Eclectic Full Contact Theater Company 6th Annual Patchwork Play Festival - A One-Act New Play Festival

Website

Deadline: October 31, 2026

Email submissions to: Patchworkplayfest@gmail.com

To be presented at The Edge Theater, 5451 N Broadway, Chicago, IL.
Feb. 26, 2027 - March 7, 2027

We are currently accepting submissions of New One-Act Plays that embody this years theme of: Alienation

Nine finalists will have their play produced in our festival.

A $250 Award will be presented for best production as adjudicated by a panel of Chicago Theater professionals.

​A $250 Audience Award will also be presented to the festival favorite as determined by our audiences.

Submission Requirements:​

• Play must be previously unproduced. (Staged Readings are fine)
• Play length not to exceed 30 minutes.
• Play must reflect the yearly theme. This years theme is: Alienation
• Play must be received by October 31, 2026
• Playwrights cannot submit more than 2 scripts per year for Patchwork. If more than 2 scripts are submitted by the same playwright, we’ll pick 2 at random. Only one play per playwright may be featured per Patchwork Festival per season.
• Scripts cannot contain copyrighted music unless the playwright owns the music’s copyright, or has written permission from the music’s copyright owner.
• We are not accepting musicals at this time.

ellipsis… literature and art open for submissions for the 2027 issue

Website

Deadline: December 16, 2026 2:00 AM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Please submit one English language drama piece per year, up to 8,000 Words. Use 12 point font.

ellipsis…is the annual literary journal published by the students of Westminster University since 1965. We sponsor a yearly poetry contest (all accepted poems are eligible for a $100 prize) as well as an annual student writing contest ($200 prize in each genre), judged by Laurie Ann Guerrero in 2021, Carolyn Forche in 2022, Brent Ameneyro in 2023, Matty Layne Glasgow in 2024, and Abraham Smith in 2025. 

Contributors to ellipsis... include well-known, up-and-coming, and never-before-published writers. We accept original English language submissions in poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction, drama, and art. Submit poems in one document, please. 

Our submission period is August 1 through December 15 for poetry, short fiction, drama, and creative non-fiction. We accept art submissions from August 1 through January 31. 

Please include a 75 -word contributor’s note and your address, telephone number, and email address. 

Simultaneous submissions are welcome but withdraw your submission immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. Note that we do not republish pieces, including work online.

 We usually pay $10 per poem and page of visual art, and $3 per page of prose, plus two free copies of the issue. We cannot pay international contributors. Submissions cannot be accepted via email.

Downtown Urban Arts Festival (DUAF) is seeking theatrical productions

Website

Deadline: October 26, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM ON THEIR WEBSITE

DUAF is seeking theatrical works (plays, musicals, and solo performances) for its 25th Annual season to be held in June 2027 in Manhattan, New York City. We support diverse, new and emerging voices from America’s burgeoning multicultural landscape. Over 200 playwrights have participated in DUAF and some have gone on to greater success on Broadway and have claimed top prizes such as the Pulitzer, Tony and Obie awards and nominations.

Submission Categories:

• Short-length play (under 45 minutes)
• Full-length play (up to 70 minutes) 

Eligible Projects: 

• Plays do not exceed 70 minutes
• Plays should be new or existing work with minimal exposure 
• Plays should not have any other production in New York City during the 30-day period before and after the 2027 festival 

Playwright Supports:

• No submission or participation fees 
• $1,200 (short) and $2,000 (full) playwright stipends
• Mentoring with an experienced theatre professional
• Actor and director stipends
• Casting support 
• Technical design and operation 
• Reimbursed rehearsal space rentals
• Actors' Equity Showcase Code application administration
• $1,000 awards for best full, short and audience

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

The Foundry: One-Act Play Festival

Website

Deadline: November 1, 2026

Canton NY

SUBMISSION FORM

The Foundry is a one-act play festival hosted by University Theatre at St. Lawrence University. The festival is designed to include plays by professional playwrights alongside plays by student playwrights.

University Theatre is currently soliciting plays for its inaugural one-act festival set to debut in March 2027.

Playwrights with questions can reach out directly to Dr. Angie Sweigart-Gallagher at asweigart@stlawu.edu

Big Idea Theatre 2027 One-Act Festival Submissions

Website

Deadline: October 5, 2026 at 11:59 PM PDT

SUBMISSION FORM

This is your chance to see your work come to life on stage and connect with new audiences. Writers of all backgrounds and experience levels are encouraged to submit.

Some Guidelines:

• Unit Sets work best in our space
• We aren't equipped to do musicals or children's theatre
• Plays that run somewhere around or between 20 to 60 minutes are ideal
• We will choose 6 plays via committee of theatre lovers to be presented as part of the festival from 
• January 22rd - February 7th, 2026 in Sacramento, CA.

We have produced scripts from all over the world! However, since we are a community theatre, we do give special consideration to works from or connected to the Sacramento Region.

Please only submit one script.

We receive HUNDREDS of scripts! Please be patient while we read them all and get back to you!

The Gallery Players 30th Annual Black Box New Play Festival

Website

Deadline: November 1, 2026

The Gallery Players in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York, is seeking plays for its 30th Annual Black Box New Play Festival to be presented from June 10th through June 20th, 2027. Each play selected will be paired with a director and given a black minimally designed box production (lighting designer working in rep plot, sound designer, and sets created by directors from available theatre stock), with non-equity actors.

Playwrights must be available, if not in person, via Zoom or other virtual venue to work with directors to create another draft of their play. This process will take place from January 2027 through May 2027. The degree of revision will be dependent on the needs of each play and the collaboration between yourself and the director.

Submission guidelines:

1). Plays must be un-produced (readings are ok); must be the play’s world premiere

2) Length of Plays: Plays should be 10 - 50 minutes. Plays must have at least 4 characters, more is even better. No one-character plays. No period costume pieces (period plays that use modern dress are OK). You may submit up to two (2) plays for consideration.

3). Format: Pages must be numbered; A cover page with Title of the play and playwrights contact information is required, along with a page that gives plot synopsis of the play and a character breakdown. DO NOT write your name anywhere else on the script.

4) Submit a copy of your playwriting resume

5) Provide a brief written statement that addresses what you are hoping to get out of the experience and revision process (aside from having your play produced)

6) Send a digital copy of your play(s) along with your resume and statement letter to: info@galleryplayers.com

We will only contact you if your play has been accepted into the Festival. We will confirm that we received your digital copy via email. All playwrights chosen will be notified by DECEMBER 2026.

Please note that playwrights CANNOT direct their own work for this festival and will be paired with one of the 2027 Black Box cohort directors.

Any scripts not chosen for the Festival will be deleted to protect your copyright.

Playing Ace: A New Asexualities Play Festival seeks short and full-length plays

Website

Deadline: November 1, 2026

Madison, Wisconsin

SUBMISSION FORM - PDF files preferred

• Staged reading and inclusion in an anthology proposal
• Plays must be connected to concepts of asexuality or aromance. Further descriptions of how that is defined can be found on our website.
• Playwrights may submit only one play
• Plays must not be previously published.

The “Playing Ace” play festival is an opportunity for folks who are interested in showcasing and exploring asexual worldmaking to connect and share their work! We aim to provide opportunities for playwrights to produce and then publish their work, to expand the reach of these important stories. Over the next year, we will be collecting and carefully reviewing play submissions to be showcased in a staged reading held in Madison, Wisconsin in spring 2027. Playwrights will have the support of a dramaturg during the play rehearsal process and will see how live audiences react to their play. After the play festival, playwrights will have an opportunity to join a proposal to publish their play in the first anthology of asexual plays!

Overall, we recognize that there is a growing need to share stories about asexual lives, experiences, and perspectives. As asexuality becomes more of a topic for discussion in the world, it is important that we create spaces where stories and perspectives can be shared. We believe that theatre is a fantastic place to come together and create new communities, and with the proposal for an anthology, we want to ensure that these stories are shared with as many people as possible.

DRURY UNIVERSITY ONE-ACT PLAY COMPETITION

Website

Deadline: December 1, 2026

Send scripts to:

Drury University One-Act Play Competition
c/o Dr. Mick Sokol, Professor of Theatre
900 North Benton Avenue
Springfield, MO 65802

FIRST PRIZE: $300 TWO HONORABLE MENTIONS: $150 each

Winning plays will be considered for production by Drury University.

COMPETITION RULES:

1. Competition is open to all playwrights. Scripts are to be original, unpublished, and unproduced. Staged readings or workshop productions will not disqualify a script. Musicals, monologues, adaptations, film and TV scripts are ineligible.

2. Preference will be given to small cast, one-set shows with running times of no less than twenty and no more than forty-five minutes.

3. No more than one script from any playwright. Scripts entered in this contest in previous years are ineligible for re-submission.

4. All scripts are to be typewritten and firmly bound (staple, clips, etc). Because of the nature of distributing scripts to readers, we do NOT accept electronic submissions.

5. Scripts cannot be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed envelope with sufficient postage. For confirmation of receipt, include a self-addressed stamped postcard. For results of your script, please include self-addressed stamped envelope. If possible, please include an e-mail address; we can send you contest results via email.

6. No written or verbal critiques will be tendered.

7. The decisions of the judges are final. Drury University reserves the right to produce any of the three winning plays royalty-free during our 2027-2028, 2028-2029 or 2029-2030 seasons, to withhold production, and to modify cashawards as deemed necessary by the judges.

8. Drury University does not assume any responsibility for the loss, damage, or return of scripts. All reasonable care will be taken.

9. Deadline for entries is a postmark of December 1, 2026.

10. Address scripts to Drury University One-Act Play Competition
c/o Dr. Mick Sokol, Professor of Theatre
900 North Benton Avenue
Springfield, MO 65802

11. Winners will be notified by mail (or e-mail) no later than April 1, 2027.

Big Idea Theatre 2027 One-Act Festival

Website

Deadline: October 5, 2026 at 11:59 PM PDT

Sacramento CA

SUBMISSION FORM

This is your chance to see your work come to life on stage and connect with new audiences. Writers of all backgrounds and experience levels are encouraged to submit.

Some Guidelines:

• Unit Sets work best in our space
• We aren't equipped to do musicals or children's theatre
• Plays that run somewhere around or between 20 to 60 minutes are ideal
• We will choose 6 plays via committee of theatre lovers to be presented as part of the festival from 
• January 22rd - February 7th, 2026 in Sacramento, CA.

We have produced scripts from all over the world! However, since we are a community theatre, we do give special consideration to works from or connected to the Sacramento Region.

Please only submit one script.

We receive HUNDREDS of scripts! Please be patient while we read them all and get back to you!

Scenes from the Staten Island Ferry 2026

Website

Deadline: September 15, 2026

-Please send two hard copies, bound or stapled, blind submission (removable cover page with title, author and all contact information) with page numbers and the name of the play on each page to:
Sundog Theatre, “Scenes 2026”, PO Box 10183, Staten Island, NY 10301.

-Submissions should include a brief play synopsis (2-3 sentences at most), a 70-word bio, and a full resume of the writer.

Sundog Theatre in NYC is seeking one-act plays for “Scenes from the Staten Island Ferry 2026”

This is Sundog Theatre’s 25th presentation of new and original, one-act plays about our favorite boats.
This year’s theme: Anniversary!

Plays can be comedies or dramas. However, humor is always appreciated.

Writing Guidelines:

-Original plays not previously produced or published, with a signed note affirming that.

-10-25 minutes in length and set on the Staten Island Ferry.

-Set in a contemporary time period. Strong priority will be given to plays with 2 characters, however, 3-character plays will be considered. No special set pieces other than benches or railings found on the Ferry, as well as limited and easily accessible props/costumes, and no unusual sound or lighting effects.

-Avoid overt and unnecessary sexual/violence situations and language since we cater to a broad audience.

-No musicals, long monologues, poetry, rants or verse.

Theme: Anniversary!

Submission Guidelines:

-We are not accepting plays electronically. Reasons: hard copies are easier to pass around/make notes on; protects your work; can’t get lost in email chains; and…easier on reading eyes. We will let you know by email that we have received it.

-NO SUBMISSION FEE

-6 plays are chosen by a reading team; writers each receive $200 and plays are produced in five November 2026 performances in Staten Island, NY. Plays are cast in NYC, rehearsed, and performed on stage.

-Playwrights of selected plays will be contacted in September and their names/play titles listed on Sundog Theatre’s website in Fall 2026.

Please direct questions to: info@sundogtheatre.org/Susan Fenley, Producer.

46 Minutes Collective Mixed Bag show

Website

Deadline: September 14, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT

Brooklyn NYC

SUBMISSION FORM

Mixed Bag is a variety show for first drafts. We provide artists working in a variety of mediums with a low-tech space and audiences to further develop their works. We hope this will be an opportunity to learn about your piece and discover the next steps in your process. 

What we are looking for: 

In-development work that has not yet premiered. One or two developmental readings or showings is okay, but we are looking for work in the earlier stages of development. 

Works in any medium: performance art, dance, theater, film, music, poetry, multi-media, interactive art, magic, mime, juggling, etc. (these can be excerpts of longer works).

Artists who are looking to investigate or discover something about their work.

Cast: Up to 10 performers

Length: Up to 15 minutes

We Can Offer:

A low-tech performance space at Brick Aux to share your work - 628 Metropolitan Ave Brooklyn

One, 20-minute spacing rehearsal/tech the hour before the show.

A Stage Manager to assist with the run of show.

Photos and video of your piece.

An audience of fellow artists and creatives to share in your developmental process with the option for feedback from the audience if that is helpful for your process.

Marketing through the 46 Minutes Instagram and mailing list. If selected, we will ask for additional marketing materials from you/your team.

Brick Aux space capabilities (basic sound system, clip lights, projector, tables and chairs) (learn more here).

A $100 stipend for your work and time.

What You Bring:

Collaborators and creative team.

Any desired props, costumes, lights, design elements, etc. beyond what exists in the Brick Aux space.

An understanding of what you need to present your own work at whatever stage it's at in your process.

An openness to the liminal space that is in-process work and a desire to discover what can be learned when presenting a rough draft.

Please Note: The artist is responsible for all rehearsal process needs. We are unable to provide any rehearsal space or financial assistance at this time. This is designed to be an in-process showing, so we encourage you to come as you are with whatever you have created at this point in time. 

Each artist may only submit one piece per Mixed Bag showing.

If you have any questions please reach out to us at 46mincollective@gmail.com 

We at The 46 Minutes Collective are committed to making our programming accessible to all who wish to participate, so please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 46mincollective@gmail.com with any ways we can support you.

Gene Frankel Theatre Festival seeks one-act and short plays

Website

Deadline: October 3, 2026

Deadline: September 26, 2026

New York NY

Send all required materials to: GeneFrankelTheatrePlayFestival@gmail.com
Subject line: Gene Frankel Theatre Festival – Title of Play

The Gene Frankel Theatre Festival is accepting submissions for its winter edition running from November 30 through December 20, 2026.

The applicants will need to produce the work — director, casting, and all production elements. The Gene Frankel Theatre will help with setting up your technical needs such as lighting, sound, and projections.

Eligible Work

• Short plays (maximum 15 minutes)
• One-act plays (up to 60 minutes)

All genres are considered, including drama, comedy, musicals, movement-based work, and experimental forms. Submitted work should be New York premieres. (Note: We are committed to showcasing works that have never been produced in New York before December 20, 2026. Participation in festivals counts as a production. Staged readings, private workshops, and brief excerpt presentations do not count as productions.) All work MUST be unpublished.

Each play should have 1 - 5 actors. No more than 5 actors will be permitted. Cast and crew should be non-union and 18 and older. The applicants will need to produce the work - director, casting, and all production elements. The Gene Frankel Theatre will help with setting up your technical needs such as lighting, sound, and projections.

Selection Criteria

Pieces will be selected based on artistic merit, originality, clarity of vision, and suitability for festival programming. The goal is to present a high-quality, varied lineup. Submission does not guarantee selection.

Playwrights, whose plays have been selected, will be contacted by September 29.

Submission Materials

Full script in PDF format

Brief synopsis

Character breakdown (Each play should have a maximum of 5 actors)

Indication of category: short play (up to 15 minutes) or one-act (up to 60 minutes)

Production history, if applicable

Please confirm this is a New York Premiere (Note: We are committed to showcasing works that have never been produced in New York before December 20, 2026. Participation in festivals counts as a production. Staged readings, private workshops, and brief excerpt presentations do not count as productions.)

Limit two submissions per applicant.

Optional: Playwright bio, director, cast, brief tech/staging notes, prior production photos or media (if available), and social media or website links may also be included to support your submission.

Participation Details

No submission fee. All participants must be available for all festival dates from November 30 through December 19. 

A $100 participation fee for short plays and a $150 participation fee for one act plays for selected works will apply.

Awards

Selected productions will be eligible for awards, including Best Play, Best Script, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Director. Awards will be given in both short play and one-act categories.

Festival Format
Each selected play will be presented in one of several curated blocks. Each block will run approximately 90 minutes (including intermission) and receive three performances during the three-week performance schedule. The Festival will conclude with a Gala event, on December 20, featuring guest performances and an awards ceremony.

The 29th Magazine seeks short plays for February 2027 issue

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

We're drawn to writers and artists who came up on their own — no formal training, no mentors greasing the wheels, no built-in network. We'll never ask where you studied, or if you did.

We prioritize women, the queer community, the mentally ill, the chronically ill, and the neurodivergent. If you belong to any of these groups, we want to hear from you first.

Submission Guidelines

• Plays: Short plays, one act, intended to be read in a single sitting (Up to 20 pages - soft limit).
• Formatting: 12 pt Times New Roman or Courier. Single-spaced dialogue, with a line break between speeches. Character names in caps above their lines; stage directions in parentheses or italics. PDF/doc/docx formats.
• Please include your name, the piece's title, and page count on the first page.

Note: We don't store your personal data beyond your submission. We will only use your email to contact you about the status of your submission.

Cambiando the Script seeks one-act plays

Website

Deadline: September 6, 2026

Send submissions to operations @amttheater.org

Cambiando the Script returns to AMT Theater on Monday, October 19, 2026, for an evening celebrating the power of bilingual storytelling and the voices that bridge cultures through live theater.

We are currently accepting submissions of original one-act plays with a running time of 45 minutes or less that seamlessly blend Spanish and English into the storytelling. We welcome all genres—including comedy, drama, thriller, romance, musicals, and experimental works. The only requirement is that both languages are woven naturally into the script, reflecting the authenticity and complexity of bilingual life.

We are looking for playwrights who create compelling, thought-provoking stories that explore identity, family, community, love, resilience, and the many experiences that shape our multicultural world. Whether your play entertains, challenges, or inspires, we want work that demonstrates how language can deepen character, emotion, and connection.

If you’ve written a story that lives naturally between Spanish and English, we encourage you to submit your play and become part of an evening dedicated to celebrating bilingual voices on stage.

Submit your script and help us continue changing the conversation—one story at a time.

Selected plays will be presented as staged readings at AMT Theater on Monday, October 19, 2026, giving playwrights the opportunity to hear their work performed before a live audience.

Theatre Three's 28th Annual Festival of One-Act Plays (2027)

Website

Deadline: September 1, 2026

Submissions should be sent to Jeffrey@theatrethree.com

Since its inception in 1998, The Festival has received over 13,000 submissions from across the world and produced over 140 world premieres by more than 100 different playwrights. The Festival presents between five and eight plays each season.

Guidelines:

• Playwrights may only submit one play per Festival.
• Only unproduced works will be accepted. 
• Please do not submit works that have been submitted for previous Festivals.
• Plays that have had staged readings or on-line productions are eligible.
• No adaptations, children’s plays, or musicals.

• Cast size maximum: 12
• Length maximum: 30 minutes (no minimum)
• Settings: Simple or suggested.
• All submissions should be emailed as PDFs with the title in caps followed by the playwright’s name.
• Example: THE BASKET WEAVERS Jamie Martin
• Play’s cover sheet must include the author’s information (name, address, telephone, email).
• A short synopsis is encouraged
• Any stage play format is acceptable.

Selected plays will be presented for ten performances (in winter-spring 2027; dates to be determined), at the Ronald F. Peierls Theatre, on THEATRE THREE’s Second Stage.

Playwrights will receive a $150 stipend.

Playwrights will receive a standard Dramatists Guild-approved contract and will receive four complimentary tickets to be used at any performances. Playwrights are welcome to attend any rehearsals or performances. Playwrights will receive copies of playbills, postcards, articles, and reviews, as well as a link to all publicity and production photos. THEATRE THREE is responsible for all elements of production; playwrights incur no expenses. THEATRE THREE retains no future production rights.

Playwrights of selected plays will be contacted by early December 2026.

Italian-American Playwright Series 2026-2027

Website

Deadline: September 12, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

Organizers: Kairos Italy Theater, Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo’ at NYU and the John Calandra Italian American Institute

Opportunity: Selected plays will be given a public reading at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo’ at NYU or at the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute.

We are seeking submissions from Italian American playwrights for unproduced, contemporary plays never staged before (Readings and workshops are fine). This initiative aims to spotlight authentic Italian American voices and stories that reflect the diverse experiences, heritage, and cultural intersections of the Italian American community.

Each playwright could only submit ONE play.

Eligibility

• The playwright must self-identify as Italian American.
• Plays must not have been professionally produced. (Readings and workshops are fine)
• Preference will be given to works that explore Italian American identity, history, family, or culture.
• Plays 40 to 75 minutes long (mid and full length)
• We are NOT accepting 10 minutes plays

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

In the form you will submit the following:

Full script in anonymous form (no name or address) and in PDF format;
A short play synopsis (max 250 words);
A brief playwright bio (max 150 words), including any personal connection to Italian American heritage;
A statement (max 200 words) on how your play speaks to Italian American themes and on your connection to Italian-American identity.

Timeline

Submission window opens: August 3rd
Submission window closes: September 12th
Notification of selection(s): November 10th
Readings dates: TBA

If you have any question, please send an email to info@kitheater.org

10th Annual New Play Lab 2027 at the annual William Inge Theatre Festival

Website

Deadline: After they receive the first 100 submissions

Application Guidelines

• All scripts must be submitted in PDF format and emailed to submissions@ingecenter.org.
• Give your script file the name 2027 + Title (for instance, 2027 Bus Stop).
• Limit script length to a 30 minute read-time – not page count. (Submissions longer than 30 minutes will be disqualified).
• Character list must include character description as well as any descriptions relevant for casting.
• Applicants must enter a short synopsis of their play as it might appear in the Play Lab program. (Maximum 75 words. Please include any content warnings.)
• Applicants must send a brief bio with their submissions.

The New Play Lab at the annual William Inge Theatre Festival is a partnership between the Kansas Arts Commission of the Kansas Department of Commerce and the William Inge Center for the Arts at Independence Community College, Kansas

The 10th Annual New Play Lab seeks to connect national established and emerging playwrights to participate at the 44th William Inge Theatre Festival, April 29-May 1, 2027. Each year, Playwrights are connected with professional playwrights, directors, dramaturgs and actors.

Selected New Play Lab playwrights receive:A professional staged reading of their play before an audience on the main stage of the William Inge Theatre
Feedback on their play facilitated by national theatre professionals.
Additional playwriting classes and seminars exclusive to New Play Lab participants, including a masterclass with William Inge Theater Festival guest playwrights.
Networking opportunities to meet with theater professionals from across the country.
Entry to all festival events, including two meal events.
Meal vouchers to enjoy local restaurants in William Inge’s Hometown of Independence, Kansas.

Applications Period

Those chosen will be notified in January 2027. Note: the receipt of applications will be limited to the first 100 to apply. Only the first 100 applications will be reviewed. Therefore, applicants are urged to submit early, as the number of applicants may reach its limit quickly.

The submitted plays will be reviewed by a panel of national theatre professionals.

Playwrights may submit either a 10-minute play or one-act play, no more than 30 minutes read-time. Plays that are longer than 30 minutes will be disqualified.

Plays should require no more than 6 actors. The play may be designed to have actors play multiple roles. If that is the case, doubling must be indicated in the character list.
Character list must include character breakdown (age, race and gender identity for the purpose of casting).
Playwrights may only submit one play per cycle.

Attend

Playwrights are required to attend the Festival. If you cannot attend, you are ineligible to apply.

Each playwright is required to attend the New Play Lab Masterclass and Workshops taught by professional playwrights during the Inge Festival.

Each playwright is required to attend the reading of their play during the Play Lab. More details will be sent out to those accepted.

Travel, transportation, and lodgingFor pre-planning purposes, selected playwrights should at least plan to attend Wednesday evening April 28, 2027, through Sunday morning May 2, 2027.

Each playwright is responsible for their own travel, transportation, and lodging needs.

Local lodging information will be shared with those accepted. (Complementary transportation to and from the Tulsa Airport is available upon prior arrangement.)

Conference Fees

There are no fees for the application process. Selected Playwrights will be responsible for their travel and lodging.

Benefits

Professional Public Reading: Playwrights will receive a professional public reading of their play, as well as feedback from national theatre artists.

Opportunities to Network: Each year the New Play Lab creates a new cohort of playwrights, in addition to opportunities to network with our professional Guest Artists
Exclusive Seminars and Masterclass: The New Play Lab Playwrights receive at least two masterclasses exclusive to New Play Lab playwrights.

Festival Celebration: New Play Lab Playwrights will have full access to three days of all public and private Festival events, including the other play lab readings, productions, social events, workshops, panels, meals and much more.

If you have any questions, feel free to email ahovell@indycc.edu.

Troy Foundry Theatre 2026 Half-Baked Festival of Emerging Work: Becoming

Website

Deadline: August 17, 2026 at 5PM

Please submit as many of the materials listed below possible in a SINGLE PDF to  tftsubmissions@gmail.com. 

Your PDF should include:

1. Contact Information

• Name
• Email
• Phone number
• Location (city/state or region)

2. Artist Statement
Brief introduction to your artistic practice and creative mission

3. Project Information

• Project description: What is your piece? What world does it inhabit?
• Themes, questions, or artistic investigations driving the work
• Current stage of development
• Working title
• Any Script excerpts, images, video, audio, or other supporting materials (if available)
• Brief synopsis
• Number of performers
• Current runtime
• Creative team roles and needs (casting, directing, collaborators, etc.)
• Technical requirements beyond basic festival lighting and sound capabilities

4. Development History

Troy Foundry Theatre, a nonprofit theatre based in Troy, New York, is seeking submissions for the 2026 Half-Baked Festival of Emerging Work—a celebration of bold, unfinished, and in-development performance projects.

Now in its fourth year, The TFT Half-Baked Festival of Emerging Work celebrates the unfinished, the audacious, and the revolutionary in theatre-making. We believe some of the most exciting artistic discoveries happen during development—when work is still breathing, evolving, and finding its voice. Half-Baked exists to support projects that are searching, questioning, transforming, and taking creative risks. If your work is strange, ambitious, unsettling, genre-defying, impossible to categorize, or beautifully unfinished, we want to see it.

For this year's festival, we are particularly interested in:

Projects inspired directly or indirectly by genres and themes like:
Horror, body horror, cosmic terror, folk horror, gothic horror, romantic horror, psychological thriller, dystopia, speculative fiction, monsters, hauntings, transformation, sex and death, the uncanny, apocalypse, grief, obsession, desire, and the grotesque.

Or creators and writers like:
Angela Carter, Ari Aster, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Carmen Maria Machado, Caryl Churchill, Curry Barker, David Cronenberg, Guillermo del Toro, Han Kang, Helen Oyeyemi, H.P. Lovecraft, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Jane Schoenbrun, Jennifer Kent, Jeremy O. Harris, Jordan Peele, Julia Ducournau, Karyn Kusama, Kelly Link, Margaret Atwood, Mariana Enríquez, María Irene Fornés, Mary Shelley, Nia DaCosta, N.K. Jemisin, Octavia Butler, Osgood Perkins, Sarah Kane, Shirley Jackson, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Suzan-Lori Parks, Tananarive Due, Toni Morrison, Young Jean Lee, and Quiara Alegría Hudes.

We welcome and accept:
Projects that engage with these influences literally, loosely, or in spirit. We are interested in work that explores fear, transformation, power, desire, the body, the supernatural, memory, myth, and the strange possibilities of being human. Projects must be in development and may not have received a full professional production. Selected artists will work with the festival team to determine a performance schedule; projects will not perform every day of the festival.

In the form of:

• New plays and devised works-in-progress that challenge theatrical form
• Lecture-performances and research-based artistic investigations
• Experimental, interdisciplinary, and short-form performance projects
• Provocations, works-in-process, and other emerging theatrical experiments
• Other forms not dreamed up or imaged yet

UMBRELLAS FOR FISH seeks one-act plays, monologues and dramatic scenes for the September issue

Website

Deadline: August 25, 2026

We are now accepting submissions for our September 2026 Issue.
Website: https://ufjournal.wixsite.com/umbrellas-for-fish/submissions

Email: ufjournal@aol.com

Umbrellas for Fish is an international literary journal devoted exclusively to absurd and existential drama. We publish work that wrestles with the irrational, the unexplainable, and the darkly comic—plays, monologues, and dramatic scenes that invite audiences to sit with uncertainty rather than resolve it neatly.

We believe theatre is a space where logic can be bent, time can fold back on itself, and a fish might, against all reason, carry an umbrella. We welcome voices from around the world and across all career stages, from debut playwrights to established dramatists.

We seek dramatic work that is bold, strange, and alive—pieces that take risks with form, voice, and theatrical logic.

We are particularly interested in work featuring:

• Absurdity, existential tension, or cosmic indifference
• Innovative dramatic structures and theatrical experimentation
• Strong, stageable writing and memorable dialogue
• Meaningful ambiguity rather than simple confusion
• Themes exploring meaning, identity, freedom, mortality, and the human condition

We are not seeking conventional realism without a twist, shock value without purpose, or work that resolves its contradictions too neatly.
Accepted Categories

• Absurd Plays
• Existential Drama

• Experimental Theatre
• Playwriting Essays

Length:

• One-Act Plays (up to 10 pages)
• Flash Drama (up to 2 pages)
• Monologues (up to 2 pages)

• Dramatic Scenes (up to 10 pages)
. Playwriting Essays (up to 5 pages)

Submission Guidelines

• Submit manuscripts in DOC or DOCX format only
• Use a readable 12-point font
• Number all pages
• Include a title page with the title and author's name
• Include a third-person author bio (50–100 words) at the end of the manuscript
• Scripts should follow standard dramatic formatting
• Simultaneous submissions are welcome; please notify us if accepted elsewhere

Prepare your manuscript according to the guidelines above.

• Include a 50–100 word third-person bio.
• In the body of your email, include:Your name
• Title of the work
• Genre category
• A brief 1–3 sentence description of the piece
• Attach your manuscript as a DOC or DOCX file.
• Name your file: TITLE_LASTNAME.docx
• Send your submission to ufjournal@aol.com

Subject Line Format:
SUBMISSION — [Title] — [Genre]
Key Dates

Submissions Open: Now Open
Submission Deadline: August 25, 2026
Response Time: 4–6 Weeks

Issue Publication: September 2026

Fee:
There is no reading, submission or publication fee.


Rights
If a work is selected for publication, the playwright retains all intellectual property, copyright, and performance rights to the work. By accepting publication in Umbrellas for Fish, the author grants the journal non-exclusive permission to publish the work as part of the September 2026 issue. All rights revert to the author upon publication, and the author remains free to reproduce, perform, or republish the work elsewhere, provided that first publication in Umbrellas for Fish is acknowledged where appropriate.

Payment

Umbrellas for Fish is a non-paying market. As an independent journal operating without grants, institutional funding, or regular donations, we are currently unable to offer royalties, honoraria, or other forms of monetary compensation to contributors.

Authors whose work is selected for publication will receive publication credit and worldwide exposure through the journal.Editorial Vision

Umbrellas for Fish takes its name from the absurdist spirit that animates the work we publish: the belief that theatre can illuminate issue. the mysteries of existence through contradiction, imagination, humor, and uncertainty.

We welcome playwrights from all countries, backgrounds, and career stages and are especially interested in amplifying voices that have been underrepresented in the dramatic canon.

We look forward to reading your work.

Warm regards,

Editorial Team
Umbrellas for Fish: An International Journal of Absurd & Existential Drama
Email: ufjournal@aol.com