Snowdance 2027 seeks 10-minute plays

Website

Deadline: October 9, 2026

Entries may be emailed to snowdance@overourheadplayers.org. 

Email scripts (pdf format) to: snowdance@overourheadplayers.org

*Alternately* Mail Submissions to:

SNOWDANCE
c/o Sixth Street Theatre
318 Sixth Street
Racine, Wisconsin 53403

Any questions can be directed to us by e-mail at: snowdance@overourheadplayers.org. Or call the Box Office at (262) 632-6802.

1) Competition is open to original 10-minute or shorter plays free of royalty and copyright restrictions. Submission is considered to be approval to produce the piece with stated royalty if selected for production in the Snowdance® Festival. Musicals, adaptations, and translations will not be considered.

2) Plays must run 10 minutes or less. A rule of thumb: 1 page (8 1/2 x 11) of single-spaced, average dialogue will total about 90 seconds. Read it out loud - time it - test it - and re-write if need be.

3) Submissions must be emailed or postmarked on or before October 9, 2026.

4) Scripts should follow the standard format (Check any script writing book in your library). If mailing a physical copy, manuscripts must be on standard 8-1/2” x 11” paper, cleanly typed and securely bound.

5) Plays can have a cast of 1 to 4 characters and should be easily staged. Avoid any elaborate set requirements. And remember it is a 'COMEDY FESTIVAL'.

6) The writer's name, address, phone number, and e-mail address should be included on the title page only. The title page should also include a cast list, set requirements, and a 1-3 sentence synopsis of the play.

7) Submit one (1) copy of your script.

* Plays selected for the festival will be produced by Over Our Head Players.

Apricity Magazine open for short play submissions

Website

Deadline: January 4, 2027 at 1AM

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

We accept submissions from the performing arts, including but not limited to original music, short film, short play, and dance. Scores, scripts, and screenplays count although live versions are encouraged. Please upload or include a link (of a Youtube video, a webpage, or a Google Drive file) to your submission as well as a brief description of your piece and how you arranged your performance. The maximum time allotted for videos is 15 minutes each. Simultaneous submissions are permitted. 

We welcome comprehensive use of English and other languages. If your piece contains non-English languages, please include an English translation. Though we are an international magazine, our staff’s common language is English.

Before you submit, please note the following:

NOTIFICATION: You may expect notification of your acceptance or rejection within three months of submitting your piece. As our staff is composed entirely of university students, however, we do not operate from the end of May through the end of August. Any pieces submitted in April and May may not receive a response until August. 

 NON-PROFIT: We are a non-profit student organization. We intend to direct all net proceeds towards publication improvement and charitable donations focused on education.

FEES: There is no submissions fee, nor is there any payment for publishing your work (currently). However, should you be published in the print publication, you will receive a free contributor’s copy. If you are published online and would like to receive a print edition, you will receive a 60% discount.

FALL 2026 Online Classes in Writing the Ten-Minute Play with Arianna Rose

Online classes in Writing the Ten-Minute Play are open for pre-enrollment. The payment window opens October 9th.  

"Writing for the Stage: The Ten-Minute Play"

Six Sessions, 3 hours each:

1. Thursdays, 1:00 – 4:00 pm  OR 6:30 – 9:30 pm  EDT    October 15 – November 19 

 

2. Mondays, 1:00 – 4:00 pm OR  6:30 – 9:30 pm EDT   October 12 – November 16

Tuition: $299 early bird through 10/10; $349 after
Course Repeaters Tuition: $175

Minimum 3 participants per section; maximum 8.

Recent Participant Testimonials:

““Arianna’s mastery of the 10-minute play form is undeniable, and her passion for the craft is contagious… The “writer’s group” portion of the class became a highlight for me; it created a supportive space to share work, give and receive feedback, and learn from one another. Arianna’s organization and commitment to equity in the Zoom room created a safe, thoughtful, energizing space that didn’t just help me write a play—it helped me grow as a writer.”

~ Laura Thoma 

I’ve taken more than a few playwriting classes, both in-person and online, and your class was by far the most productive and useful…I have a newfound appreciation for the plays I’ve read and how to write them, thanks to you.“ 

~ Tom Cocklin, 2-time participant

“I enjoyed the class immensely and learned a lot. I would definitely recommend it to playwrights of all levels. The course was well organized, it's clear you are passionate about the subject, care for your students and have deep knowledge that you are so generous to share…"

~ Jeff Perlman

“Arianna is extremely skilled at sharing insightful, individualized feedback in a supportive environment. Her focus on dramatic structure was particularly helpful, and the course also offered invaluable and specific real world advice for writing and submitting short plays to festivals…"

~ Donna R. Boyd, 2-time participant

Course Description:

Ten-minute play festivals dominate submission opportunities. While short-form plays share similarities with full-lengths, the dramatists who excel in this form write into the differences. You’ll learn the tools to write to the highest level of craft and make your work more producible.

The course combines lecture, reading, discussion, and in-class sharing of your writing for feedback. Topics: elements of a successful 10-minute play, dramatic structure, generating ideas, character development, giving and receiving constructive feedback, effective rewrites, formatting your play, submissions, and log-keeping.

Arianna has taught this course since 2023 at the Dramatists Guild Institute, PlayPenn Theatre, Delray Beach Playhouse, and independently. Her short plays have been presented in 39 states and 12 countries to date; won numerous awards; published in Smith & Kraus Anthologies, Applause Books, Ghostlight Publications, Theatre Odyssey Publications, Purple Light Publications.

 

Contact Arianna Rose at rockawayrose@gmail.com, or via the website where there is more information:

https://ariannarose.net/playwriting-classes-and-other-workshops

Interested but not available?
Email rockawayrose@gmail.com to be added to the mailing list.

One-on-One Private Dramaturgy/Script Consulting
Prefer one-on-one coaching? Member, Dramaturg and Literary Managers Association of the Americas (LMDA) and the Dramatists Guild Plays-in-Progress Mentor Program. More information:
http://ariannarose.net/dramaturg-for-hire

Big Idea Theatre 2027 One-Act Festival

Website

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

Sacramento CA

SUBMISSION FORM

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

Some Guidelines:

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

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

Please only submit one script.

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

UMBRELLAS FOR FISH seeks one-minute plays

Website

Deadline: October 2, 2026

Submission email:  ufjournal@aol.com

HOW TO SUBMIT

1. Prepare your manuscript according to the guidelines above.

2. Include a 50–100 word third-person author bio.

3. In the body of your email, include:

Your full name
Title of the play
Country of residence
The subtheme your play most closely relates to
A brief 1–3 sentence description of the play

4. Attach your manuscript as a DOC, DOCX or PDF file.

5. Name your file:

YOURNAME.docx

6. Send your submission to:

ufjournal@aol.com

SUBJECT LINE FORMAT

ONE-MINUTE PLAY — [TITLE] — [AUTHOR'S NAME]

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submit original work only.
Submit manuscripts in DOC, DOCX or PDF format only.
Use a readable 12-point font.
Number all pages.
Include a title page with the title of the play and author's name.
Scripts should follow standard dramatic formatting where appropriate.
Include a third-person author bio of 50–100 words at the end of the manuscript.
Multiple submissions are welcome (in a single email).
Simultaneous submissions are welcome; please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Please submit only work for which you hold the necessary rights.

UMBRELLAS FOR FISH
An International Journal of Absurd & Existential Drama

Umbrellas for Fish is pleased to announce a special international anthology of Absurd and Existential One-Minute Plays: ONE MINUTE BEFORE NOTHING HAPPENS

What can happen in one minute?

• A lifetime can end.
• A universe can begin.
• Someone can forget why they entered a room.
• A chair can refuse to be sat upon.
• Two strangers can wait for something that never arrives.
• A person can discover the meaning of life—just in time to forget it.
• Or, perhaps, nothing happens.

We are seeking original one-minute plays that explore the strange, comic, unsettling, irrational, and deeply human experience of existence.

This anthology celebrates the extraordinary possibilities of theatrical brevity. We invite playwrights to create worlds in miniature—moments of revelation, confusion, silence, contradiction, catastrophe, comedy, and cosmic indifference.

Your play has approximately one minute.

What will happen before nothing does?

THEME & SUBTHEMES

All submitted plays should engage broadly with absurdist, existential, surreal, experimental, or philosophically unsettling theatre.

Writers may interpret the following themes freely and imaginatively.

1. Waiting for Something That Never Arrives
Characters wait—for a person, an answer, a bus, God, death, an announcement, or something they cannot name.

2. The Meaning of Life Is Temporarily Unavailable
A search for meaning meets bureaucracy, confusion, technical difficulties, silence, or an unexpected customer-service representative.

3. One Minute Until the End of the World
The apocalypse is imminent—or perhaps it has already happened, and nobody noticed.

4. Conversations with the Universe
The universe may finally respond. Unfortunately, it may have misunderstood the question.

5. Time Has Stopped, but Everyone Is Late
Clocks malfunction, time repeats, yesterday returns, or characters remain trapped inside a moment.

6. Nobody Remembers Why We Are Here
Identity, memory, purpose, and location dissolve into increasingly uncertain explanations.

7. Instructions for Existing
Characters receive rules for life, consciousness, happiness, breathing, or being human—but the instructions may be incomplete.

8. The Last Ordinary Thing
A familiar object, habit, conversation, or everyday action becomes suddenly strange, impossible, or profoundly significant.

9. Silence Has Something to Say
What happens when silence becomes a character—or when words become less trustworthy than what remains unspoken?

10. The Wrong Person Has Been Chosen to Exist
A bureaucratic, cosmic, or administrative error has occurred. Someone may have been given existence by mistake.

11. Exit Signs Point in Different Directions
Characters attempt to escape a room, a relationship, a memory, a role, a system, or existence itself.

12. Everything Is Fine, Except for Everything
Ordinary life continues despite an unnamed catastrophe, an impossible situation, or the slow collapse of reality.

13. A Small Eternity
One minute becomes endless. A brief moment expands into repetition, memory, regret, anticipation, or infinity.

14. The Things We Cannot Explain
Something impossible happens, and everyone attempts to explain it—making the situation increasingly incomprehensible.

15. One Minute Before Nothing Happens

• The central theme of the anthology.
• Something is about to happen.
• Or perhaps something has already happened.
• Or perhaps nothing is happening at all.
• The characters may be waiting for a beginning, an ending, a revelation, a disaster, or a moment that never arrives.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• We seek original one-minute plays that are:Absurd, existential, surreal, experimental, or darkly comic
• Theatrically imaginative and stageable
• Concise but emotionally, intellectually, or philosophically resonant
• Bold in form, structure, voice, or theatrical logic
• Strange for a reason—not merely random
• Open to ambiguity, contradiction, uncertainty, and unanswered questions
• Memorable enough to leave an impression long after sixty seconds have passed

We welcome:Monologues

• Dialogues
• Ensemble pieces
• Experimental dramatic fragments
• Non-linear theatre
• Surreal theatrical situations
• Dark comedy
• Minimalist drama
• Meta-theatre
• Unconventional forms of dramatic writing

We are particularly interested in plays that take creative risks and demonstrate a strong sense of theatrical possibility.

SUBMISSION LENGTH
Each play should be designed to be performed in approximately one minute.

Maximum Length: 2 pages

There is no minimum or maximum number of characters.
A play may contain dialogue, silence, movement, stage directions, or any combination of theatrical elements.

Response Time
Approximately 1–2 weeks

Publication Date
OCTOBER 15, 2026

FEE
There is no reading fee, submission fee, or publication fee.


RIGHTS

If a work is selected for publication, the playwright retains all intellectual property, copyright, and performance rights to the work.

By accepting publication in ONE MINUTE BEFORE NOTHING HAPPENS: A Special International Anthology of Absurd & Existential One-Minute Plays, the author grants Umbrellas for Fish non-exclusive permission to publish the work as part of the anthology.

All rights remain with the author following publication. Authors remain free to reproduce, perform, publish, or republish their work elsewhere, provided that first publication in ONE MINUTE BEFORE NOTHING HAPPENS is acknowledged where appropriate.


PAYMENT

• Umbrellas for Fish is currently a non-paying market.
• As an independent literary journal and publishing initiative operating without grants, institutional funding, or regular donations, we are presently unable to offer royalties, honoraria, or other forms of monetary compensation to contributors.
• Authors whose work is selected for publication will receive publication credit and international exposure through the anthology.

EDITORIAL VISION

Umbrellas for Fish is devoted to theatre that embraces uncertainty.
We believe that theatre does not always need to provide answers.
Sometimes a question is enough.
Sometimes a contradiction is enough.
Sometimes a person standing in an empty room, holding an umbrella over a fish, is enough.

With ONE MINUTE BEFORE NOTHING HAPPENS, we want to explore what theatre can accomplish in the smallest possible spaces.

A minute can contain:
A beginning.
An ending.
A joke.
A catastrophe.
A confession.
A silence.
A universe.
Or nothing at all.

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

YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE.
MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN.
OR DON'T.

ONE MINUTE BEFORE NOTHING HAPPENS

A Special International Anthology of Absurd & Existential One-Minute Plays

PUBLICATION DATE: OCTOBER 15, 2026

The REVOLUTION STAGE COMPANY FOURTH Annual Ten-Minute Play Festival

Website

Facebook

Deadline: October 30, 2026

Palm Springs, CA

Email submissions by Friday, October 30th, 2026 to: 10minfest@revolutionstagecompany.com

The REVOLUTION STAGE COMPANY in Palm Springs is now accepting submissions for its FOURTH Annual Ten-Minute Play Festival to be held January 9th & 10th, 2027.

Deadline for submission of your original plays is Friday, October 30th, 2026. Submissions must be in doc or pdf format with pages numbered. Each selected play will receive $300 at the end of the festival.

If your play is accepted for this festival, it must arrive at the theater PRODUCTION-READY.

• You are responsible for all casting, rehearsing, etc. prior to bringing it to our stage. 
• Playwrights may submit more than one play (up to three)
• All plays must run no more than 10 minutes when staged. 
• All plays must be original and not yet performed in the Palm Springs area. 
• All plays must be suitable for a general audience. 
• All plays should have no more than 5 characters, with limited props and/or costumes. 
• You will need to be able to provide, set-up and remove all props within two minutes. 
• All plays should have no special tech requirements. 
• Once accepted, there can be no changes that would alter the nature of the play. 
• No scripts on stage except in the case of last minute emergencies 
• No fee required for submissions. 

Author's name should be left off of any pages of the script so that we can evaluate anonymously. The author's name should appear only on the title page, which will be removed from the script before distribution to judges.

Please put "Ten-Minute Play Festival Submissions" in the subject line.

We will be making our decisions by November 15th and notifying playwrights by November 18th.

For the first time this year, those attending the Festival will be able to vote for:

FAVORITE PLAY, FAVORITE CAST, FAVORITE ACTOR, FAVORITE ACTRESS & FAVORITE DIRECTOR.

On Monday, January 18th at 2pm, the RSC will present a program called BEST OF THE FEST featuring anywhere from 3 to 6 of the

FAVORITE plays from this year's festival as determined by RSC. The program may also include memorable plays from previous Festivals. IF YOUR PLAY IS SELECTED for the BEST OF THE FEST program on January 18th, you will receive an additional S100.

The International Human Rights Art Festival seeks 10-minute plays

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2026

New York NY

Seeking 10-minute, 2-character (only) plays, on any human rights concern, to be a part of a special event at this year's International Human Rights Art Festival (December 12, 2026).

Five playwrights will receive $50 each and two comp tickets to see their play produced.

The International Human Rights Art Festival is pairing with And Scene to present a unique evening of theater on Saturday, December 12, 2026, 7 pm at the Wild Project, as part of a yearly Festival. The show will be followed by a party.

Specifically, And Scene Producer Mick Szal will bring together New York's top improvisers and actors from Broadway, TV and beyond perform scenes. The catch: one of the actors will be "on (your) book," while the other will be completely improvising. The actors will know their lines and the improvisers will improvise with no prior knowledge of the scenes. (The format was inspired by Stephen Rudy and was originally performed under the name "Gravid Water" at UCB.)

Please send your 10-minute, 2-character play WITH NO ATTRIBUTION (BLIND SUBMISSIONS ONLY) to hello@humanrightsartmovement.org, with the subject line of your email with your last name_play title (Beckett_WaitingForGodot) for consideration.

Deadline September 30, 2026. All decisions by November 1.

The script doctor is in the house! 🩷

Sarah Congress is an award-winning playwright and script doctor for film, TV series, theatre, and fiction here to help YOU take your script to the next level. She provides a fun, nurturing, therapeutic, environment to best suit your individual writing needs.

Script Services:

• Help clients fine-tune their scripts
• Offer rewrite suggestions to help tighten and polish your story
• Improve dialogue
• Punch up jokes and suggest opportunities for humor 
• Help you learn how to HOOK a reader's interest 
• Assist in finding submission, production, and publication opportunities 

Group Classes:

• Prefer a group setting? Join us virtually at the Hudson Valley Writers Center November 14th for "The Script Doctor Is In: With Sarah Congress"

Sarah Congress is an award-winning comedic playwright represented by Anthony Tall in Los Angeles. She is also a script doctor for film, television and theatre. Her play Dubai Chocolate is one of three new plays accepted in the 2026 All Exits New Jersey Play Lab Statewide Play Reading Series and will be produced this November at River Union Stage. Her romantic period piece Last Sunrise was produced by NYLon Fusion Theatre Co. in their Gilded Cage play festival June 2025 at TADA. Last Sunrise was presented with writers: John Patrick Shanley, Lyle Kessler (Orphans) and Migdalia Cruz (Fur). Her ten-minute play Overdose won 2nd place for BEST SHORT in the 2023 Downtown Urban Arts Festival at Playwrights Horizons.

Visit Sarah's website to learn more and connect.

Women's Work Short Play LAB '27

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2026 by 11:59 PM

SUBMISSION FORM

New Perspectives Theatre Company's WOMEN’S WORK LAB for short plays provides a supportive and nurturing environment to emerging and mid-career women playwrights while maintaining a rigorous feedback process that leads to production within six months.

Six playwright members are selected each year, along with a similar number of directors. The LAB meets monthly (the second Sunday) from February through June, allowing for time in between sessions for writers to continue to develop and revise their work in response to specific feedback from the dramaturgical team. Members are expected to bring work to each session beginning with the development of an original short play based upon an assigned theme.

Monthly feedback from the directors/dramaturgs focuses on the nuts and bolts of creating a 20-30 minute script ready for production. In a process unique to NPTC, feedback is given in a unified manner so playwrights do not have conflicting advice about what to work on, and so that the script moves forward according to NPTC's instructions as the producing entity. This approach creates a collaborative group from which members can draw inspiration and energy while modeling professional standards. Scripts are then produced in our annual MEGANNE GEORGE Women's Work Short Play Festival.

Applications are due by September 30, at 11:59 pm. Finalist interviews take place early December. The final cohort will be selected no less than two weeks after the finalist interview.

If you have any questions, please e-mail sp-apps@newperspectivestheatre.org

Playwrights First submission window open

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2026

Overall, we look for:
- Imagination and originality in both style and subject or point of view.
- Characters that intrigue and move us.
- A compelling action revealing the human condition.
- Theatricality inherent in the above.​

Rules:
One, single full-length play per playwright in English from anywhere in the world.
Not produced full-scale prior to submission. Readings, workshops, and college productions are acceptable.
No joint authorships, adaptations, translations, musicals, or shorts.​

​Award:

$1,000 first place.
Award listing of playwright and play title on our website.
Professional reading in NYC when feasible.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

In a single email provide the following 3 documents described below (Items A, B & C). Please make sure each document is its own separate PDF document, and include all 3 PDFs in the same email (as file attachments) to:
Playwrightsfirst1st@gmail.com
Note: This address is for submissions only.

Item A) Playscript in PDF format. The play should follow standard playwrighting convention and include a cover page, a character list/breakdown, page count, etc. Please, name your file using this format:Your Last name TITLE OF PLAY.pdf (Example: Shakespeare TWELFTH NIGHT.pdf)Note: The TITLE of the play is in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

Item B) Playwright/Production Resume, CV, or Narrative Biography in PDF format. Name your file like this:Your Last name RESUME.pdf (Example: Shakespeare RESUME.pdf)Note: RESUME is in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

Item C) Brief (3 paragraphs max) Summary of play in PDF format. At the top of your page, please provide your full name and the full title of your play. Name your file like this:Your Last Name SUMMARY.pdf (Example: Shakespeare SUMMARY.pdf)Note: SUMMARY is in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

IMPORTANT NOTE: Paper copies will not be accepted. PDF format ONLY.

PLEASE, BE CERTAIN TO USE THE CORRECT NAMING CONVENTION FOR EACH FILE (follow examples above). THIS YEAR, SUBMISSIONS NOT FOLLOWING OUR REQUESTED NAMING CONVENTIONS WILL NOT BE ADMITTED.

Each file MUST begin with your last name. Please leave one space after your last name -- do NOT use a dot, a dash, an underline. Please do NOT abbreviate the name of your play. Please do NOT use your first name. Please do not use your initials. We appreciate your attention to this detail as it helps our staff keep your materials organized.

Call for new works by Latina/e playwrights

Website

Deadline: September 25, 2026, at 5:00 PM (PDT)

Portland Oregon

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT FOR MUNDO DE LAS MUJERES NEW PLAY READING FESTIVAL

Call for new works by Latina/e playwrights to receive a staged reading during Mundo de las Mujeres in March 2027

Milagro is pleased to announce the Mundo de Mujeres New Play Reading Festival, a celebration of new works by Latina/e playwrights as part of Milagro’s annual Mundo de Mujeres Women’s History Month Festival. This festival seeks to amplify Latina/e voices and stories exploring themes of womanhood, gender, sexuality, family relationships, identity, motherhood, sisterhood, and other experiences central to Latina/e communities.

The festival will feature staged readings of three new plays in varying stages of development, presented on the first three Wednesdays of March 2027 (March 3, 17, 24). Selected playwrights will receive an honorarium and a staged reading featuring a director, dramaturg, and a cast of local professional actors, providing an opportunity to hear their work in front of a live audience and continue its development.

Submission Timeline

Submission Deadline: September 25, 2026, at 5:00 PM (PDT)
Selected playwrights will be notified by early January 2027.
Casting will take place throughout January and February.
Rehearsals will occur during the week leading up to each respective reading.

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Open to playwrights who identify as Latina/e.
• Original full-length plays only (approximately 70–120 minutes).
• Scripts may be written in English, Spanish, or be bilingual.
• Preference will be given to plays requiring six actors or fewer.
• Plays requiring more than six actors should include the playwright’s preferred doubling plan.
• Playwrights are permitted to submit multiple scripts
• Plays that have received, or are scheduled to receive a full professional production that premiers before September 2027 are not eligible.
• Playwrights are strongly encouraged to attend their reading and participate in post-reading discussions, if possible.

Submission Requirements
A PDF of the script formatted according to the Dramatists Guild of America Traditional or Modern Play Format.

A playwright biography (maximum 90 words).
A play synopsis (maximum 150 words).
A brief development history, if applicable.

If you have questions, please contact mia@milagro.org.

Invisible Theater seeks monologues for Fourth Annual Going It Alone

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

Tuscon Arizona

Submissions are now open for Invisible Theatre's 4th annual all-monologue show: GOING IT ALONE!

The show is a collection of monologues chosen from submissions. We celebrate the unique challenge of writing for a solo performer and performing solo.

Must be a solo piece Must be a standalone monologue. Not a monologue taken from a full-length play you've written.

• Open to all playwrights worldwide

Performance of piece must be less than 6-7 minutes. No exceptions.

Any topic

1 submission per playwright permitted

10-12 monologues will be selected.

Small honorarium paid to chosen playwrights. Selected monologues will be cast, performed and directed by Tucson theatre artists in June 2027

Murmuration Playwriting Cohort 2026/2027

Website

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

Or until they receive 200 submissions

SUBMISSION FORM

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

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

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

Go Try Play Write September 2026

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2026

SUBMISSION FORM

We're proud to announce a new monthly playwriting contest in collaboration with Bamboo Ridge Press. Every month, Kumu Kahua's artistic director Harry Wong III will select a writing prompt on the first day of that month. We're looking for 5-page monologues or 10-page scenes based on that prompt; the due date for submissions are always the last day of the month. All entries must be written in traditional play format; instructions on this format can be found here (https://www.dramatistsguild.com/script-formats), courtesy of the Dramatists Guild.

There will be one winner each month. Scripts will be submitted to the judges anonymously. Winners will receive $100 and a subscription to Bamboo Ridge Press. Woo!

The prompt for September 2026 is an aftermath prompt:

Two Christmas prompts. One prompt is a throw-back to the first year of the play prompt contest. For some reason, it snows in Hawai‘i on Christmas day. Write a ten-page maximum scene about the event. Why did happen? Did anyone see it coming? Does it portend anything? How do people react? How does nature react?

The other prompt is inspired by a play my daughter wrote. Write a ten-page maximum scene about an argument between Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, a Leprechaun, Cupid, Headless Horsemen, etc. The argument can be about anything: who’s more beloved; who’s more famous; who’s holiday is better; who ate the last cookie; why didn’t you take out the trash; a romantic entanglement. Anything.

Choose one prompt or write both. Only one play will win the September prompt, but all entries may be eligible to be part of a special presentation in December this year.

Premiere Stages seeks full-length plays

Website

Deadline: November 1, 2026

 Due to a record-breaking rate of submissions, they have closed the submission window. DO NOT SEND.

Premiere Stages will accept submissions of unproduced plays written by playwrights affiliated with the greater metropolitan area from September 1, 2026, through November 1, 2026. All plays submitted to the festival are evaluated by a panel of professional theatre producers, directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, and publishers. Four finalists are subsequently selected for public Equity readings in Spring of 2027.

Following the Spring readings, one play is selected for an Equity production in the Premiere Stages 2028 season and receives an award of $10,000. Another finalist receives a 29-hour staged reading and $3,000. The other finalists will each be awarded $1,000.

Submission guidelines can be found at https://premierestagesatkean.com/play-festival/guidelines/

- Plays must be full-length and have a cast size of no more than eight.

- Plays must be unpublished and unproduced (readings and workshops are okay), with no productions and/or publication currently scheduled through September 2028.

-Playwrights must have strong affiliations with the greater metropolitan area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware). 

- Musicals, adaptations (of existing plays or other sources), and solo shows are not eligible.

-Submissions are limited to one script per playwright.

- Please contact Premiere Stages to inquire about submitting a script that has been previously submitted.     Generally we only accept re-submissions if the play has undergone significant revisions.

- Playwrights must be available for the development of their script (see the 2027 schedule table on our website).

- Submissions are accepted September 1, 2026 through 11:59 p.m. on November 1, 2026. Submissions sent early in the submission window are strongly encouraged.

- Names and contact information are welcome on cover pages of scripts.

• Premiere Stages now accepts full manuscripts from all submitters. Submissions must include:
• Brief synopsis of the play (no more than half a page)
• History of the play’s development (or statement that it has none)
• The playwright’s bio or resume

Members of the Premiere Stages literary team will read at least 10 pages of every play submitted and will decide if the play should be further considered by the Play Festival Panel.

All plays must be submitted as a PDF via Submittable at premierestagesatkean.submittable.com/submit. Hard copies will not be accepted.

All playwrights will be notified by e-mail OR Submittable message of their status by June of 2027.

HELLO GODOT! (VOLUME 12) seeks short plays

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2026

Submission Details
File format: PDF or Word document (.doc / .docx)
File name: HelloGodot_YourName_PlayTitle

Each submission should include a cover page containing:
Play title
Playwright's full name
Email address
Phone number
Country
Selected subtheme
Brief biography of 50–70 words, written in the third person

Email your submission to: dramaanthologyfreshwords@gmail.com
Use the subject line:
Submission: Hello Godot! (Volume 12) — [Your Name]

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
HELLO GODOT! (VOLUME 12)
An Anthology of Existential & Absurd Plays

Submission Deadline: September 30, 2026
Acceptance Notifications: October 05, 2026
Publication: October 2026

Fresh Words — An International Literary Magazine — invites playwrights, theatre-makers, and dramatic writers from around the world to submit original plays for HELLO GODOT! (Volume 12), an anthology devoted to the strange, comic, unsettling, and profoundly human territory of existential and absurd theatre.

Inspired by the questions that haunt Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot—without seeking adaptations or imitations—we are interested in plays about characters who wait, wander, repeat, question, forget, hope, fail to communicate, and continue living despite having no convincing explanation for why they should.

What happens when nothing happens?

What if tomorrow never comes?

What if the person we are waiting for does not exist?

What if leaving is impossible?

What if the routine is the only thing keeping us alive?

HELLO GODOT! invites writers to explore these questions through original dramatic worlds of their own.

THE SUBTHEMES

Playwrights may respond to one or more of the following subthemes:

1. THE WAIT
Someone is waiting for someone—or something—that may never arrive.

2. NOTHING TO BE DONE
Characters trapped in futile tasks, impossible situations, existential paralysis, or pointless routines.

3. NOT TODAY
Promises postponed, decisions deferred, departures delayed, and lives permanently suspended.

4. LET'S TALK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE
Failed communication, meaningless conversations, verbal games, awkward silences, and the desperate human need to keep talking.

5. THE SAME DAY AGAIN
Repetition, circular time, recurring encounters, déjà vu, and characters condemned to begin again.

6. WHO IS GODOT?
The absent, the unknowable, the expected, the imagined, or the person who may never have existed.

7. SHALL WE LEAVE?
Characters who want to escape—but cannot, will not, or do not know where to go.

8. MAYBE TOMORROW
Hope in the face of repeated disappointment; the strange human ability to continue waiting even after hope has become unreasonable.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are seeking plays that explore the absurdity and uncertainty of existence through theatre.

Your play might be:

• darkly comic
• existential
• surreal
• minimalist
• philosophical
• tragicomic
• experimental
• disturbing
• playful
• dreamlike
• deeply ordinary and quietly absurd

We welcome plays involving:

• waiting
• repetition
• loneliness
• purposelessness
• identity
• memory
• death
• time
• silence
• isolation
• failed communication
• meaningless work
• routine
• uncertainty
• disappearance
• hope
• despair
• the search for meaning

But these are starting points, not restrictions.

We want writers to discover their own version of the absurd.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1. Originality

All submissions must be original and unpublished.

We are not looking for adaptations, rewritings, sequels, fan fiction, or direct retellings of Waiting for Godot.

Your play may be inspired by existential or absurdist traditions, but it must possess its own characters, dramatic situation, language, structure, and theatrical identity.

A play about two people waiting beside a tree is not automatically an absurd play.

We are interested in what you do with the idea.

2. Length and Format

Each play should be approximately 2 pages in standard theatrical script format.

Shorter works are welcome if they achieve a complete dramatic effect.

There is no strict performance-duration requirement.

A maximum of four characters is recommended.

Minimal casts and simple staging are encouraged.

Stage directions should be concise and purposeful.

Experimental theatrical forms are welcome, including:

fragmented dialogue
repetition
non-linear structure
silence
pauses
direct address
off-stage voices
symbolic objects
circular narratives
theatrical games
unconventional characterisation

However, the work should remain recognisably dramatic/theatrical.

Please do not submit prose fiction, poetry, essays, screenplays, or academic criticism.

3. Submission Details

File format: PDF or Word document (.doc / .docx)

File name:

HelloGodot_YourName_PlayTitle

Each submission should include a cover page containing:

Play title
Playwright's full name
Email address
Phone number
Country
Selected subtheme
Brief biography of 50–70 words, written in the third person

Email your submission to:
dramaanthologyfreshwords@gmail.com

Use the subject line:
Submission: Hello Godot! (Volume 12) — [Your Name]

4. Multiple Submissions

Playwrights may submit up to four plays.

Each play must be submitted as a separate document.

If submitting four plays, please identify the subtheme for each.

Please submit all plays in a single email.

5. Rights
Playwrights retain full copyright and ownership of their work.

Fresh Words requests one-time, non-exclusive publication rights for inclusion in HELLO GODOT! (Volume 12) and for reasonable promotional purposes connected with the anthology.

All other rights remain with the playwright.

6. Eligibility

The call is open internationally.
We welcome all playwrights
There is no nationality, age, or professional-experience restriction.
English-language submissions only for this volume.

7. Selection Process

All submissions will be evaluated by the editorial team.

The editors will consider:

originality
dramatic conception
theatricality
quality of dialogue
characterisation
structural control
imaginative use of absurdity
existential depth
emotional or intellectual resonance
effective engagement with the anthology's theme

We are especially interested in works that use absurdity as a dramatic method rather than merely as a style.

Selected playwrights will be notified by email by:

October 05, 2026

The editors' decision is final. Individual feedback will not be provided.

8. COMPENSATION

This is currently a non-paying market.

Selected playwrights will receive:

Publication in the anthology
Author/playwright biography
Publication credit
Digital publication
Social-media promotion where appropriate

International exposure through Fresh Words

CONTENT POLICY

Fresh Words welcomes challenging, uncomfortable, unconventional, and intellectually provocative theatre. However, submissions must not promote or glorify:
hate speech
racism
sexism
discrimination
extremist ideologies
terrorism
abuse or exploitation
political propaganda presented primarily for promotional purposes

Dark themes, death, despair, violence, psychological disturbance, and difficult existential questions are acceptable when they serve a genuine artistic and dramatic purpose.

Stonecoast Review call for submissions

Website

Deadline: September 30, 2026

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Winter 2027 - issue #26 call for submissions

Stonecoast Review, the literary journal of the Stonecoast MFA, is now open for submissions for our 26th issue. We are proud to be a publication that seeks to support emerging writers and underrepresented voices. While previous issues have had a theme, issue #26 has no theme. This is because we want to know what you have been moved to write as you navigate the world today. Resistance. Refuge. Joy. These are some of the things we hope that issue #26 will offer to writers and readers alike. We look forward to reading your submissions.

Genres Accepted: We solicit fiction, popular (genre) fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, dramatic works, experimental literature, and visual art. We can’t wait to see your best pieces!

Issue Format: Beginning with Issue 21, released in June 2024, Stonecoast Review assumed the form of a print/online hybrid journal. The print form now consists of a 48-page chapbook, with art throughout, as well as a QR code that directs readers to more new content on StonecoastReview.org. As such, all pieces selected for publication will be featured online but, due to page limitations, only a select number of pieces will be able to be featured in the print Issue. Please see below for new guidelines regarding word count limitations for each type of publication.

Rights: Stonecoast Review acquires First Serial Rights and First Electronic Rights for all work published in the journal. Rights revert to the author upon publication. Contributors selected for print publication will receive a complimentary copy of the Issue in which their work appears.

Our staff: We are a volunteer group of Stonecoast MFA Program alumni and current students. Most of us have experience working on numerous Stonecoast Review issues or other literary journals. Any Stonecoast alumni and current students working on Issue #26 of Stonecoast Revieware ineligible to submit.

Please include a short cover letter and bio (50- and 100-word max., respectively).

We accept one prose submission, one poetry submission (of up to three poems), or fivepieces of visual art per author, per submission cycle. Submissions that do not abide by these rules will not be considered for publication.

Your work must be previously unpublished. (Stonecoast alumni may submit already published work for consideration as reprints.)

We encourage simultaneous submissions. However, please withdraw your submission immediately if it's accepted elsewhere. If you submit multiple poems and one is accepted at another publication, please attach a note on Submittable identifying which poem is no longer available.

Please adhere to standard manuscript format: Double spaced, 12 pt., Times New Roman font. Poetry may be single spaced. (If you tell us that diverging from these rules is integral to your piece, we will consider it.)

Please do not include your name in your manuscript.
While we love to represent stories with raw, emotional truth, we ask that you refrain from submitting pieces featuring excessive sex, violence, assaults, or suicide. We also ask that you include trigger warnings when needed.

We will reject pieces determined to be written by the use of AI software.

As a reminder, all pieces selected for publication will be featured online in January 2027. Due to page constraints, only a few of these selected pieces will be featured in both the print and online Winter 2027 Issue. Please see below for word count limitations based on consideration for either Hybrid (Print + Online) or General (Online-only) publication formats.

Dramatic Works. We are seeking short dramatic works of all types. Plays, screenplays, and hybrid works including monologues, one-minute scripts, ten-minute scripts, and experimental works are all welcome. Excerpts from longer dramatic works are welcome if they stand on their own. Plays must be formatted according to these Dramatists Guild formatting standards. Likewise, screenplays must be formatted according to film industry standards, as outlined here.For consideration for Hybrid Publication: limit submissions to 5 or fewer pages. 

For consideration for Online-Only Publication: limit submissions to 12 or fewer pages. One submission per author, per submission cycle.

Theater Noir Blanc seeks full-length plays on the gay interracial experience

Website:

Deadline: October 5, 2026

Dallas TX

We are dedicated to discovering original new works that explore the gay interracial experience, and it is our vision to elevate these bold, untold stories by national and international playwrights, reflecting the richness of a diverse world.

Eligibility

• The play explores our mission statement
• We do not accept screenplays, novels, poetry, or radio plays
• Your play must be in either the Dramatists Guild Modern or Traditional Stage play format
• Please send your script in .PDF format only
• Original full-length plays and plays with Limited Production (1-2) at least 65 page
• Only one play can be submitted by the writer
• We accept submissions from September 6 – October 5
• We will respond to all submissions within 6 months

We are a new theatre company focused on fulfilling our mission statement. We encourage you to reach out to us at literary@theatrenoirblanc.org with any questions you may have about submitting your play.

The Jokes On Her Annual Comedy Prize seeks full-length comedies by women

Website

Deadline: October 1, 2026

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

The Jokes On Her Annual Comedy Prize awards the winning playwright a $5,000 grant, an industry reading of her play in New York City in partnership with WP Theater and New Georges, and a featured appearance in a “Women Writing Comedy for the Stage” Q&A at The Drama Book Shop.

Jokes On Her will further support the playwright by identifying and facilitating future development opportunities.

Submissions are now open for original full-length comedies that have never been produced or published. Developmental readings and workshops are acceptable; however, plays under option or scheduled for production, licensing, or publication are not eligible. 

The Jokes On Her Comedy Prize is open to women (identifying & femmes inclusive) playwrights residing in the United States or Puerto Rico who are 21 years of age or older at the time of submission. Plays must be the author’s own work.

FAQs

Qutub Minar seeks short plays for its October 2026 issue

Website

Deadline: September 28, 2026

For our October 2026 issue, we are looking for original and engaging literary works in the following genres:

DRAMA
• Submit up to 3 one-minute plays at a time.

Every submission must include a cover letter and a short literary bio of approximately 70 words.

Submissions are accepted by email only.

Submit your work to:
editorqutubminarreview@gmail.com

Please include the following information with your submission:

Full Legal Name:
Pen Name (if any):
Postal Address:
Email Address:

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

October 2026 Issue
Last Date: 28 September 2026
Publication: First week of October 2026

NO SUBMISSION OR READING FEE

There is absolutely no submission or reading fee.

USAGE RIGHTS

By submitting your work, you confirm that you hold the copyright to the work and that no third-party permission is required for its publication.

After publication, all copyright in the work reverts to the author.

NOTIFICATIONS

Authors will be notified regarding the acceptance or rejection of their submissions.

PAYMENT

Unfortunately, Qutub Minar Review is currently unable to offer payment for published contributions.

We look forward to reading your work and discovering new literary voices.