

Submission Guidelines

• Unpublished, minimally produced plays (readings okay; no full productions).
• Length: 10 minutes or less.
• Page Limit: 10 pages max (standard format, 12-pt font, with page numbers).
• Cast: No more than 6 characters.
• Technical Requirements: Keep it simple — minimal sets, basic lighting, and modest props.
• Theme Connection: Must explore creation, humanity, invention, or expression in some form.

Content Note: Please keep language and themes suitable for a general adult audience.

Important Dates:
• Submission Deadline: January 12, 2026
• Festival Dates: April 22-26, 2026

How to Submit:
Please submit your scripts (Up to three) in PDF format through this Google Form: New Works Submissions

Include a cover page with the following information:
• Play title
• Playwright's name
• Contact email
• Short synopsis (2-3 sentences)
• Character breakdown

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.

Free show ~ SEA WALL by Simon Stephens

SEA WALL 

by Simon Stephens

Performed by Peter-William Jamieson

Friday, November 14th, 2025
7:00 PM (doors 6:30pm)
AP Space Gallery, 54 W 28th St, New York, NY

Free tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sea-wall-a-play-by-simon-stephens-at-gallery-ap-space-tickets-1804254175809

Sea Wall is an intimate and emotionally raw one-man play by Simon Stephens that explores love, loss, and faith through the eyes of Alex, a photographer whose world is shaken by tragedy. Performed inside a contemporary art gallery, this production reimagines the theatrical experience by breaking away from the traditional stage, blending performance and visual art in a powerful, immersive setting.