Deadline: November 1, 2026
All plays must be submitted as a PDF via Submittable at premierestagesatkean.submittable.com/submit. Hard copies will not be accepted.
Premiere Stages will accept submissions of unproduced plays written by playwrights affiliated with the greater metropolitan area from September 1, 2026, through November 1, 2026. All plays submitted to the festival are evaluated by a panel of professional theatre producers, directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, and publishers. Four finalists are subsequently selected for public Equity readings in Spring of 2027.
Following the Spring readings, one play is selected for an Equity production in the Premiere Stages 2028 season and receives an award of $10,000. Another finalist receives a 29-hour staged reading and $3,000. The other finalists will each be awarded $1,000.
Submission guidelines can be found at https://premierestagesatkean.com/play-festival/guidelines/
- Plays must be full-length and have a cast size of no more than eight.
Premiere Stages will accept submissions of unproduced plays written by playwrights affiliated with the greater metropolitan area from September 1, 2026, through November 1, 2026. All plays submitted to the festival are evaluated by a panel of professional theatre producers, directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, and publishers. Four finalists are subsequently selected for public Equity readings in Spring of 2027.
Following the Spring readings, one play is selected for an Equity production in the Premiere Stages 2028 season and receives an award of $10,000. Another finalist receives a 29-hour staged reading and $3,000. The other finalists will each be awarded $1,000.
Submission guidelines can be found at https://premierestagesatkean.com/play-festival/guidelines/
- Plays must be full-length and have a cast size of no more than eight.
- Plays must be unpublished and unproduced (readings and workshops are okay), with no productions and/or publication currently scheduled through September 2028.
-Playwrights must have strong affiliations with the greater metropolitan area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware).
- Musicals, adaptations (of existing plays or other sources), and solo shows are not eligible.
-Submissions are limited to one script per playwright.
- Please contact Premiere Stages to inquire about submitting a script that has been previously submitted. Generally we only accept re-submissions if the play has undergone significant revisions.
- Playwrights must be available for the development of their script (see the 2027 schedule table on our website).
- Submissions are accepted September 1, 2026 through 11:59 p.m. on November 1, 2026. Submissions sent early in the submission window are strongly encouraged.
- Names and contact information are welcome on cover pages of scripts.
- Premiere Stages now accepts full manuscripts from all submitters. Submissions must include:
- Brief synopsis of the play (no more than half a page)
- History of the play’s development (or statement that it has none)
- The playwright’s bio or resume
Members of the Premiere Stages literary team will read at least 10 pages of every play submitted and will decide if the play should be further considered by the Play Festival Panel.
All plays must be submitted as a PDF via Submittable at premierestagesatkean.submittable.com/submit. Hard copies will not be accepted.
All playwrights will be notified by e-mail OR Submittable message of their status by June of 2027.
All plays must be submitted as a PDF via Submittable at premierestagesatkean.submittable.com/submit. Hard copies will not be accepted.
All playwrights will be notified by e-mail OR Submittable message of their status by June of 2027.