Deadline: March 6, 2026
Or when the 350 maximum submission limit is reached
DO NOT SEND - THEY HAVE REACHED THEIR MAXIMUM.
As a part of our mission to develop new plays and playwrights, Capital Stage presents its 13th Annual New Play Festival PLAYWRIGHTS’ REVOLUTION in July 2026. Up to 350 new play submissions will be accepted from January 6 – March 6, 2026.
By May 2026 Capital Stage will choose the 4-6 finalists for this year’s festival. One-night-only staged readings will be presented during the last week of July 2026. Q&A sessions between the audience and artists immediately to follow each staged reading.
Only submissions that follow these guidelines are acceptable:
- Play submissions that are full-length.
- Plays that have not had a full-scale, professional production prior to submission. (Workshop, reading, or non-professional production acceptable.)
- Only one submission per playwright is allowed each year.
- Do not submit a musical.
Visit the Production History page to see the kind of work that Capital Stage produces.
The Selection Process
Capital Stage’s competitive selection process consists of two rounds. During the first round, up to 350 10-page play excerpts submitted are reviewed. After which, only selected playwrights will be contacted and asked to provide a full manuscript of their play. Finally, Capital Stage invites the final 4 to 6 playwrights to have their work presented in the Playwrights’ Revolution staged readings in July of 2026.
How to Apply
Complete the online submission form to provide Capital Stage with information about the playwright and the play, and to upload the submission application.
In order to be accepted, your application must be submitted as a single PDF file that includes the following:
The Selection Process
Capital Stage’s competitive selection process consists of two rounds. During the first round, up to 350 10-page play excerpts submitted are reviewed. After which, only selected playwrights will be contacted and asked to provide a full manuscript of their play. Finally, Capital Stage invites the final 4 to 6 playwrights to have their work presented in the Playwrights’ Revolution staged readings in July of 2026.
How to Apply
Complete the online submission form to provide Capital Stage with information about the playwright and the play, and to upload the submission application.
In order to be accepted, your application must be submitted as a single PDF file that includes the following:
- File name must be “Author Last Name_Title of Play” (ex: Miller_Death of a Salesman)
- The first page(s) of the file must include: Title of play, character breakdown and descriptions, and a synopsis of the play (these pages do not count as your 10-page sample)
- A 10-page sample of the play
- DO NOT include the name of the author on any pages
- DO NOT send full scripts until requested
Some Recommendations
Make sure that your synopsis sets the reader up to understand what is going on in your sample. Remember that the reader only has this synopsis and the 10 pages that you provide to get to know your work, and that is difficult to do if they are confused about the plot. Also, make sure you are submitting the best 10 pages of your work! The sample does not need to be the first 10 pages of the play; you should select whichever 10-page section you think presents the best argument for why we should want to read the whole thing.
2026 Deadline
Submissions will be accepted only from January 6 – March 6, 2026. Or until the 350 maximum submission limit is reached. Local, national, and international playwrights are encouraged to submit. Only the first 350 submissions will be accepted.