Free Play Society New Plays in TYA

Website

Deadline: December 16, 2022, 5PM PST

Application form

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

Phase One - Deadline 5pm PST December 16, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

Questions? Contact us at reimaginetya@gmail.com

We will do our best to respond quickly, however allow up to 48 hours for a response - thank you!

Phase Two -- Deadline February, 2023

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

Final selections will be made by the Advisory Council and announced in May, 2023.

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

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

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

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

CALL FOR PROPOSALS New TYA Play Commission

Website

Deadline: November 30th, 2022 

(Will be reviewed on a rolling basis)

Only Make Believe (www.onlymakebelieve.org) is seeking to commission a playwright for their 2023/2024 season of in person and virtual programming.

Only Make Believe creates interactive theatre with children in hospitals, schools, and care facilities. Inspiring joy and imagination, our professional actors engage children with medically fragile conditions and developmental disabilities, fostering social and emotional growth. Our shows are highly interactive and allow children to participate during the narrative in whatever way they are able. Moments of improvisation written into each show allow for these moments of engagement to be structured and transformative.

The commission requires writing a 40-60 minute in person or virtual performance piece for children and their families performed by a team of three professional actors, with moments of interaction as an essential storytelling component in the play. Pieces may contain rhymes set to music and the use of non speaking communication whenever possible.

● Piece should be an unwritten original TYA play or a modern take of a narrative within the public domain.

● Piece should be age-appropriate, for ages 4+ and accessible for children who are neuro-diverse and/or with developmental disabilities.

● Piece will be workshopped and premiered in our 2024 season by professional actors (over 18+), Cast/Director/Choreographer/Production provided by Only Make Believe.

● Must be ready for pre-production in January 2024.

● Creators retain all rights to their material, but allow Only Make Believe a five-year exclusive option to produce the show without royalty payments.


COMPENSATION

The playwright will receive a minimum stipend of $3,000.

To Apply, please send:

● A proposal for your play of no more than 1000 words, including your basic premise as well as how it will incorporate the required elements of audience interaction.

● A ten-page sample of your writing, preferably something that has been intended for a youth/family market.

● Bio and/or resume.

● A statement as to why you think you are a good fit for this project.

● A description of your proposed timeline.


Application Procedures

Send materials to Attn: Christopher Wilson, Director of Programming, cwilson@onlymakebelieve.org (PDF and links preferred- please do not attach large files) OR SUBMIT THROUGH THIS FORM

Ghostlight Ensemble seeks scripts for young audiences

Website

Deadline: December 31, 2022

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking short scripts (a maximum of 15 minutes) that are geared toward young audiences. 

Priority will be placed on scripts that are ethnically and culturally diverse, and written by writers of color and/or LGBTQ writers. 

This is open to playwrights in any geographic area, though writers in the greater Chicago area will receive priority. NO FEE.

Playwrights will receive $25 per selected script.

Selected plays will be produced in the late spring of 2022 as part of the fourth annual Make/Believe festival of theatre for children under our Nightlight banner. (Learn more about the 2020 festival, the 2021 festival and the 2022 festival with these links.) 

The performances will be held live, with a location or locations TBD.

Please pay close attention to the script requirements. Scripts that do not meet the following criteria will not be considered.

Requirements

A maximum of 3 actors per script. There are no restrictions, however, on the number of characters. Please note, that while some directors have chosen to use child actors in past pieces, the intent of this festival is to perform for children, not with children.

Plays must have minimal to no technical demands, as there is a possibility these plays will be performed outside and/or in multiple locations. There may be no lighting or backstage area, although minimal sound cues will be available.

Must fit our mission.

Geared toward children 11 and under. Please, NO scripts about high school students.

All props, set pieces and costumes must be easily made at home by actors (and children watching who want to stage their own productions at home).

Pieces can be previously produced, but cannot have a production running concurrently with Make/Believe.

Electronic submissions only, please. Submit cover letter with full contact information, a short author bio, brief synopsis of script — including development and production history (if applicable) — and the full script to Maria Burnham at scripts@ghostlightensemble.com. 

Please use the following format in the email’s subject line: Nightlight Script Submission: [play name] - [playwright name]. To clarify, the information in brackets should be replaced by the name of your play and your name.

The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2022.

15th Annual PLAYground Submissions for Young Audiences

Facebook page

Deadline: none given

SUBMISSION FORM

Plays must be intended for young audiences (5-18 years old) - a play is not expected to appeal to this whole age range.

Scripts must be unpublished at the time of submission.

Scripts should be full length (somewhere between 30 and 90 minutes of content, depending on your audience) or intended to be developed into a full length piece.

Playwrights can submit up to 3 scripts. Each script must be accompanied by its own cover letter.
Plays do not need to be fully polished. This is a workshop process, so we welcome pieces with potential and room to grow, and will be there to support you through that.

Please do not submit screenplays, teleplays, musicals, collaborations, or direct adaptations (though scripts inspired by, based on, or a response to a source material are welcome!)

Please send any questions, thoughts, or concerns to playgroundTYAfestival@gmail.com. 

 You may also contact Festival Producer Natalie Rarick (natalierarick2023@u.northwestern.edu) or one of Purple Crayon Players’ Literary Managers, Kailey Morand or Juliet Burks (kaileymorand2025@u.northwestern.edu or julietburks2025@u.northwestern.edu)

Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest 2023

Website

Deadline: June 1, 2023

To encourage the development of quality theatrical materials for the educational, community and children’s theatre markets, Pioneer Drama Service is proud to sponsor the annual Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest.

This is an ongoing contest, with a winner selected by June 1 each year from all eligible submissions received the previous year. All eligible plays accepted for publication will be considered contest finalists, from which the winner will be selected. The contest winner will receive a $1,000 royalty advance in addition to publication.

Contest entries must meet all general guidelines and submission requirements.

Individuals currently published by Pioneer Drama Service are not eligible for this contest. Pioneer Drama Service employees and their families are also excluded.

If you are a faculty member at an accredited K-12 public or private school in the US or Canada, you may also qualify for our A+ Playwriting Contest for Teachers.

Check out our list of past contest winners for examples of desirable submissions.

What we most look for...

• We will only consider manuscripts with a running time between 15 minutes and two hours.
• Submissions must be family-friendly in both subject and language. Cursing and explicitly adult content should be kept to a minimum. Playwrights should also be open to editorial expertise and oversight on these points.
• We seek casts that are either balanced or favoring females. The more gender-neutral roles, the better.
• We favor plays and musicals with large casts, where more than just a few have a chance to shine. Flexible cast sizes are also highly desirable.
• Plays with elaborate set, costume, or technical requirements are not appealing because of the limited resources of many of our customers. Pictures, sketches, or descriptions of your vision are always helpful, as is a video of a past performance.
• Though not required, we strongly prefer plays that have had at least one production or table reading. We feel this fundamental field test is highly beneficial before a play is considered for publication since plays are created for the purpose of performance.

Preparing your manuscript...

• Manuscripts accepted for publication must be made available digitally and are also strongly preferred for submission. We accept both Microsoft Word and PDF formats.
• We also accept hardcopy manuscripts. You must include a self-addressed stamped envelope for material you wish returned. Note that all hardcopy submissions will be scanned for purposes of digital review.
• We do not require specific formatting. Your efforts to ensure your script is free of misspellings and typos is greatly appreciated more than any specific format.

Please follow the directions on this page to submit your manuscript.

Seeking Theatre for Young Audiences Script Submissions for CATCO’s 2022 New Works Festival for Young Audiences

Website

Deadline: August 31, 2022 11:59 PM EDT

CATCO is seeking script submissions of plays for young audiences for our new work festival in late November/early December. We define work for young audiences as plays for audiences aged 5-18 and their families where the intended audience could be, for example, 5-7, 10-14, or 15-18, as well as families with youth in that 5-18 age range.

• Submitted scripts should be full-length, between 40 minutes and 2 hours in length.
• The play may be unproduced or have had one or two developmental readings/productions, but it should not be a finalized script.
• Three plays will be selected – one for a developmental production with limited production support and two for readings.
• There is no fee to submit.
• For the selected scripts, the playwrights of the readings receive a $300 fee.
• The playwright of the developmental production receives a $500 fee.

DEVELOPMENTAL PRODUCTION:Rehearsals: 

• Rehearsals: Nov 21 – 23, Nov 28 – Dec 1
• Performances: Dec 2 – 4, Dec 7 – 10

READINGS:

• Rehearsals: Dec 6 – 9
• Public Readings: Dec 10 and 11

This festival is an opportunity for playwrights to work on projects in the early phases of development that would benefit from a workshop process. If they choose, the playwright will have the opportunity to make rewrites during the rehearsal process and will receive audience feedback after the production or reading in a moderated talkback. The play may be unproduced or have had one or two developmental readings/productions, but it should not be a finalized script. We hope that the playwrights will be involved in the rehearsal process, either virtually or in person, depending on the playwright’s location. Rehearsals take place on evenings and weekends. Travel is not provided.

TO SUBMIT:

To submit, email literary@catco.org.

• In your submission email, please briefly introduce yourself and your work as a playwright, including if you have connections to Columbus or Ohio, provide a short description of the play, and let us know what you hope to gain from a workshop.
• Please attach the script as a PDF titled “TITLE [Playwright Last Name]”
• If submitting more than one script, please include them all in one email and let us know the one to focus on if there is only time to read one.
• We will get back to you about the status of your submission by September 30, 2022.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2022, 11:59 PM EST.

SPIDER®, a literary magazine for children seeks plays

Website

Deadline: none specified

SUBMISSION VIA SUBMITTABLE

For children ages 6 - 9

SPIDER®, a literary magazine for children, features fresh and engaging literature, poems, articles, and activities for newly independent readers. Editors seek energetic, beautifully crafted submissions with strong “kid appeal” (an elusive yet recognizable quality, often tied to high-interest elements such as humor, adventure, and suspense). 

We have particular interests in stories that explore themes of identity (gender expression, ability, race and ethnicity, family structure including LGBTQAI+ and single parent homes, neighborhoods, beliefs, and traditions); global cultures and languages (current needs include South American, African, and Middle Eastern countries, island nations, and Native American nations); scientific and technological exploration and innovation; magical or interplanetary landscapes; cities and metropolitan areas; real kids doing real things; weird and sometimes gross stuff; and the creative spirit.

Calls for Submissions:

General submissions are always open. 

Guidelines

Before submitting, be sure to familiarize yourself with our magazines. (Sample copies are available for viewing at the Cricket Media Store, or you can order a current issue by calling 800-821-0115.) Issues are also available at many local libraries.

Fiction Stories and Plays

We seek fiction of all kinds: fantasy, folk or fairytale, sci-fi, historical, humorous, or realistic. Whether the setting is long-ago or contemporary, or the protagonist is a shy newcomer, clever trickster, class clown, fantasy creature, or superhero, characters and the worlds they inhabit should be complex and believable. Plays should have 2–6 characters so that a child could feasibly perform the play at home with family or friends.

Length: 300–1000 words

Stories and articles: up to 25¢ per word
Poems: up to $3.00 per line; $25.00 minimum
Activities, games, and recipes: $75.00 flat rate

A+ Playwriting Contest For Teachers 2022

Website

Deadline: June 30, 2022

Fifty years as one of the leading play publishers for the educational market has taught us that some of our best-selling shows are written not by professional playwrights, but by teachers who create a play based on the specific needs of their drama program. Once published, these plays are quickly embraced by other teachers who share the same opportunities, challenges and limitations that seem universal in schools.

We want to encourage the development of quality plays written specifically by teachers and other educators. Our A+ Playwriting Contest for Teachers is open to all teachers employed at an accredited K-12 public or private school in the US or Canada. All plays submitted through this contest must have been produced within the past two years at the school where the playwright teaches.

Submissions will be accepted on an on-going basis with a June 30 cutoff each year. All manuscripts accepted for publication will be considered contest finalists. The contest winner, selected from contest finalists and announced September 30, will receive a $500 royalty advance and a one-time $500 donation to the school theatre program where the play was first produced.

Contest Rules

Only entries submitted in accordance with all rules will be eligible for consideration.

Playwright must be a current or retired faculty member at an accredited K-12 public or private school in the US or Canada.

Only entries submitted with an Official Contest Entry Form will be considered.

Only entries that have been fully staged at the teacher’s school no more than two years prior to the submission date will be considered. We encourage you to take advantage of this production to revise your script as needed before submitting your manuscript.

All entries must be accompanied by proof of production in the form of a copy of the program, a newsletter or newspaper article, a review, a photo or a letter from the school principal.

Contest entries must meet all Pioneer Drama general guidelines and requirements for play submission, which can be found at pioneerdrama.com/playwrights/submit.asp.

Individuals currently published by Pioneer Drama Service are not eligible for this contest. Pioneer Drama Service employees and their families are also excluded.

All manuscripts submitted for this contest will automatically be simultaneously considered for our annual Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest, which is open to all individuals not previously published by Pioneer Drama Service. See pioneerdrama.com for more details.

Questions? Contact us at submissions@pioneerdrama.com or call 800-333-7262.

Call for Submissions: Seeing Ourselves on Stage: Amplifying Global Majority Voices in Theater for Young Audiences

Website

Deadline: April 30, 2022

"Seeing Ourselves on Stage: Amplifying Global Majority Voices in TYA", part of NYU Steinhardt’s New Plays for Young Audiences (NPYA) series, seeks new and unpublished/unproduced global majority TYA scripts to showcase in a series of short unstaged/unrehearsed readings held this June on Zoom. These are designed to amplify and support global majority TYA plays and playwrights (see our mission statement here). 

These could be nearly completed scripts or works still very much in progress. Six scripts will be selected for the 2022 program. One of the selected scripts will later be selected for one of the 3 slots in the full 2023 NPYA series held in June 2023. The other scripts can also submit for consideration for the other two available slots under the regular submission guidelines.

Please note that we define TYA as plays for audiences aged 5-18 where the intended audience could be, for example, 5-7, 10-14, or 15-18 as well as for families with youth in that 5-18 age range. 

We define global majority TYA plays as ones that not only include global majority youth characters in the primary roles, but also speak to and reflect global majority communities and experiences in the story. As our goal is to amplify not only global majority stories, but global majority artists, we are only accepting submissions from global majority artists for this program. 

By "global majority", we utilize Rosemary Campbell-Stephens's definition, "Global Majority...refers to people who are Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and or have been racialised as 'ethnic minorities'."

After the submission deadline closes on 4/30, a selected team of readers will choose the scripts to be showcased. Playwrights will be contacted by 5/30. The program will occur simultaneously with the regular NPYA series. Playwrights will work directly with the program’s coordinator (Tammie Swopes) to craft their participation in the program, including participation in a showcase of unstaged/unrehearsed selections from each chosen script to be presented on Zoom at a date/time TBD during the June series (between June 5-26).

NPYA will assist playwrights in securing actors for the unstaged/unrehearsed showcase but will be unable to pay them for their time (which will be approximately one hour).

Send us your submission here by April 30, 2022. If you’re uncertain if your script meets our guidelines or you have other questions, please contact NPYA’s producer, Teresa Fisher (taf263@nyu.edu).

Tammie Swopes, Program Coordinator (tls289@nyu.edu) David Montgomery, Artistic Director (dm635@nyu.edu) Teresa Fisher, Producer (taf263@nyu.edu)

CALL FOR PROPOSALS New TYA Musical Commission

Website

Deadline: April 30, 2022
(Will be reviewed on a rolling basis)

Theater for Young Audiences at 92nd Street Y (92Y.org/MusicalTheater) is seeking to commission musical theater writing teams for their 2021-2022 season.

Theater for Young Audiences at 92nd Street Y is a series of performances and discussions centering children as theaudience. Our shows are stimulating and compelling, using storytelling as a vehicle for building empathy, and learning essential life lessons. Our shows gather around movement as a shared language, a way to meet each other through the most universally shared experience: moving.

The commission requires writing a 40-60 minute performance piece for children and their families, envisioning choreography as an essential storytelling component in the play. Pieces should contain music as a theatrical element- both Musicals and Plays with Music are eligible.

● Piece should be unwritten original TYA musicals

● Piece should be age-appropriate, for ages 4+

● Piece will be performed in our 2022-2023 season by professional performers (over 18+), Cast/Director/Choreographer/Production provided by 92Y.

● Must be ready for pre-production in July 2022

● Creators retain all rights to their material, but allow 92Y a three-year exclusive option to produce the show with royalty payments.


COMPENSATION

The creative team will receive a minimum stipend of $2000 with increases based on experience and participation in community engagement programs.

To apply, please send:

● A proposal for your musical of no more than 1000 words, including your basic premise as well as how it will incorporate the required elements of movement, where movement is the vital element, and the story is told primarily through movement (as directed by the script).

● A ten-page sample of your writing, preferably something that has been intended for a youth/family market.

● A demo recording of a previous TYA collaboration

● Bio or resume of each member of the creative team

● A statement as to why you think you are a good fit for this project

● A description of your proposed timeline.

Send materials to Attn: Megan Doyle, Artistic Director, Mdoyle@92y.org (PDF and links preferred- please do notattach large files) or 92Y Musical Theater Attn: Megan Doyle, 1395 Lexington Avenue, NY, NY 10128

Birmingham Children's Theatre New Voices Project

Website

Deadline: none given

BCT's ongoing New Voices Project has commissioned over 50 original scripts, stories, musicals and adaptations for young audiences since 1982 alone, and maintains a commitment to discovering new voices among playwrights, and the presentation and experimentation in dramatic literature for youth. 

Generally, Wee Folks productions (ages 4 to 8) are limited to no more than 4 actors (doubling possible), Mainstage Touring productions (ages 6 and up) are limited to no more than 8 actors (doubling possible), and Mainstage In-house Only productions vary depending on budget and artistic requirements. 

Unsolicited scripts may be submitted for consideration of upcoming seasons (please note BCT schedules 1 ½ year in advance). In order for your script to be considered, submit each of the following:

a copy of the entire script;

a synopsis of no more than one page;

a character breakdown;

music tracks and lead sheets (if a musical);

playwright’s resume and references.

Submissions with missing components will not be considered. All materials may be sent in electronic format or through the U.S. Mail to:

Birmingham Children’s Theatre
Attn: Rebecca Yeager
P.O.Box 1362
Birmingham, AL 35201

or via email to becca@bct123.org. No phone calls, please. Submissions will not be returned.

25TH ANNUAL AURAND HARRIS PLAYWRITING AWARD

Website

Deadline: April 15, 2022

SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 25TH ANNUAL AURAND HARRIS PLAYWRITING AWARD WILL BE ACCEPTED MARCH 1, 2022- APRIL 15, 2022. Submissions will ONLY be accepted through the website.

This award was created in 1997 to honor the late Aurand Harris (1915-1996) for his lifetime dedication to all aspects of professional theatre for young audiences.

A panel of judges named by the NETC Executive Board will administer this award. A staged reading of the prize-winning scripts will be held along with the Annual Excellence in Theatre Awards ceremony.

RULES OF ENTRY

• The contest is open to all playwrights and is for new full-length plays for young audiences. No musicals nor plays targeted at adult audiences
• All plays will be submitted online to harris-award@netconline.org
• Plays submitted to the contest must not have been previously published
• submitted to NETC’s Gassner Playwriting Contest
• previously produced by a professional or Equity company.
• Plays submitted which have had workshop productions or staged readings are eligible and encouraged.
• Plays submitted to this contest may have been submitted to another playwriting contest, and may have previously won a prize or an award in another contest. However, such plays must not have been published or professionally produced and must not be under option for publication or professional production.
• Playwrights may submit only one play to the contest in one year.

The play must be submitted, along with:

• a statement that the play will not have been published or professionally produced as of May 1, 2022, and that it is not under option for publication or professional production and will not be under such option as of May 1, 2022.
• a list of the play’s workshop and non-professional productions, if any, and awards received, if any.
• ALL manuscripts and enclosures must be emailed to: harris-award@netconline.org
• Only manuscripts submitted electronically will be considered.
• Plays that do not meet the above requirements will not be considered.

Theater for Young Audiences at 92nd Street Y

Website

Deadline: April 1, 2022

Will be reviewed on a rolling basis

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Theater for Young Audiences at 92nd Street Y (92Y.org/MusicalTheater) is seeking to commission playwrights for a new series specifically designed to introduce 6-10 year olds to the exciting world of Shakespeare.

Theater for Young Audiences at 92nd Street Y is a series of performances and discussions centering children as the audience. Our shows are stimulating and compelling, using storytelling as a vehicle for building empathy, and learning essential life lessons. Our shows gather around movement as a shared language, a way to meet each other through the most universally shared experience: moving. Audience participation and a crafted handmade design remind children that they are essential creators in the story.

The commission requires writing a 40-minute performance piece for children and their families envisioning movement as an essential storytelling component in the play. Pieces should contain music as a theatrical element- both Musicals and Plays with Music are eligible.

• Piece should be an age-appropriate adaptation of a Shakespearian play. You do not have to use original language and can take some liberties with the context (“a play about Shakespeare writing As You Like It…”)
• Piece will be performed in our 2022-2023 season by professional performers (over 18+), Cast/Director/Choreographer/Production provided by 92Y.
• Must be ready for pre-production in June 2022
• Creators retain all rights to their material, but allow 92Y an exclusive option to produce the show with royalty payments negotiated each season.

Plays you can choose from are:

• All’s Well that Ends Well
• As You Like It
• The Comedy of Errors
• Measure for Measure
• The Merry Wives of Windsor
• The Winter’s Tale 

COMPENSATION 

The creative team will receive a minimum stipend of $2500 with increases based on experience, attendance of rehearsals or performances, participation in community engagement programs. 

To apply, please send: 

• A proposal for your play/musical of no more than 1000 words, including your basic premise as well as how it will incorporate the required elements of movement where movement is the vital element, and the story is told primarily through movement (as directed by the script). 
• A ten-page sample of your writing, preferably something that has been intended for a youth/family market. If you are proposing a musical please also include a demo recording of a previous TYA collaboration. 
• Your bio or resume 
• A statement as to why you think you are a good fit for this project 
• A description of your proposed timeline, participation and fees 

Send materials to Attn: Megan Doyle, Artistic Director, Mdoyle@92y.org (PDF and links preferred- please do not attach large files) or 92Y Musical Theater Attn: Megan Doyle, 1395 Lexington Avenue, NY, NY 10128

Springville Center for the Arts Artsapalooza playwright commission

Website

Deadline: January 31, 2022

Springville Center for the Arts (SpringvilleArts.org) is seeking to commission a playwright to create a script for a program touring the summer of 2022. Artsapalooza is a free, outdoor, multi-arts program for families with younger children. The two-hour program brings interactive art-making stations, a chance to explore drums and ukulele, theater games and more to rural audiences, culminating in a performance that incorporates giant puppets and live music.

Springville Center for the Arts is a multi-arts center located in Western New York State. Typical programming includes theater, gallery exhibits, concerts and workshops. Our main facility is an 1869 former church. Art’s Cafe is a secondary performance space, workshop, artist residency and public green roof centered around a bakery-cafe environment. 

The commission requires writing a 40-minute performance piece for children and their families that includes audience interaction, use of live music and song, and the incorporation of large scale, multi-operator puppets. 

The piece should lead to highly engaging visuals and the playwright need not avoid pathos, horror, or challenging subject matter as long as it engages young audiences. We are not interested in saccharine retellings of cute fairy tales.

THE SCRIPT

• Assume a performing troupe size of eight or less plus musicians
• Piece may be original or an adaptation of a public domain work
• Piece will be performed outdoors in a mini-arts-carnival atmosphere 
• Must be ready for pre-production in May 
• Playwright retains all rights to the material, but allows SCA an nonexclusive option to tour the show for one season (10–15 shows) 
• Should the play be published, credit for the development and commission must be given to SCA 

RESIDENCY OPTION
SCA believes in the power of artistic residencies for both the creation of new work and to foster community appreciation for the arts. An ideal scenario places a playwright within the community for a period of time dedicated to creating work. The community is engaged with writing workshops or during initial rehearsals while refining the work. Housing is provided in our AIA award-winning space at Art’s Cafe. Additional funding is available for artists who engage in this residency program. Local artists may commute.


COMPENSATION
The playwright will receive a minimum stipend of $2000 with increases based on experience, attendance of rehearsals or performances, participation in community engagement programs, and full residency participation.

To apply, please send SCA:

• A proposal for your play of no more than 1000 words, but includes your basic premise as well as how it will incorporate the required elements
• A ten-page sample of your writing, preferably something that has been intended for a youth/family market 
• Your bio or resume 
• A statement as to why you think you are a good fit for this project
• A description of your proposed timeline, participation and fees 
• If you have interest in the residency program, outline your ideal duration and possible community activities 

Send materials to Attn: Seth Wochensky, Executive Director, scaseth@gmail.com or Springville Center for the Arts, PO Box 62, Springville, NY 14141

VI INTERNATIONAL PLAYWRITING CONTEST - TYA

Website

Deadline: December 20, 2021

The contest aims to encourage writers in the creation of bold and powerful plays for young people. The competition is open to all writers worldwide - there is no age or nationality limit for the entrants

The heart of this competition is the participation of playwrights worldwide, regardless of nationality, age, gender or language.

1. The competition is open to all writers worldwide and there is no age or nationality limit for the entrants.

a) We do accept plays co-authored by more than one writer. Hereafter, ‘writer’ or ‘playwright’ means either a single writer or a group of writers in a collective work.

b) The participation of an underage writer must be authorised by the legal guardian.

2. The competition is restricted to plays for young audiences.

a) We do not accept plays for children or adult audiences.

b) We do not accept musicals.

3. Writers are asked to submit a play for either:

a) Category A (the play must cater for a performance time of no less than 60 min. and no more than two hours).

b) Category B (the play must cater for a performance time of no less than 30 min and no more than one hour).

b) Category C (the play must cater for a performance time of no less than 10 min and no more than 30 min).

4. The play can be written in any official language of the world.

5. The play must be a new and original piece of work. The play must not have been published in any form or awarded previously.

a) The copyright of the play must be owned and/or controlled by the entrant to the full extent necessary to enable Editorial DALYA to use the work as contemplated by these contest rules.

b) Performed plays can be submitted.

6. There is no fee to enter and no hidden costs for the entrants.

7. €12000 in prizes to be won:

a) Category A (4800€)

A cash prize of 2400€ for the writer, translation to another European language, publication and public reading, plus economic aid for performances and public readings of the play within two years after its publication.

b) Category B (3200€)

A cash prize of 1000€ for the writer, translation to another European language, publication and public reading, plus economic aid for the performances and public readings of the play within two years after its publication.

c) Category C (2000€)

A cash prize of 400€ for the writer, translation to another European language, publication and public reading, plus economic aid for the performances and public readings of the play within two years after its publication.

d) Shortlist (2000€)

The shortlisted plays will automatically be considered for publication in Editorial DALYA.

e) Awards cannot be shared or reduced, and the prize must be granted at least in one category.

f) The Jury may award Honourable Mentions without cash prizes to any play of the contest.

 

8. The competition opens on Wednesday 1 September 2021, with the deadline for entry being on Monday 20 December 2021.

a) We do accept up to three plays per writers.

b) Each entry must contain just one play.

9. The play may be submitted via links provided on ytpwc.edalya.com or on Editorial DALYA web page: www.edalya.com. (→Premios →Premio Teatro Joven).

a) The document must contain a front page stating:

1) The title of the play

2) The contest category (A or B or C)

3) Contact e-mail.

c) The writer's name must be deleted from the entry and document to facilitate fair, anonymous judging.

10. An updated list of the plays submitted to the competition will be published on the website of Editorial DALYA.

a) The Jury can change the category at his sole discretion.

b) The organization will send a notification to the writer to confirm that the entry has been accepted.

c) Writers whose plays are not listed or have not received the acceptance of the entry should notify the organization this by email.

d) The entries with no contact email or this is incorrect will be discarded in the finalists selection.

11. Shortlist. The evaluators will assess each play in accordance with the following criteria:

a) Quality of dramatic text and audience appeal (characters, dialogue, story development, style, rhythm…)

b) Promotion of tolerant coexistence among young people, and crafting discussions and problem-solving around their conflict issues

c) Factors that ease the production: cast, set, technical requirements...

12. A short list of 3-6 plays per category will be selected before Tuesday, 15 February 2022.

a) The writers of these plays will be notified by email after selection.

b) The awarded writer must re-submit the play, including personal details (name, headshot, address, nationality...) and CV in the front page.

c) Include the authorisation of the legal guardian, if applicable.

13. Starting Tuesday, 1 Mars 2022, the winner selection process will begin.

14. Winners. The evaluators will assess the shortlisted plays in accordance with the following criteria:

a) Topic (dramatic meaning, originality and adaptation of the topic to drama...)

b) Universality (issues of common interest, engagement, audience devotion…)

c) Number of previous performances (better: none).

15. The Jury will select the winners before Tuesday, 27 Mars 2022.

a) The writers of these plays will be notified by e-mail after selection.

b) The Jury’s verdict will be announced through the website of Editorial DALYA (www.edalya.com), its social network and the media.

c) The Jury’s verdict is final.

16. Payments, publications and economic aids.

a) Non-winner runners-up must send a letter asking their plays to be considered for publication.

b) The cash prize money will be remitted in 2022.

c) To be published, plays must be submitted translated to an official European language, if the writer hadn’t done before. 

d) The economic aids for performances will be announced when the next competition is published.

17. The awarded participants commit making mention of the award in their future publications or performances of the play.

18. Awarded entrants commit themselves to sign a Publisher-Writer agreement with the customary terms of Editorial DALYA, described at: https://www.edalya.com/?Itemid=1755. 

a) Editorial DALYA can publish these plays in any of the official languages of Europe.

b) Plays will be published in the book series of theatre, named “Antonio Mesa Ruiz”

c) Editorial DALYA commits itself to publish an awarded play in ten months plus the periods of force majeure.

d) If it is not formalized, for any reason, the content of the contest rules will be considered as the agreement as regard as the publication of the awarded plays.

19. By entering the Prize, the awarded entrants grant non-exclusive permission to Editorial DALYA, its sponsors and any members of the media to use their résumés and extracts from their plays in publicity and reporting.

20. Entrants are bound to inform the organisation about the awards or publication of their plays before the announcement of the Jury’s verdict. 

21. By entering into the competition, each entrant agrees to be bound by the contest rules. No communication or correspondence will be entered into regarding the non-awarded plays. 

22. By entering into the competition, entrants warrant their plays will not infringe any copyright or intellectual property rights, it does not violate any personal privacy regulations, and it does not violate the rights of any person or entity.

23. The competition is subject to applicable laws and regulations about tax rates.

24. Entrants accept the terms of privacy policy described at: https://www.edalya.com/?Itemid=1699.

25. The competition and its rules will be governed by Spanish law.

 

The Growing Stage 11th Annual New Play-Reading Festival 2021-2022

Website

Deadline: December 31, 2021 Midnight EST

The Growing Stage – The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey is committed to expanding the canon of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) through our New Play-Reading Festival. This program provides a wonderful opportunity for artists to have their unpublished and unproduced work presented before a family audience by a cast consisting of both professional and amateur actors. Four finalists will be selected and one script will be presented as a fully mounted production in the Growing Stage’s 2022-2023 season.

2022 Festival Timeline:

Round 1: March 4th – 6th, 2022
Staged Play Reading
Post-Reading Talkback with Audience, Performers and Playwright (if present)
Printed Feedback provided by audience and artistic team
Private Video Recording of Reading (for playwright only)


Round 2 FINALISTS SHOWCASE: Saturday, April 23, 2022
Each finalist will present 20 minutes of selected scenes.
Written critique will be provided by our educational and artistic teams to each finalist.
Winner will be chosen.

Submission Guidelines:

• Plays should be intended for young audiences through high school age.
• Minimum performance length of approximately 45 minutes.
• Musicals are eligible. Accepted submissions must include a sample recording of the music and lyrics. Please do not send a written score.
• BIPOC plays and playwrights are encouraged.
• Adaptations must include proof that permission has been granted from the author to adapt their work.
• All scripts must be unpublished and not committed to publication.
• No supporting materials accepted.
• Two scripts maximum submission.

How to Apply

STEP 1:

To apply for our festival, please email: newplays@growingstage.com and provide the following details in the body of an email:

• Play title
• Brief synopsis
• Approximate running time
• Cast breakdown
• Intended audience. (i.e. Elementary, Middle School, High School, Family)
• Script aligns with The Growing Stage mission. (Insert link)
• Development History (i.e. previous reading, production, etc.)

Note: Please do not submit your full script with initial inquiry.

Submission Deadline: Midnight, December 31, 2021

STEP 2:

If your initial submission is accepted for our festival, a full script will be requested. When submitting your full script, please follow these guidelines:

Playwright’s name must not be visible anywhere on the script. 

Please include your name, address, phone, and play title in your email submission cover letter.

Playwrights shall allow the release of their names, addresses, and play titles to The Growing Stage.

If you have any questions about the submission guidelines or festival, please contact Danny Campos, Festival Director at newplays@growingstage.com.

SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN!

For More Information, contact: newplays@growingstage.com or call (973) 347-4946

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking short scripts for young audiences.

Website

Deadline: December 31, 2021

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking short scripts (a maximum of 15 minutes) that are geared toward young audiences. 

Priority will be placed on scripts that are ethnically and culturally diverse, and written by writers of color and/or LGBTQ writers. 

This is open to playwrights in any geographic area, though writers in the greater Chicago area will receive priority. NO FEE.

Playwrights will receive $25 per selected script.

Selected plays will be produced summer of 2022 as part of the third annual Make/Believe festival of theatre for children under our Nightlight banner. (Learn more about the 2020 festival here and the 2021 festival here.) This for live, outdoor performances.

Please pay close attention to the script requirements. Scripts that do not meet the following criteria will not be considered.

Requirements

A maximum of 3 actors per script. 

There are no restrictions, however, on the number of characters. 

Please note, that while some directors have chosen to use child actors in past pieces, the intent of this festival is to perform for children, not with children.

Plays must have no technical demands, as this will be outside and there is no lighting or backstage area and minimal sound cues will be available.

Must fit our mission.

Geared toward children 10 and under. Please, NO scripts about high school students.

All props, set pieces and costumes must be easily made at home by actors (and children watching who want to stage their own productions at home).

Pieces can be previously produced, but cannot have a production running concurrently with Make/Believe.

Electronic submissions only, please. Submit cover letter with full contact information, short bio, brief synopsis of script including development and production history (if applicable) and full script to Maria Burnham at scripts@ghostlightensemble.com. Please use the following format in the email’s subject line: Nightlight Script Submission: [play name] - [playwright name]

The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2021.

Purple Crayon Players 14TH ANNUAL PLAYGROUND plays for young audiences

Website

Deadline: November 5, 2021 11:59 PM CDT

APRIL 2022 - NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY'S EVANSTON CAMPUS

Purple Crayon Players (PCP) is pleased to present the 14th Annual Playground Festival of New Works this upcoming year! We seek to uplift new voices and stories in the theatre for young audiences.
WHAT IS PLAYGROUND?

PLAYground is a three-week play development process which culminates in a weekend long festival of staged readings, workshops, and post-show discussions of three new plays for young audiences.

PLAYground fosters the development of each script through partnerships between professional TYA playwrights and Northwestern undergraduate directors and actors, whether it is the work’s first reading or its final workshop before publication or production.

Purple Crayon Players sees PLAYground as an opportunity to empower new works and reexamine theatre-making practices to center care. We aim to help decolonize TYA by supporting artists with fewer layers of protection from oppression (vocabulary courtesy of Nicole Brewer’s Anti-Racist Theatre). Building a more equitable future begins with young people. We seek to expand what representation they can identify with and future worlds they can imagine. We recognize our own limits operating within a predominantly white institution and plan to work collaboratively with our communities to integrate listening and culturally responsive pedagogies into our processes and education. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or hopes for this process.

SELECTED PLAYWRIGHTS RECEIVE:

At least 15 hours of script analysis and workshopping by student cast and director before your arrival

Regular contact with your student director regarding the progress of rehearsals, tailored to meet your development goals

• Assistance funding your trip to Evanston, IL, for the festival weekend
• 2 days of in-person conversation, workshopping, and events with student directors, actors, and others in the Purple Crayon, Northwestern, and TYA communities during the festival weekend*
• Staged reading of your script and facilitated post-show discussion with audiences
• Post-festival feedback from audiences, student directors, and cast members

* At this time, Purple Crayon Players intends to host an in-person festival on the Northwestern University Campus in April 2022. Festival logistics are subject to change based on university, state, and local health guidance. 

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION:

Plays must be intended for young audiences (5-18 years old) - a play is not expected to appeal to this whole age range.

Scripts must be unpublished at the time of submission.

Scripts should be full length (at least 30 minutes) or intended to be developed into a full length piece.

Playwrights can submit up to 3 scripts. Each script must be accompanied by its own cover letter.

Musicals will not be accepted. Plays with music are permitted.

Plays will be evaluated blindly for semi-finalist selections.

YOUR SUBMISSION SHOULD INCLUDE:

A PDF cover letter detailing your contact information, production history of your play, your development goals for the play, and any other relevant information.

A blind PDF copy of your unpublished script. We request scripts without the playwright's name to avoid bias in the selection process.
TO SUBMIT:

Please fill out this Google Form to submit to the Playground Festival.

The deadline to submit is November 5, 2021 at 11:59 PM CST. Plays submitted after the deadline will not be reviewed.

SELECTION OF SEMI FINALISTS AND FINALISTS:

Purple Crayon Players will narrow our submissions to a group of semi-finalists in mid November. We will alert you by the end of November whether or not your play has been selected for semi-familist standing.

We select our 3 finalists in collaboration with our 3 student directors. Finalists will be chosen in mid-December/early-January. All 3 finalists and the remaining semi-finalists will be notified by the end of January whether or not your play has been selected. 

QUESTIONS:

Please contact PLAYgroundTYAfestival@gmail.com with any questions.

Jonathan Van De Loo, Literary Manager
Arella Flur, Playground Festival Producer

Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest 2021

web site

Deadline: December 31, 2021

To encourage the development of quality theatrical materials for the educational, community and children’s theatre markets, Pioneer Drama Service is proud to sponsor the annual Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest.

This is an ongoing contest, with a winner selected by June 1 each year from all eligible submissions received the previous year.  All eligible plays accepted for publication will be considered contest finalists, from which the winner will be selected.  The contest winner will receive a $1,000 royalty advance in addition to publication.

Contest entries must meet all general guidelines and submission requirements.

Individuals currently published by Pioneer Drama Service are not eligible for this contest.  Pioneer Drama Service employees and their families are also excluded.

We accept unsolicited manuscripts that meet the parameters defined in these guidelines. However, we prefer for you to send us a query letter if you are not submitting through one of our playwriting contests. You can also start the submission process by contacting us here.

• We will only consider manuscripts with a running time between 20 and 90 minutes.
• Submissions must be family friendly in both subject and language. NO cursing. NO explicitly adult content.
• We prefer casts that are either balanced or favoring females. The more gender neutral roles, the better.
• We favor plays and musicals with ensemble casts, where more than just a few have a chance to shine.
• Plays with elaborate set, costume or technical requirements are not appealing because of the limited resources of many of our customers. Pictures, sketches or descriptions of your vision are always helpful.
• We recommend your submissions have had at least one production or reading, hopefully staged. We feel this fundamental field test is necessary before a play can be considered for publication since plays are created for the purpose of performance.
• Manuscripts must be computer-printed in dark ink. We do not require specific formatting. However, your efforts to ensure your script is free of misspellings and typos will help the submissions editor.
• We hope that Pioneer Drama is your first choice as a publisher, and we encourage you to submit to us exclusively. However, we do accept simultaneous submissions with the understanding that you will accept the first contract you’re offered and not use the situation to seek multiple offers from which to choose. If you receive another offer, please notify us immediately so we may rescind your submission.

NOTE: If you are not already published by Pioneer Drama Service and your submission meets all other requirements including having had at least one production or staged reading, your play will automatically be entered in the Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest. If you are a faculty member at an accredited K-12 public or private school in the US or Canada, you may also qualify for our A+ Playwriting Contest for Teachers.

Check out our list of past contest winners for examples of desirable submissions.
Submission Requirements

Please be patient. Queries will be answered within approximately one week. Submissions may take up to three months or longer.

The following information must accompany your submission or query:

• 100-200 word synopsis.
• Cast list that indicates the number of female roles, the number of male roles and the number of roles that can be performed by either gender. We do not accept one-person shows.
• Running time.
• CD and/or score for musicals. We appreciate the opportunity to hear the music, if possible.
• Set design(s). Please feel free to provide diagrams and/or pictures.
• Proof of production or staged reading (i.e., review, program, etc.) A DVD of your performance is ideal, though not required.
• Age of intended audience.
• A self-addressed envelope of sufficient size with appropriate postage for the return of your materials. We will NOT return manuscripts or accompanying material if this is not included.
• Cover letter and/or resume.

Please send your query or manuscript and accompanying information to:

Pioneer Drama Service, Inc.
Attn: Submissions Editor
PO Box 4267
Englewood, CO 80155-4267

You may also email us your .txt, .doc or .pdf files after you contact us here.

Pegasus PlayLab 2022

Website

Deadline: October 15, 2021 11:59 PM

SUBMISSION FORM

Pegasus PlayLab is a new play festival at the University of Central Florida dedicated to developing new works by MFA Playwriting candidates or emerging playwrights. 

We are seeking four full-length plays, including devised works and Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) pieces, which we will rehearse for two weeks in collaboration with the playwright and subsequently present as workshop productions. There is a possibility that one play will be fully mounted into a production.

As an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, UCF encourages all qualified applicants to apply, including women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of traditionally underrepresented populations.

To be considered, please complete this form by 11:59pm on October 15, 2021. No late submissions will be accepted. Please limit submissions to ONE play per person. If more than one play is submitted, we will only accept the first submission.