Go Try Play Write October 2026

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Deadline: October 31, 2026

The prompt for October 2026 is an Ionesco prompt:

This prompt is based on the play Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco (you do not need to know the play to write the prompt). It’s the day after the 2026 midterm elections, and everyone voted for the person or party you despise. You know this because they’ve all turned into an animal with whom you can’t really communicate with. Write a 10-page maximum scene of you dealing with this event. Pick one animal that everyone turns into. Have fun.

We're proud to announce a new monthly playwriting contest in collaboration with Bamboo Ridge Press. Every month, Kumu Kahua's artistic director Harry Wong III will select a writing prompt on the first day of that month. We're looking for 5-page monologues or 10-page scenes based on that prompt; the due date for submissions are always the last day of the month. All entries must be written in traditional play format; instructions on this format can be found here (https://www.dramatistsguild.com/script-formats), courtesy of the Dramatists Guild.

There will be one winner each month. Scripts will be submitted to the judges anonymously. Winners will receive $100 and a subscription to Bamboo Ridge Press. Woo!