The Playwrights Group ~ Join our nationwide community of playwrights

 The Weekly Workshop

Join our nationwide community of playwrights on Zoom. 

It’s a great way to stay connected and motivated.

 

Participating in a weekly workshop can give you the kick you need to see your script through from beginning to end.  You can bring in anything you’re working on — a full length script, a musical, a TV pilot, whatever. And when your script is ready — we’ll present it in a Public Reading. We also bring in Guest Speakers, like Pulitzer Prize winner Margaret Edson (Wit). 

 

 

Sit in on a session and see for yourself!

Tuesdays or Thursdays 7 - 9:30pm EDT

 

Check out our website for more details and rates. 

 

Script Consultations

 

If you don’t have time for the workshop but have a script you’d like some feedback on — just send a PDF of your script and you’ll get a critique via email and/or video conference. See website for rates.

 

Richard Caliban has worked with  individuals on their scripts from all over the world — Indonesia, China, Greece, Australia, Serbia, as well as right here in New York. A script consultation will provide you with feedback on the structural soundness of your story, the dramatic arc of your protagonist, thematic unity and much more.

 

Online One-on-One Courses

 

If you’re looking for more, check out our One on One Online Playwriting Courses:

 

•       The Art of Playwriting

•       Write a Play in 10 Weeks

 

Both are with instructor Richard Caliban, and since it’s One on One, the courses can be adjusted to fit your level of experience. 

 

Please visit our website for further Info and Rates: 

 

www.theplaywrightsgroup.com

 

Contact us at 

scripts@theplaywrightsgroup.com

Woodward/Newman Award 2025

Website

Deadline: September 1, 2024

SUBMISSION FORM

The Woodward/Newman Award is an exclusive honor offered by Constellation Stage & Screen, started through the support of Joanne Woodward, Newman’s Own Foundation, and the Newman family, celebrating Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward’s tremendous history of work on stage and screen. It presents the best unpublished play of the year with a cash prize of $3,000 and a full production as part of Constellation’s Mainstage season.

Please note that there are significant changes to our submission and selection process from previous years. In order to make the Woodward/Newman Award accessible to all, we have eliminated submission fees as well as the contest format. The Woodward/Newman Award will continue to be awarded to an unpublished new play once per year and come with a $3,000 cash prize and a full production. 

Submissions will be accepted and reviewed by our literary team on an ongoing basis, and will be considered for the award as well as for all 8 production slots in our season. So a play that is not selected for the Woodward/Newman slot in our season, may still be considered and selected for production. This will allow us to now accept open submissions for all types of plays (including TYA shows). Plays submitted prior to September 1 will be considered for the 2025-26 season, while plays submitted beyond that date will be considered for the 2026-27 Season. All submissions will be kept on file for 2 years after submission.

If you have questions regarding submissions to the Constellation Stage & Screen, please contact the Literary Manager at literary@seeconstellation.org.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONS

We are currently accepting submissions for the 2025-26 Woodward/Newman Award. 

The award recipient will be announced by May 15, 2025. The winner will be awarded $3,000 and a full production.“Full-length” plays should have a complete running time of between 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes) to 2 hours 15 minutes (135 minutes). TYA shows should have a complete running time of over 40 minutes.

Plays submitted must be unpublished at the time of submission (independently published is acceptable).
Each play should be individually submitted at the following link: CONSTELLATION STAGE & SCREEN PLAY SUBMISSION.

You will be asked to submit your play as an attachment and all other information (bio, history, synopsis, character breakdown) will be entered into a form. Musical submissions may upload demos as an attachment or include a link to a shared folder.

Limit of 2 play submissions per year.
$3,000 cash prize is in lieu of royalties for the full production. Housing & transportation will also be provided.

Any unpublished play submitted to Constellation regardless of method (e.g. online form, agent submission, direct contact) may be considered for the Woodward/Newman Award.
Please note that we are moving away from a “finalists” model in lieu of keeping all plays under consideration for extended periods (2yrs). In 2025-26 we will no longer announce finalists and only announce a winner.

If you have any questions, please email literary@seeconstellation.org.

The Gallery Players 28th Annual Black Box New Play Festival

Website

Deadline: April 30, 2024

The Gallery Players in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York, is seeking plays for its 28th Annual Black Box New Play Festival to be held in January/February (exact dates to be determined) 2025. Each play selected will be given a black box production with non-equity actors. Playwrights must be available, if not in person, via Zoom or other virtual venue for some rehearsals and use this as an opportunity to continue work on their play.

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: RECEIVED AT GALLERY PLAYERS BY April 30th, 2024. NOTE the received date. Mail your submissions accordingly.

Submission guidelines: 

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

2) Length of Plays: Plays should be 30 - 60 minutes. Plays must have at least 4 characters, more is even better. No monologues. No period costume pieces.You may only submit two (2) plays.

3). Format: Pages must be numbered; A cover page with Title of the play and playwrights contact information is required, along with a page that gives plot synopsis of the play and a character breakdown

4). Submit a copy of your playwriting resume.

5). Playwrights cannot direct their own work

6). Send two copies of your play(s), along with your resume, to:

The Gallery Players
Black Box New Play Festival
199 14th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215.

We will only contact you if your play has been accepted into the Festival. If you want confirmation that your mailing was received by us, please include a self-addressed stamped return postcard.

We do not accept email submissions.

We do not return scripts. Any scripts not chosen for the Festival will be destroyed to protect the copyright.

Exhume submissions for Fall 2024

Website

Deadline: June 30, 2024

We strive to publish visual art, poetry, prose, and drama in order to help writers who discuss queerness and trauma find a home for their works. Though we especially seek submissions that discuss these topics, we accept good writing across the board. We appreciate work that speaks to the human experience on a raw level. Consider works like Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl,” Jo Ann Beard’s “The Fourth State of Matter,” and John Cheever’s “The Swimmer.” Above all else, we want writing that makes us feel something. Writing can be traditional, experimental, or a hybrid of the two. Surprise us!

We accept both established and emerging artists and writers across the board. We welcome simultaneous submissions, though we ask that you let us know immediately should your submission be accepted somewhere else. At this time we do not accept previously published work.

All submissions should be emailed to exhumeliteraryjournal@gmail.com. 

Please list the genre you’re submitting under in the subject of your email, as well as your first and last name. Please paste your third-person bio, maximum 75 words, in the body of your email and submit your works as attachments in .doc or .docx format. All documents should be submitted in 12 point fonts.

Submit up to 3,500 words of prose in one double-spaced document.

YouthPlays accepting new work

Website

Deadline: May 1, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific

Submission form on the webpage

Welcome! We seek challenging, entertaining plays and musicals that are appropriate for teen and younger actors and/or audiences, as well as shows that have the potential to cross over to universities or community theatres. Please read all guidelines on this page carefully and browse our website to learn more about us before submitting.

Prospective Authors (19 and Under): You may submit one play only through our New Voices One-Act Competition. Submissions run from January 1, 2024 through May 1, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.

Prospective Authors: US-based BIPOC playwrights only may submit full scripts. Other authors may email a query (instructions below) about a single play. You may query again when you've heard back from us on your current query or submission.

Current YouthPLAYS Authors: Log in first and then submit as many scripts as you like.

We accept unsolicited submissions of full scripts only from current YouthPLAYS authors, US-based BIPOC authors age 20 or older (please identify yourself as BIPOC in the Note the Publisher) and for the New Voices One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights.

All other authors may email a query (no scripts, please) about a single play to submissions@youthplays.com. 

Please make sure the query includes all of the following in the body of the email (no attachments): The play's title.

A brief synopsis.

The approximate running time.

A cast breakdown (e.g. 2 males, 4 females, 8+ any gender). Please address specifically whether the play contains any significant young (teen or younger) characters.

The producing groups for which you think the play is most appropriate (e.g. high schools, middle schools, TYA theatres, etc.).

Production/development history.

Any encumbrances (e.g. some part of it is published in a non-exclusive anthology). Also, please disclose any agency representation at this time.

Why you believe this play is a fit for our mission.

Again, do NOT include the script, in whole or in part, with your query.

Other Important Submission Notes

If invited/eligible to submit a full script, please make sure it has complete contact information (full name, mailing address, phone number, email address) on the title page, as well as a Cast of Characters page with a full cast breakdown. Please make sure the body of your script contains page numbers.
We only consider previously produced musicals, and they must have a completed, digitized (i.e., PDF) score (with orchestrations, if applicable). Musicals for which musical tracks (both for performance and with vocals for rehearsal) are available are strongly preferred.
While we will accept unproduced non-musical plays, we recommend that all works be produced prior to publication so that they can be road tested. At minimum, the play must have had a developmental reading or workshop.

Should your play have any encumbrances (e.g., some part of it is published in an non-exclusive anthology), or if it being simultaneously submitted to other publishers, please note that in the "Author's Note to the Publisher" section. Be advised that we only represent material for which we can be the exclusive licensing agent.

Script submissions through this page only. No emailed scripts (and, of course, no snail mailed scripts.)
Please, no phone calls.

We do not publish screenplays, short stories, novels or poetry.

Response time is typically 6-9 months on scripts (less on queries), but may take up to 9-12 months or longer (and sometimes it's much quicker!). We ask that you only follow up if you have another publication offer to report. In that case, we are happy to expedite consideration of your play so that you may potentially consider both offers.

If at any point your material becomes unavailable (e.g. because you accept another publication offer), please email us immediately so that we can devote our resources to material that is still available to us.
We do not accept submissions of previously submitted plays (either in whole or in part) unless we have specifically requested the resubmission.

Types of MaterialScripts with at least some age-appropriate roles for young actors, even if those roles are likely to be played by adults. We also consider scripts with strongly youth-friendly content and that have a youthful spirit (e.g., Melodramatics, which is an educationally valuable example of melodrama), even if there are no discernibly young characters.

One-act or full-length plays and musicals for schools and youth theatres. We particularly need one-act (and full-length) comedies for high school and middle school performers with large or flexible casts and lots of female roles, as well as mysteries and/or murder mysteries for that age group. One-acts that run 30-35 minutes and are suitable for competition are highly encouraged. We are not particularly looking for more fractured fairy tales unless they offer a very different spin from what we already represent.
BIPOC plays and playwrights. We particularly seek plays that speak to BIPOC teens and youth, plays that deal with the concerns and interests of the Latinx, Black and Indigenous communities, and bilingual plays (particularly English/Spanish) written by BIPOC playwrights. But we are interested in diversity of all kinds!

One-act or full-length plays and musicals in which adult actors or mixed-age casts perform for young audiences (TYA). It is important that the protagonist and preferably other important roles be young characters, even if they are played by older actors.

Short monologues (6-8 minutes) and plays for 2 or more actors (8-10 minutes) with teen/youth characters, particularly comedies.

Adaptations and parodies of well-known titles (please check our site to make sure we don't already have your chosen title). In the case of adaptations, please be sure you have all appropriate permissions (i.e., a written agreement with the underlying rights holder, if the material is not in the public domain) before submitting.

We typically do not accept collections of unrelated stand-alone monologues, as we believe monologues should exist within the larger context of a play.

Spellbinder Magazine seeks short plays for Summer 2024 issue

Website

Deadline: May 1, 2024

SUBMISSION FORM

Once you have read the guidelines below, you can submit your work through our submission form. We pay a £3 honorarium to each accepted contributor after print publication.

An Affirmation of Welcome to All Writers and Artists

We affirm our desire to welcome writers and artists of all countries, backgrounds, traditions and religions to our pages, and our willingness to fairly consider their work.

As creatives, we believe that our ability to confront complex issues with curiosity, nuance, and care binds us together. We are unequivocal in our support of the fact that bigotry against any group – be it Islamophobia or antisemitism – harms our literary and artistic community as a whole. Likewise, we do not condone discrimination and/or bigotry of any kind, including, but not limited to, racism, sexism, transphobia, and homophobia.

Compulsory Submission Guidelines:

Your submission will be considered invalid if you do not adhere to the following guidelines.

One submission is permitted per quarterly. This means that you may only enter your work into one category. Your submission will be considered for the upcoming issue only.

Within each category, you may only submit one piece of work, unless you are submitting poetry or artwork. Please note that we are unlikely to accept more than one work per poet or artist.

We do not consider previously published or self-published submissions. This includes work that is and/or has been on sale and/or displayed on websites, social media channels, and personal blogs. The one exception to this is if you have previously been published by a magazine which has now ceased to exist. Importantly, there must be no website for this publication still available.

We do consider simultaneous submissions. However, you must inform us immediately if your work gets published anywhere else so that we can withdraw your submission.

We do not accept work containing offensive language (anything containing racist, sexist or otherwise derogatory language), graphic erotic detail, and/or radical religious or political commentary.

We do not accept work which is AI-generated or AI-assisted.

Written Work Guidelines:

Compulsory:

Your submission will be considered invalid if you do not adhere to the following guidelines.

Works must be written primarily in English. Translations are acceptable and should be accompanied by a copy of the original text. Before submitting, please confirm with the original rights holder that the translation rights are available for purchase. We will ask for a letter than asserts the above if the translation is accepted.

Submit all written work as a singular .doc/.docx/.odf attachment. Do not send your work as a .pdf.

Please name your file names as the title of your work, regardless of the file extension.

Optional:

We really appreciate it if you adhere to the following instructions, but it is not essential for you to do so.

All works should be typed in 12 point font and single-spacing.

Centre your title and number the pages of your document.

Compulsory Category Guidelines:

Your submission will be considered invalid if you do not adhere to the following guidelines.

Your work should not exceed more than 10% of the maximum total word/ line/ page count, as detailed below.

Stage plays: Maximum of 5 A4 pages.

• If your work is accepted, we may make editorial changes. We will inform you of any changes that are made so that you can approve these prior to publication.

• If your work is accepted, please note that we are unlikely to accept more than one work per writer or artist within one calendar year.

• If your work is rejected, please wait for two submission cycles before submitting again. 

• Our print magazine is published in A5. Please consider this if you have a specific intention regarding the formatting of your work.

• Please wait for our response regarding your submission before submitting another one. We read all submissions once our submission window closes, and we aim to respond within a month after that.

• We ask for first-time publication rights, but all rights revert back to the author after publication. We kindly ask that if your piece is published elsewhere in the future, that you please credit Spellbinder with its initial publication.

Barter Theatre Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights 2025

Website

Deadline: May 1, 2024

Six new Appalachian plays are chosen from the submissions to be given public readings by Barter’s company.

The playwrights are brought in at the beginning of the festival week to be a part of the rehearsal process. Each play is given about 8 hours of rehearsal time with the focus being on clarity of story.

After each reading, there is a moderated discussion between a panel made up of three regional theatre professionals and, most importantly, the audience, for their feedback. That way, the playwright receives feedback from three separate groups: artists, panelists, and audience.

Playwrights have found this to be a very useful step in developing their plays, as well as a wonderful opportunity to meet other artists, make new friends, and enjoy the beauty of Southwest Virginia!

Play Submission Guidelines

AFPP 2025 Submission Deadline: May 1st, 2024

Plays must be written by an Appalachian playwright (currently living in a state that contains the Appalachian Mountain Range— which, for our purposes, run from New York to Alabama.)

OR

The plays must be set in the Appalachian region.
Plays must be unpublished and must not have had a full professional production.
Plays must be full length.
Plays must be submitted electronically.

Please send play and a brief synopsis to: apfestival@bartertheatre.com

Page 73 development programs

Website

Deadline: April 28, 2024

SUBMISSION FORM ONLINE

Page 73 has two development programs available to early-career playwrights through this application. Playwrights may apply for either or both programs as they see fit and are eligible (see below).

1. The Page 73 Playwriting Fellowship

The Page 73 Playwriting Fellowship provides a year of comprehensive support to one early-career playwright who has not received a professional production in New York City (please see eligibility requirements below). Through this program, Page 73 provides artistic and financial resources to this writer as they develop one or more new plays of their choosing. The Page 73 Playwriting Fellow receives an unrestricted award of $20,000, a development budget of $10,000 managed by Page 73 and the Fellow over the course of the Fellowship year, and at least one workshop culminating in a public reading.

The Fellow is encouraged to think creatively about using Fellowship resources to meet concrete goals that might not otherwise be possible. These goals may include, but are not limited to, development of one or more new plays, assistance in building relationships within the New York City theater community, research, and/or travel. Please note that Page 73 does not commit to producing the work of the Fellow. Page 73 also helps the Fellow identify and connect with collaborators, including directors, designers, actors, and dramaturgs.

The Fellow will actively work with Page 73 for the 2025 calendar year. After selection, the Fellow will collaborate with Page 73’s staff to design a plan for the year and establish a timeline for the development work to be done on the new play or plays.

If the Fellow is not a New York City resident, they must be prepared to travel to New York during the Fellowship year in order to fully engage in the opportunities that the Fellowship provides.

Anyone who wishes to be considered for the 2025 Fellowship must submit this application.

2. The Page 73 Writers Group
The Page 73 Writers Group is a yearlong writers group consisting of seven or eight playwrights. Led by Page 73’s Artistic Director and Associate Artistic Director, the Writers Group meets twice monthly on weeknight evenings at our office in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Each playwright receives a $3,000 stipend for participating. Participants take turns bringing in pages for the group to discuss.

The Writers Group begins in January and meetings run through December; sessions are typically suspended for a period in the summer. Please consult the eligibility requirements below. Page 73 selects participants from individuals we meet through this application process as well as from individuals who have become known to the company through other means.

Note: While Page 73's staff may, at their discretion, offer a spot in the Writers Group to a playwright who meets the eligibility requirements but has not submitted an application for the program, anyone who wishes to be considered for the 2025 Fellowship must submit this application.


Applicants for both programs:

1. The applicant must be a US resident at the time of participation;

2. The applicant must have completed at least 2 full-length plays or at least 3 one-act plays;

3. The applicant must have made a commitment to playwriting as a professional goal;

4. The applicant must have never received a production in New York City that is fully contracted with Actors Equity Association and ran for at least four weeks or twenty-one performances;

5. The applicant must not be enrolled in a full-time degree/certificate program at the time of participation.


Writers Group applicants:

Attendance at all Writers Group sessions is extremely important. Please do not apply for the Writers Group if you will be unable to attend meetings in New York City on a regular basis. Priority is given to writers who are not involved in other similarly supported institutional writing groups.

We understand this application occurs well in advance of 2025. If you are not sure about your plans for 2025, you are welcome to apply for the Writers Group and update us regarding your eligibility.

New Relic Theatre: Mythmaking

Website

Deadline: May 2, 2024 at 11:59 PM EDT

SUBMISSION FORM

NEW RELIC THEATRE, a New York-based performing arts organization, is seeking playwrights and performing artists for an upcoming project slated for mid/late Fall 2024.

This event will be programmed and supported by New Relic Theatre’s existing production team in October 2024 as part of our 2024 Season. NRT will support the selected artist with the development of their project and the logistics of casting, staging, and marketing the project from conception through final curtain. New Relic will provide the budget for this production and a commissioning fee for the selected artist, allocated based on the scope and needs of their vision.

About the project:

Myth offers a refuge from a rational world within the infinite, connecting us to our distant past and inviting us to view the present in a new, enchanted light. This project will commission an artist to present work that approaches this guiding theme from their unique perspective.

Mythmaking also opens unique connections between cultures and communities by offering a glimpse into the cultural exchanges of stories, legends, and folklore that have shaped the human experience over thousands of years. We are especially interested in artists inspired by the myths and folklore of the global majority.

We encourage participating artists to imagine a world (past or future) where the dark forest encircles them—where connection, community, and solidarity are the only path to survival. In myth, we see ourselves not as rational masters of a data-driven universe, but as a tiny group huddled around a campfire. We invite audiences to step back through the centuries and carry that experience with them as they leap into the new.

This production opportunity provides a stage to fashion new mythologies, honor existing ones, and reexamine how we engage with history. Through the resonance of these diverse mythologies, the project seeks to spark dialogue, empathy, and a deeper appreciation for the multifaceted tapestry of human history and cultural heritage.

To submit:

Please submit your name & contact information, along with a resume and samples of previous work (if available, in whatever form you have), a 150-word description of your proposed piece, a 300-word description of how it underscores, challenges, or reframes our guiding theme of “myth," and the script or performance score of your project. We are open to submissions from both playwrights and performing artists who blur the lines between disciplines.

Please note: we are only accepting completed drafts at this time. While the selected piece can be edited between selection and performance date, we are unable to consider outlines or unfinished scripts/scores this year.

This production has a commissioning award of $500 and a total production budget of ~$4,000 (covering additional stipends and production costs) with some flexibility depending on the size of the project(s) selected. The selected artist will work with the NRT team to arrive at a production budget and compensation structure that meets their project’s needs.

While the final performance will take place in NYC, we’re open to submissions from around the world. Please note, we are unable to offer a travel stipend to out-of-town artists at this time.​

New Relic Theatre is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome submissions from artists and performers of all races and ethnicities, gender identities, sexualities, abilities, and ages.

Timeline:

• April 3 - May 2, 2024 (11:59 pm EST): Applications accepted​
• May - June 2024: A panel of judges read submitted works and select a small group of finalists to be interviewed
• June 2024: Finalist interviews
• Late June 2024: Final awardee notified
• October 2024: Performance

Click here to view the form and submit.

Art Omi Translation Lab 2024

Website

Deadline: July 1, 2024

Ghent NY

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

Art Omi: Writers is now seeking proposals for Translation Lab 2024, a 12-day special, intensive residency for four collaborating writer-translator teams in the fall of 2024.

Art Omi will host four English language translators in New York's Hudson Valley for 12 days. These translators will be invited along with the writers whose work is being translated into English. All text-based projects—fiction, nonfiction, theater, film, poetry, etc.—are eligible.

This focused residency will provide an integral stage of refinement, allowing translators to dialogue with the writers about text-specific questions. It will also serve as an essential community-builder for English-language translators who are working to increase the amount of international literature available to English-language readers.

The dates for Translation Lab 2024 are November 12-23, 2024. All residencies are fully funded including: airfare, train transportation from New York City to the Art Omi campus, local car transportation, and a small honorarium. Please note: accepted applicants must be available for the duration of the Translation Lab (November 12-23, 2024). Late arrivals and early departures are not possible. Please do not submit a proposal unless both parties involved (translator and writer) are available for all dates.

Art Omi: Writers will be accepting proposals for participation until July 1, 2024. Translators, writers, editors, or agents can submit Project Proposals.

Each proposal should be no more than three pages and provide the following information:

1. Names of the translator and writer applying, as well as contact information (physical address, email, and phone) and the original language of the text. These details should be provided at the very top of the proposal.

2. Brief biographical sketches for the translator and writer.

3. A description of the proposed project, including details about how you envision structuring your working time together.

4. Publishing status for the proposed project. (Projects that do not yet have a publisher are eligible.)

In addition to the Project Proposal, please submit a Work Sample. If sample pages of the English translation for the proposed project are available, please include them (no more than 25 pages). If they are not yet available, please provide another translation work sample.

Second Annual Fern Street Play Festival

Website

Deadline: June 1, 2024 11:59 p.m

ACCEPTING FIRST 200 SUBMISSIONS ONLY

Send to: LRE@westhartforduu.org

Second Annual Fern Street Play Festival ~ November 1 and 2, 2024

NO FEE

Familiar in the neighborhood as the church on Fern Street, The Universalist Church of West Hartford, Connecticut has a history of using theatre to build connections across our own progressive congregation and the local community. We continue to widen the circle of this tradition by inviting voices from far and wide to be part of our second annual play festival. Our mission is to uplift and examine the human condition through theatre. To that end, we invite playwrights to submit plays, new or old, published or unpublished, to our no-fee juried play festival. 

Our inaugural Festival in 2023 was a grand success, attracting more than 130 submissions from around the United States and several other countries. From those, eight plays were chosen for seated readings and were performed by outstanding actors from the community. The Festival attracted an enthusiastic audience over two nights.

***
This year, selected plays will receive a $100 honorarium. One grand prize will be awarded in the amount of $250. Each selected play will be professionally produced as a seated reading for a live audience. We plan to make a video recording of each individual play reading and make those available to the playwrights, to be used at their discretion, excluding commercial purposes.

***
INSTRUCTIONS – PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW CAREFULLY

Submit a properly formatted playscript for the stage. For formatting guidance, see: https://www.dramatistsguild.com/.../General-SFI...

***
Make the script itself “blind” by removing any reference to the playwright’s name, address, bio, past performances, or awards. You may, of course, identify yourself in the body of the cover email. 

***

The play may be from any genre – drama, comedy, musical, etc. It should be a complete, short play – no longer than 25 pages.

***
Email your script as a PDF document to lre@westhartforduu.org by 11:59 p.m. on June 1, 2024. No late submissions will be accepted.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Plays will be chosen for performance based on the following criteria:

1. Dramatic literary skill
We will especially appreciate submissions that use drama as the main literary device. Plays that rely too heavily on exposition or are written in a didactic style will not meet the criteria for dramatic literary skill.

2. A performance time of no more than 20 minutes.

3. Illustrative (in any significant way) of at least one of the Unitarian Universalist Seven Principles or Shared Values.1st Principle: The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
2nd Principle: Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
3rd Principle: Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
4th Principle: A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
5th Principle: The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
6th Principle: The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
7th Principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
The Shared Values are: Love, Interdependence, Equity, Transformation, Pluralism, Generosity, and Justice.

Although illustrating these principles or values can be conceived in myriad ways, we will select plays we can discuss with audiences using one or more of the principles or values as a lens for interpretation.

REVIEW AND NOTIFICATION
A group of qualified readers will begin a blind review of scripts immediately. We plan to notify all writers of the outcome of the selection process by no later than Oct. 5, 2024.

PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED PLAYS
If selected, your play will be produced as a seated or minimally staged reading for a one or two-night run, depending on the number of plays selected. Performances will be held in the sanctuary of the historic Universalist Church of West Hartford and videorecorded by a state-of-the-art system. Performance dates are slated for November 1 and 2, in the evening.

***

Productions will use a mix of qualified professional and amateur actors. The director(s) have extensive theatre backgrounds.

***

The Festival will be marketed and advertised throughout the greater Hartford area.

***

Playwrights will be invited to attend one rehearsal to collaborate and consult with directors and cast. If traveling from afar, writers will need to cover their own travel and lodging expenses.

RADIOPLAYS - Festival 2023-24

Website

Deadline: April 30, 2024

SUBMISSION FORM

July 23 through May 2024
(Productions will air continuously)

Works must feature some aspect of LGBT life.

If you skipped our webpage, please see: https://freshfruitfestival.com/radioplays-2023/for details.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: Please complete all fields on the following pages, attaching requested information or providing the appropriate links. Note this application should be finished in one sitting. Once completed in its entirety, please click "Submit" at the end, to officially submit to this Festival program.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Please complete the application fully. Incomplete applications can not be considered. (Script revisions are expected, but staying within length limits).
Submit any required work samples for your work: Text attachments must be in .RTF, .PDF, or .DOC file formats. Supporting files: Do not upload video or audio files; give Links to them only. Video/Audio links may be on Vimeo, YouTube, Dropbox, or other services. Please make sure you give us a full link and any password required to audit them.

Submissions: Please attach a complete, current or draft version of the text. SHORTS (of 10-30 min. long) and SHOTS! (4 to 12 min) will both be considered for this season's program. Complete rules on the website.

If this work is NOT yet a radio-script: you will be asked to also submit a 2-page excerpt in Radio-Script format, with detailed ambient, blocking, and sound design notes.

The Ryan Hudak LGBTQ+ Dramatic Writing Award

Website

Deadline: June 18, 2024 at 5:00 PM ET 

*Please note that the application form on Submittable will automatically close & stop accepting applications at this time.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The Ryan Hudak LGBTQ+ Dramatic Writing Award is open to New York State playwrights and screenwriters, including those who live within the five boroughs of New York City.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:Must be a working playwright or screenwriter. Acceptable forms of playwriting or screenwriting include stageplays, screenplays, teleplays, libretti, radio plays, and audio dramas. No audio is accepted.
Must self-identify as LGBTQ+.
Must be a current full-time resident of New York State for a minimum of 12 months at the time applications close.
Must be at least 25 years of age at the time the application closes.
Cannot be enrolled in a degree-seeking program of any kind.
Can be past recipients of any NYFA grant or fellowship programs, except past recipients of the The Ryan Hudak LGBTQ+ Dramatic Writing Award.
Cannot be a NYFA employee, members of the NYFA Board of Trustees or Artists’ Advisory Committee, and/or an immediate family member of any of the above.

Questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions Page or email apply@nyfa.org

More information on the website here.

Equity Library Theater of New York Winter 2024 Virtual Play Festival, seeking short plays

Website

Deadline: May 1, 2024

Submissions are being accepted for the Equity Library Theater of New York Winter 2024 Virtual Play Festival. Seeking short plays (no more than 20 pp/minutes), from playwrights from around the globe. Also seeking monologues (no more than 5pp/minutes). Musicals welcome! 

We post your YouTube link of the performance to the festival site for voting. One submission per playwright. No submission fees. Please include name, address, telephone number and email address on your submission. We do not produce your work; we provide a venue for you to present actors performing your play. There are no costs involved for anyone. Seeking actors and directors, too! 

Email: equitylibrarytheater@gmail.com.

2025 Lanesboro Residency

Website

Deadline: May 31, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. CST

A place-based program for early career artists where art and the artistic process instigates positive change, addresses or creates an opportunity to move the community forward or is otherwise be central to problem-solving. Supported by the Jerome Foundation, the Lanesboro Early Career Artist Residency program is an opportunity for early career artists from Minnesota and the five boroughs of New York City to explore ways in which their work can be applied to the community and how Lanesboro’s rural community can inform their work.

This place-based and community-engaged residency program was designed to align with and amplify Lanesboro Arts’ vision for communities–especially rural communities–to embrace artists as economic drivers, culture bearers, community builders, and problem solvers. Lanesboro Arts is especially seeking residency projects where community engagement is integral to the art making or projects where public interaction with the work is at the core of an artist’s practice.
Before submitting an application, please take moment to review our program guidelines and eligibility criteria.

The Round One application deadline for the 2025 Lanesboro Early Career Artist Residency Program is Friday, May 31, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. CST. The application opened on April 18th, 2024.

New in 2024, Lanesboro Arts is implementing a two-round application process for the Early Career Artist Residency Program, in response to feedback from artists. The two-step application process is meant to alleviate some of the time-consuming nature of applications.

Round One of the application process asks for basic information about the artist, their demographics, and a bit about the proposed project. Round One applications are open to all and are due May 31, 2024 at 11:59 pm.

Applications are then reviewed by Lanesboro Arts staff for alignment and best fit with program mission and goals. Following review, applicants will be notified of their application status by June 11th. A smaller pool of selected applicants will then be invited to apply for Round Two, which includes more detail about the artist and their proposed community project. Round Two applications are due August 2nd, 2024 at 11:59 pm and are reviewed by a diverse jury of artists from around the state of Minnesota.

It is not possible to save your in-progress application. This page contains all application fields and questions. Please consider downloading the application questions here and creating your own document to save your in-progress application before copying and pasting the final application here when you’re ready.

M. T. Pockets Theatre 2024 Ten Minute Play Festival

Website

Deadline: May 25, 2024

Online submission form

We will be holding our annual Ten Minute Play festival this year from August 30 - Sept. 6, and we are looking for new material! 

Plays must: 

-Be royalty-free, preferably never produced. 

-Have 10 or fewer pages (excluding title/character pages.) Monologue plays should be approximately 5 pages. We are aiming for a 10-minute run per show. 

-Preferably have 4 characters or less Our submission portal will be open until midnight on May 25, 2024, and we will announce our selections on July 1st.

BMI Musical Theatre Bookwriting Basics 2024

Website

Deadline: June 1, 2024

SUBMISSION FORM

This nine-month course explores the fundamentals of writing book for the musical theatre.

Drama Desk Award winning bookwriter Adam Mathias (he/him) unlocks the toolkit for musical theatre librettists. Through lecture, discussion, and assignments students learn how to apply the fundamentals of playwriting to the craft of creating musicals. As a class, writers deep-dive into the DNA of the musical theatre canon — from the Golden Age through today — dissecting what works and why and then applying it to their own work.

Applicants should have a book-musical project in mind to develop over the course of the year; this musical could be anywhere from an early concept to an early draft.

The course runs September through May in New York City, Covid restrictions permitting. Prospective members should live in the city or be able to commute weekly.
Librettists Workshop

After completing the Bookwriting Basics program, writers may apply to join the established Librettists Workshop group. Not all writers who apply will be invited to join.

Nancy Golladay, veteran Broadway literary manager and dramaturg, moderates a writers’ roundtable focused on developing the skills unique to musical theatre bookwriters. Members read and critique each other’s work as their material evolves from one-page synopses to fully scripted scenes — including occasional cold readings of an entire show. In a yearly collaborative project, the Librettists Workshop engages with the First Year Songwriting Class. Librettist Workshop members are also eligible to participate in Collaborator Connections events with members of the Songwriters Workshops.
Application

Applicants must submit two writing samples, at least one of which must include comedic content.

Either or both samples could be:a 10-page or longer excerpt from a script or other genre
a complete one-act
a full-length script

Any of these may be in-progress, produced and/or published material.

Scripts from genres other than playscripts or musical theatre scripts are also acceptable; however, theatrical comedy scenes are preferred to stand-up or sketch material.

In addition, writers must include a bio or resume.
Schedule

Musical Theatre Bookwriting Basics — Tuesdays 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Librettists Workshop — Mondays 6:15 - 8:15 p.m.

All sessions take place at the BMI Offices in lower Manhattan from September through May. All prospective members must arrange to live in the greater New York City area or be able to commute weekly September through May. Please do not apply if this is not possible for you.

Applications must be submitted by June 1st.

Fees

There is no fee to apply for or participate in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.

Please note that Workshop participants will be charged $43.55 for a 7 WTC identification badge.
Apply

The Workshop application process is now open!

Theatre Three's 26th Annual Festival of One-Act Plays (2025)

Website

Deadline: September 1, 2024

Since its inception in 1998, The Festival has received over 12,000 submissions from across the world and produced over 140 world premieres by more than 100 different playwrights. The Festival presents between five and eight plays each season.

Guidelines:

• Playwrights may only submit one play per Festival.
• Only unproduced works will be accepted. Please do not submit works that have been submitted for previous Festivals.
• Plays that have had staged readings or on-line productions are eligible.
• No adaptations, children’s plays, or musicals.
• Cast size maximum: 12
• Length maximum: 30 minutes (no minimum)
• Settings: Simple or suggested.
• All submissions should be emailed as PDFs with the title in caps followed by the playwright’s name. Example: THE BASKET WEAVERS Jamie Martin
• Play’s cover sheet must include the author’s information (name, address, telephone, email). A short synopsis is encouraged
• Any stage play format is acceptable.
• Submissions should be sent to Jeffrey@theatrethree.com
• Scripts must be received by September 1, 2024.

Selected plays will be presented for ten performances (dates to be determined in winter-spring 2025), at the Ronald F. Peierls Theatre, on THEATRE THREE’s Second Stage.

Playwrights will receive a $150 stipend.

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

Playwrights of selected plays will be contacted by early December 2024.

Final selection of plays will be announced on THEATRE THREE’s website and Facebook page by December 15, 2024.

Neukom Literary Arts Award for Playwriting 2024

Website

Deadline: May 1, 2024 5PM

The submission form will be accepted until 5PM, May 1, 2024.

The Neukom Institute for Computational Science at Dartmouth College – in collaboration with Northern Stage – is excited to announce the 2024 Neukom Institute Literary Arts Awards for Playwriting, for full-length plays and other full-length works for the theater addressing the question “What does it mean to be a human in a computerized world?”. The award comes with a $5,000 honorarium as well as a 29-hour workshop and public reading produced by Northern Stage (https://northernstage.org/) in January 2025. Note that works that have received a full production are NOT eligible for the competition.

Details are as follows:

Questions? Email Brandy (Yijin) Zhang bzhang@northernstage.org

Submissions must include:

An anonymized (blinded) copy of the piece

Playwright resume/bio

Production history of the piece

1 page statement of purpose that answers the following questions:

A. How does your piece address the theme of exploring humanity in our computerized, digital world?

B. The winning play will have a 29-hour workshop and public reading at Northern Stage in White River Junction, VT in early 2025. What are your developmental goals for the play and how would this workshop serve those goals?

Carlo Annoni 2024 International Playwriting Prize

 Website

Deadline: April 30, 2024

The Carlo Annoni International Playwriting Prize is now open for submissions with topics concerning the LGBTQ+ community, including love, diversity, and identity in a time of gender fluidity.

We accept full-length or short plays, even if already represented.

€1000 (euros) awarded to two best plays (one in English and one in Italian) and special jury mentions on multiple categories.

Award ceremony in Milan, September 2024

Send your submission to info@premiocarloannoni.eu 

PlayZoomers Seeks Short, Online, Holiday Scripts

Website

Deadline: July 31, 2024

PlayZoomers, a live, online theater company, seeks short (10-15 min.) holiday scripts for our December 2024 production. We seek light, humorous, clever plays with themes related to Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, or other December holidays. Scripts should be suitable for online production. There will be no script submission fees required. If we produce your play, you will receive a small stipend.

Please email scripts to playzoomers@gmail.com 

In the email’s subject line, put “Holiday script submission: [title ofplay] by [playwright]”. If you are submitting multiple scripts, send each one in a separate email. Please do not re-submit scripts you have previously sent us.

On the first page of your script include the title, playwright name, estimated run time, and contact information. On the next page, include a logline/brief plot summary, a detailed character breakdown, any production history, and ashort playwright bio. At the end of the script, describe production details, such as backgrounds, costumes, props, music, and sound effects. 

For additional script formatting guidance, go to https://www.dramatistsguild.com/script-formats

The deadline for this round of submissions is July 31, 2024. As we read through scripts, we will acknowledge your submission and reach out to you only if your script is selected for production.

With 110+ professionally produced plays since 2020 - involving more than 285 playwrights, directors, designers, actors, and scores of audience members from 35 states and countries around the world - PlayZoomers has become a national online theatre company and an international theatre community. We feature plays of different genres and lengths, with cast sizes typically ranging from 2 - 6. We work closely with playwrights toadapt their work to a digital platform. We welcome theatre artists and audience members of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. Learn more about our nonprofit company at https://www.playzoomers.org

The 15th Annual Northport One-Act Play Festival

Website

Deadline: June 1, 2024

Submission form to print and fill out here

The 2024 Northport One-Act Play Festival will be held at St Paul’s United Methodist Church, 270 Main St, Northport, NY 11768.

We request that you be available to attend your play’s performances if possible. An Open Discussion with the playwrights, directors, and cast may follow each performance if time allows.

IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMITTING YOUR SCRIPT:

1) Please make sure your script pages are numbered;

2) On the cover of your script, please include a.) Name of Your Play, b.) Your Name, c.) Your Contact information [Address, Telephone Number & Email];

3) Include the character breakdown on the second page of your script;

4) Include the Setting that your play occurs (i.e., an apartment in NYC.) and the Time (i.e. the Present.) on the second page. This information will be used in the program.

5) Note: Ease of production is also considered as part of a play’s possible selection for the Festival. We recommend one simple set and no complicated props, sound or lighting requirements. You will bepermitted to have opening and closing music which is in the public domain: no music which requires a royalty. We suggest no more than 4 characters.

6) Also submit a digital copy of your script, either on a CD included with the script, or by email to NorthportPlays@gmail.com.

7) Please include a Self Addressed Stamped Postcard if you would like notification that we have received your script.

PRODUCING YOUR PLAY:

1.     REMEMBER: If you do not produce your own play, a group from the local theater community will be doing so. That group must find space to conduct their own rehearsals. The Northport One-Act Play Festival will provide for One (1) cue-to-cue technical rehearsal, which will last no longer than 20 minutes in the theater during the weekpreceding the Festival. There will also be One (1) tech and one

(1) dress rehearsal on the stage. All rehearsals are scheduled in the order that plays will be presented in the Festival.Each program consists of up to 7 plays. A mandatory preview on Sep 14^th will be scheduled and must be attended by Director and actors. Half-hour time slots will be offered between 11:00am and 5:00pm.

2.     LIGHTING AND SOUND: There will be a basic lighting plot that all plays in the Festival use. Any additionalequipment (i.e., microphone, musical instruments, etc.) must be provided by the Directors of the play. Any music/sound effects must be on CD or sent as an MP3 file and supplied by preview day, Sep 14^th, along with stage manager, sound and lighting cue scripts (3 separate notated scripts).

3.     SETS: We will assist in any way possible to provide basic sets but keep the scenery and props to a minimum. Any plans to use a large set piece to support the production must be mentioned to the producers of the play before Sep 14^th. Your cast will be asked to help clear your set after each performance.

4.     RUNNING TIME: It is very important that you give us the running time of your play so we can accurately puttogether the running time of each Program. The maximum running time for a play in the Festival is 20 minutes. Any play going longer in rehearsal will require some editing. The minimum running time is 7 minutes.

5.     REHEARSALS: Directors and cast must be available to present their play to Festival producers

Sep 14^th (time to be determined) so that the producers are aware of its current running time and readiness for theFestival. Note: Producers may request the directors to have playwrights make edits to reduce the running time of the play at this point if it is determined that it will run past 20 minutes.

Directors and cast must attend tech and dress rehearsals on the dates assigned during the week preceding the Festival.

6.     ACTORS: If asked, management can assist in casting by providing contact information to appropriate actors and publicizing your auditions. Director must send descriptions of open roles, e.g. age, sex, etc.

7.     PERFORMANCES: All plays will be assigned to either Program 1 or Program 2. Program 1 will be performed the evening of Friday, Sep 27^th and the matinee of Saturday, Sep 28^th. Program 2 will be performed on the evening of Saturday, Sep 28^th and the matinee of Sunday, Sep 29^th.

8.     No Royalties or other monetary compensations are given for these performances.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: You will need to keep the technical requirements for your show very simple. There willbe a general light plot, with specials that everyone involved in the Festival will use. Sound is basic. Directors should submit their sound and music on a CD or MP3 file before Sep 14^th. Directors will have a chance to discuss tech with the staff at this Preview Day. Storage space is limited so you should keep your props and set to a minimum. Each play will have onecue to cue technical rehearsal for 20 minutes in the theater during the week prior to the Festival and one dress rehearsal.

PUBLICITY: Northport Plays, Inc will publicize the Northport One-Act Play Festival and coordinate overall press relations, including interviews and media attendance at performances. The directors will be asked to submit publicity photos & PR materials so that we can send complete press packages to print, broadcast and social media. A copy of the flyer/poster will be emailed to all parties. You are responsible for publicizing your own show through your own pressreleases, Facebook, and other means. The more you promote your show, the larger your potential audience. Northport One-Act Play Festival will produce a playbill for both Programs.

EXCLUSIVITY: Whether or not your play is accepted in the Northport One-Act Play Festival, Northport Reader’sTheater will try to include your script in their monthly hybrid readings. You will be invited to attend the reading of your play if it is scheduled. The readings are followed by a discussion of the play. If you are unable to attend, a video will be made of the reading and the link sent to you.

NETWORKING: The Northport One-Act Play Festival is a wonderful place for talent to network and be considered for new projects. Just think, at every performance your work will be seen by other playwrights, directors, and actors. In addition,there will be an opportunity for the playwrights and casts to meet the audience following each Program. The Northport One-Act Play Festival is a great place to be seen and be heard. Several Festival plays have gone on to runs on Long Island and in New York City.

PLEASE NOTE: The goal of the Northport One-Act Play Festival is to provide a nurturing environment to develop and showcase new plays. We pride ourselves in providing a platform to present diverse, exciting, new works that capture the pulse of innovative theatre. We enjoy the wide range of talent that we have been able to provide and a stage and for artists to present new work. We take several factors into consideration when deciding to accept a play into the Festival. Subjectmatter, creativity and freshness are important factors. Tell us in your cover letter why you feel you need to be a part of the Northport One-Act Play Festival.

ACCEPTANCE: All applicants will receive acceptance status notification (i.e. accepted or declined). Notification of acceptance status will begin to be mailed on or about July 1, 2024. If your play is accepted, you will receive a Release Agreement to participate in the Festival. You will have until July 15, 2024 to sign the Agreement and mail it to us along with your $75 participation fee. If your play is accepted into the Festival, you will be told in which Program your play will be performed. If you have a conflict with any of the dates, please note it on your submission form. You will receive two complimentary tickets to each performance of your play and a DVD of or link to the performance.

TICKETS: The Northport One-Act Play Festival tickets will be available for sale online beginning in September 2024. Information will be available at www.NorthportPlays.com or 631-223-8053.