The 2022 Diverse Voices Playwriting Initiative

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Deadline: August 1, 2021 by 11:59 p.m. CDT

Submission form

The 2022 Diverse Voices Playwriting Initiative welcomes submissions for full-length, unproduced plays by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) playwrights in accordance with the mission statement of the Crossroads Project (see below). A diverse panel of judges including faculty, staff, students, and alumni will select one playwright as the winner.

The winning playwright will receive:

• An invitation to Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal, IL as a guest artist in residence for a one-week new play development workshop, culminating in a public staged reading. This residency will also include class visits and an all-School colloquium.
• Travel (within the U.S.), housing, and meals during the residency.
• An honorarium of $500 for the residency.

To be eligible to win, the playwright must be available for a one-week residency in late March 2022 (exact dates TBD).

The deadline for submissions is August 1, 2021 by 11:59 p.m. (central daylight time). There is no entry fee. We only accept electronic submissions in PDF format. Because our staff and resources are limited, we can only consider the first 100 submissions.

Please include in your submission:

• A representative sample from your play up to 15 pages. This does not have to be the first 15 pages of the play.
• A synopsis of the play (max. 250 words).
• A character list with short descriptions for each character (age, ethnicity, gender, occupation, family relationships, etc.)
• A playwright’s statement (max. 400 words). In the statement, describe your inspiration for writing the play, address where you are in the development process, and discuss how a workshop in a university setting can facilitate that process.

Please follow these guidelines when submitting your play:
Submissions must be:

• A full-length play.
• Musicals are not accepted. However, plays with limited music requirements are accepted.
• The primary language of the play must be English.
• There are no other restrictions in subject matter or style.
• A playwright may only submit one play per year. The work must be submitted by the playwright rather than a literary agent or other third party.
• Submissions must be the original work of the playwright, which may include adaptations of fictional or factual material. Translations of other playwrights’ work are not accepted.
• The submitting playwright must be either the owner and controller of the copyright or provide written proof that they have acquired the legal right to use copyrighted material in their work.
• Plays that have been produced or published professionally are ineligible for the competition. Plays that have been presented through staged readings, workshops, university productions, or community theatre productions are eligible.
• A playwright may submit a play that they submitted in a previous year (including finalists) if there have been substantive revisions.

The Crossroads Project reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted play for any reason.

We will contact semi-finalists by the end of October 2021 and ask them to submit the full play.

The winning playwright will be notified by mid-January 2022.

Inquiries about the Diverse Voices Playwriting Initiative should be directed to:

Kee-Yoon Nahm, D.F.A.

Assistant Professor in Theatre Studies

Chair, The Crossroads Project

Email: knahm@ilstu.edu

Two Strikes Theatre Collective Brown Sugar Bake-Off seeks 10-minute plays

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Deadline: September 3, 2021

Website: www.twostrikescollective.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHTM5NKBY8Ct0lLj_S4U5dw

Submit via Google Forms: https://forms.gle/D1bjo4XkeXTvdPT38

If by email, format of the script: PDF, with playwright contact information removed (Blind Submission)

The length of plays wanted: 10-minute

Eligibility: Black women and Black non-binary persons

 
Playwright can submit more than one play
Submitters will be notified by email in mid-September

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSTC.Baltimore

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tstc_baltimore/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/tstc_baltimore

Summer BIPOC Reading Festival seeks new work

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The Summer BIPOC Reading Festival (Staged Summer Festival) is an official program of Facility Theatre, located in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago, IL. Facility is dedicated to centering equity, diversity, inclusion, and access in all of our work. This program kicks off a series of ongoing events uplifting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) artists. The inaugural festival will feature 6 readings from diverse playwrights taking place throughout the summer months. 

Note: During 2021, the readings will take place on zoom until it is deemed safe to have them at Facility’s space.

Readings are an essential part of the play development process. We are proud to offer the Staged Summer Festival as a creative lab for emerging and established playwrights. Conveniently located in our brand new space, our reading series provides a home for writers to hear their new work read aloud.

The festival will take place in Humboldt Park during August 6, 7, 8 and August 13, 14, and 15. Playwrights will have their reading on one of the days and will be offered a $250 stipend for participation.

Are you a BIPOC Playwright interested in developing your work and having your play read out loud by professional actors? Fill out the form below and submit your play for consideration. We are always looking for new artists to work with. If your play is selected for the summer curation, we will be in touch for more information. We do not have any specific genre or topical requirements for our plays. They can be short, long, small cast, big cast, written for today, or written in pastiche. We are interested in all submissions and look forward to reading yours!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_HaB2KvXMYKqNn-UEbNBQuL7HqwnisFVaio8LckeLgy1uhw/viewform

American Theater Group PLAYLAB

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Deadline: June 15, 2021 at 11:59 PM

The ATG PlayLab, which launched in September 2020, is a professional space for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and Queer (LGBTQ+) playwrights to develop their works for the stage. Led by Pandora Scooter and comprised of a total of ten playwrights, the goal for the PlayLab is to help develop marginalized voices to enable the telling of rich and varied stories from all members of our community.

ATG playwrights group seeks new members for play and professional development group. ATG PlayLab (now going into its 2nd year), is dedicated to providing a professional and supportive environment for playwrights who are both/either BIPOC and LGBTQ+ to be heard and supported. 

The group will meet once every week for 12 sessions during the Fall, Spring and Summer via Zoom. One additional meeting per month will be called for professional development discussions/workshops (these will not be required, but strongly encouraged). 

Applicants from anywhere in the US are welcome to apply, though preference will be given to NJ, PA and NY writers.

To apply, please fill out the application at https://forms.gle/4qsKVHVT2JRMkU6q7

For any questions, email pandorascooter@gmail.com."

Fantasy Theatre Factory seeks fatherhood monologues

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Deadline: April 4, 2021 midnight EST

Dear Dad — An Exploration of Fatherhood

Submission call

for Florida playwrights and BIPOC playwrights Nationwide

Fantasy Theatre Factory in Miami, Florida, wants to celebrate all the facets of Fatherhood. We are holding a call for Florida playwrights and BIPOC playwrights nationally to submit monologues that reflect their personal experience with a father figure in their life. We encourage playwrights representing diverse ethnicities to apply.

These monologues will be presented by Fantasy Theatre Factory in Miami, FL on the weekend of June 19-20, 2021 and will run on YouTube for a month. An honorarium will be paid to those playwrights whose scripts are selected. This event is being co-produced by Marj O’Neill-Butler, Dramatists Guild Florida Regional Representative, and Arianna Rose, South Florida DG Ambassador.

Suggested Subject Matter To Get You Started on Your Monologue:

-All things fatherhood

-What it means to be a father, to have a father, to lose a father, to grow up fatherless

-non-traditional father figures

-qualities of a father

Submission Guidelines:

-Submissions accepted from Florida playwrights and BIPOC playwrights nationwide.

-One monologue per writer maximum.

-The monologue may be part of a larger work or a stand-alone piece.

-Deadline for submissions is Sunday, April 4, 2021 midnight EST.

-Monologue should be no longer than 2 pages.

-Preferred format is PDF.

-On the cover page, indicate name, address, phone and email address.


Email monologues as an attachment to:

FathersDayMonologue@gmail.com

Fifth Avenue Theatre FIRST DRAFT: RAISE YOUR VOICE

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Deadline: April 1, 2021

SUBMISSION FORM

Our flagship new musical development program, First Draft: Raise Your Voice was created with three goals in mind: foster new musicals by writers from populations that have been left out of the musical theater canon; encourage and support brand new stories from authentic perspectives; and introduce new, creative voices to theater professionals and producers to amplify their work so that it is seen, heard, and developed by the greater musical theater community.

First Draft is a commissioning program designed to support new musical theater writers through the completion of a first draft of a brand-new musical. Across an 18-month cycle, writers will receive financial, artistic, dramaturgical, travel, and production support as they complete this first draft and will have the opportunity to hear their words spoken and songs sung at preliminary readings. We encourage everyone interested to apply—previous experience writing musical theater is not required. This program is committed to supporting writers on both a local and national scale.

Now Accepting Submissions for First Draft 2021/22!

We will be accepting submissions until April 1, 2021. Interviews will take place in April and selection will be completed by May 7, 2021.

This year, we plan to commission five projects.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

This cycle of First Draft will solicit submissions from the following:

• BIPOC writers of all gender identities
• Women writers
• Transgender writers
• Gender non-conforming writers
• Non-binary writers

Writing teams should be made up of a composer, lyricist, and book writer. Teams can be 1-3 people, acknowledging that some writers will take on more than one job. Your team should be assembled and committed at the time of submission.

If you have questions, please contact Associate Artistic Director Kelsey Thorgalsen at nwsubs@5thavenue.org.

THE COMMISSION INCLUDES

• $15,000 commission fee for the team
• A week-long Story Summit with support to outline your show
• One retreat
• One residency ending in a table read
• One 29-hour reading in either New York, Chicago, LA or Seattle (This reading will give your team 29 hours in a 5-day period for a cast to learn your material and present it as a complete first draft.)
• For the official activities listed above, writers will be compensated in addition to the commission
• Dramaturgical support throughout (Dramaturges of your choice will provide feedback on story structure, character development, historical context, etc.)

This work will take place over an 18-month period with the goal of completing a first draft of your new musical

Additionally, Theatre Latte Da in Minneapolis has committed to presenting a show from First Draft in a future NEXT Festival, which offers 50 hours of workshop and two public presentations to selected projects.


APPLICANTS MUST INCLUDE
A 1-paragraph to one-page description of your idea for a new musical that has yet to be written
A bio for each contributing writer that outlines your previous creative experience
A team statement that describes your interest in storytelling and your passion for your work

Submissions will be reviewed by a diverse panel of external theater professionals who will advise The 5th Avenue Theatre on selection. Ten teams will be selected to participate in an interview and five teams will be selected for a commission.


SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

Click the button to begin your submission. Teams need only submit under a single application.

We will be accepting submissions until April 1, 2021. Interviews will take place in April and selection will be completed by May 7, 2021.

SUBMIT

Submission Opportunity - Live & In Color

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Deadline: March 31, 2021

Live & In Color is looking for playwrights, composers, and lyricists of color and/or other underrepresented communities interested in developing their new musical. 

The work must be able to be performed with a multiethnic cast. The winning musical submission will have a two-week workshop this fall at The Bingham Camp in Salem, Connecticut culminating in a staged presentation to an invited audience. 

Email your materials to Director of New Works, Dennis Corsi, at dennis@theatreincolor.org

The musical must be able to be performed with 4 actors or less.

All submissions should include:

• Single page synopsis
• Single page character breakdown
• Demo of score (2-3 songs)
• Sample of dialogue (~10 pages)
• Brief production/development history (properties with prior full productions not accepted.)

More than one submission is acceptable
If there is a restriction on plays that have previously been produced and/or published: properties with prior full productions not accepted.
How and when submitters will be notified about their submission: submitters will be notified in the Spring of the choice via email. 


Facebook:
theatreincolors
Instagram: theatreincolor
Twitter: theatreincolor

ScriptRead seeks stories for a virtual live read In May

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Deadline: April 4, 2021

ScriptRead is a themed base live reading series which showcases excerpts of original plays, screenplays or TV pilots from women and diverse writers. Each writer will receive a virtual interactive reading of their sample and free feedback. This is a private invite only event.

We are looking to include one playwright for this cycle. The focus this cycle is sexy/steamy storylines or adult themes in the vein of the Dangerous Liaisons, 50 Shades of Grey, The Affair, Scandal, Dynasty etc. The deadline is Sunday, April 4th.

Please send a bio detailing your writing experience and a 20 page sample to kbarbee@elmhurstent.com

ScriptRead is produced by Elmhurst Entertainment

www.thescriptread.com

Egg & Spoon’s 2021 Incubation Series

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Deadline: April 1, 2021 11:59 PM

SUBMISSION FORM

Egg & Spoon’s 2021 Incubation Series provides developmental support for three BIPoC writers’ full-length plays over the summer of 2021. This expands previous Egg & Spoon programming by facilitating fifteen-hour workshops for playwrights. This program reflects our passion for developing new plays, and our commitment to building a more equitable and vibrant future for the American theatre.

Who can apply?

This submission process is open to all Black writers, Indigenous writers, and writers of color. We are open to submissions from writers at any stage in their career, and from any geographical location. Strong preference will be given to writers who identify as non-binary or as women.

What scripts are eligible for consideration?

The Incubation workshops are intended for full-length plays that are not yet ready for production.

How will finalists be selected?

Scripts will be read by a culturally diverse (majority BIPoC) panel of readers. Ten semi-finalists will be notified by late April and three finalists will be selected in early May, after an interview process.

What will finalists receive?

For each finalist, we will facilitate a fifteen-hour developmental workshop along with dramaturgical support, staff feedback, and an optional public reading. We will tailor the workshop – including its personnel and schedule – to the playwright’s stated needs.

Each writer will receive a stipend of $300, and all artists engaged in the workshop will be paid an equitable amount. A budget will be made available for all artists’ consideration before the workshop begins.

We intend for the workshops to take place between early June and late August, according to the playwright’s availability. We are open, however, to later workshops if it would allow us to invest in a project that we feel passionately about.

If there are collaborators the playwright would like to include – actors, directors, dramaturgs – we will hire them for the workshop. If the playwright wishes, we will find collaborators to work with them (strongly favoring BIPoC artists and artists from historically underrepresented communities).

How do I apply?

The application deadline is 11:59pm on April 1st, 2021. 

Let us know if you have any questions by emailing us at incubation@eggandspoontheatre.org.

Ruby Slippers Advance Theatre 2021

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Deadline: March 15, 2021

If you are a female-identifying artist who also identifies as BIPOC, please submit a ten page excerpt, a short bio, and a synopsis to info@rubyslippers.ca with Advance Theatre Submission in the subject line. Deadline is March 15, 2021.

We will get back to everyone who submits within a month after the deadline. Our Guest Curator for the 2021 festival is playwright, actor, Pow Wow dancer and RST Artist in Residence Nyla Carpentier!

ReImagine: New Plays in TYA

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Phase One — Deadline December 30, 2020

Application Process

ReImagine will work in a two-phase application process. You do NOT need to have a script ready to submit in order to apply. However, scripts/drafts/treatments will be requested in Phase Two.

Phase One — Deadline December 30, 2020

Playwrights will be asked to submit a short application that includes the following narrative questions:

Tell us about yourself and the kind of work you love to make — this could be a statement, a poem, a monologue, the lyrics for a song…any text-based way you’d like to tell us about who you are and why you write. (Max: 1 page)

Why do you want to write for young people? (Max: 1 page)

Describe your project — what is the story? Why do you feel compelled to tell this story at this moment? (Max: 2 pages)

What are you looking to achieve in a development process? What resources will you need? (Please be honest – we would rather know now and your answer will not determine whether you are selected!) (Max: 1 page)

Each question and answer should be saved as a unique document for upload — Word and PDF formats accepted. Please label each document with your last name and the question number (E.G. JonesQuestion1.pdf)

A reading committee comprised of the Advisory Council plus additional invited readers will read all first round applicants and choose a selection of projects to move to the second phase.

Phase Two — Deadline February, 2021

At this time, playwrights who move to the second phase will be asked to submit a sample of the proposed work. This could be a full draft, a partial draft, a treatment, an outline, or any text-based representation of the work. Playwrights might be asked to answer additional questions and/or participate in an interview.

Final selections will be made by the Advisory Council and announced in March, 2021.

Ready to apply? Click here!

Questions? Contact Jenny Millinger at jmillinger@childsplayaz.org

ReImagine: New Plays in TYA aims to support the development and visibility of new works for young audiences by BIPOC playwrights. This project will provide funding directly to the playwright, as well as funds to be utilized for development work with a partner theatre.

Who’s it for?

ReImagine is open to ANY playwright of color who is specifically writing for young audiences. We encourage projects from early career playwrights as well as experienced playwrights. Playwrights need to be currently residing in the United States.

Definition: Playwright — the generative artist(s) who create the script/story. We are open to teams of playwrights/generative artists, including but not limited to devising teams and playwright/composer teams.

Definition: Playwright of Color — any playwright who self-identifies as Black/African American, Indigenous, Native American, Latinx, Asian-American, Pacific-Islander, Pilipino, and/or multi/mixed race.

Definition: Young Audiences — children aged 2-18. We are seeking stories that are specifically created for this audience — if you have a play that was written for adults/young adults that “could be okay for teens, too,” we applaud your work but this application isn’t a good match.

What kinds of projects are you looking for?

We are looking for bold and fresh new ideas and voices. We are interested in the stories that you feel need to be shared in this moment – stories that are urgent and energized and fantastical and joyful and devastating and searching and burning to be told.

We are interested in hearing the full range of stories that playwrights of color are interested in telling; proposed projects do not have to address cultural identity.

We are looking for projects that are in an early-to-mid stage of development. Our goal is to provide resources to the playwright to further the creation and/or development of a new idea or project. If you have a script that is ready for production, we applaud your work, but this application isn’t a good match for your project (we are actively looking for ways to highlight work that is ready for production, so watch this space.)

Recognizing that our development resources are limited, we are open to a range of styles and development needs, including devised work and musicals. Adaptations will only be accepted from works in the public domain (e.g. folktales).

That’s in large part up to you! We recognize that playwrights work at different speeds and that one type of development process does not fit all. You might want to spend one concentrated week of time working with actors; you might choose to hold a reading every weekend for a month, or even a reading every two or three months. You are in charge of your process, which will be finalized in conjunction with your partner theatre.

You may start drawing upon development funds as soon as you have found a partner theatre; all development funds MUST be expended by December 31, 2021.

What do we mean by “development process”? For those applicants who may be new to playwriting, this is often known as workshop time — it is the part of writing a play that involves other collaborators. Some playwrights like to hand a draft script to a director and actors, hear them read the work, and then go away and make changes (either overnight if you want to spend a full week with actors or over a longer period of time if you just want occasional readings). Other playwrights like to devise work by giving actors and a director opportunities to improvise on themes or ideas; the playwright watches (or participates!) and then takes ideas away to write on their own. You might also want an audience — of young people or families — to watch a reading your work and talk to you about it. When we ask you to describe your desired development process, essentially we are saying: “we will provide you with funds for actors, a director and a dramaturge — how will you use their time?”)

Stay home, stay safe: This project (and its budget!) were created for COVID times. We are assuming that development activities will take place largely or exclusively online. You and your partner theatre may choose to hold in-person workshops, but funding for travel is not included in the budget.
Who are the partner theatres?

That’s part of the process! After a project has been selected, we will work with the playwright to develop an application for theatres based upon the needs of your project. We will collect applications and help you select a theatre that best suits you and your project. You do NOT need to have a relationship with a theatre in order to apply or be selected!

If you are already working with a theatre on your project or if you have a relationship with a theatre already, then we’ll just need to confirm the theatre’s willingness to participate and you’re good to go.

Definition: Partner Theatre — A theatre that will host your development work. The theatre will be asked to do all the logistical work (hiring and paying artists, scheduling, hosting, stage management, etc.). They will also be asked to connect you with young people in their community to listen to a reading and provide dramaturgical response. And, if you enjoy working together, we hope that the theatre will continue to develop your work with an eye towards production. However, there is no long-term commitment/guarantee from either the playwright or the partner theatre. The theatres serve as the fiscal managers of the development budget and must be able to receive grant funds.

Definition: Theatre of Record — But what if you really, desperately don’t want to work with a formal theatre? If you have a creative team in place for your project (e.g. you already have a director, dramaturge and actors) AND you don’t want to be affiliated with a formal theatre AND you are willing to do the coordination for your workshops, Childsplay will serve as your theatre of record in order to compensate artists.
What will be required of playwrights?

Playwrights will be required to do active development work on their project and, in conjunction with their partner theatres, report on their activities during and at the end of the project period.

Playwrights will be required to participate in ReImagine presentations at the 2021 TYA/USA Festival to promote your work. This might include participating on a panel, helping us create a video about you and your work, or even holding a reading if your play is ready to be shared. You will likely also be asked to participate in follow-up activities at the 2022 TYA/USA Festival.

Playwrights will be invited to promote their work through the TYA/USA network and platforms. We will collaborate with you over the course of the year to determine the best way to showcase your work.

Playwrights will be invited to submit information about their project to a collective website or platform that will be developed for ReImagine in order to link playwrights to potential producers.

Playwrights will have access to support throughout their project from the Write Now staff and members of the ReImagine Advisory Council.

Playwrights will retain ALL rights to their work.

Obsidian Theatre Festival

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Deadline: November 17, 2020

SUBMISSION FORM

Open Submission Call for the OBSIDIAN THEATRE FESTIVAL

MISSION STATEMENT
It is the mission of the Obsidian Theatre Festival to feature the work of exciting Black voices, and illuminate the rich diversity of experiences relevant to the African diaspora in America.

PURPOSE STATEMENT
We will entertain, educate and provoke the thoughtful consideration of a broad theatrical audience, while normalizing the panoply of Black American culture.

SEEKING
the OBSIDIAN THEATRE FESTIVAL is seeking composers, directors, lyricists, producers and playwrights for its upcoming theatre festival February 18-21, 2021. (BIPOC artists are strongly encouraged to submit.)

DUE DATE
November 17, 2020 (applications accepted on a rolling basis)

SUBMISSION DETAILS
Plays: 10-60 minutes

Producers and producing organizations: may apply to produce a segment of the festival.

Directors: BIPOC directors with experience in theatre, musical theatre, and/or multimedia.

Lyricists and Composers: musical theatre, pop, jazz, and soul compositions by Black artists to be featured cabaret style.

LOCATION
Filming in Detroit and other locations

COMPENSATION
Paid contracts available for directors.
Selected playwrights/lyricists/composers will be paid a royalty stipend.

Selected content will be staged, rehearsed, produced, filmed, and made available for viewing as part of a three day festival, February 2021. Pieces will be presented as filmed stage productions, and not "virtual readings". Please check permissions to ensure submitted materials are viewable.

Chain Theatre Now Accepting Submissions for 2021 Playwriting Lab

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Deadline: December 20, 2020

Chain Theatre continues its commitment to developing new plays by diverse artists and underrepresented voices through the 2021 Chain Playwriting Lab.

Eligibility:

• All playwrights must be NYC based artists. 
• Must be part of an under-represented community in the arts. Female identifying, a person of color, LGBTQ, or trans artists are encouraged to apply. 
• Must be full length plays. 70 pages or more with a completed draft. 
• Playwright must have all necessary rights. 

Application Process:

Applications will be accepted Nov 2, 2020 – Dec 20, 2020. Free to submit and participate. 

• Include the following with your submission:
• Resume and Bio. 
• History of where the play has been previously produced or developed.
• PDF Attachment of your play. It must be a completed draft. 
• Include a synopsis of your play.
• Must be available fora virtual interview.

SUBMIT TO: lab@chaintheatre.org

The Chain Playwriting Lab is an intensive, multi-week, highly collaborative process. All playwrights must be NYC-based artists and part of an underrepresented community. Female identifying, persons of color, LGBTQ, or trans artists are highly encouraged to apply. Plays must be full length (70 pages or more) with all necessary rights provided by the playwright. The Lab is completely free to submit and participate.

Applications will be accepted now through December 20th 2020. Announcements will be made January 5th 2021. For detailed information and requirements, visit: www.chaintheatre.org

The Chain Theatre venue located at 312 W. 36th St, NY 10018 has been closed since March 17th 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the current restrictions mandated by the government, all rehearsals and meetings will take place virtually. The Chain Theatre is following state health and government mandates regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. The health and safety of our artists and patrons is priority. Following the 6-week Intensive, a free Virtual Reading will be available online to the public.

“From my first meeting with THE CHAIN, I knew that I'd never been in a better, more supportive arena for a playwright. With them running alongside me, I found renewed love and purpose for a piece that I'd all but given up on, and I couldn't be prouder of the work we did together.” – G.D. Kimble 2020 Playwright.

For more information on the leadership, requirements, and how to apply visit: www.chaintheatre.org Further questions may be sent to Managing Director, Rick Hamilton: rick@variationstheatregroup.com.

Exiled Tongues Artist-in-Residence

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APPLY FOR EXILED TONGUES 2020 ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY PROGRAM

APPLY HERE: https://forms.gle/taDvBCN4njUmHEPR7

In order to support emerging artists of color, Exiled Tongues is providing $200 microgrants to artists of color who articulate a new, inclusive path forward for American theater in 2021 and beyond. Grants are unrestricted and can be used for anything. Artists must only comply with residency goals.

ABOUT US

Exiled Tongues is a theater collective that provides financial, artistic, and collaborative support to artists who center diasporic consciousness. We realize that mainstream American theater suffers from a severe lack of representation and deserves serious discussion on colonization and the legacy of post-colonialism especially within the American context. Our productions showcase the complex stories of BIPOC and acknowledge intersectional identities. We use our intersectional identities as a form of theatrical empowerment and seek to make change beyond theater and into our communities.

KC Melting Pot Theatre's 2nd Annual New Play Development Festival

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Deadline: December 31, 2020 or first 50 submissions


KC Melting Pot Theatre is looking for new full-length plays by Black playwrights. 

The play should have no production history (readings are acceptable). 

There are no restrictions on content nor themes except we are not accepting musicals, one-person shows or children shows at this time. 

To submit, please email your script in Word or Pdf format to newplays.kcmpt@gmail.com. 

Scripts should include playwright contact info on title page, character/cast requirements and a 3-5 sentence synopsis. Plays should be typed in 12pt font in Times New Roman or Courier. Our reading panel will select three finalists who will receive fully staged readings in our New Play Festival over the July 9 – 11, 2021 weekend. 

One winner will then be selected and will receive a $500 stipend and will receive a workshop production in 2022. This is a development opportunity and the winning play will have their play read by professional actors for at least two table readings followed by Q&A with director, cast and crew. Playwright will have time to revise and complete a final draft of play and then the workshop production will be fully staged with audience talkbacks.

Finalists will be notified no later than May 1st, 2021. The winning piece will be selected July 11, 2021 after the completion of our New Play Festival.

Livermore Shakespeare Festival commission seeks playwright of color

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Deadline:

Up to $6,000 playwright commission (full length play) with Livermore Shakespeare Festival (LSF).

This commission is for a playwright of color to celebrate scientists of color while exploring a current science theme. The selected playwright will be tasked with writing an original play which includes a component about scientific research currently pursued by our local Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories (LLNL). Many possibilities include using supercomputers to identify a COVID-19 vaccine and treatment candidates. We will partner the selected playwright with advisory support from scientists at the LLNL and/or Sandia National Laboratory.

Here is a link to the request for qualifications (RFQ) as well as the details of the commission. www.Livermoreshakes.org/ScienceAtPlay . There you will see our program called “Science At Play” under which this commission falls. The RFQ goes into much greater detail about the commission. Please know that you MUST follow the submission guidelines. Failure to adhere to submission guidelines will disqualify you from the commission opportunity.

Thank you to all who submit according to the guidelines.

Specific details about this commission: www.Livermoreshakes.org/ScienceAtPlay

Type of Opportunity: Semi-staged reading with possibility of full production

Restrictions: 

• Person of color, US citizen only, must have a B.A. or B.S. 
• Must have completed at least one full length script, on any subject, that has been produced in a festival, by a professional theatre, writers foundation or as a series of developmental readings with a professional theatre company or playwright's foundation. Self-production does not fit these guidelines. 
• If you are in an MFA playwright program, please feel free to email if you have not had a play produced.

Submission guidelines:

1. Playwright must submit a 10 page writing sample in pdf format (Do not send more than 10 pages directing us to pages you wish us to consider).

2. Resume (theatrical) in pdf format

3. Letter of interest (3 page maximum, 11-12 point font, in Arial, Times New Roman, Verdana or Calibri) addressing the following questions 4 questions A - D: (in pdf format)

A. Why are you attracted to a science play? And/or what is your connection to science?

B. Have you had a writing project where you collaborated with a dramaturg or an advisor? If so, describe the process and the value you received from said process.

C. Are you willing to work with a dramaturg and/or science advisors? What do you imagine that process would look like?

D. Would you be comfortable with a remote working situation where interactions will take place over the computer and phone?

4. File naming convention for your 3 documents (in .pdf format) must be as follows:

-YourLastname_10Pages_SAP. (Ex. Williams_ 10Pages_SAP.pdf)

-YourLastName_Resume_SAP (Ex. Williams_Resume_SAP.pdf)

-YourLastName_LOI_SAP (Ex. Williams_LOI_SAP.pdf)

5. Deadline: 9/26/2020 One submission per playwright only. No fee.

6. Submit via email to Michael Wayne Rice, Resident Director: Michael@LivermoreShakes.org

The L.B. Williams Playwriting Contest for BIPOC Writers

web site

Deadline: November 1, 2020

NYC

In furthering the company’s mission to, in part, “foster diversity and parity,” on August 1, 2020 we announced a new play contest for playwrights of color (including Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, etc.) This contest is different from many out there in that we are seeking not so much new plays as potential new members of our company who wish to work with us continuously in the future to develop their new plays.

The contest is named to honor the memory of L.B. Williams, an actor in our company who passed away in 2017. He loved working on new plays, whether as an actor, or in his wise critiques, and regularly attended our Monday night readings to do so.

Our development process includes a reading of new plays at company meetings on Monday nights, followed by a developmental workshop with a director and cast, and finally, an Equity Showcase production of the play in our small theatre space on West 44th St in New York City upon approval of the Leadership team. The goal and focus are to allow the playwright to achieve the best possible version of their script.

For this particular contest, the following rules apply:

1. Plays should be suitable for or even specifically written to be performed over Zoom or equivalent digital technology. (We hope to produce the plays live in our performance space in 2021 should health conditions permit.)

2. Plays should run no longer than 10-minutes.

3. Plays may be on any theme and in any style, but should not rely on complicated production values to make them work.

4. No musicals, children’s shows, or adaptations accepted.

5. New work only that has not been produced (staged-readings okay).

6. Deadline: November 1, 2020. Plays should be sent via email as a PDF only to nctcsubmissions@gmail.com, with the writer’s last name and L.B. Contest in the subject line. (Ex: “Smith L.B. Contest”). Winners will be announced in January.

7. Winning plays selected for production will result in a royalty payment to the writer of $100. Writers maintain full copyright of their work.
8. Winning plays will follow our development process: a Monday night reading, followed by a workshop, followed by production. During the COVID-19 pandemic, that process will be online. By submitting your play, you agree to participate actively in that process.

9. Questions regarding the contest should be sent to the email address in #6 above.

non-linear 2.0: works-in-progress by black lgbtq artists

web site

Deadline: August 27, 2020

Saturday, September 26th at 5:30pm EST
Online!

Curated & Produced by Briyana D. Clarel

non-linear is back again for Free Fringe Philly 2020! This year’s showcase featuring works-in-progress by Black lgbtq artists is going virtual. Send your drafts and your half-finished scripts. Send your choreopoems, TV pilots, dramatic monologues, poems, one acts, sketches, ten minute musicals, screenplays, performance art, and solo shows.

The Process:

Step One: Submit your wonderful work.

Step Two: Keep creating your piece! Work with Briyana to schedule a rehearsal with any actors you may need.

Step Three: See your work come to life at the showcase! Works-in-progress can be presented as on-book staged readings. This is an opportunity to hear your work aloud, receive feedback, and make new connections.

To submit, fill out the form below by Thursday, August 27th.
submit your work

In the spirit of Free Fringe Philly, this show is free to the public. Artists involved will receive a stipend. To support this project financially, you can donate here or via Patreon.

Questions? Email contact@thestarfruitproject.com.

Abingdon Theatre Company Fall Festival of Short Plays

web site

Deadline: August 17, 2020

NYC

In this time for change, Abingdon Theatre Company is recommitting to creating opportunities for all voices to be heard. With this in mind, we are delighted to announce our Fall Festival of Short Plays! 

This will be a 2-week virtual festival shedding light on stories by people of color. 

We will be taking submissions later in the summer and our diverse panel of judges, theatre professionals who are BIPOC, will select 6 pieces created, and to be performed and directed by people of color.

BIPOC Playwrights:

To be considered to participate in our Virtual Festival of Short Plays please submit the following to Beatriz Cavalieri: bcavalieri@abingdontheatre.org

-A Short Play Max 60 Pgs. (60 mins long) Excerpt of a play also welcome. All genres are welcome.

-Headshot and Resume

-The 6 chosen plays will be invited to participate in the two-week Virtual Festival.

-The winner of the festival will receive a stipend to be used to support further exploration of their piece and will be invited to become an Artist in Residence at Abingdon Theatre Company. Abingdon will then also commit to producing the winning piece as part of our Around the Table free reading series. Through the outreach, online readings and finally the staged reading of the winning piece, we hope to engage around 1500 people of color and create a more diverse environment at Abingdon.

Four Walls Theater call for scripts

web site

Deadline: August 7, 2020

Four Walls Theater is a grass roots socially responsible theater that produces new plays through online readings, working with diverse artists from around the country. Four Walls Theater honors people of all backgrounds and works to create a safe and supportive community for our artists and audiences.

For our next show which will be in October, 2020, we would like to boost voices of playwrights who are BIPOC and/or who are members of the LGBTQ+ community. If you do not fall in these categories, please do not send work at this time. As we are performing a reading virtually, we have learned to ask for a few things with our scripts technically:

-Between 60-75 pages (no more than 75 pages)
-Between 4-7 actors (can be double cast)

-Diversity in the actors 

-Realistic capabilities for virtual readings

-Trans visibility/rights -weird illness
-health stories
-human rights

As a socially responsible theater, each show that we do chooses its own charity or non-profit that it will spotlight. A portion of all donations from the show will go to support that charity or non-profit. As a result, the topics that we are looking for are rather relevant to today’s world and we ask that playwrights consider this carefully:

- Trans visibility/rights

- political rights

- immigration/ICE

- weird illness

- unemployment

- education reform

- health stories

- gun control

- human rights

- voting rights

We are open to other stories as well but you have to make sure that we will think it is relevant to what audiences will be interested in hearing today as we traverse our current upside down world and barrel towards an election. We are open to biography, drama, comedy, dark comedy, fantasy, magical realism, adventure, historical drama, etc.

Here are a few things to avoid:

-horror
-a lot of violence
-scripts that require a lot of physicality
-TYA scripts
-scripts that require people to be talking simultaneously

To date, Four Walls Theater, founded in March, 2020, amidst the corona virus crisis, has produced three shows: Ageless by Bridgette Dutta Portman, Ghosts of Bogota by Diana Burbano, and Rights of Passage by Michelle Tyrene Johnson.
Submit your play by Friday, August 7 2020 to fourwallstheater@gmail.com. Put “Script Submission” with the title of your play in the subject of your email.