GAYDAR OFFENSIVE ONE-ACT PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL seeks NYC-based playwrights

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Deadline: November 1, 2026

To be considered for this festival, submit the following to againstthewall.nyc@gmail.com with "GAYDAR FESTIVAL" in the subject line. 

Each playwright may submit up to two scripts at this time. One-act plays: 30-60 minutes.

Please be sure to have all the following information listed in one pdf in submission

-Name of play
-No musicals
-Playwright name
-Playwright bio
-Synopsis
-Character Breakdown
-Script 
-Social media handles
-Any artist that may already be attached to said script

Against the Wall Productions is proud to announce the call for script submissions from gay playwrights based in NYC for their inaugural GAYDAR OFFENSIVE ONE ACT PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL set to be presented in June 2027 in New York City. Festival is produced and curated by B.Michael Peterson, the company's Artistic Director.

Six scripts will be selected for this festival, and each playwright will also act as a co-producer with Peterson. The festival does not charge a submission or participation fee. The co-producer will be responsible for rehearsal space, casting, supplying a director and be in charge of their own budget.

Against the Wall Productions will provide a tech time slot for each show with a technical director and performance space during the festival. They will also provide marketing on their social media and other advertising, but each show is responsible for promoting their show to their own networks. Each co-producer will receive 40% of each ticket sold.

Additional Information
-Playwrights must live in NYC
-Follow our Instagram page @atw.productions for future updates and announcements
-Scripts must be unpublished and unproduced at the time of the festival
-Scripts selected will be contacted by the end of January 2027

Murmuration Playwriting Cohort 2026/2027

Website

Deadline: September 27, 2026 at 11:59PM ET

Or until they receive 200 submissions

SUBMISSION FORM

The Murmuration Playwriting Cohort is an eight-month program dedicated to developing new work by early and mid-career NYC playwrights. A cohort of six selected playwrights will meet bi-weekly (1 in-person & 1 virtual) on Monday evenings from November 2026 to June 2027 to share work, brainstorm ideas, and receive feedback from fellow writers. Selected playwrights will have the opportunity to workshop their projects and grow in community, with access to resources and support from the Murmuration Theatre Leadership team. The program culminates in a public staged reading series in June 2027.

Because community building requires significant time and energy - we ask you to be honest with yourself and with us about your ability to commit to the program. If you already feel spread thin in terms of artistic homes/projects/etc, please make space for another artist to have this opportunity.

We will be accepting submissions through September 27th, 2026 at 11:59PM ET or until we receive 200 playwright submissions - which ever comes first. All applicants will be notified on their application status on or around October 19th.

The 2026 Short Play Showcase looking for plays

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Deadline: August 31, 2026

Email submissions to shortplayshowcase@gmail.com

Seeking NYCPlaywrights for the 2026 Short Play Showcase - looking for plays of 12 minute run time or less, with 2 characters max dealing with the themes of unrequited love, roommates, or addiction. 

The chosen plays will be performed early December at The Attic and a winning production will be chosen by audience votes.

MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT (LAB) RFP weeks NYC-based BIPOC playwrights

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Deadline: Monday, July 13, 2026

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL) is pleased to open its application portal for the 6th annual Meet the Playwright (MTP) program, now expanded into an 8-month MTP Lab for professional development and showcasing new, unpublished, unproduced plays by a four-member cohort.

MTP Lab will continue to spotlight early-career theater writers who identify as BIIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Immigrant, People of Color). While MTP prioritizes Queens-based writers identifying as BIIPOC, any NYC-based BIIPOC playwright may apply. Applicants will be selected by a peer jury comprised of playwrights, creative professionals, and cultural leaders representing the diversity of NYC’s theater community.

Led by Program Manager Iyvon E., the MTP Lab is a cohort-based playwright residency that invests in early-career writers through long-arc career and dramaturgical development combined with industry mentorship and access. This takes the form of biweekly convenings (remote, offsite, and at JCAL), professional development workshops, and mentoring processes. Two mentors in particular—a playwright mentor and a producing/directing mentor—drives the playwrights’ growth, amplifying and deepening progress made in regular writing labs through one-on-one support and seminars with guest speakers.

The MTP Lab culminates in a staged reading of a new work by each member of the cohort at JCAL’s 94-seat studio theater that is free and open to the public, followed by a moderated Q&A with the audience and a reception in the playwright’s honor. Each cohort member receives $300 per month, a total of $2,400, for participation in the program. Each playwright may also schedule up to 100 hours of free rehearsal space prior to the staged reading.

Timeline (Important Dates)

LAB MEETINGS (WEDNESDAYS 7:00 pm–9:00 pm)

October 2026 

· October 7, 2026

· October 21, 2026 

November 2026 

· November 4, 2026 

· November 18, 2026 

December 2026 

· December 2, 2026

· December 16, 2026 

January 2027 

· January 6, 2027 

· January 20, 2027 

February 2027

· Feb 10, 2027

· Feb 24, 2027

March 2027

· March 10, 2027

· March 24, 2027

April 2027

· April 7, 2027

· April 21, 2027

May 2027

· May 5, 2027

· May 19, 2027

Public Reading Dates (FRIDAYS 8:00 pm)

· Feb 19, 2027

· March 19, 2027

· April 16, 2027

· May 14, 2027

Eligibility & Criteria 

· All applications and materials MUST be submitted via Submittable.com. Applications received by other methods, such as dropping off or handing directly to JCAL personnel, will not be considered.

· Playwrights submit 25 pages of a fully developed play and 10 pages of a new play that they propose to develop through the program. Semi-finalists will be invited to submit the complete manuscript of their fully developed work.

· The proposed play, when completed, typically has a running time of 90 minutes or less.

· Playwrights whose work has had professional productions beyond the Actors’ Equity Showcase Code are not eligible for this program.

· Playwrights must be age 18 or older to participate.

Selection 

· Submissions are reviewed and adjudicated by a peer jury of theater professionals.

· The jury will select finalists for interviews with the Project Manager and JCAL leadership.

· Interviews take place virtually during the week of August 9, 2026, and August 16, 2026.

· Four selected playwrights for the MTP LAB will be notified during the week of August 30, 2026.

About JCAL

Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL), founded in 1972, is a multidisciplinary arts center based in the diverse community of Southeast Queens. Our mission is devoted to offering quality visual and performing arts and to providing accessible education programs to encourage participation in the arts.

JCAL’s core service area is Southeast Queens. We welcome artists, learners, and audiences to the Jamaica Arts Center and the Jamaica Performing Arts Center, both in downtown Jamaica, and to partner sites, such as the public schools and senior centers in Queens. We also welcome artists, learners, and audiences to partner projects at the Red Wall Art Gallery at Resorts World New York City, Terminal 6 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Greater Nexus, operated by Greater Jamaica Development Corporation.

When selecting artists, we give priority to those who live or practice in Southeast Queens, followed by artists from throughout the “world’s borough,” and then from the Greater New York City area and beyond. Our arts and education programs similarly aim to “super-serve” Queens audiences—and to welcome everyone to downtown Jamaica.

JCAL is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm and is closed on major holidays. For additional information, call JCAL at 718-658-7400 or visit www.JCAL.org.

Contact:

Dsmith@JCAL.org

Cry Havoc Play List 2026

Website

Deadline: July 6, 2026

PlayList Project Application Form - 2026

We are pleased to announce the fourth annual cycle of PlayList, a short play development series. Each participating playwright will write a new 10-minute play, ready for submission to festivals and other opportunities, supported by the new play dramaturgy community of the CRY HAVOC Company. The project will culminate in a public presentation of the play collection. Applications close end of day Monday, July 6th.

PlayList is for writers of any background, identity, education or experience level who are interested in honing their work on a short script with a room full of artists experienced in new play development. 

Applicants need to be local to the NYC area to participate and CRY HAVOC is especially seeking artists from underrepresented communities for this project. No fee to apply or participate; writers are paid a stipend for the use of their work in the public presentation.

The CRY HAVOC Company believes that writing a script doesn’t have to be a solitary experience. Feedback at key points in the writing process can bring you closer to your goals. Our approach to script development places your writing goals at the center of the workshop discussion, ensuring that collaborators are offering feedback in service of the play you are trying to write.

If you are interested in seeing how our structured feedback process can support your work, apply to be one of our PlayList writers!

PlayList participants will write new 10-minute scripts inspired by creative prompts linked by a theme. The 2026 theme is PlayList: Road Trip. Each writer will draw inspiration for a two-character play from a road trip song and an American roadside attraction.

What’s the Process?

SELECT
Playwrights apply to the project, sharing a writing sample and a song and landmark to serve as inspiration for a ten-minute play.

SHUFFLE
The songs and landmarks are reassigned randomly among the five selected playwrights.

CREATE
Each PlayList writer drafts a ten-minute, two-character play inspired by another playwright’s prompts.

COLLAB
Writers develop their drafts over several feedback sessions in the CRY HAVOC Workshop.

PLAY
Actors and directors join the process to present the PlayList collection as a public Equity 29-Hour Reading of the plays.

How does the collaboration work?

Each writer works with a facilitator—a CRY HAVOC artist to confer with before/after each feedback session. Facilitators moderate each session in support of the playwright and their goals. The feedback sessions will include our roster of artists with years of new play dramaturgy experience, the other PlayList writers, and invited guests and colleagues.

What's the schedule?
PlayList applicants are asked to commit to participation in a preliminary welcome meeting, six in-person workshop sessions in NYC, two final Zoom workshop sessions, and the public reading in NYC. 

See schedule below (all sessions will be in the evening):

• Mon. Aug. 31st: Welcome meeting
• Mon. Sept. 14th and Wed. Sept. 16th: In-person workshops, 1st drafts
• Tue. Sept. 22nd and Wed. Sept. 23rd: In-person workshops, 2nd drafts
• Mon. Sept. 28th and Wed. Sept. 30th: In-person workshops, 3rd drafts
• Mon. Oct. 5th and Wed. Oct. 7th: Zoom workshops, 4th drafts
• Mon Oct 26th: Public presentation

Who is PlayList for?

• This program is for writers of ANY background, especially if you are:
• looking for tools to support the development of new work
• searching for a community to serve as a “home base” for creative feedback and support
• not sure what you are going to write next
• an artist at any stage of your career, from emerging to established, who is looking for new collaborators

What are we looking for?

• CRY HAVOC is looking for artists who are interested in:
• discussing their work and their goals
• supporting the work of others
• exploring a system for structured feedback

When will I hear back about my application?

• All applicants will get a confirmation that their submission has been received
• Semi-finalists will be notified in early August
• Finalists will be notified in mid-August
• Selections will be finalized in late August

Any further questions? Email us: contact@cryhavoccompany.org

Queer Speech writers cohort

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Deadline: July 5, 2026 11:59 PM 

SUBMISSION FORM

To Apply:
Submit a 300-word pitch describing your project, your artistic background, and your creative vision. Fill out the form.

ARE YOU A PLAYWRIGHT?
DO YOU LIVE IN/NEAR NYC?
APPLY TO QUEERSPEECH SEASON 2: 2026-2027 !

QUEERSPEECH is a writers cohort for early-career queer artists developing new theatrical work. Running from October 2026 through Summer 2027, this cohort-based program offers hands-on support at the very beginning of the writing process.
Rooted in collaboration and community, QUEERSPEECH provides structured, bi-monthly check-ins where selected artists will share progress, exchange feedback, and set goals—from table reads to development workshops. In addition to creative guidance, artists will receive producing support and assistance identifying and applying to relevant opportunities, ensuring their work reaches the audiences it deserves.

The program culminates in a showcase in Summer 2027, offering a platform to celebrate the cohort’s evolving works in front of a wider public.

Who We’re Looking For:
-Early-career queer artists working in any form of theatrical expression
-Projects must be at the early stages (a pitch, an idea, a scene, a 10 minute play)
-Artists seeking both artistic and producing support
-NYC-based or able to travel to NYC regularly. 

BREAK A LEG PRODUCTIONS annual One-Act Slam

Website

Deadline: June 1, 2026

Email scripts to plays.balproductions@gmail.com with the subject line "[PLAY TITLE] – [PLAYWRIGHT'S NAME]." 

This year's theme is NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: New York City (or tristate area) writers writing plays about the New York City experience. 

PLEASE INCLUDE ON THE COVER PAGE OF YOUR SCRIPT A SHORT PARAGRAPH ABOUT YOUR CONNECTION TO NEW YORK CITY.

Plays should run 15-20 minutes. The Slam will be on September 26th. 

The audience votes on their favorite short play, and the winner receives $100.

Only one submission per playwright, please. 

Second Annual International Human Rights Art Festival Queens seeks 10-20 minute productions

Website

Deadline: June 15, 2026

Send submissions to: costanza@humanrightsartmovement.org 

The performances must be fully produced by you; IHRAF is a presenting platform.

Considering performances 10-20 minutes long.

We accept just one proposal for each application.

***This is an open call for Queens-based artists only***

Send:

• A brief description of your piece, including approximate running time - we’re accepting 10-20 mins works.
• A cover letter, including details regarding the piece’s discipline, issue of concern treated and a brief summary of your artistic goals
• Your bios or resumes and the names of any collaborators already on board
• A sample of work (scripts, pics, videos, songs, any other links or file that could help us to know more about your project)
• As email subject, please type IHRAF Queens 2026, then add Association-Company-your name (i.e. IHRAF Queens 2026, Joan Doe)

Please note: Work may not have been produced within the last year in NYC, or be scheduled in the next six months of September 20, 2026. 

Also, let us know if you already had part of our previous festivals as a performer or in the audience.

We are jurying work with the following interests, for performance blocks:

• QUEENS-oriented stories
• Climate Change Action
• Immigration
• LGBTQIA
• Celebration of Women/Women in Power
• Celebration of Black Men/Undiscovered Women
• With Love from Africa
• Any other social justice concerns you might have

All accepted performers will receive:

Performance stipends of $200 total (per project)

PR and marketing support

30-minute tech rehearsal

Festival TD and SM

Free photographic documentation of the performance

Any questions, email our Festival Assistant Producer Costanza Bugiani at costanza@humanrightsartmovement.org

Applications for the 2026-27 PlayGround-NY Writers Pool are being accepted

Website

Deadline: April 30, 2026

– 25 early-career playwrights as well as 3 alternates will be competitively selected from applications to form the Writers Pool.

– Members of the Writers Pool may submit scripts to be considered as part of the Monday Night PlayGround-NY staged reading series. Four times each season, September through March (see tentative schedule below), PlayGround-NY will announce a prompt and Writers Pool members have just four-and-a-half days to generate an original short script (max. 10 pages) inspired by the prompt. The top six scripts each round will be staged publicly with leading local directors and actors. Those not selected may submit their scripts to Recess for cold readings via zoom (see below).

– From the plays staged throughout the season, up to six will be selected for Best of PlayGround-NY (produced in April 2027).

– Writers Pool members can gain peer feedback on their work by participating in Recess cold readings (one week after each Monday Night PlayGround-NY and generally via Zoom) as well as through a staff one-on-one session (available upon request). New this year, Writers Pool Alternates will have full access to Recess.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
– Writers must reside within the five boroughs of New York City
– Writers Pool members must commit to submitting for ALL FOUR Monday Night PlayGround-NY events in a given season (see below for schedule, subject to change). Writers failing to meet the eligibility requirements must sit out the remainder of the season and one additional full season. Alternates are asked to submit each round and may be admitted to the Pool should there be an opening during the season.
– The submission of a script to Monday Night PlayGround-NY grants PlayGround-NY the exclusive option to stage the play as part of the Monday Night PlayGround-NY and, should it be so selected, to present the world premiere as part of Best of PlayGround-NY and non-exclusive option to publish the script in a “Best of PlayGround” anthology.
– Current members of the Writers Pool must reapply in order to be considered for the following season.


WHAT TO SUBMIT
– Playwrights must submit a 10-page max, properly formatted script as PDF attachment. Both previously produced and unproduced scripts are eligible. See below for formatting examples.
– The script must have the playwright’s name, address, email and phone number at the top of the first page and include a detailed cast breakdown, and all pages must be numbered.
– The script title must be labeled by Lastname, Firstname_Title (e.g., Shakespeare, William_The Tempest).
– Excerpts from longer works are not accepted but short plays that meet the above requirements and are derived from a longer work are accepted.
– BIPOC, trans/gender-non-conforming & playwrights with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
– Applications must be received by 11:59pm PT on Thursday, April 30, 2026.

To view sample script formats, click the link(s) below.
Submission Format #1
Submission Format #2

WRITERS POOL ANNOUNCEMENT
– Applicants will be notified of selections on or before August 1, 2026.
– Selected writers must attend a mandatory company meeting on Sunday, August 16 (time tbd).

2026-27 SCHEDULE (subject to change)
MNP1 Topic Announced: September 18, 2026
MNP1 Scripts Due: September 22, 2026
MNP2 Topic Announced: October 30, 2026
MNP2 Scripts Due: November 3, 2026
MNP3 Topic Announced: December 18, 2026
MNP3 Scripts Due: December 22, 2026
MNP4 Topic Announced: January 29, 2027
MNP 4 Scripts Due: February 2, 2027

Oswego Players seek one-act plays from New York State residents

Website

Deadline: May 1, 2026 11:59 PM EDT

Submissions can be sent either electronically to osweplay@yahoo.com or through the mail, Donald J. McCann Memorial Playwriting Contest, P.O. Box 183, Oswego, NY 13126. 

The Oswego Players were established in 1938 as a non-profit community theater organization dedicated to live theater productions and theater education for New York State residents. Consistent with those goals, a playwriting contest was established to promote the creation of original, one-act plays by contemporary authors.

PLAYWRITING CONTEST GUIDLINES 

The contest is FREE and open to playwrights 18 years and older residing or attending college in the state of New York. 

All plays must be based on original concepts (no adaptations of any works or no verse plays), unpublished and unproduced. 

Only the first 100 submissions received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, May 1, 2026, will be considered for this year's contest. The Oswego Players, Inc., is not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, damaged, postage due or illegible entries.

Playwrights can submit one play per contest year.

By submitting a play, playwrights grant permission to Oswego Players, Inc., to produce said play at the organization's discretion with no remuncration to the playwright beyond the contest cash prize. While it is the intention of the organization to produce the winning play, it does not guarantee a staged production.

The content, theme, and time-period of the play are at the discretion of the playwright.
Since a live production of at least one of the prize winners is planned, simplicity is highly recommended:

One act, single set, with a run time of 20 to 30 minutes.
Written so it can be staged with minimal set, props, lighting and sound effects, and limited period costume design.
The play should require no more than eight actors. One actor playing multiple parts is acceptable.

All entries must include a cover page which includes the name of the play, name of the playwright, and a street address, phone number, and email address.

Provided there are enough entries, the following cash prizes will be awarded:
- 1st Prize: $250.00 - 2nd Prize: $150.00 - 3rd Prize: $75.00 

The prize-winning authors automatically give permission to the Oswego Players, Inc. to make copies of the script for rehearsal purposes. 

Submission of an entry will constitute agreement by the playwright to the terms described herein.

OUT/PLAY Presents: Summer Shorts - Short Play Festival 2026

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Deadline: April 1, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

Announcing the 2nd annual Summer Shorts, a short play festival endeavoring to produce new LGBTQ+ voices!

Theme: Queer This Year! OUT/PLAY's current season has moved forward in time, telling stories of queer experiences from the 1940s to 2010. By concluding our season with Summer Shorts, we aim to center stories that explore and depict themes and experiences that the LGBTQ+ community is having today, right now, in 2026. Submissions will be considered based on creative interpretations of this theme. While we appreciate interpretations of classic and pre-existing material, OUT/PLAY will select only new and original short plays for the Summer Shorts Festival 2026.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

For your short play to be considered, please complete this form with the following materials:

• Photo/Resume and/or Artistic Bio (1 page PDF file)
• 1 PDF file including the following:
• Artist’s Statement: explanation of your play and its meaning, in your own words (100 words).

Character Breakdown: list of characters and useful descriptors to help Directors with casting. Please note: OUT/PLAY is an equal-opportunity organization, and while we understand some scripts require demographic specificity, we appreciate work that can be performed outside restrictions of age, sex, gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, body-type, and ability.

Script: should not exceed 12 pages (excluding the title page and character breakdown). Format the document with 1-inch margins, font Times New Roman (or equivalent), font size 12pt. When read out loud (including stage directions) the play should not exceed 15 minutes in length. Plays that do not meet this guideline will not be considered.

Plays should be original, unpublished, and never before produced. This can be new work specifically for this festival or pulled from your archives.

Scripts should be frozen by its 1st rehearsal, with minimal changes made during the rehearsal process.

Playwrights must be residents of New York City area and available for the kick off meeting and the duration of the festival (see dates below).

If a Playwright has specific people in mind for Directors and/or Actors, please inform us below.

Playwrights, Directors, and Actors will be expected to promote the festival via social media and personal networks. Each play will be given a discount code for online ticket purchases.

Submissions are being accepted on a rolling basis between March 13 - April 1, 2026.

Playwrights will be contacted in mid-April 2026, with formal selections announced on May 1, 2026.

OUT/PLAY SUMMER SHORTS FESTIVAL OFFERINGS

Assignment of a Director to each short play (or a pairing of your choice, as indicated in field below).

1 Dress/Tech Rehearsal and 3 live performances between June 8-14, 2026 at The Chain Theatre (located at 312 West 36th Street, Floor 4, New York, NY 10018).

Video footage of 1 performance provided to the Playwright and Director.

Programs will be live streamed, 1 night each.

Each production will get 1 tech rehearsal (Date TBD) in the theatre during the week of the festival.

OUT/PLAY producers are available to support in casting and promotion via photos and video assets, social media, invitations to our mailing list, and a formal press release to theater and media contacts.

OUT/PLAY will offer 2 complimentary tickets per play to Industry Professionals—names and emails must be provided to OUT/PLAY by the Director of the play.

Any questions should be directed to outplaynyc@gmail.com.

Village Playwrights Annual June Pride Festival 2026

Website

Deadline: April 10, 2026

Send to villageplaywrights@gmail.com

Village Playwrights is accepting one-act plays for the annual June Pride Festival.

Playwrights from NYC and surrounding areas are welcome to submit a one-act play up to 30 minutes in length. 

The plays chosen will be fully produced in NYC.

Brave New Work, a short play development series seeks 10-15 minute plays

Website

Deadline: January 16, 2026

APPLICATION FORM

New York Shakespeare Exchange and The CRY HAVOC Company are thrilled to debut our collaborative project Brave New Work, a short play development series that invites NYC playwrights to create original work inspired by, expanding, reflecting upon, remixing, and critiquing the plays of William Shakespeare.

Across several weeks, four writers will craft short plays responding to a Shakespearean prompt through development workshops facilitated by NYSX and CRY HAVOC, culminating in a public reading of all four plays. Applicants need to be local to the NYC area to participate and we are especially seeking artists from underrepresented communities for this project. No fee to apply or participate; writers are paid a stipend for the use of their work in the public presentation.

In year one of this project—Shakespeare as Prologue—we are looking for playwrights interested in exploring the aftermath of Shakespeare’s plays. Apply with an idea for a new short two-character play that takes place after the end of a Shakespeare play (the moment after the play ends, five years later, 50 years later, 500 years later…)
The Guidelines

• You do not have to be a “Shakespeare Nerd” to participate in this project (but if you are, you are also welcome!)
• Select a single Shakespeare play as your starting point.
• We are looking for a proposal for a 10-15 minute play with two characters.
• One character must be from your chosen Shakespeare play; the other can be invented.
• Writers will be developing their plays in a workshop feedback process; we are looking for playwrights that are interested in discussing their work and supporting the work of others!

How does the collaboration work?
Each writer is paired with a facilitator—a CRY HAVOC or NYSX artist—to confer with before and after each feedback session. Facilitators moderate each session in support of the playwrights and their goals. The feedback sessions will include a combined roster of artists from the NYSX and CRY HAVOC communities, the Brave New Work writers, and their invited guests and colleagues.

The Schedule (all sessions will be in the evening)

Sun. 3/1: welcome meeting with playwrights and staff

Tue. 3/10 and Thu. 3/12: 1st draft feedback workshops

Tue. 3/17 and Thu. 3/19: 2nd draft feedback workshops

Tue. 3/24 and Thu. 3/26: 3rd draft feedback workshops

Tue. 3/31 and Thu. 4/2: rehearsal draft feedback workshops VIA ZOOM

Thu. 4/16: public reading of the play collection

ABOUT US

The CRY HAVOC Company believes that writing a script doesn’t have to be a solitary experience. Feedback at key points in the writing process can bring you closer to your goals. Our approach to script development places your writing goals at the center of the workshop discussion, ensuring that collaborators are offering feedback in service of the play you are trying to write.

New York Shakespeare Exchange uses Shakespeare's body of work as a starting point and toolkit for building stronger, more empathetic communities. We invite our fellow New Yorkers to form a relationship of “exchange” with Shakespeare’s legacy, creating new opportunities for artistic expression, social connection, and mutual learning. This active exchange between centuries-old works and contemporary points of view honors an essential quality of Shakespeare’s creative spirit - to search the world around us for inspiration, and our own imaginations for innovation.

Call for Full‑Length Plays — Lobsters International Staged Readings (NYC)

Website

Deadline: November 30, 2025

Lobsters International invites full‑length plays for staged readings in Midtown, targeting March. No fees of any kind to submit or participate.

NYC BASED PLAYWRIGHTS ONLY

Aesthetic focus
We’re looking for socially engaged work that is formally playful: metatheatrical, Brechtian, epic, documentary, chorus, movement‑forward, or otherwise odd. Less interest in kitchen‑sink realism. We support diverse casting and can help cast.

Format
Readings may be produced under Actors’ Equity 29‑Hour Reading guidelines; exact format TBD based on the needs of the play.

What to submit (PDFs preferred)

Full script

Synopsis (up to 1 page)

Playwright bio + résumé

Helpful: estimated run time, projected cast size, doubling options, and any identity‑specific requirements that are essential to the story

Timeline
Target window: March.

How to submit
Email annie@lobstersinternational.com with subject line:
Lobsters Reading — [Play Title] — [Playwright Name]
Links to New Play Exchange are welcome if you prefer.

Questions / more about us
Instagram: @lobstersintl

Accessibility: rehearsal and reading spaces will be accessible; tell us what you need. Rights remain with the author; selection grants us a one‑time, invited‑audience reading license, with no text changes without your consent.

THE MORGAN JENNESS EXPERIMENTS IN PLAYWRITING FELLOWSHIP 2025

Website

Deadline: July 1, 2025

Or when they receive 150 applicants

La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club is thrilled to announce a new playwriting fellowship. This fellowship will offer two early career playwrights in the NYC area an artistic home at the legendary La MaMa for the course of one year. The fellowship seeks to encourage playwrights from underproduced communities with an emphasis on members of the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, and people with disabilities. Throughout the course of the fellowship, playwrights will work with playwright and fellowship mentor, Justin Elizabeth Sayre. Fellows will meet with Sayre on a monthly basis to discuss their work and the works of previous La MaMa playwrights such as Maria Irene Fornes, Jackie Curtis, Sam Shepard, Robert Patrick, Adrienne Kennedy, and many more.

Applications for the 2025-2026 Fellowship will open on June 15, 2025, and will close on July 1, or when we receive 150 applicants – whichever comes first. Playwrights will be asked to submit a letter of artistic intent and a brief section of the play they would like to work on during the fellowship.

• Eligibility Requirements: Must be of the five boroughs of New York City
• Must NOT be enrolled as a student in a degree-granting program
• Must be a generative artist creating and maintaining control over new original work
• Must be an artist early in their career who has been generating and creating this new work as a professional/vocational artist for at least 2 years but less than 10 years

To apply, please send the following to playwrightfellowship@lamama.org by July 1, 2025. Letter of Intent (1,500-word maximum)What draws you to La MaMa? What would access to the archive provide your work? What are touchstones in your work that connect with La MaMa?
Ten pages of a scriptAdd a brief description of the work, and if not pulling from the first scene, give a proper description of the scene or scenes prior so that the submission can be understood in the context of the larger work. (200-word max)
Artist resume essayA short essay on what you have done, where you come from and what you hope to do. (500-word max)

La MaMa houses one of the greatest archives of Off- and Off-Off-Broadway theatre in the world, and the fellows will have access to this amazing archive as both inspiration and insight to foster experimentation in their own work. Besides connecting with La MaMa’s past, playwrights will be able to receive complimentary tickets to La MaMa’s current season, allowing them to learn from current La MaMa artists and the work created there. At the end of the fellowship, fellows will present an open reading through the La MaMa Experiments Play Reading Series. Playwrights will be awarded a $1,250 stipend for their time. This fellowship is made possible by the Jerome Foundation.

Cry Havoc Play List 2025

Website

Deadline: June 23, 2025

SUBMISSION FORM.

We are pleased to announce the third annual cycle of PlayList, a short play development series. Each participating playwright will complete the project with a submission-ready 10-minute play and the project will culminate in a public presentation of the play collection. PlayList is for writers of any background, identity, education or experience level who are interested in honing their work on a short script with a room full of artists experienced in new play development. Applicants need to be local to the NYC area to participate, and CRY HAVOC is especially seeking artists from underrepresented communities for this project. No fee to apply or participate, and writers are paid a stipend for the use of their work in the public presentation.

The CRY HAVOC Company believes that writing a script doesn’t have to be a solitary experience. Feedback at key points in the writing process can bring you closer to your goals. Our approach to script development places your writing goals at the center of the workshop discussion, ensuring that collaborators are offering feedback in service of the play you are trying to write.

If you are interested in seeing how our structured feedback process can support your work, apply to be one of our PlayList writers!

PlayList participants will write new 10-minute scripts inspired by creative prompts linked by a theme. The 2025 theme is Cover to Cover; each writer will draw inspiration for a two-character play from a cover song and an album cover.

What’s the Process?
SELECT: Playwrights apply to the project, sharing a writing sample and a cover song and album cover to serve as inspiration for a ten-minute play.
SHUFFLE: The songs and album covers are reassigned randomly among the five selected playwrights.
CREATE: Each PlayList writer drafts a ten-minute, two-character play inspired by another playwright’s prompts.
COLLAB: Writers develop their drafts over several feedback sessions in the CRY HAVOC Workshop.
PLAY: Actors and directors join the process to present the PlayList collection as a public Equity 29-Hour Reading of the plays.

How does the collaboration work?
Each writer works with a facilitator—a CRY HAVOC artist to confer with before/after each feedback session. Facilitators moderate each session in support of the playwright and their goals. The feedback sessions will include our roster of artists with years of new play dramaturgy experience, the other PlayList writers, and their invited guests and colleagues.

PlayList applicants are asked to commit to participation in a preliminary welcome meeting via Zoom, six in-person workshop sessions in NYC, two final-draft Zoom workshop sessions, and the public reading in NYC. See schedule below (all sessions will be in the evening):

Wed. 8/20: Welcome Zoom meeting
Tue. 9/2 and Thu. 9/4: In-person workshops, 1st drafts
Mon. 9/8 and Wed. 9/10: In-person workshops, 2nd drafts
Mon. 9/15 and Wed. 9/17: In-person workshops, 3rd drafts
Wed. 9/24 and Thu. 9/25: Zoom workshops, rehearsal drafts
Wed. 10/8: Public presentation

Who is PlayList for?
This program is for writers of ANY background, especially if you are:
- looking for tools to support the development of new work
- searching for a community to serve as a “home base” for creative feedback and support
- not sure what you are going to write next
- an artist at any stage of your career, from emerging to established, who is looking for new collaborators

What are we looking for?
CRY HAVOC is looking for artists who are interested in:
- discussing their work and their goals
- supporting the work of others
- exploring a system for structured feedback

How can I apply?
If you are interested in participating in PlayList, please submit:
- a 10-page writing sample and brief description why/how is this sample representative of your work?
- a cover song that has particular significance to you and brief explanation - why this song?
- an album cover and brief explanation - why this album cover?

First Ever International Human Rights Art Festival: Queens version

Website

Deadline: June 15, 2025

QUEENS-BASED ARTISTS ONLY

September 26-28, 2025
Court Square Theater44-02 23rd Street, Long Island City, NY 11101
(Just 10 minutes from Times Square; 7, G, and E trains within a 4-minute walk.)

Results announced by mid-July, 2025

The submission window is now open for performance work in any form - every discipline!

Work may not have been produced within the last year in NYC, or be scheduled in the next six months of September 28th, 2025.

Please note:
the performances must be fully produced by you; IHRAF is a presenting platform.

Considering performances 10-20 minutes long.

We accept just one proposal for each application.

Submit all work to costanza@humanrightsartmovement.org

We are jurying work with the following interests:

• Ten Minute Play Festival 
• Climate Change Action
• Immigration
• LGBTQIA
• Celebration of Women/Women in Power
• Celebration of Black Men/Undiscovered Women
• Shalom/Salaam
• With Love from Africa
• Queens historyAmerica's Slide Into Authoritarianism
• Any other social justice concerns you might have

All accepted performers will receive:

• Performance stipends of $150
• PR and marketing support
• 30-minute tech rehearsal
• Festival TD and SM
• Free photographic documentation of their performance

…and bragging rights as participants in this vital and growing NYC creative-activist institution!

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

A brief description of your piece, including approximate running time - we’re accepting 10-20 mins works.

A cover letter, including details regarding the piece’s discipline, issue of concern treated and a brief summary of your artistic goals

Your bios or resumes and the names of any collaborators already on board

A sample of work (scripts, pics, videos, songs, any other links or file that could help us to know more about your project)

As email subject, please type IHRAFQueens 2025, then add Association-Company-your name (i.e. IHRAFestival 2024, Joan Doe)

We are seeking artists who use their creativity as their weapon of justice, and operate under our signature values of
Beauty as a fundamental artistic principle;
Sincerity and Vulnerability of presentation;
Celebration of Diversity, and opening doorways of engagement with all members of society.

Connect with Us

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2025-26 PlayGround-NY Writers Pool

Website

Deadline: May 31, 2025 at  11:59pm PT

SUBMISSION FORM

2025-26 Writers Pool Submission Guidelines

Applications for the 2025-26 PlayGround-NY Writers Pool are being accepted now through May 31, 2025.

– 25 early-career playwrights as well as 3 alternates will be competitively selected from applications to form the Writers Pool.

– Members of the Writers Pool may submit scripts to be considered as part of the Monday Night PlayGround-NY staged reading series. Four times each season, September through March (see tentative schedule below), PlayGround-NY will announce a prompt and Writers Pool members have just four-and-a-half days to generate an original short script (max. 10 pages) inspired by the prompt. The top six scripts each round will be staged publicly with leading local directors and actors. Those not selected may submit their scripts to Recess for cold readings via zoom (see below).

– From the plays staged throughout the season, up to six will be selected for Best of PlayGround-NY (produced in April 2026).

– Writers Pool members can gain peer feedback on their work by participating in Recess cold readings (one week after each Monday Night PlayGround-NY and generally via Zoom) as well as through a staff one-on-one session (available upon request). New this year, Writers Pool Alternates will have full access to Recess.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

– Writers must reside within the five boroughs of New York City

– NEW THIS YEAR: Writers Pool members must commit to submitting for ALL FOUR Monday Night PlayGround-NY events in a given season (see below for schedule, subject to change). Writers failing to meet the eligibility requirements must sit out the remainder of the season and one additional full season. Alternates are asked to submit each round and may be admitted to the Pool should there be an opening during the season.

– The submission of a script to Monday Night PlayGround-NY grants PlayGround-NY the exclusive option to stage the play as part of the Monday Night PlayGround-NY and, should it be so selected, to present the world premiere as part of Best of PlayGround-NY and non-exclusive option to publish the script in a “Best of PlayGround” anthology.

– Current members of the Writers Pool must reapply in order to be considered for the following season.

WHAT TO SUBMIT

– Playwrights must submit a 10-page max, properly formatted script as PDF attachment. Both previously produced and unproduced scripts are eligible. See below for formatting examples.

– The script must have the playwright’s name, address, email and phone number at the top of the first page and include a detailed cast breakdown, and all pages must be numbered.

– The script title must be labeled by Lastname, Firstname_Title (e.g., Shakespeare, William_The Tempest).

– Excerpts from longer works are not accepted but short plays that meet the above requirements and are derived from a longer work are accepted.

– BIPOC, trans/gender-non-conforming & playwrights with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

– Applications must be received by 11:59pm PT on Saturday, May 31, 2025.

To view sample script formats, click the link(s) below.
Submission Format #1
Submission Format #2

WRITERS POOL ANNOUNCEMENT
– Applicants will be notified of selections on or before August 1, 2025.
– Selected writers must attend a mandatory company meeting on Sunday, August 24 (time to be announced).

2025-26 SCHEDULE (subject to change)
MNP1 Topic Announced: September 19, 2025
MNP1 Scripts Due: September 23, 2025
MNP2 Topic Announced: October 31, 2025
MNP2 Scripts Due: November 4, 2025
MNP3 Topic Announced: December 19, 2025
MNP3 Scripts Due: December 23, 2025
MNP4 Topic Announced: January 30, 2026
MNP 4 Scripts Due: February 3, 2026

For any questions not answered above, email to info@playground-ny.org

2025-26 PlayGround-NY Writers Pool

Website

Deadline: May 31, 2025

Submission form

– 25 early-career playwrights as well as 3 alternates will be competitively selected from applications to form the Writers Pool.
– Members of the Writers Pool may submit scripts to be considered as part of the Monday Night PlayGround-NY staged reading series. Four times each season, September through March (see tentative schedule below), PlayGround-NY will announce a prompt and Writers Pool members have just four-and-a-half days to generate an original short script (max. 10 pages) inspired by the prompt. The top six scripts each round will be staged publicly with leading local directors and actors. Those not selected may submit their scripts to Recess for cold readings via zoom (see below).
– From the plays staged throughout the season, up to six will be selected for Best of PlayGround-NY (produced in April 2026).
– Writers Pool members can gain peer feedback on their work by participating in Recess cold readings (one week after each Monday Night PlayGround-NY and generally via Zoom) as well as through a staff one-on-one session (available upon request). New this year, Writers Pool Alternates will have full access to Recess.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

– Writers must reside within the five boroughs of New York City
– NEW THIS YEAR: Writers Pool members must commit to submitting for ALL FOUR Monday Night PlayGround-NY events in a given season (see below for schedule, subject to change). Writers failing to meet the eligibility requirements must sit out the remainder of the season and one additional full season. Alternates are asked to submit each round and may be admitted to the Pool should there be an opening during the season.
– The submission of a script to Monday Night PlayGround-NY grants PlayGround-NY the exclusive option to stage the play as part of the Monday Night PlayGround-NY and, should it be so selected, to present the world premiere as part of Best of PlayGround-NY and non-exclusive option to publish the script in a “Best of PlayGround” anthology.
– Current members of the Writers Pool must reapply in order to be considered for the following season.


WHAT TO SUBMIT
– Playwrights must submit a 10-page max, properly formatted script as PDF attachment. Both previously produced and unproduced scripts are eligible. See below for formatting examples.
– The script must have the playwright’s name, address, email and phone number at the top of the first page and include a detailed cast breakdown, and all pages must be numbered.
– The script title must be labeled by Lastname, Firstname_Title (e.g., Shakespeare, William_The Tempest).
– Excerpts from longer works are not accepted but short plays that meet the above requirements and are derived from a longer work are accepted.
– BIPOC, trans/gender-non-conforming & playwrights with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
– Applications must be received by 11:59pm PT on Saturday, May 31, 2025.

To view sample script formats, click the link(s) below.
Submission Format #1
Submission Format #2

WRITERS POOL ANNOUNCEMENT
– Applicants will be notified of selections on or before August 1, 2025.
– Selected writers must attend a mandatory company meeting on Sunday, August 24 (time to be announced).

2025-26 SCHEDULE (subject to change)
MNP1 Topic Announced: September 19, 2025
MNP1 Scripts Due: September 23, 2025
MNP2 Topic Announced: October 31, 2025
MNP2 Scripts Due: November 4, 2025
MNP3 Topic Announced: December 19, 2025
MNP3 Scripts Due: December 23, 2025
MNP4 Topic Announced: January 30, 2026
MNP 4 Scripts Due: February 3, 2026

Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL) 5th Annual Meet the Playwright (MTP2025) program

Website

Deadline: April 28, 2025

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL) is pleased to open its application portal for the 5th AnnualMeet the Playwright (MTP2025) program. JCAL seeks four new, unpublished, unproduced plays by grassroots, early-career, and/or emerging playwrights for MTP2025.

MTP2025 spotlights emerging theatre writers identifying as BIIPOC (Black, Immigrant, Indigenous, People of Color), with an emphasis Queens-based playwrights. Each month, from November 2025 to February 2026, each of this year’s playwrights will present at least 25 minutes, and no more than 35 minutes, from their play as a professional staged reading for a live audience. The performance concludes with a moderated Q&A between the audience, playwright, director, and creative team.

In MTP2025, each selected playwright receives a $2,000 stipend. With this stipend, each playwright covers the cost of engaging directors, actors, and any other collaborators (e.g., dramaturgs, designers) they wish. Each playwright also receives at least one, but up to two, private readings of the play at JCAL, and will meet monthly with the MTP Program Manager.

While MTP prioritizes Queens-based writers identifying as BIIPOC, any NYC-based BIIPOC playwright is eligible to apply. Applicants will be selected by a jury of cultural leaders representing the diversity of NYC’s theatre community.

Application Process

After submitting Application Materials (see below), the jury will ask semifinalists by Monday, May 5, 2025,to submit their complete, full-length scripts. The jury will notify finalists for MTP2025 on Monday, May 26, 2025, after which interviews with the MTP Program Manager and JCAL leadership will take place during the week of May 26, 2025. Playwrights selected for MTP2025 will be formally notified on Monday, June 2, 2025.

Application Materials (PDF or Word Only)

A. Script Sample

Please upload a 10-page sample of the script from a full-length play. The pages don't have to come from the beginning of the play, but they must be 10 consecutive pages (the title page and character breakdown do not count toward the 10 pages).


B. Letter of Interest

Please answer the question, "How will MTP further the development of your play and advance your goals as a playwright?” in no more than 250 words. Use this opportunity to introduce yourself and your goals, writing, accomplishments, and anything else you'd like JCAL to know about you.


C. Bio

Please upload your approved bio.


D. Resume (Production History, If Applicable)

Please upload your professional resume and/or production history of your work, if applicable.


All applications and materials must be submitted via Submittable.com. Applications received by other methods will be disqualified.

Application deadline:  Monday, April 28, 2025

Selected artists announced: Monday, June 2, 2025

For questions about the application, please contact Program Associate David Smith, Dsmith@jcal.org.


MTP2025 is supported by the Mellon Foundation and Howard Gilman Foundation with additional support from New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, New York City Council Members Nantasha Williams and Selvena Brooks-Powers, and general operating support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs through the Mayor’s Office.

About JCAL

Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL), founded in 1972, is a multidisciplinary arts center based in the diverse community of Southeast Queens. Our mission is devoted to offering quality visual and performing arts, and to providing accessible education programs to encourage participation in the arts. JCAL is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm; closed Sundays, Mondays, and major holidays. For additional information, call JCAL at 718-658-7400 or visit www.JCAL.org.