NY THEATER FESTIVAL SPRING/SUMMER and FALL/WINTER 2024

  NY THEATER FESTIVAL

SPRING/SUMMER and FALL/WINTER 2024

25TH CONTINUOUS SEASON

 

THE NEW YORK THEATER FESTIVAL COMPETITION 

for PLAYS and MUSICALS

 TOTAL PRIZES $8,000 • FIRST PRIZE $3,500 • FULL LENGTHS • ONE ACTS • SHORTS • SOLOS

Producing your play or musical is the best way to review and develop your work.

 

TESTIMONIALS

https://newyorktheaterfestival.com/testimonials/

 

ALL PRODUCTIONS CAN OBTAIN A VIDEO RECORDING OF THEIR SHOWS

 

 

WE MAKE A VIDEO RECORDING OF THE PRODUCTION AVAILABLE TO ALL PARTICIPANTS – WE USE FOUR CAMERAS SO PARTICIPANTS HAVE FOUR CAMERAS ANGLES WITH WHICH TO EDIT INTO A COHESIVE CUT.

 

THE FESTIVAL OFFERS RAW FOOTAGE FROM 4 CAMERAS OR CAN SIMPLY DELIVER THE RAW FOOTAGE FROM THE CENTRAL CAMERA’S WIDE ANGLE WHICH CAN FUNCTION AS A RECORDING WITHOUT ANY EDITING REQUIRED.

 

PARTICIPANTS CAN USE THE RECORDING OF THEIR SHOWS AS AN ASSET FOR FUTURE MARKETING AND TO PROVIDE REEL MATERIAL FOR FUTURE INDUSTRY MANAGERS 

 

FURTHERMORE, FILMING THE SHOW MEANS THAT FRIENDS AND FAMILY CAN PURCHASE TICKETS TO ATTEND OVER ZOOM - SPECIFICALLY THOSE WHO CAN'T TRAVEL TO SEE THE PERFORMANCES. THIS MAKES IT AVAILABLE TO ANYONE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY OR THE WORLD

 

When you stage your work, you discover ways to enhance and improve your presentation and story.

This is a unique opportunity to invite people from the industry to see your production! People are more likely to go see a show than to read an unsolicited script - some industry people receive on average thousands of submissions per month. They understand that the journey for a show to be successful often goes through several productions and this is your chance to show that you can start that process! 

Our dedicated team is here to help you get your work out. We are with you from the moment you begin tech rehearsals, all the way through to your closing performance.

You will never be left alone during the process. We will help you choose from the 85 set/furniture pieces we offer to dress your stage for your run, and we will give you a complete crash course on how to use the audio/light/video system in just 3 minutes, which are intentionally designed to be very user friendly. 

 

After we show you how to use the tools we provide and how to best utilize the space, The Festival’s team will provide prime responses to every inquiry, as well as a telephone # you can call anytime during relevant hours throughout the run of your show

 

In 12 years and 22 seasons we have successfully hosted 1,400 plays and 300 musicals, as well as rewarding over 300 participating artists cash prizes.

 

Yours could be the next production onstage!

 

AMERICA'S LARGEST AND MOST PRESTIGIOUS PLAYWRIGHT-MUSICAL FESTIVAL-COMPETITION

 

To submit to the Festival, go to:

https://NewYorkTheaterFestival.com/ 

Send your submissions now – we only accept submissions from playwrights who lives within 30 miles of Manhattan.

 

Campbell Opera Librettist Prize 2024

Website

Deadline:  April 26, 2024, 11:59 p.m. EDT

The Campbell Opera Librettist Prize is an annual award created and funded by Mark Campbell and offered as part of OPERA America’s continuing effort to support individual opera creators.

The Campbell Opera Librettist Prize is awarded to a librettist who has exceptional talent for writing opera librettos, with a growing body of work that is already making a contribution to the American opera literature; and who demonstrates experience writing for opera/music theater and a commitment to making opera a central part of their artistic work and career.

Created and funded by librettist/lyricist Mark Campbell, the Prize is the first award in the history of American opera that specifically recognizes the opera librettist.

The Campbell Opera Librettist Prize is supported by Mark Campbell.
Prize Details

The Campbell Opera Librettist Prize includes a $7,000 direct cash prize. The prize winner will be chosen from applicants by a panel of independent experts.

Eligibility: Librettists who have U.S. citizenship, permanent residence, or DACA status may apply. See the Guidelines below for additional eligibility requirements.

Important Dates & Deadlines
Intent to apply deadline:
(required for access to full application) April 26, 2024, 11:59 p.m. ET
Application deadline: May 24, 2024, 11:59 p.m. ET
Applications adjudicated: June 2024
Grantees notified: July 2024


How to Apply

Review the prize guidelines and application worksheets to apply. All applications must be submitted through OPERA America’s Grants Portal.

More information on website.

FRESHWORDS ANTHOLOGY OF ONE MINUTE HORROR PLAYS ~ 'SHHH! BREATHE SLOW!' (Volume 2)

Website

Deadline; April 25, 2024

FRESH WORDS-AN INTERNATIONAL LITERARY MAGAZINE is open for submissions for its Special One Minute Horror Plays Anthology titled titled 'SHHH! BREATHE SLOW!' (Volume 2) . Please send all submissions to dramaanthologyfreshwords@gmail.com as per the following guidelines:

1. The play should be a 1 minute horror play/monologue.

2. We shall not accept works promoting or glorifying- violence, sexual abuse, racism , hatred or any political ideology.

3. Maximum 3 submissions per playwright.

4. The length of the plays should be decided by the playwright, keeping in mind that the performance time should not exceed 1 minute. (NOTE: if selected the performance rights and intellectual property rights of work will exclusively remain with the playwright, we shall request for one time publication rights in the anthology. The copyright of the work will revert back to the playwright immediately after publication of the anthology.)

5. Also please send a synopsis of the work.

6. All submissions to be sent to dramaanthologyfreshwords@gmail.com

7. Submission deadline: April 25th, 2024. (The selected playwrights will be informed on or before May 3rd, 2024 through email.).

8. Mention YOUR NAME followed by 'SUBMISSION FOR Shhh! Breathe Slow! ANTHOLOGY (Volume 2)' in the subject line of your email.

General Guidelines:

1. All submissions must contain a cover letter and a short literary profile (about 70 words) of the playwright in third person narrative.

2. All submissions must be sent typed in MS Word or PDF doc as attachment with the email.

3. The author should mention:

Legal Name:

Pen name (if any):

Snail mail address:

4. Playwright must send a high resolution photo (JPEG format) of self as a separate attachment with the submission.

5. Simultaneous submissions are welcome but please immediately inform us in case they are accepted elsewhere.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fresh-Words-An-International-Literary-Magazine-106332345070389/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQmmN1p8jcbIa6rUxzCzL2Q

Support us: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/freshwordsmag

NOTE: THERE IS NO SUBMISSION OR PARTICIPATION FEE.

Elliott Hayes Award 2024

Website

Deadline: April 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET

SUBMISSION FORM ONLINE

Named in honor of Elliott Hayes, the former dramaturg and literary manager at The Stratford Festival and a dual citizen of Canada and the USA, this award recognizes excellence in dramaturgical work on a specific project over the past two years. Eligible projects may include, but are not limited to, production, season planning and implementation, educational programming, or advocacy for the profession.
Application Information

Named in honor of Elliott Hayes, the former dramaturg and literary manager at The Stratford Festival and a dual citizen of Canada and the USA, this award recognizes excellence in dramaturgical work on a specific project over the past two years. Eligible projects may include, but are not limited to, production, season planning and implementation, educational programming, or advocacy for the profession.

The recipient of the 2024 Elliott Hayes Award, presented at the annual LMDA conference, will receive $1000 USD and a $500 USD travel stipend to the LMDA conference held in Kansas City, MO.

There is no application fee. Applications will be evaluated through an anonymous application process. The application is open to all.

Applications will be accepted from April 1 at 12:00 AM ET through April 15, 2024, at 11:59 PM ET. All applicants will be notified of the panel decision and the winner will be notified by May 15, 2024. However, the public announcement will be kept private until the presentation of the award at the LMDA Conference in Summer 2024.

Application Guidelines 

1. For the purposes of this application, if you self-identify as a dramaturg, you are a dramaturg. If you come from a culture that does not view dramaturgy as separate from other parts of the creative process, or does not have a word for dramaturgy, and you feel your work fits within the rubric above, please contact us at admin@lmda.org to speak further.
2. All applications must meet the above-mentioned standards for eligibility.
3. Only one application per person.
4. Although we welcome applicants from anywhere in the world, the application must be in English.
5. The application must be a minimum of 500 and a maximum of 4000 words. There will be no reward for brevity nor punishment for length. Within the already stated boundaries, the essay should be exactly as long as it takes for you to make a strong, clear, and cogent argument for the nomination you are putting forth.
6. At this time, we do not have the capability to review secondary materials such as videos or slideshows. Although their inclusion will not disqualify an application, they will not be reviewed. No letters of reference are needed - nor will they be read if sent. As well, please do not include a resume in your application, as we are concerned with only the strength of your proposal and what currently engages you, not your history.
7. In order to facilitate the anonymous application process, you must provide two separate documents in PDF format:
• The first discussing the work with no identifying information (including the name of the work, your name or the name of the person you are nominating, or the city, state or country in which the event took place. In other words, nothing can be included which is searchable on Google or any other search engine. The phrases "the work", "the director", and "the process" are all fine substitutes.
• The second document will include all of the identifying information not present in the first, including your name and contact info or the name and contact information of the person/work you are proposing. Your application will be reviewed by a panel of dramaturgs who represent the extraordinary talent and diversity found within our profession. Only the Executive Director, who collects applications, will see the identifying information. The panelists will not know the identity of the winner until after a decision has been reached.
8. Although you are welcome to propose the work of others, that other person must be known to you, you must have had a real-life interaction with said person, and you must be able to provide contact information for them.
9. Any project you propose cannot have been completed before July 1, 2023. It is fine if the project is still underway. Ideally, it should be completed by December 31, 2024, though exceptions may be made for extraordinary work.
10. Each project may only be proposed once for the Elliott Hayes Award. While there is no limit to the number of years in a row one can apply (see note below), each year must feature a new project.
11. The winner of the award must appear at two conferences, either in person or virtually (using an application such as Zoom.) The first appearance would be to accept the award, and the second to present it to the next year's winner.
12. The winner of the Elliott Hayes Award is required to sit on the next year's adjudication panel.

Note: If you have won or received a special commendation for the Elliott Hayes Award, you may not reapply for three years.

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact Lindsey R. Barr, Executive Director, at admin@lmda.org

We look forward to your consideration!

Southard Grange Playhouse seeks 10-minute plays

Facebook Page

Deadline: April 19, 2024

Submit to: thegrangeplayhouse218@gmail.com

Theme: New Beginnings (This could be a new beginning, new chapter in life, starts over...)

Show Dates: August 2-4 & 11, 2024

Rules & Process

• Remember to stick to the theme
• Seeking original comedic and dramatic short plays
• Short plays should be 5-10 mins preferred (maximum 15 mins & minimum 3 mins.)
• Plays must be no longer than 15 pages
• Plays should have no more than 0-2 scene changes
• Plays should include no more than 5 characters
• Plays should be in standard play script format
• Please number the pages on your script
• Playwrights may submit more than one play, but please be sure your name and email is on the title page of each script
• The Grange is a family theatre - no nudity or excessive swearing
• No royalties or payment will be provided to playwrights, should their play be chosen

Weesageechak Begins to Dance festival seeks Indigenous artists

Website

Deadline: April 19, 2024 at 11:59 PM (EDT)

SUBMISSION FORM

Weesageechak Begins to Dance festival is a celebration of new works and works-in-development which fosters the development of Indigenous work and artists from across Canada and around the world.

Each November, Native Earth selects theatre, dance, opera and multidisciplinary works reflecting Indigenous performing arts to be presented, or to receive development support and a workshop production or reading during the two-week festival. We encourage national and international Indigenous performing artists of all disciplines and at any stage in their career to apply.

We are continuing to welcome submissions for digital offerings (including but not limited to: pre-recorded content, music videos, dance shorts, multidisciplinary works, et cetera) in this year’s Weesageechak Begins to Dance as part of our goal to connect and share Indigenous Arts with communities near & far – across Turtle Island and beyond. The 37th annual Weesageechak Begins to Dance Festival will present both in-person works at our Aki Studio in t’karonto along with select digital content on our online and digital channels over the course of the festival.

Working on a new stand-up or spoken word set? Are you a singer, musician, or perhaps a clown? We’d love to hear from you!

Curated by a committee, select pieces receive dramaturgical support, rehearsal time and a public showing in November. In order for a submission to be eligible, the primary artist or artists must identify as Indigenous.*

938collective seeks plays for short play festival

 Website

Deadline: April 22, 2024

SUBMISSION FORM

This year, 938collective will be hosting its second annual short play festival on Friday, June 14, and Saturday, June 15, at 8:00 PM.

What makes our short play festival model unique is its invitation to respond to a theme and collaborate with artists across all backgrounds and identities.

In anticipation of our event, we leave prospective playwrights with a breadcrumb in verse: 

          Girls and boys, come out to play,

          The moon doth shine as bright as day

          Leave your supper, and leave your sleep,

          And come with your playfellows into the street.

Whether you want to use something you’ve already written or feel moved to start a new project, our only rule is not to bring in a piece that you deem FINAL. We hope to cultivate an environment where the playwright’s work is a malleable entity—open to a workshop and open to feedback. 

The application below is also open to interested directors. Playwrights and directors will work closely together throughout this process and support all iterations of the plays presented, bringing our plays to life! 

This festival is a fantastic opportunity to get work on its feet in front of a supportive audience, and we encourage playwrights and directors of all experience levels to submit with us.

If you have any questions regarding the festival process or the form procedure, please feel free to email us at 938collective@gmail.com

Playwright and Director submissions are due by the end of the day on Monday, April 22nd.

SUBMISSION CRITERIA

Plays are 10 - 15 minutes in length

Nothing that has been previously produce

PDF Upload

Accessible Link

938collective proudly accepts and encourages submissions from artists of any and all backgrounds, identities, ethnicities, and abilities. We believe in fostering an inclusive environment where every voice is celebrated and valued.

The Black and Latino Playwrights Celebration 2024

Website

Deadline: April 15, 2024

The Black and Latino Playwrights Celebration is a workshop and showcase featuring the work of student and professional Black and Latino playwrights.

April 15, 2024 deadline will be considered. Notification of selected writers by June 30, 2024.

Play scripts may be delivered by regular mail, in person or using the submission form. Include a stamped self-addressed envelope if you wish your manuscript returned. 

Send manuscripts to:

Department of Theatre & Dance | Texas State University

601 University Drive San Marcos, Texas 78666

ATTN: Black and Latino Playwrights Celebration

The DGF Fellows program 2024

Website

Deadline: April 19, 2024 11:59 PM 

Or after they have received 350 submissions

They have reached their limit.

In order to be eligible for the NYC Fellowship Fellows must:

• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Reside in the NYC tri-state area and able attend each monthly meeting. 

The DGF Fellows program is a year-long New York City-based intensive for professional dramatists who are looking to develop their existing work at the next level of their careers. The Fellows program is a free program hosted by the Dramatists Guild Foundation, designed to eliminate historical barriers of entry for many emerging dramatists.

This cohort of playwrights, composers, lyricists, librettists, and bookwriters will work together under the guidance and leadership of prominent program chairs to develop their current work in pursuit of further development and production.

This year, the program will work as an accelerator program for dramatists with existing works still in their revision process. Within the structure of the program is a uniquely successful format of partnering playwrights and musical theater writers during the learning process. Fellows who are selected will receive a $5,000 scholarship, access to career resources, and the opportunity to partner with several arts organizations.

Additionally, the program provides its Fellows with one-on-one mentoring from accomplished professionals in the field who help them hone their process, find their unique voice, and revise and edit existing work ready for development. At the end of the program, each Fellow will have an opportunity to participate in a presentation of their work for top theater professionals.

Please note: In keeping our promise of transparency, please be aware that applications for the 2024-2025 DGF Playwriting Fellowship will close at 350 submissions or on April 19th 2024, whichever happens first. This will allow us to make a decision on applications in a timely manner. We look forward to reading your applications. A virtual info session will be held on April 4th for anyone interested in learning more about the fellowship before applying.

STAGED RADIO THEATRE COMPANY SEEKING H. G. WELLS ADAPTED SCRIPTS FOR HALLOWEEN 2024 ANTHOLOGY

Website

Deadline: June 1, 2024

The Post-Meridian Radio Players, based in Eastern Massachusetts, is seeking one to two original script adaptations of the novels or short stories of H.G. Wells. PMRP’s work pays homage to the golden age of radio, and our productions take place as staged readings before a live audience, with sound effects performed live. Since 2006, we have brought original and public domain radio plays to life in our distinctive format, which includes script-in-hand actors and live foley artists.

Our 2024 Halloween anthology will honor the science fiction works of author H.G.Wells. We are inviting submissions of 50-60 minute adaptations of Wells’ novels or 25-30-minute adaptations of Wells’ shorter works. Submission is free, and playwrights can submit more than one adaptation, so long as all are H. G. Wells’ canon.

Guidelines are as follows (please read carefully):

Deadline is June 1, 2024. Scripts must be submitted via email to info@pmrp.org in either PDF, DOC, DOCX, or Google Doc format. If all you have is a paper script, please scan it into PDF. We won’t be accepting submissions via physical mail.

Script must be a radio theatre adaptation of a public domain novel or short work by science fiction author H.G. Wells. If you don’t know whether the work you adapted is in the public domain, just ask us. We’ll research that for you. (Works first published in 1928 or earlier are definitely in the public domain in the US; for H. G. Wells works published after that it depends whether copyright was renewed.)

Scripts must be in English. No musicals, please.

Scripts should be free of most blocking or other stage direction meant for a fully staged production. Our shows are performed at microphones, with the full cast and foley team visible to the audience at all times. If you’ve never adapted for radio theatre before, please don’t worry about getting the format right the first time. If selected, we’ll work closely with you to turn your script into a radio script (we’ve even adapted silent films for radio!).

We welcome both traditional treatment of Wells’ material and unique treatments, such as placing the story in a different time period or a different part of the world. As a performance entity, we are committed to EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion).

Please avoid sending scripts that contain characters or music under copyright from different fictional universes/franchises. As an example, we don’t want to see mash-ups containing characters from Rocky Horror, Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc, nor published music under current copyright.

Playwrights whose work is selected for production will be paid a royalty of $15 per performance. We most often have 6 performances per run. Submissions are welcome from anywhere in the world, but you must be able to legally accept your royalty payment in US funds. You will also receive a comp ticket to see a performance, should you wish.

In the case of multiple submissions please send each submission in its own email, with your name and the name of the H. G. Wells adaptation in the title.

Please send submissions to info@pmrp.org.

To learn more about PMRP and what we do, please visit us here:

• https://pmrp.org/
• https://www.youtube.com/@PostMeridianRadio
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/390518088203452
• https://podcast.pmrp.org/

Cultivate Theatre Project is seeking 3 playwrights for our inaugural 2024 workshop and performance.

Website

Deadline: April 24, 2024 11:59 EDT

SUBMIT VIA GOOGLE DOC FORM

About Cultivate Theatre Project

Cultivate Theatre Project is a transdisciplinary conservation-theatre project aimed to foster science identity, environmental stewardship, and science communication in the theatre industry by empowering theatre artists to see themselves as participants of science and agents of change within their medium.

Science Identity + Artists

Science identity can be defined as one’s willingness to participate and expectation to succeed in science activities. Fostering science identity in artist communities has implications on our ability to become effective science communicators with widespread audiences. This positioning that artists have creates opportunities for connecting audiences emotionally with conservation topics and inspiring environmentally-conscious behavior changes.

What We Are Looking For

CTP 2024 is seeking 3 playwrights (early career are welcome to submit) to participate in a 2-day workshop with science literacy; nature connection; and environmental stewardship activities, culminating in a reading of 3 new short plays (15-20 minutes each) based on an environmental issue local to New York City. Each playwright will be expected to create one new short play for the reading during the week of June 2nd, to be submitted to the artistic director by the end of the day on Friday, June 7th. Playwrights will be present for the full rehearsal period and performance.


Ideal candidates will:
- Share in the mission and vision of Cultivate Theatre Project to open the gates to science participation and conservation action for both artists and audiences
- Work collaboratively with their artistic team (playwright, directors, actors) as well as with the partnering environmental organization, if applicable, on approaches to science communication in theatrical work
- Craft plays that creatively bridge art and science for unique storytelling with resources provided by Cultivate Theatre Project
- Effectively incorporate learnings from the workshop into the plays
- Meaningfully engage with the audience in the post-performance talkback


Contract Details

Required Dates + Itinerary

Friday, May 31st: Tour and environmental stewardship activities at Kingsland Wildflowers and Newtown Creek in partnership with the Newtown Creek Alliance

Saturday, June 1st: Science literacy and nature connection activities

Sunday, June 9th: Rehearsals, performance of short plays, and audience talkback at the Center for Performance Research

(Recommended, but not required) 

Thursday, May 30th 6-8pm - Virtual Orientation and Meet-and-Greet

Pay

For CTP 2024, we are able to offer a stipend of $100 to each playwright. This is a non-union contract.

Submission Instructions

For consideration, please complete and upload 2-3 writing samples of theatrical work in the Google Form provided. Submissions close on 4/24 at 11:59pm EST. For more information, please visit www.cultivatetheatreproject.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!


Cultivate Theatre Project welcomes and encourages artists of any gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and physical ability to submit.

East/West Playfest seeks short plays

Website

Deadline: April 26, 2024

Call for Scripts: East/West PlayFest

Eastbound Theatre, a division of the Milford Arts Council, once again partners with Westport Community Theatre for a program of original short plays under the banner of “East/West PlayFest 2024”.

East/West PlayFest seeks short one-act plays for production in July. 

 
Six finalists will receive a production of their play, with 2 outdoor performances at the Milford Historical Society. The program will be repeated the following weekend at Westport Community Theater.

Email submissions to ebtmac@gmail.com.
Attachments can be doc, rtf or pdf files.

Hard copy submissions can be sent to:

East/West PlayFest
Milford Arts Council
40 Railroad Avenue South
Milford, CT 06460


DETAILS
Playwrights should submit play(s) on or before April 26, 2024.

Submissions must be unpublished one-act plays of approximately 10-15 pages in length.

Please do not submit more than two plays.

There is no submission fee.

Playwrights will maintain all rights to their material.

Finalists will be notified via email unless the playwright requests otherwise.

Joining Sword & Pen 2023-2024 Competition

Website

Deadline: April 16, 2024 Midnight

Submission Requirements for the Current Round of Joining Sword & Pen

For this round of the competition, we’re looking for submissions from playwrights of underrepresented genders. This includes cis women, trans women, trans men, non-binary people, and those who are otherwise marginalized based on gender.

Inspirational image

What We’re Looking For

1. The moment depicted in the inspirational image (above) must be physically dramatized/incorporated into the play. We want to (literally) perform that moment on stage. Include the page number of your script where the contest’s image is depicted in your submission email.

2. Scripts must be inclusive of the BIPOC community. Whether the script lends itself to characters being played by actors of any race/ethnicity or whether it includes stories that are race-specific, BIPOC characters must not be limited to secondary or background characters.

3. Joining Sword & Pen (JS&P) submissions are due NO LATER than midnight on April 16, 2024.

4. All JS&P submissions must be new, full length, original works, inspired by the artwork that is the focus of the contest. Previously written, workshopped, published or performed submissions will not be considered and we will not contact you. Please do not insert the contest image into an existing script.

5. Please email your JS&P submission in a PDF file to swordandpen@babeswithblades.org. The filename must start with the title of the play (ex. “Patchwork Drifter.pdf”). If the title of the play begins with “the,” “a,” or “an,” please place that article at the end of the title (ex. “Last Daughter of Oedipus, The.pdf”).

IMPORTANT: This will be a BLIND SUBMISSION PROCESS.

Script submissions for JS&P accepted between August 19, 2023 and April 16, 2024.

Want more info? Contact swordandpen@babeswithblades.org.

Your email submission should contain two separate attachments:

a) Your cover page. 

    INCLUDE:The play’s title
    Playwright’s name and full contact information (phone numbers, email, mailing address).

b) Your script. INCLUDE:The page number on which the contest’s image is incorporated.

• A synopsis.
• A character list specifying the gender of each character. “Open gender” is an option. If it’s important that a character is cisgender or transgender, please specify this.
• If it’s important that a character is of a particular racial/ethnic background (including white), please specify this. Characters of unspecified racial/ethnic background will not be automatically assumed to be white.

DO NOT INCLUDE ANY contact information, of any kind, in the body of your script. An author’s identity will only be revealed to the ensemble once a selection has been made.

6. The winner of the contest agrees to participation in the Fighting Words new plays program (workshops and festival reading – dates TBD), and grants Babes With Blades Theatre Company rights to produce the world premiere production of the winning play. Production dates are TBD for Spring 2026 (subject to change).

Things to consider:

• Our mission statement: Babes With Blades Theatre Company uses stage combat to tell stories that elevate the voices of underrepresented communities and dismantle the patriarchy. Through performance, script development, training and outreach, our ensemble creates theatre that explores the wide range of the human experience, and cultivates broader perspectives in the arts community and in society as a whole.
• We do not accept or produce musical scripts.
• Both our venues and our budgets tend to be small.
• If your play does not pass the Bechdel Test, it is unlikely to fit our mission.
• If your play does not include stage combat, it does not fit our mission.
• Characters fight as a realization of high narrative stakes. Scenes of characters training to fight are usually lacking in stakes.
• If your script includes sexualized violence, consider whether the sexualization is truly necessary to the story. Sometimes it is; often it’s not.

Click here to learn more about "Joining Sword & Pen"

Surfside Playhouse call for one-act plays for readers' theater "From the Script to the Stand"

Website

Deadline: April 8, 2024

Submissions for one act plays or original songs from an original musical

Material should be 5-20 minutes in length

One submission per person

Email submissions to nancymaticanbock@gmail.com by April 8th; subject line Readers’ Theater submission.

Join us for the next performance of Readers’ Theater “From the Script to the Stand” presented by Surfside Playhouse. Come hear an assortment of one act original works directed/moderated by Nancy Matican-Bock. Enjoy a short talkback at the completion of each individual performance with the writers and actors.

May 4th at 2 pm

TYPE ! Magazine publishes micro-plays

Website

Deadline: rolling basis

Thank you for considering sharing your work. TYPE! is free to read — we cannot pay for submissions or chosen work, but we will work with authors to promote the piece and their other writing. We also require written confirmation that submissions are original work.

Please note – due to the high number of submissions we receive we will only respond to those we wish to publish, however we do read EVERY submission. Submission also carries no guarantee of inclusion or feedback.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Tell us a story in six words ~ #RuleOfSix

Fiction ~ 1,000 words or fewer

Flash Fiction ~ 400 words or fewer

Poetry ~ 200 words or fewer

Micro-plays ~ 1-2 pages long

Micro-films ~ 1-2 pages long

Illustrations ~ Please send black and white work only

If you have work you would like to submit that is not listed here, please review our past issues first, then, if you think your work might fit, get in touch. To submit illustrations, email them to george@inquisitivetype.com

Please send in your writing via the submission form online!

UpStage Napa Valley’s PlayFest 2024

Website

Deadline: April 15, 2024

UpStage Napa Valley’s PlayFest 2024 will take place October 11th - 13th, 18th - 20th & 27th - 19th at Grace Episcopal Church on Spring Street in St. Helena.

This local event focuses on short, 10-15-minute plays, a genre that began in the late1970's and has soared in popularity, becoming one of the most popular and accessible types of plays today.

Due to it's popularity, Playfest 2023 saw two festival performances become professionally published following the showcase. One of the writers, San Francisco playwright, Susan Jackson, who wrote, “A Razing in Missouri,”is set to write an exclusive full-length show for the UpStage Napa Valley theater company to be performed early next year.

With a focus on social issues, UpStage Napa Valley offers thought-provoking productions.

Upstage Napa Valley is calling all playwrights & aspiring writers to submit their works for it's Fourth Annual playwriting festival,
RULES:

- Theme: "Just a bit outside"

- Must Be An Original Play

- 15 Minutes Long

- No More Than Three Characters

- One Set

- One Play Submission Per Person
‍
Please submitted
your play to
‍info@upstagenapavalley.org.
‍Deadline is April 15, 2024.
‍
Selected plays will be announced in mid-June.

Torch Literary Arts publishes original creative work by Black women writers

Website

Deadline: rolling basis

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Torch Literary Arts welcomes submissions of original creative work by Black women writers. We are interested in work that challenges and disrupts preconceived notions of what contemporary writing by Black women should be. Your stories and poems are valuable and necessary. Write freely and submit what you are excited to share with the world.

Submissions are accepted for Friday Features only. We accept submissions on a rolling basis.

Simultaneous submissions to other journals are welcome as long as they are identified as such and we are notified immediately upon acceptance elsewhere.

Manuscript Submission Guidelines
Include a one (1) page cover letter noting the title(s) of the work(s) submitted.

Upload your text submission as a Word (DOC, DOCX) or portable document format/PDF (PDF).

Typed, double-spaced (poetry may be single-spaced) pages.

Numbered pages.

Margins should be set at no less than 1” and no greater than 1.5”.

Poetry: submit up to five (5) poems totaling no more than eight (8) pages.

Fiction, Hybrid genre: 12-point font. No more than ten (10) pages or 2500 words (whichever is achieved first). Excerpts of longer works are welcome if self-contained.

Drama/Screenwriting: submit one act or a collection of short scenes no longer than ten (10) pages. Excerpts of longer works are welcome if self-contained. Indicate if a performance video or dramatic audio reading will be available with the text submission if selected.

Restrictions
We do not reprint previously published work for TORCH Friday Features.

Submitting Online
We accept submissions via our online submission management system only. Submissions via postal mail or email will be discarded without response.

Notifications and Queries

Please allow up to three months for a decision. Using our online submissions system, you will be able to track the status of your submission.

Publication & Compensation
Publication is online at TorchLiteraryArts.org, unless expressly stated for special publications.

Authors whose work is selected for a Friday Feature will receive a $100 (US) payment for publication.

All rights revert back to the author after publication.

Awards

All work accepted for publication will be considered for nomination for internal and external awards such as The Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, etc.

Rosedale Community Players One Act Fest

Website

Deadline: April 7, 2024

The Rosedale Community Players One Act Fest is coming back and we're now accepting original scripts.

Submission guidelines:

- Plays must be original, and unpublished. Please let us know if plays have been produced before.

- Plays should be suitable for a black box theatre setting, meaning the settings should be simple or suggested.

- There is no restriction on the genre or theme of the play. However, please ensure that the content is suitable for a diverse audience.

Submission deadline is Sunday April 7th

Email scripts to: scripts@rosedalecommunityplayers.com

Sesame Workshop Writers’ Room Fellowship

Website

Deadline: April 8, 2024 12 PM EDT

APPLICATION FORM

Sesame Workshop Writers’ Room is a writing fellowship from the creators of Sesame Street. And we’re looking for YOU!

Fresh new writing talent that reflect the diversity of our vast audience. Emerging storytellers who are selected to join the Writers’ Room will receive hands-on writing experience guided by Sesame Street veterans and other media industry leaders. Each participant will develop and write a pilot script for their own original kids concept. Past fellows have gone on to develop their own original content with Sesame Workshop, as well as write for Sesame Street and various programs at Nickelodeon, Disney, DreamWorks, and more! Learn about the 2023 fellows and speakers below.

• About the ProgramUp to 8 writers will be selected 
• Sessions are expected to take place virtually from July to August 2024
• Learn from industry writers, producers, agents and executives 
• Learn and complete all steps of creating an original pilot episode script
• Includes eight, three-hour sessions on creating original children’s content 
• Up to two participants will have the opportunity to receive creative development deals and further mentorship

What Are the Requirements?

Application information when available will be posted here along with a link to the application. See Terms and Conditions and FAQ for any additional questions or contact us at writersroom@sesame.org.

Application Check List

Application form: Application must be submitted by April 8th, 2024 12PM EST. Applications for the 2024 Fellowship Program will open on Friday, March 8th, 2024. Original script sample: 11-page maximum; should NOT contain Sesame Street elements, characters, or intellectual property; can be an excerpt from a larger piece wholly written by the applicant; must model a 3 act story structure; and be kid-friendly content for viewers up to age 12…we’re looking for great characters and stories that inspire kids to be smarter, stronger and kinder!

Resumes: 2-page maximum. Anything longer will be disqualified. More info on your script: what’s the bigger picture/idea of your script sample? (up to 100 words)

Personal statement: tell us about yourself, for example, why you want to write for children’s educational media, how your experiences influence the stories you tell, why you value diversity/representation in children’s media, etc. (up to 250 words)

27th Annual Theatre Southwest Festival of Originals

Website

Deadline: April 20, 2024

Theatre Southwest of Houston, Texas is now accepting entries from now until April 20, 2024 for the 27th Annual Theatre Southwest Festival of Originals! The TSW-FOO is FREE to enter with the Production to be mounted July 26th thru August 10th, 2024. Once again we are calling for short one act (20 minute) plays in any and all genres from all over the country and the world. 

Please check below for submission guidelines and see how you can enter for a chance to win a cash prize and to see your work produced.

Submission Guidelines:

• Each playwright may submit up to 2 plays for consideration.
• All entries should be unpublished and previously unproduced in the Houston area.
• All Genres are accepted.
• Monologues or One Actor plays are not accepted.

Plays should be 20 minutes in length (give or take a minute or two). Page count should be no less than 17, but no more than 22 pages. 12 point font (Courier, Arial or Times New Roman)

There is no maximum limit of characters or sets, but common sense should be used as 5 plays will be produced in one evening.

Number all pages of the scripts, and scripts MUST be securely bound with brads or three hole punch folder. Preferably no staples.

Scripts must be submitted by postal mail ONLY. We apologize for the inconvenience of mailed in hard copies for all domestic entities, but the fest does make exceptions for overseas entries. If you are entering from another country you may email a PDF to: mimiholloway@gmail.com This is also the email to address any questions.

Be sure to include your contact information; phone number, email, and mailing address on the title page of each script.

List all characters with a brief character description.

Please include a one paragraph synopsis of the play.

Make sure all mailed entries are POSTMARKED by April 20, 2024. Or for overseas entries emailed before 11:59 p.m. on April 20, 2024.

Scripts (hard copies) cannot be returned.

One hundred dollars will be paid to all playwrights selected for production.

Scripts should be mailed to:

Theatre Southwest
8944 Clarkcrest St.
Houston, Texas 77063-4004
Attn: TSW-FOO

NY THEATER FESTIVAL SPRING/SUMMER and FALL/WINTER 2024

 NY THEATER FESTIVAL

SPRING/SUMMER and FALL/WINTER 2024

25TH CONTINUOUS SEASON

 

THE NEW YORK THEATER FESTIVAL COMPETITION 

for PLAYS and MUSICALS

 TOTAL PRIZES $8,000 • FIRST PRIZE $3,500 • FULL LENGTHS • ONE ACTS • SHORTS • SOLOS

Producing your play or musical is the best way to review and develop your work.

 

TESTIMONIALS

https://newyorktheaterfestival.com/testimonials/

 

ALL PRODUCTIONS CAN OBTAIN A VIDEO RECORDING OF THEIR SHOWS

 

 

WE MAKE A VIDEO RECORDING OF THE PRODUCTION AVAILABLE TO ALL PARTICIPANTS – WE USE FOUR CAMERAS SO PARTICIPANTS HAVE FOUR CAMERAS ANGLES WITH WHICH TO EDIT INTO A COHESIVE CUT.

 

THE FESTIVAL OFFERS RAW FOOTAGE FROM 4 CAMERAS OR CAN SIMPLY DELIVER THE RAW FOOTAGE FROM THE CENTRAL CAMERA’S WIDE ANGLE WHICH CAN FUNCTION AS A RECORDING WITHOUT ANY EDITING REQUIRED.

 

PARTICIPANTS CAN USE THE RECORDING OF THEIR SHOWS AS AN ASSET FOR FUTURE MARKETING AND TO PROVIDE REEL MATERIAL FOR FUTURE INDUSTRY MANAGERS 

 

FURTHERMORE, FILMING THE SHOW MEANS THAT FRIENDS AND FAMILY CAN PURCHASE TICKETS TO ATTEND OVER ZOOM - SPECIFICALLY THOSE WHO CAN'T TRAVEL TO SEE THE PERFORMANCES. THIS MAKES IT AVAILABLE TO ANYONE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY OR THE WORLD

 

When you stage your work, you discover ways to enhance and improve your presentation and story.

This is a unique opportunity to invite people from the industry to see your production! People are more likely to go see a show than to read an unsolicited script - some industry people receive on average thousands of submissions per month. They understand that the journey for a show to be successful often goes through several productions and this is your chance to show that you can start that process! 

Our dedicated team is here to help you get your work out. We are with you from the moment you begin tech rehearsals, all the way through to your closing performance.

You will never be left alone during the process. We will help you choose from the 85 set/furniture pieces we offer to dress your stage for your run, and we will give you a complete crash course on how to use the audio/light/video system in just 3 minutes, which are intentionally designed to be very user friendly. 

 

After we show you how to use the tools we provide and how to best utilize the space, The Festival’s team will provide prime responses to every inquiry, as well as a telephone # you can call anytime during relevant hours throughout the run of your show

 

In 12 years and 22 seasons we have successfully hosted 1,400 plays and 300 musicals, as well as rewarding over 300 participating artists cash prizes.

 

Yours could be the next production onstage!

 

AMERICA'S LARGEST AND MOST PRESTIGIOUS PLAYWRIGHT-MUSICAL FESTIVAL-COMPETITION

 

To submit to the Festival, go to:

https://NewYorkTheaterFestival.com/ 

Send your submissions now – we only accept submissions from playwrights who lives within 30 miles of Manhattan.

 

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS OF NEW WORKS FOR THE STAGE BY NATIVE AMERICAN ARTISTS

Website

Deadline: April 1, 2024

Creative Nations, an all indigenous-led artists collective founded at The Dairy Arts Center in Boulder, Colorado, is launching the First Storyteller’s Festival in 2024. The festival is focused on developing new work from Indigenous artists across the continent. We are purposely avoiding defining the festival by any specific genre, and encourage creators from any discipline that is performed on a “stage” to submit (with the word “stage” being loosely defined).

The festival will take place in Boulder, CO in the fall of 2024 (dates to be announced soon). The event will include:

Staged readings (or the equivalent for different genres) of pieces in early stage development

Workshop production of a piece by a member of Creative Nations

Educational workshops for community members and artists

Panel discussions to engage the Boulder arts community in the future of Indigenous storytelling for the stage

One of the core tenets of Creative Nations is that we compensate all artists for their time at a fair wage or we don’t do the project. All artists whose work is selected will receive the following:

Transportation to/from Boulder and housing for the festival week

A monetary award (that you will NOT have to spend to cover expenses)

A paid director and cast to rehearse the piece with, leading to a public reading

Networking among your Native artist peers

Education opportunities at our workshops

An invitation to join our newly established writer’s group, to continue developing work with other Native artists

Submissions and questions should be sent to FirstStorytellersFestival at gmail dot com by April 1st, 2024. We will notify everyone who submits whether or not they were selected. There is NO FEE to submit (as there never should be).

To submit, please send:

• A pdf of your script
• A link to a google drive folder/dropbox/youtube with any additional music files
• The following information about you in the body of your email:
• Name
• Tribal affiliation
• Location (reservation or city/state)
• Name of the piece
• Development history of the piece
• Any artists already attached to the project (director, choreographer, actor, etc)
• A brief bio

We may be able to fly in one additional person from your creative team, in addition to local resources you’ll have

This opportunity is only open to Indigenous artists who create for the stage based on Turtle Island (North America). 

Liberation Theatre Company Writing Residency Program 2024/25

Website

Deadline: April 1, 2024 11:59 PM

APPLICATION FORM

Liberation Theatre Company (LTC), a Harlem, New York-based independent theatrical producer and playwright development company established in 2009, is inviting applications from early-career Black playwrights to participate in the seventh year of our Writing Residency Program for 2024-2025. The residency is supported by the New York State Council on the Arts.

It is a rare opportunity burgeoning playwrights have to hone their craft under their own vision through provided resources from an organization that only seeks to uplift their voices. For that I owe Liberation Theater Company an unlimited amount of gratitude. Nathaniel Johnson - Residency Playwright 2017/18

The Writing Residency Program will select four early-career playwrights and provide them with dramaturgical and professional support over a ten-month period, during which time they will each be required to complete a new full-length play.

Beginning in May 2024, selected playwrights will attend monthly group meetings to share and refine their works-in-progress in a collaborative, energized setting; meet individually with LTC’s Artistic Director and staff who will provide additional support for their artistic needs, concerns and process; and have the resources of a director and professional actors during a table reading as their play begins to take shape.

Additionally, through connections with the larger New York City theatrical community, LTC will provide access to theatre tickets (when available) and seek to support, inspire, and assist playwrights in any way a small and dedicated company can.

The Residency will conclude in February 2025, with the possibility of public/virtual readings, to be determined by LTC staff, of each playwright’s finished play. Upon successful completion of the program, each playwright will receive an honorarium.

Eligibility

To be considered for the Writing Residency Program all applicants must be a) residents of New York City at the time of participation (May 2024 – February 2025). b) Applicants must have written at least two full-length plays or three one-act plays. c) The applicant must not have received a production of any of their work that was more developed than a Showcase presentation under the Actors’ Equity Association production code.

Application Submission Procedure

To be considered for the 2024 - 2025 Writing Residency Program, Liberation Theatre Company will only accept submissions via this online form. If you have quetions about the program or the application process, please email: info@liberationtheatrecompany.org.

The following materials must be uploaded and submitted in PDF or DOCX form no later than 11:59 PM EST on Monday, April 1, 2024. 

Make sure that all documents are properly labeled with your name. 

• Completed Online Application Form 
• Letter of Intent. This should be limited to 1,000 words and address all of the following points: 
• Your writing career thus far and where you feel you are in your creative and professional life.
• Your career goals and how you will use the Residency to further those goals.
• Briefly describe the play you will complete over the 10-month program. 
• Why you feel ready for a rigorous residency such as this. 
• Have you participated in a residency/fellowship before? If so, describe your experience.

Anything else you think may be relevant.

• A 10-page Work Sample that best represents you as a playwright
• The full script from which you selected your 10-page work sample
• Your playwriting resume (not a bio). Please include your website if you have one and one personal or professional reference, with the person’s title or institutional affiliation, phone number and email address. (Referrer must be someone familiar with you and your work.)

Neurodivergent New Play Series seeks full-length plays

Instagram 

Deadline: rolling basis

The Neurodivergent New Play Series - an ongoing play reading series dedicated to empowering neurodivergent playwrights in NYC since 2023 - is accepting recurring submissions as we prepare for our 2024-25 Season.

All submissions should be for full-length plays between 45 to 180 minutes long and may have received a previous reading or production outside of NYC, as long as they are unpublished. All neurodivergent/disabled writers (autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, OCD, Tourette's, etc.) at all stages of their careers are encouraged to apply - especially BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and female-identifying writers. There is no submission fee or any other fee for being involved in this process.

Plays can be of any genre, although we are especially seeking works that challenge traditional methods of storytelling & have something important to say about the world that isn't being heard enough. We ask that you submit only one play every 30 days during our recurring submissions process. If one of our Resident Directors is interested in your work, we will reach out via email.

Learn more and submit your work at our official play submissions URL: https://form.jotform.com/223378604825057

Follow @neurodivergentplays on Instagram and Facebook or go to www.linktr.ee/neurodivergentplays to learn more.

Zoomers in April

Memberships are available for NYCPlaywrights Zoomers - we meet on Zoom each Monday at 7PM to do readings of our work. 

Workshops are a great way to meet fellow playwrights, commiserate about the challenges of crafting a good play and celebrate victories, whether getting a full-blown production or finally getting a tricky scene to work. 

👉 You can sit in on a Monday session for free - email nancy@nycplaywrights.org to request a spot.

Check out our website here

 ~ https://nycp-zoomers.blogspot.com

How do our meetings work? Find out here 

~ https://nycp-zoomers.blogspot.com/2023/12/welcome-to-nycplaywrights-zoomers-some.html

Here are Frequently Asked Questions 

~ https://nycp-zoomers.blogspot.com/p/zoomers-frequently-asked-questions-faq.html

Would you like more information? Email nancy@nycplaywrights.org

Dramatists Guild End of Play® event

Website

The next round of End of Play.® starts April 1, 2024. (Pens up on April 1; pens down on April 30!) Stay tuned for more information on how to register!

Want to get more involved? Take your End of Play.® experience one step further, and become a Volunteer Event Coordinator. Plan a kick-off party, a silent writing session, or another event of your choice for your End of Play.® community!

Fostering an artistic community is more important than ever before. Once you've signed up to participate in the End of Play.® writing challenge, help us spread the word! Share that you'll be doing End of Play.® on social media, using #EndOfPlay. Maybe you can even inspire a friend or two to join you on your End of Play.® journey!

Any questions can be directed to Lily Dwoskin or Jordan Stovall.

Happy World Theater Day!

 

More about World Theater (or Theatre) Day

Spray Paint Magazine seeking scripts

 Website

Deadline: March 31, 2024

Spray Paint Magazine is an online literary magazine aiming at giving artists a voice.

Spray Paint Magazine accepts unpublished scripts in English and French, including translations into English or French. We’re looking for any scripts (screenplays and stageplays) in any genre.

Please only submit one (1) script (screenplays or stageplays) not exceeding 20 pages.

Must send it as a Word Document, and the document itself must be titled “Author’s name, Title of Work.”  For example, “Spray Paint Magazine, Hope Is Not Lost.”

For all submissions, please send them to spraypaintmagazine@gmail.com with the subject heading being [Artist’s Name], [Category]’s Submission.  For example, “Spray Paint Magazine, Poetry Submission.”  For multiple submissions, please have it in individual Word documents in the same email.  In the email, the submitter must include a bio of no more than 100 words, and it must be how they would like to see it on the website.  In addition, the submitter must include their name or pseudonym with their work.

Spray Paint Magazine does not accept simultaneous submissions.  If someplace else is considering your piece(s), we will not consider it.

All submissions must be in 12-point font.

Submissions must also be formatted how you would like to see them in the magazine.

Finally, submissions that do not follow the guidelines will not be considered.

We pay $5 per poem, $10 per prose, $10 per script, and $5 per visual art piece.

All payments will be made in Canadian dollars to your PayPal (personal) account.

Spray Paint Magazine purchases First North American Serial Rights. However, the copyright reverts to the artist after publication. Nevertheless, subsequent publications in collections, anthologies, etc., must acknowledge its first appearance in Spray Paint Magazine.

PAC NYC ~ The Democracy Cycle

Website

Deadline: April 1, 2024, 5:00 PM EST

Over a 5-year period, The Democracy Cycle – a collaboration between the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) and Galvan Initiatives – will commission and develop 25 new performing arts works across the fields of theater, dance, music, opera, and multi-disciplinary performance that express themes related to the nature and practice of democracy, particularly as it is practiced in the United States.

Our hope is that the commissioned projects will enrich and expand discussion of and participation in democracy – be it in the national, state, regional, or hyperlocal community realm – as it is practiced within the United States and worldwide. The Democracy Cycle project is inspired by the following beliefs:Democratic values are a global expression of humanity’s striving to live with one another with respect and in peace.

Democracy, as practiced in the United States, includes a history of founding exclusions. It has been, and must continue to be, the ongoing work of our society to expand upon the ideals of inclusivity embedded in our founding documents.

Democracy faces significant perceived and actual threats in the current moment, both domestically and internationally.

The Intersection of capitalism and democracy creates both opportunities and tensions.
Artists are the beating heart of democratic values because of their ability to imagine new worlds, envision new possibilities, and provoke meaningful discourse across divides.

The primary focus of The Democracy Cycle will be on democracy as it is currently being practiced in the United States. However, commissioned projects may include references to democracies worldwide provided they have potential for informing and deepening our understanding of American democracy.

The Commission

Artists will receive a commission of $30,000 to create the new work and an additional $30,000 in support of the work’s development (research, readings, workshops etc.).

The Timeline

• January 16, 2024: Application portal opens for Round One Open Call
• February 15, 1:00pm EST: Live webinar where the Democracy Cycle staff will give an overview of the steps to apply and the application elements, with an opportunity for questions and answers at the end.
• April 1, 2024, 5:00 PM EST: Application deadline date for Round One Open Call
• May-June 2024: Applications are screened for eligibility by TDC staff. Eligible proposals are reviewed by a minimum of two Readers. Using Reader’s evaluative scores, a list of finalists is developed.
• Spring/summer 2024: A peer panel drawn from the fields of performing arts and the study and practice of democracy reviews finalists’ proposals and selects 8 projects to receive the 2024 commissions.
• September 2024: All Round One Open Call applicants notified of their project’s status.
• Early 2025: Round Two Open Call timeline and guidelines announced
• Early 2026: Round Three Open Call timeline and guidelines announced

Eligible applicants must:

• Be generative artists working in the field of theater, dance, music, opera, or multi-disciplinary performance
• Have completed and presented at least 2 full-length prior works of performance publicly, as evidenced by their bio, CV and/or work samples.
• Propose a new live performance work which may be at any stage of development, but may not be planned to premiere before November 1, 2024. (Remounts of previously completed/premiered works are ineligible.)
• Propose a new live performance work which is planned to be completed in 2025, 2026, or 2027.
• Be prepared to manage the income-tax implications of accepting a commission from a U.S.-based arts organization. (U.S. citizenship is not a requirement.)

Proposals are not eligible if

• The lead artist is enrolled as a full-time student in a degree-granting program
• The lead artist is under the age of eighteen
• The main purpose of the project is the curation or documentation of existing work(s)
• The proposed work advocates by name for the success or failure of a current partisan candidate for office or a political party
• The lead artist or any of the main collaborators are employees or immediate family of employees of PAC NYC or Galvan Initiatives

Selection Criteria

Readers and panelists will consider the following in selecting the commissioned projects:How does the proposed work model, hold accountable, expand, critique, or celebrate democracy, the practice of democracy, and democratic ideals? How has the artist or artists identified and responded to ideas or themes related to democracy, including core democratic principles and values (ex. political equality, majority rule, minority rights, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, among others.)

Does the work demonstrate clear potential for generating meaningful reflection and discourse on democracy as demonstrated by project narrative, samples of prior work, and artistic history of its collaborators.

Application Requirements

You will submit your application through Submittable. To do so, you will need to have or create a free Submittable account.

The Democracy Cycle Submission Guidelines as a downloadable PDF

Please see their website for more information. 

The Brisk Festival seeks 10-minute plays

Website

Deadline: March 31, 2024

SCRIPT SUBMISSION FORM

The Brisk Festival is an international theater festival with short plays of up to 10 minutes. 

Our short stories allow our audiences to experience in a very limited amount of time a wide range of emotions and feelings, encouraging them to ponder and explore different subjects and situations presented by our talented participants.

What We’re Looking For:

Short and Strong: Your script should deliver a powerful punch in 10 minutes or less.

Diverse Genres Welcome: Whether it’s a laugh-out-loud comedy, a tear-jerking drama, or an edge-of-your-seat thriller, we’re open to all genres.

Zero Submission Fees: It’s completely free to submit your script for consideration.

Opportunities Galore: If selected, directors from our festival will have the chance to bring your script to life. We’ll notify you about when and where it’s happening.

Submission Tips:

History Matters: Let us know if your script has graced the stage before, including the venue, festival, city, and year.

Special Roles: If you’re interested in directing or acting in your own play, or if you have a specific director and actors in mind, head over to our Full Production submission or Talent submission pages.

J

oin Our Family:

Submitting your script is a breeze and takes less than 5 minutes—just make sure your script is ready for upload (max file size: 5 MB) and all necessary information is filled in. Encounter any snags? Switching browsers might help, or you can reach out to us directly at brisk@briskfestival.com.

The IV Edition of LA Brisk Festival will be held in Santa Monica, California, at the Morgan-Wixson Theater from August 8th to September 8th 2024. The Official Selection will include 55 plays this year, 34 original short plays in English and 21 in Spanish from our open submission process to become a part of our official selection.

Tales from the Brookside ~ TheatreWorks 10-Minute Play Festival

Website

Deadline: March 30, 2024

SUBMISSION FORM

2024 “Tales from the Brookside” TheatreWorks 10-Minute Play Festival August 20 – August 24, 2024
TheatreWorks in New Milford, CT is accepting submissions for our 2024 10-Minute Play Festival, “Tales from the Brookside.”

A total of twenty 10-minute plays will be accepted by our panel of judges from among those submitted.

TW Playwrights Workshop, held two Wednesday evenings each month, is available to help further development of your play. Please join our Facebook group, TW Playwrights Workshop Group | Facebook for meeting notifications. Our doors are open to everyone.

The twenty selected plays will be presented once on one of the first three performance dates (Tues. August 20, Wed. August 21, or Thur. August 22 at 8:00 PM.)

Two plays from each night will move into the semi-finals on Friday, August 23 at 8:00 PM. Four plays will be chosen from the semi-final performances for the finals on Saturday, August 24 at 8:00 PM.

CASH PRIZES will be awarded to the winners in each category (more to follow as we approach the event.)

Playwrights (or their representatives) are responsible for the production of their plays including DIRECTING, casting, rehearsals, props, etc. TheatreWorks New Milford will provide limited set pieces, lighting/sound, equipment, and the production staff.

Submissions MUST be received NO LATER THAN MARCH 30th, 2024 and typed in standard play- script format, and be no more than ten (10) pages in a font size no smaller than 12-point. Only plays with running times of ten (10) minutes or less will be eligible for prizes. Plays that run beyond 10 minutes may be subject to disqualification.

Submissions MUST include playwright contact info on the title page. Judging is based on a combination of the audience and a panel of judges.

Selectees will be notified BY June 30, 2024. Early submissions may receive early notification.

A maximum of two submissions per playwright will be accepted.

PLEASE NOTE: There will be a mandatory pre-production meeting for ALL playwrights and/or their representatives in mid-July 2024. An exact date will be announced when selections are final, and playwrights have been notified.

Additional questions can be sent to info@theatreworks.us or 860-350-6863.

The Oven, Personal Pizza Party

Website

Deadline: April 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM EDT

To submit, fill out the following Google Form: https://forms.gle/R6sQ3jNYoUGJeCau5

Submissions for The Oven, Personal Pizza Party (personalpizzaparty.org)'s flagship program – now in its second year – are now open!

The Oven invites up-to-five early-career playwrights to generate a new short play over an 8-week collaborative workshop process, culminating in a public staged reading series in June. Facilitated by 3P Executive Artistic Director and Oven Founder, Lee Melillo, this cohort aims to be a highly collaborative, non-hierarchical, and supportive creative space for writers to work and play together.

The Summer 2023 Oven program will run between April 22nd and June 10th. Meetings will be held in Manhattan (see application form for specific dates/times). The Oven is an in-person program, and writers must commit to attending 7 out of 9 sessions to take part.

Previously written and developed work will not be considered for the Oven; all projects must be new and generated over the course of our meeting period.

All scripts that are cooked up in the Oven will be presented by Personal Pizza Party and The Elif Collective (theelif.org) as part of our staged reading series in mid/late June.

Selected writers will receive a stipend of $200 for their participation in the program.

For the program, we are looking for artists who are looking for an artistic community to call their own. Both 3P and Elif seek to cultivate collaborative spaces and landing pads for early-career artists in New York City. Successful applicants will articulate in their application why the Oven program appeals to them, how it will benefit their artistic practice right now, and their feelings on participating in a highly-collaborative process such as this.

Submissions close Monday, April 1st, at 11:59pm EST. Selected writers will be contacted by Thursday, April 11th.

Please email lee@personalpizzaparty.org with any questions about the program. 

A Light in Dark Places 2024

Website

Deadline: Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:59 PM PDT

A Light in Dark Places…

Invites you to submit a short-form play to be included in the 9th annual A Light in Dark Places: A Collection of Plays for Hope in accordance with National Suicide Prevention Month.

Selected plays will receive a six-performance run and a $100 prize in the Fall of 2024.

ALIDP’s short-play festival breaks down the stigma surrounding the topic of suicide, using a mix of comedy and drama, to encourage healthy discussion, create community, and offer hope to those affected. The plays are to explore themes of suicide prevention and mental health conditions with a focus on community, connection, hope, resources and healing.

Please DO NOT submit any plays that depict the act of suicide, as that is not in accordance with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s safe messaging guidelines.

Up to six plays will be selected from the submissions. A standard option agreement contract will be expected to be signed by both parties upon selection.

Selections will be announced no later than July 1st, directors will then be assigned, and casting will commence in August. A four-week rehearsal period is expected.

Performances will be the weekends of Sept. 8th-10th & Sept. 15th-17th at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting & Theatre – Los Angeles in Hollywood

To apply, playwrights must submit an original 5 to 15 page script (previously produced scripts are not eligible) via email to: submit@alightindarkplaces.org. Please include name, address and how you heard about us in the body of the email. Attach your submission as a .pdf and without your name, to help us keep the selection process as objective as possible.

Submissions are due no later by 11:59pm PST, Wednesday March 27th.

Please feel free to contact Kelly O’Malley at kellromalley@gmail.com with any questions, especially regarding tone and safe messaging!

For further information on the subject of Suicide Prevention, please visit: www.afsp.org.

For further information about Stella Adler Academy of Acting & Theatre – Los Angeles, please visit: http:/www.stellaadler.la

Cypress Productions New Plays Now seeks short works

Website

Deadline: March 25, 2024

Cypress Productions is searching for new unproduced short plays to be a part of New Plays Now, our third collection of new short works.

We will be selecting 6 scripts. Selected playwrights agree to a full production of their script with a recording of one performance uploaded publicly to YouTube. Playwrights will also receive a $75 stipend.

This call is open to all playwrights, although Kentucky playwrights are encouraged to submit!

If you are on New Play Exchange please submit there instead of by email.

Submission Guidelines:

-1 submission per playwright

-10 pages or less

-Maximum of 4 characters

-Keep technical elements minimal

-A one paragraph summary of the play/logline

-No musicals

-No previously submitted scripts. Although playwrights who have submitted in the past are still encouraged to submit!


If you have any questions or need to submit please email us at: Cypressproductionsky@gmail.com

No Sleep Podcast seeks scripts

Website

Deadline: none listed

Here at The NoSleep Podcast, we love nothing more than hearing from up-and-coming or seasoned horror writers who’d like to work with us. We want you to frighten us and mess with our heads, so we in turn can terrify our listeners. As such, we’ve prepared a handy list of submissions guidelines to get your relationship with our show started. We welcome and encourage a broad, diverse range of submissions from all across the horror genre, and can’t wait to read the spine-tingling tales you send us.

Submissions are handled by our team of editors, who upon your story being selected will work with you to ensure your story is primed for audio adaptation.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Please email submissions to: submissions@thenosleeppodcast.com

In the body of your email please include the title and exact word count of the story.

Please send submissions as an editable attachment.
Microsoft Word documents are preferable. Please do not submit your story or script as a .PDF file as we cannot edit or annotate it easily. Anything submitted as a .PDF file will be automatically rejected.

Please do not submit your story by pasting the text into the body of your submission email.
This breaks the formatting of your story and makes it exceptionally hard to read, requiring us to reformat your story ourselves just to be able to assess it. Any submissions received in this manner without an attachment will be automatically rejected.

Please double check that your story is actually attached to your email.

If your story submission has been posted online at any point, please provide us with a link so we can share the text version with our listeners.

Due to the high volume of submissions we receive, any submissions that don’t follow our requirements will be automatically rejected.
Please familiarize yourself with the guidelines carefully before submitting in order to receive a response from our team.

SCRIPTS

We’d love to see more script submissions, as these have proven to work very well on the show. Scripts should ideally last between 20 and 40 minutes, and star 2 or more characters, with more being preferable. Please include a word count with your script, and a spoiler-free list of characters with speaking roles. If you’re new to scriptwriting and you’d like an example of how to structure and format an audio-only script, you can download an example.

Please make sure your script is written as an audio drama. We can’t adapt scripts written as a screenplay, or scripts that heavily feature visual cues. Anything not written in an audio drama format will not be accepted.

FREE - VOICES & ECHOES: SHORT PLAY SERIES

The Red Monkey Theater Group
Presents Voices and Echoes Short Play Series and Discussion

Two short plays will examine how race, gender, class and freedom in 19th and 20th century America still shape and inform modern sensibilities and struggles.

Saturday March 30, 2024
2:00pm - 3:00pm

FREE Admission RSVP Requested
The Ossie Davis Theater

New Rochelle Public Library (Westchester County, NY)

1 Library Plaza (one block from the New Rochelle MetroNorth Train Station)

New Rochelle, NY 10801

To RSVP visit https://newrochelle.librarycalendar.com/event/voices-and-echoes-short-play-series-8067

Thread written by Sharon Latimer Mosley,

Performed by Reggie Street and Michael Alexander, Directed by Harold Hodge Jr.
In the wake of the 1863 New York City draft riots, a self made dress-maker and Navy recruiter face crucial choices about their future.

Masher written by Amy Frey

Performed by Amy Frey and Margaret Gorrel, Directed by Tal Aviezer.

Mrs. John G. Bettancourt is everything a model, upper-class Victorian woman should be: wife, mother, hostess, however, what happens when she encounters a "masher" (man who assaults a woman)?