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