FOOD FOR THOUGHT: HUNGER IN THE SUBURBS

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Play submissions will be accepted through August 10, 2013

Lakeshore Players, in collaboration with community partners “COLLAGE”, announces a new 10-Minute Play Contest to raise awareness about the changing face of hunger, as experienced by people living in the suburbs.

COLLAGE organizations include Lakeshore Players, Century College, White Bear Area Food Shelf, Solid Ground (former known as East Metro Women's Council), and White Bear Center for the Arts. These organizations are coming together to present a one night event at Century College using the arts as a catalyst to raise awareness about social issues. As part of this event, three 10-minute plays will be presented, with facilitated discussion about the issues between each show.

We are seeking 10-Minute Plays for this event. Unlike our annual 10-Minute Play Contest for Lakeshore's June 10-Minute Play Festival, the COLLAGE contest entries need not be new, unpublished works.

Potential topics and some thoughts on hunger.

• Breaking Stereotypes: Families, senior citizens, children, soccer moms, the working poor and other suburbanites are increasingly turning to food banks to meet a basic need: hunger.
• Food for Thought: Hunger affects learning
• Hard Choices: Some people are having to choose between other basic needs, such as housing, heat, and medicine or food.
• Hunger is a Temporary Problem: IT CAN BE FIXED! What are some success stories?
• WHY? Job loss, disability, the rising cost of food, etc.

ALL PLAYWRIGHTS

Please read the following rules and requirements carefully.
Plays not meeting the requirements will be disqualified.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES - submit either by email or postal mail

• The play should be approximately ten-minutes in length.
• The play must have no more than five on-stage (speaking and non-speaking) characters.
• The play should be in a "play format" making it easy for the readers. 
• (We like 12-point, easy to read fonts, such as Times New Roman or Arial)
• Submitting your play to our contest grants Lakeshore Players the right to produce your play in our annual festival and photograph and/or videotape it for archival purposes and for possible airing on TV, if it is chosen as a winner.

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES

• The play should have simple technical requirements. There won't be a set — a few SMALL furniture pieces and a few props only.
• As a community theatre, we want to appeal to the largest possible audience, therefore plays with excessive offensive language are less likely to be selected - please keep that in consideration.
• Two ways to submit: Email or Postal Mail.
• Your play must be received no later than August 10, 2013 to be eligible.

Only plays submitted exactly as outlined below will be accepted.

SUBMIT BY EMAIL
VERY IMPORTANT – Email submission rules below MUST be followed, or your submission will be disqualified.

1. Send one copy of the play with ALL contact information on the title page:

• play title
• Contact information including:

• your name

• mailing address

• phone number

• email address

2. Send ANOTHER "blind" copy of play for the judges with NO contact information just the title of the play.

3. Email Instructions

• Subject line: Include the title of your play, for example: COLLAGE Contest: NAME OF PLAY
• Include your complete contact information in the body of the email.
• Tell us where you heard about the contest.
• Please include the title of your play in the file name. For example:
• Name of Play Only.pdf
• Name of Play With Info.pdf

4. Email plays to: office@lakeshoreplayers.com

SUBMIT BY POSTAL MAIL
Don't know how to PDF? No problem.

1. Send one copy of the play with

• ALL Contact information including:

• your name

• mailing address

• phone number

• email address

2. Include ANOTHER copy of play for the judges with NO contact information - just the title and the play.
3. Mail to:

Lakeshore Players
COLLAGE Play Contest
4820 Stewart Ave.
White Bear Lake, MN 55110

4. Plays will not be returned to you.
5. If you would like confirmation that we have received your script, please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard with your script.

WINNERS
Plays chosen for production in our festival will receive a $50 stipend and a copy of the program from the event within 30 days of performance. Production photos will be uploaded to PhotoBucket and available for viewing, sharing, and downloading.

Any questions? E-mail: office@lakeshoreplayers.com