1. KINGDOM THEATRE BLACK MUSIC MONTH CELEBRATION SEEKS 10-MINUTE PLAYS BY WRITERS OF COLOR
DEADLINE: April 1st
WEBSITE: Kingdommtc.com
Seeking Playwrights of Color to have 10 minute play shorts featured in our Weekend Celebration of Black music month. June 24th-26th 2023 held at American Theatre of Actors NYC
Submit your Diverse works All Genres welcome. Writers of color only. 10 minute shorts only.
We provide venue, exposure, professional staff, Directors, actors and rehearsal space.
Deadline to Submit: April 1st 2023
No Submission fee.
If selected to be featured, playwrights must pay fee $85.
Submit at actressclassy@gmail.com
Scripts Does not have to be about Black music.***
2. FADE TO BLACK PLAY FESTIVAL
DEADLINE: April 1st
WEBSITE: https://www.fadetoblackfest.com
We are Houston's first and only 10-minute play festival to celebrate the new works of African-American playwrights! We are growing by leaps and bounds and would love to have you join our great organization.
Three (3) script submissions are allowed per playwright.
Selected playwright winners will be awarded a cash prize of $100.00 and out-of-town travel expenses.
Winning playwrights will be announced nationally on Sunday, May 1, 2022.
TO QUALIFY:
1. Playwright must be the sole author of the submitted work.
2. Playwright must publicly and openly identify themselves as African-American, Black, or of the African diaspora.
3. Previously published or produced work by the author or theatre/company is not allowed (See definitions below).
4. Play must run no longer than 8-10 minutes long on stage. (Consider conducting an informal reading to ensure).
5. Play should accommodate a “bare-stage” set requiring only a minimum of removable stage props and require basic lighting and sound cues.
6. Play must not be a musical.
7. Play must not be written for children or youth.
8. Play must not contain characters that are under 17 years old.
9. Play must not be a re-submission of previous Fade To Black play festival seasons.
10. Play must not be considered a translation or adaptation.
11. Play must not be a film. Screenplays will not be accepted.
12. Play should be "stand-alone", a separate body of work that has not been extracted from a larger, previously written play.
13. Author must be at least 18 years of age.
14. Play must be submitted in a PDF format.
TO SUBMIT:
1. Complete the script submissions application. https://forms.gle/sUESPtTCvJrR9gfn9
2. Upload pdf of original work.
3. THE OVERTIME THEATER CELEBRATING WINTER HOLIDAYS
DEADLINE: April 7, 2023
WEBSITE: https://theovertimetheater.org/submit-new-works/
The Overtime Theater in San Antonio, Texas is looking for unproduced winter holiday plays (ie: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, etc.). The Overtime Theater will consider traditional, quirky, or non-traditional holiday tales. We have a history for offbeat and unique productions, so all ideas will be considered.
We accept submissions of all lengths—short plays, one acts, and full-length plays to be produced December 2023 in The Gregg Barrios Theater (Overtime’s main stage). Due to space limitations, we can accommodate a maximum of 10 performers per production.
The Overtime Theater accepts submissions from all writers, but gives special attention to writers from Texas. The Overtime Theater is an all-volunteer organization and compensates playwrights with one equal share of donations in our tip jar at the end of the run.
Please fill out the Google Form to include your script attachment for consideration for December 2023. Please format your submissions in Word or PDF format.
We accept submissions year-round, but any submissions to be considered for December 2023 should be received by 11:59 pm CST on April 7, 2023.
Please send any questions to theovertimetheater@gmail.com and we will respond as soon as possible.
4. THEATRE SOUTHWEST OF HOUSTON 26TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF ORIGINALS
DEADLINE: April 10th
WEBSITE: https://tswhouston.com/foo
Theatre Southwest of Houston, Texas is accepting entries from now until April 10, 2023 for the 26th Annual Theatre Southwest Festival of Originals!
The TSW-FOO is FREE to enter and will once again be calling for short one act (20 minute) plays in any and all genres from all over the country and the world. Please check below for submission guidelines and see how you can enter for a chance to win a cash prize and to see your work produced.
Submission Guidelines:
Each playwright may submit up to 2 plays for consideration.
All entries should be unpublished and previously unproduced in the Houston area.
All Genres are accepted.
Monologues or One Actor plays are not accepted.
Plays should be 20 minutes in length (give or take a minute or two).
Page count should be no less than 17, but no more than 22 pages. 12 point font (Courier, Arial or Times New Roman)
There is no maximum limit of characters or sets, but common sense should be used as 5 plays will be produced in one evening.
Number all pages of the scripts, and scripts MUST be securely bound by three hole punch with brads or three hole punch folder. NO STAPLES!
Scripts must be submitted by postal mail ONLY. Emailed PDF or Word files will not be considered.
Be sure to include your contact information; phone number, email, and mailing address on the title page of each script.
List all characters with a brief character description.
Please include a one paragraph synopsis of the play.
Make sure all mailed entries are POSTMARKED by April 10, 2023.
Scripts cannot be returned.
One hundred dollars will be paid to all playwrights selected for production.
Scripts should be mailed to:
Theatre Southwest
8944 Clarkcrest St.
Houston, Texas 77063-4004
Attn: TSW-FOO
5. THE MUSE OF FIRE BIPOC PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL
DEADLINE: April 15th
WEBSITE: https://www.shakespearetavern.com/news/muse-of-fire-bipoc-playwriting-festival/
The Atlanta Shakespeare Company is launching a new playwriting initiative for historically marginalized artists. The "Muse Of Fire Playwriting Festival'' invites playwrights of the global majority to create a full-length play that reimagines Shakespeare’s themes and plots through the lens of BIPOC America.
Script submissions will be accepted through spring 2023, and three finalists will be invited to Atlanta to see their scripts receive staged readings in summer 2023. The winning script will also receive a $5000 cash prize and a staged reading at the January 2024 Shakespeare Theatre Association Conference, hosted by the Atlanta Shakespeare Company.
Three finalists will have staged readings of their scripts at the Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse during the weekend of June 30 - July 2, 2023;
The winning play will receive a prize of $5000.00 U.S., and the possible opportunity to further develop their script with the members of the Atlanta Shakespeare Company;
Opening Date for this competition is October 15, 2022; Final Entry Date is April 15, 2023;
Scripts will be adjudicated by a diverse panel of professional artists (including playwrights, actors, directors, producers, and stage managers), and will be judged on creativity, adherence to the theme, originality, and overall quality;
Plays MUST BE NEW WORKS; scripts that have previously been published or produced will not be accepted; any play which has had more than one consecutive performance by a non-college or university theatre which charged admission and/or had a review will not be considered; furthermore, plays may not be under option, commissioned, or scheduled for professional production or publishing at the time of submission;
Adaptations and collaborations may be considered (please note that the prize money will be awarded to the winning script, not each individual collaborator);
Plays must be submitted by attachment in PDF format under the following guidelines:
Send ONLY 1 copy, in PDF format.
Scripts should be in a standard format, such as Dramatists Guild Modern Stage Play.
Text should be in 12 pt type and in a standard font such as Times New Roman.
Script must include page numbers at the bottom of each page.
The author's name MUST NOT appear anywhere in the script.
DO NOT include resumes, playwright biographies, or a history of the play.
DO include a page with character breakdowns (age, gender, etc.)
DO include a "slug line" or one sentence blurb about the play as well as a synopsis of no more than 100 words.
Special consideration will be given to plays that include any/all of the following:
Full length plays with an intermission, running between 90 minutes and 2 hours 30 minutes;
Use of direct audience address;
Direct reference to Shakespeare (the person or his works);
A prologue and/or epilogue.
The playwright will retain all copyright to the submitted material.
INTERESTED PLAYWRIGHTS CAN FILL OUT THE INTENT TO SUBMIT FORM HERE
Please send all questions to training@shakespearetavern.com. Allow 24-48 hours for response.
6. THE SIXTH FEST--A CLIMATE FRINGE FESTIVAL--IS CALLING FOR SHORT PLAYS
DEADLINE: April 17th
The Sixth Fest--a climate fringe festival--is calling for short plays for a compilation that will run the first two weekends in June in NYC. The Sixth Fest is a fringe festival in its third year inviting events of all types to draw attention and get people engaged with the climate crisis.
With over 40 events and hundreds of participants so far, we are helping push the needle to see a livable, just future for all.
Send a PDF with "Play Submission" in subject line to: submissions@thesixthfest.org
One submission only. Early submission encouraged.
Seeking: *scenes,* monologues, personal accounts (real or imagined) that will help tell the
local and global climate crisis story. The pieces will be woven together into one long piece, with other types of performance in-between (movement, music, Anna Deavere Smith style interviews..)
Parameters:
--6 minutes or less
--6 characters or less
--two black cubes, a table, 4 chairs, and a kiddie pool for a set
--Very minimal props
--**Plays not meeting these parameters will not be considered**
No financial award, but you will be honored in the program, and will receive two complimentary tickets to the run.
Minor text adjustments may be made for flow and repetition issues. We ask for your permission for this in advance as part of your process due to the volume of material being received.
7. AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL PLAYWRITING COMPETITION
DEADLINE: APRIL 18th, 2022
WEBSITE: https://austinfilmfestival.com/submit/play/
At Austin Film Festival, our mission is to champion all writers across mediums. Our Playwriting Competition (open to full-length plays) gives playwrights a chance to explore our film and television conference. It will also allow film professionals to discover storytellers who have mastered the art and craft of stage drama.
AFF has always promoted story as the most important element of film and TV. So giving playwrights their own story exposure and a chance of crossover into film and TV only advances our mission. There are many other playwriting competitions out there, but AFF offers playwrights broader access to successful writers and professionals in all the other related fields.
8. THE TANK PRIDEFEST
DEADLINE: April 20th
WEBSITE: https://thetanknyc.org/perform
The Tank invites artists and activists of the LGBTQIA+ community to present work at our seventh annual Pride Festival in our physical space OR as part of CyberTank!
This year we are interested in the forms, methods, and tools we as queer people use to heal and deal with the excruciating reality we endure every day. In a world and a country where we constantly face violence and hate, we hold our stuff pretty tight, but how? And with what tools? And what methods?
This year, we invite artists of ALL disciplines, including music, dance, drag, variety, performance art, multimedia, ALL art that can be performed to think about the rituals, the actions, the stories, the moments, where we can celebrate our ability to heal, where we can understand and celebrate why we are so resilient, and where we can inspire people to create spaces and forms of resilience.
We won’t lose hope that an inclusive world where all of us can live and co-exist in harmony exists, and we want you to inspire us all to keep on going towards it.
Bring us your utopias, bring us your divinity, your spirituality, your healing, your magik, and always, your weirdest, boldest, silliest, queerest work! Your personal revelations, political declarations! We’ll bring the space, you bring the ART!
Proposals can be for showings of work at any stage of development, from a reading or work-in-progress to a fully staged show. Seeking proposals for in-person work that runs 30-100 minutes and digital work of any length or experience. Smaller duration sets from Drag performers, musicians and artists will also be accepted. We will also consider ideas for community programs or activities of healing.
To submit, please send:
- A brief description of your piece
- Any development history (fine if it’s brand-new!)
- Your bios or resumes and the names of any collaborators already on board
- A sample of work that will give us a sense of what it is you’re trying to make and that you know how to make it (this can be a script if you have one, a video, a song, whatever!)
- A brief summary of your artistic goals for your time at The Tank
- A short explanation of how the piece exists in the world (ie, art exhibit, soundscape, in-person performance, digital hybrid, etc.)
- The length of your piece
- Any tech requirements
Submit to submissions@thetanknyc.org with the subject line “PRIDEFEST 2023 SUBMISSIONS: [your piece’s title]”
The play that make the Final Round will have a reading during the Conference. Advancing playwrights will have access to exclusive panels, workshops, roundtables, and unique networking opportunities with professionals in theatre, film, and television.
AFF understands the relationship between passion and writing. That’s why we have enormous respect for the many successful playwrights who made the seamless transition to film and TV – playwrights such as Tennessee Williams, Horton Foote, John Patrick Shanley, Tony Kushner and Beau Willimon. And that list grows exponentially with today’s widening viewer market.
9. THE BELLAGIO CENTER RESIDENCY
DATE: April 26th
WEBSITE: https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/bellagio-center/residency-program/
The Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center Residency Program offers academics, artists, policymakers, and practitioners an opportunity to unlock their creativity and advance groundbreaking work through the completion of a specific project in a residential group setting during 4 weeks of focused time.
The Bellagio Center Residency is an unparalleled opportunity for deep exchange among leaders from a wide array of backgrounds, disciplines, and geographies. Rather than a retreat for private reflection, the Bellagio Center Residency offers an opportunity to advance a specific breakthrough project and a stimulating environment to forge cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural connections with other residents that can strengthen their work, shift their perspectives, and spur new ideas. Bellagio Center residents form lasting bonds and stay connected to each other and to The Rockefeller Foundation long after their residency ends, as members of the Bellagio Center Network.
The Foundation’s Bellagio Residency Program has a track record for identifying big bets on some of the world’s most complex challenges, supporting the development of breakthrough ideas and innovative works of art that enhance our understanding of pressing global and social issues and encourage positive action. Alumni include remarkable leaders from around the world—luminaries of the past century like Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Maya Angelou, and Dikgang Moseneke, and current trailblazers like Nikole Hannah-Jones, Akin Omotoso, and Ilwad Elman. The Bellagio Center Network spans 6 decades and includes more than 5,000 alumni, reflecting The Rockefeller Foundation’s longstanding commitment to support groundbreaking people and ideas that improve well-being and make opportunity universal and sustainable.
10. PERSONAL PIZZA PARTY FIRST ANNUAL WRITER’S KITCHEN
DEADLINE: April 28th
WEBSITE: https://theovertimetheater.org/submit-new-works/
To submit, fill out the following Google Form: https://forms.gle/9Hf6qDknPwuU9bGBA
Submissions for Personal Pizza Party (personalpizzaparty.org) (3P)’s first annual Writer’s Kitchen are now open!
The 3P Writer’s Kitchen invites five early-career playwrights and screenwriters to generate a new script (either a short play or short film/TV pilot) over an 8-week collaborative process, culminating in a public reading series in mid-July. Facilitated by 3P co-founder Lee Melillo, the Oven seeks to be a deeply collaborative, non-hierarchical, and supportive community for writers of various disciplines to work and play.
The Summer 2023 Writer’s Kitchen will meet on Mondays, May 8 – June 26. Meetings will be held in-person in Midtown Manhattan from 6:30pm-9:30pm. The Oven values collaboration and mutual feedback, as such, we require all writers to be fully available for at least 7 out of 8 sessions, with any potential conflicts to be disclosed upon applying. Previously written and developed work will not be considered for the Oven; all projects must be new and generated over the course of our meeting period.
All scripts that are cooked up in the Oven will be presented by Personal Pizza Party as part of our mid-summer reading series, between July 8 – 15. Actors/readers will be provided from the 3P collaborator pool. Selected writers will receive a travel stipend of $75.
In the spirit of the 3P mission, we are particularly excited by working with writers in search of an artistic community and home, and who have lacked access to opportunities to have their work produced due to systematic roadblocks that 3P hopes to aid in dismantling through our work and our practice.
3P encourages any writer who self-identifies as early-career/emerging to apply for the Oven and will not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, color, citizenship status, sex, gender and gender expression, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other applicable characteristics protected by law.
11. CARLO ANNONI INTERNATIONAL PLAYWRITING PRIZE
DEADLINE: April 30th
WEBSITE: http://premiocarloannoni.eu/?lang=en
The Carlo Annoni International Playwriting Prize is now open for submission of short and full-length plays with topics concerning the LBGTQ+ community, including love, diversity and identity in a time of gender fluidity. We are willing to accept both full-length plays and short plays. We accept plays already represented. €1000 awarded to two best plays (one in English and one in Italian) and special jury mentions in multiple categories. Send your submission to info@premiocarloannoni.eu.
12. FESTIVAL OF TEN XIII
DEADLINE: May 1st
WEBSITE: https://www2.brockport.edu/academics/theatre-music/festival-of-ten/
The Department of Theatre and Music Studies at SUNY Brockport is pleased to announce its 13th Biennial Festival of Ten-Minute Plays.Brockport’s Festival of Ten began in 1999, and every two years since then audiences have enjoyed these performances consisting of 10 ten-minute plays. Our Festival of Ten has grown over the years and now has an International reputation, with playwrights from as far away as Australia. For each festival we accept 500 submissions, ultimately selecting ten to produce. Plays can be submitted beginning March 15, 2022, until May 1, 2022, or until we reach 500 submissions.
Submission Guidelines:
All plays will be submitted online. Submitted plays should have the name of the playwright removed. Each script must have a running time of 7–14 minutes. Only original scripts allowed. Maximum of two scripts per playwright. Plays that have been read or performed in any manner for a paying audience prior to submission are not accepted. Plays written by current Brockport Department of Theatre and Music Studies faculty and staff (full and part-time) are not accepted. Entries will be acknowledged via email. Only the first 500 scripts received will be considered. The top ten scripts will be produced in fully realized productions as part of the SUNY Brockport’s Festival of Ten XIII (February/March 2023). Finalists will be notified by November 30, 2023. If you are unsure how to format your play, view this sample format for an example. If you have questions or need more information, please email festivalof10@brockport.edu. If you are submitting more than one play, please create a separate submission for each one.
13. AURAND HARRIS MEMORIAL PLAYWRITING AWARD
DEADLINE: May 1st
WEBSITE:https://www.netconline.org/aurand-harris-memorial-playwriting-award
This award was created in 1997 to honor the late Aurand Harris (1915-1996) for his lifetime dedication to all aspects of professional theatre for young audiences.A panel of judges named by the NETC Executive Board will administer this award. A staged reading of the prize-winning scripts will be held along with the Annual Excellence in Theatre Awards ceremony.
SUBMISSIONS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED BY COMPLETING THE FORM AND SUBMITTING YOUR SCRIPT THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, BELOW.
RULES OF ENTRY
The contest is open to all playwrights and is for new full-length plays for young audiences. No musicals nor plays targeted at adult audiences
Plays submitted to the contest must not have been
previously published
submitted to NETC’s Gassner Playwriting Contest
previously produced by a professional or Equity company
Plays submitted which have had workshop productions or staged readings are eligible and encouraged.
Plays submitted to this contest may have been submitted to another playwriting contest, and may have previously won a prize or an award in another contest. However, such plays must not have been published or professionally produced and must not be under option for publication or professional production.
Playwrights may submit only ONE play to the contest in one year.
All pages of the script must be numbered in sequence, along with title of play, in upper right hand corner.
In the case of an adaptation from a book or any other source, permission from the original author is the responsibility of the playwright.Will I receive a response that you received my submission?
An automatic confirmation will be sent. Individual emails about submissions will NOT be returned.
Can the play contain music?
All submissions MUST be plays. If your play contains 1-2 songs or snippets of songs, it will be accepted. If your play is written with music, it will NOT be accepted.
Can it be an adaptation of a book?
Yes
What format should it be uploaded in?
All submissions should be in PDF format ONLY
How should my play be labeled?
Name of play, name of playwright, email address, and contact phone number.
How many scripts can I submit?
You may submit ONE script per contest year.
14. PARAMOUNT WRITERS MENTORING PROGRAM
DEADLINE: May 1st
WEBSITE: https://www.paramount.com/writers-mentoring-program
Now in its 19th year, 135 emerging diverse writers have graduated from the Paramount Writers Mentoring Program. Over 125 careers have been launched, including those of 18 current showrunners.
As part of its ongoing commitment to create additional access, exposure and opportunity for talented and motivated writers of diverse backgrounds, Paramount's Writers Mentoring Program is an eight-month program with a three-fold focus: It opens doors by providing opportunities for mentees to build and foster relationships with showrunners and network and studio executives. It supports emerging writers in their efforts to improve their craft by working with executive mentors. And it helps writers hone the essential interpersonal skills necessary to break in and succeed.
Each participant will be teamed with executive mentors from Paramount Global. Under the supervision of their mentors, participants will write a new writing sample. Once a week, for 16 weeks, participants will be invited to attend a small workshop-style meeting with various showrunners and other industry professionals. Speakers include agents, managers, development and current executives and showrunners. There is also a half-day mock writers room for mentees to experience the process in a safe environment.
Each participant will have help in creating a rigorous career action plan and there will be on-going support in evaluating and achieving those goals. Another important benefit of the program is the development of a close-knit peer support group that will sustain participants through the program and beyond.
It has been found that in order to derive the greatest benefit from the program, participants should be available to 1) attend a once a week (evening) workshop 2) attend a half day mock writers room and 3) have ongoing interaction with their mentors via zoom, phone or email. Program elements such as mentoring, weekly workshops the mock writers room can be scheduled around participants’ existing work commitments.
The Paramount Writers Mentoring Program is not employment and there is no monetary compensation. It is, instead, a structured program of career development, support, and personal access to executives and the decision-making processes, with the goal of preparing aspiring writers for later employment opportunities in television.
Aspiring diverse writers with a strong desire to write for Paramount television series are encouraged to apply. You must be 21 or older and able to work in the United States to be eligible. All completed application materials must be received between April 1, 2023 and May 1, 2023 Any submissions received before April 1st or after May 1st, 2023 will not be considered.
No hand delivered submissions will be accepted. Finalists will be notified in late September 2023 (or such later date as may be determined by Paramount). The program is scheduled to begin in October 2023 and continues through April 2024. Paramount reserves the right to make adjustments to program schedule as necessary.
15. WISCONSIN SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL AT PABLO CENTER ONE-ACT NEW PLAYS WORKSHOP
DEADLINE: May 1st, 2023
As an integral part of this new festival, Pablo Center is proud to introduce Improbable Fiction: A New Works series. Playwrights from across the region and country are invited to submit one-act plays in one of three categories: “Young Voices” (for writers ages 16-24), “Diverse Perspectives (for writers who identify as BIPOC), or “Shakes-pired” (for works inspired by or an homage to Shakespeare and his plays). Through a blind adjudication process, the festival will select three playwrights to showcase their talent and creative writing through the workshop and provide a stipend of $1,500 for each script selected. Notification of Selected Plays: Mid-May 2023
Entry Fee: None
Stipend per script selected: $1,500
What is it?: A single one-act play from each of the three categories will be chosen to be workshopped and staged as an integral part of the 2023 season of the Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival. The categories are as follows:
● Young Voices: Playwrights between the ages of 16 and 24
● Diverse Perspectives: Playwrights who self-identify as BIPOC.
● Shakes-pired: A new work that is inspired by, derived from, or an homage to Shakespeare, his plays, and/or his characters
Each selected play will be assigned a director, stage manager, actors, and dramaturg and/or writing coach, and be workshopped in collaboration with the playwright over the summer months, culminating in a public performance (fully-staged or a staged reading).
Guidelines:
● Please include a synopsis of your play in 50-100 words.
● Plays should run no fewer than 15 minutes, or more than 45 minutes in length.
● Plays must be typed in standard play format.
● Plays must not have been previously produced or published.
● Plays shall be full complete works, not a scene or act from a larger work or work-in-progress.
● The playwright’s name should not appear anywhere in the script.
● Include two title pages: One title page should contain a) the name of your play, and b) your name, address, phone number, and email address. The second title page should include only the title of your play, as this will be a blind read.
● Production criteria include scripts able to be produced with open staging and minimal design/technical support for a 400-seat black box theater. Scripts not fitting this criteria may be considered, but may be given a staged reading versus a full production.
● Playwrights retain full rights to all works submitted. However, WSF shall be named as “first produced”
● Selected plays will have a production mounted in late July 2023 at Pablo Center at the Confluence’s Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival with one public performance each.
● Playwrights are encouraged to attend rehearsals either via Zoom or in-person and collaborate with the director – the purpose is to both help the playwright to fine tune the script and the director to collaborate on a new script.
● Playwrights are requested to attend the performance of their work, either in person or via zoom and participate in a post-show discussion.
Submission process:
Please fill out this form with your submission: bit.ly/WSFimprobablefiction2023
Any questions should be directed to: Katherine Bauer at wsf@pablocenter.org with the subject line, “NEW WORKS QUESTIONS"
16. ABBEY THEATRE OPEN SUBMISSIONS
DEADLINE: October 31st
WEBSITE: https://www.abbeytheatre.ie/scripts-and-ideas/
Our submission window is currently open. As Ireland’s National Theatre, our commitment is to reading scripts and ideas by writers and artists resident on the island of Ireland, or Irish writers and artists who might live abroad. Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we are unable to read work that does not match this description.
Once submitted, each play is read by our panel of experienced theatre professionals. For this first read, each play is read anonymously, meaning we get an honest assessment of the play’s potential and theatricality, as well as the play’s suitability for the Abbey Theatre. After being read by a member of our panel, every play is further considered within the department. We’ll consider, as part of its context, the general interest of the play in relation to the rest of our programming and how the play might develop from this draft. For this reason, it’s sensible to send us a draft that you’ve taken time to reflect on, as we won’t be able to read the same play again.
If we decide not to produce your play, we will send you a letter offering some feedback on your script, and may point you in the direction of other opportunities either at the Abbey Theatre or elsewhere. This can take us up to six months as we receive in excess of three hundred submissions a year and reply to them all.
If you have an idea which you can’t really send us as a finished script, you can still let us know about it. It might be a play you want to write that you want to research, a play without words, a piece of dance theatre, an event, a happening or an interdisciplinary work that would be difficult to get a sense of in a script alone. It could also be a proposal for a co-production. The process of submitting an idea is, on purpose, short; we want to get a sense of what excites you about the project and why you need our support to achieve it. We will fully consider all of the material you send us to come to a decision.
Your proposed idea should answer these questions.
What is it you want to make? (50 words max)
What do you want to happen in the show? (500 words max)
How do you want to make the show? (100 words max about the ways you might go about making the work)
Why do you want to make it now? (100 words max about why this idea is urgent)
Your idea may be accompanied by links to video, audio, images, extracts of text or other supporting materials.
What happens after you submit your idea?
Once you have sent us an email, your idea will be logged. All of the material you send will be considered by the Abbey Theatre’s artistic team in one of our quarterly meetings. You will receive a response by email within six months of your submission.
Submission Guidelines
These submission guidelines refer to both scripts and ideas. Please have a careful read of them before you consider sending in your work.
If you submitted your play or idea between 1st November 2022 and 31st January 2023, we ask you to re-submit your work on or after 1st February 2023, as no scripts will be accepted during this time.
When you send in your submission, tell us in your email a little about yourself, why you feel your play or idea would be a good fit for the Abbey, and any experience you have (it’s fine if you have none!).
We do accept short plays, musicals, and adaptations, but we are not in the position to read work in or intended for mediums other than live theatre. Novels, short stories, screenplays, audio plays, and teleplays will not be read.
We can only accept plays or ideas written in Irish or English.
For scripts, we only accept completed plays. Extracts will not be read.
Unfortunately, we’re not able to re-consider an idea or script that has already been through the process.
Your script or idea must be clearly typed and formatted; we cannot accept handwritten work or printed hard copies.
Your script or idea must be sent in Word, PDF or other standard formats (such as JPG for photographs) as an attachment.
Do not include your name or contact information on the script document.
We only accept one script or idea at a time.
Where to Send Your Script or Idea
Before submitting, make sure you have read the submission guidelines in full.
To submit your script, please email script@abbeytheatre.ie. To submit your idea, please email ideas@abbeytheatre.ie.
If you have any questions about the New Work department, please drop us a line at new.work@abbeytheatre.ie.
If you would like us to come and see your produced play or rehearsed reading, write to us at new.work@abbeytheatre.ie telling us a bit about you, the play and its stage of development. As a small team, we can’t see everything, but we will come if we can.
17. THE JEWISH PLAYS PROJECT
DEADLINE: Rolling
WEBSITE: www.jewishplaysproject.org/guide
AN IMPORTANT NOTE: SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN TO ARTISTS OF ALL
BACKGROUNDS, DENOMINATIONS, FAITHS, CREEDS, RELIGIONS, and other IDEALS.
SUBMISSION PROCESS: Fill out the Project Application Form and attach a play to the form as a PDF. You must submit your play with your name and other identifying information removed (we review all plays blind). We will consider submitted plays and musicals:
MUSICALS: Submitted musicals must include links to recordings of at least 3 songs to be reviewed. Please note, we review musicals on a different timeline than our other programming.
ELIGIBILITY: The following must be true of a submitted play or musical:
It contains significant Jewish themes, characters, content, or points of view.
It is in English, or primarily in English—we love plays that play with language as a theatrical tool, and plays that explore the differences in language. It just needs to be primarily accessible to an English speaking audience. (We welcome translations.)
It is full length, meaning over around 75 minutes in length. (For a guide, that usually means 60 pages or more. We DO NOT review 10 or 20 minute plays.)
It has not had a full production in the NY Metro region or a major regional theater (LORT C or above).
It has never been published in any form.
NOTE: We are most interested in submissions that embrace and depend on Jewish identity at their dramatic core, while avoiding stereotypical forms that rely on cultural or ethnic shorthands in lieu of dramatic development. This holds true whether dealing with the historical gravity of the Holocaust or employing stereotypical tropes for comic effect.
The JPP brings all the tools of new play development to bear on the plays we select: dramaturgical consultation and research; the involvement of collaborating artists - including directors, designers and actors - at all stages as needed; private and public presentations; and industry advocacy. We partner with great writers who not only have a great idea for a play, but have a heartfelt intention to write a Jewish play. To us, this means that during the development process, the writer is committed to making decisions about the progress of the play (or musical) that enhance and deepen the Jewish content, spirit, ideas and values in the work.
18. NATIVE VOICES PRODUCTION SUBMISSIONS
DEADLINE: Rolling
WEBSITE: theautry.org/events/signature-programs/native-voices-annual-call-for-scripts
We accept scripts all year long. Do you have a full-length script that has been developed and produced that you would like us to consider for a future Native Voices production in Los Angeles? Please follow the Checklist for All Submissions below and in the Native Voices Script Submission form check the box for 2023 General Production Consideration.
Checklist for Call for Scripts
Please label script attachment as follows: PlayTitle_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: MyNewPlay_Doe, J.doc).
All submissions must conform to a standard play-script format (one-inch margins, #12 Times or Courier font, all pages numbered).
Include a title page with full contact information (mailing address, phone numbers, e-mail address) and a draft or revision date.
Include a character breakdown at the beginning of your script.
Provide a biography of 75–100 words. Please label attachment as follows: Bio_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: Bio_Doe, J.doc).
Provide a press ready photo of at least 300dpi. Please label attachment as follows: Photo_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: Photo_Doe, J.doc).
Provide development history for the play. Label attachment as follows: DevHistory_PlayTitle_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: DevHistory_MyNewPlay_Doe, J.doc).
To submit, fill out our online form and upload your submission materials here: Native Voices Script Submission Form
Please do not send treatments or outlines. Previously produced plays should be submitted under the 2023 General Submission for Production Consideration. Playwrights are encouraged to make multiple submissions (up to three per event), but selection will be limited to only one play per playwright, per event.
19. AUDIBLE EMERGING PLAYWRIGHTS FUND
DEADLINE: Rolling
WEBSITE: https://www.audible.com/ep/audible-theater
In 2017, Audible launched a theater initiative, intended to radically increase access to exceptional plays and performances. A core pillar of the initiative is the Emerging Playwrights Fund, a program that invests in and nurtures self-identifying emerging playwrights, some of our most inventive, delightful, and provocative storytellers. Through the Fund, Audible aims to connect extraordinary performers with remarkable original work, amplifying new voices and harnessing the power and potential of audio to reach millions of listeners.
The Fund specifically supports t he creation of original dramatic work, written with audio in mind, but theatrical in spirit. Audible is dedicated to commissioning, developing, and producing work that reflects the diversity of our members and our world. To accomplish this, Audible is committed to granting at least 50% of emerging playwright commissions to artists of color and women.
To be considered as an applicant for a commission, please submit all of the following to AudibleTheater@audible.com:
1. One full-length script for an original or adapted play (in English language only) that represents your voice ("Script"). The Script can be in any genre and may include one-acts and solo pieces;
2. A short biography; and
3. A brief statement about why audio plays appeal to you.
If you have an idea for an original audio play, you are welcome to include a pitch or summary along with your statement (this is encouraged, but not required).
Any applicant over the age of 18 may submit a Script. Submissions are accepted year-round. Due to the number of Scripts that Audible receives, Audible will only consider one Script at a time from each applicant and will not consider resubmissions, including those that have been significantly revised. The Audible team evaluates submissions on a rolling basis, and applicants will be notified regarding the status of their submissions via email. Thanks in advance for your patience while we process your Script; our typical response time is 6-8 months.
20. THE STOCHASTIC LABS
DEADLINE: Rolling
WEBSITE: https://stochasticlabs.org/residencies/
The Stochastic Labs offers fully-sponsored residencies to engineers, artists, scientists, and entrepreneurs from around the world. Residencies include a private apartment at the mansion, co-working and/or dedicated work space, shop access, a $1,000 monthly stipend and a budget for materials.
21. THE FOUNDATION FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS
DEADLINE: Rolling
WEBSITE: https://www.foundationforcontemporaryarts.org/grants/emergency-grants/
Created in 1993 to further FCA's mission to encourage, sponsor, and promote work of a contemporary, experimental nature, Emergency Grants provide urgent funding for visual and performing artists who:
Have sudden, unanticipated opportunities to present their work to the public when there is insufficient time to seek other sources of funding
Incur unexpected or unbudgeted expenses for projects close to completion with committed exhibition or performance dates
Emergency Grants is the only active, multi-disciplinary program that offers immediate assistance of this kind to artists living and working anywhere in the United States, for projects occurring in the U.S. and abroad.VEach month FCA receives an average of 95 Emergency Grant applications and makes approximately 12-15 grants. Grants range in amount from $500 to $3,000, and the average grant is now $1,700. We recommend that artists review all of our eligibility guidelines and FAQs before applying. You may also complete our Eligibility Questionnaire, but please note that the questionnaire is not a substitute for a thorough review of program guidelines.
22. THEATRE ARIEL OPEN SUBMISSIONS
DEADLINE: Open
WEBSITE: http://www.theatreariel.org/opportunities
Theatre Ariel is always seeking the next great Jewish play to present to our audiences. Theatre Ariel is looking for plays that engage with the rich world of Jewish life, thought and practice; plays where Judaism, Jewish identity or Jewish perspectives are significant or driving factors in the story (In other words, not plays where the characters ‘happen’ to be Jewish or that have a few yiddishisms or “Jewish jokes” in them, but plays where Jewish life/thought/history is integral or particularly relevant to the story.). Theatre Ariel seeks plays with casts of five actors or less.
You do not have to be Jewish to have your work considered by Theatre Ariel.
All our performances are presented as salon-style theatre readings in people’s homes, following a long tradition of Jewish theatre. For the foreseeable future, we will be presenting in a hybrid model of both in-person and virtual performances. To have your script considered, please email the following to submissions@theatreariel.org:
Brief cover letter introducing yourself and your play, as well as a short plot summary and character breakdown (indicating doubling, if any)
Ten minute excerpt from the script (if these are not the first ten pages, then please supply a brief explanation of where we are in the story when your sample picks up)
Theatre Ariel is committed to reading and responding to every submission we receive. Please allow three to six months for a response. Please forward any questions you may have to the same email address listed above.
23. THE DOROTHY ROSS FRIEDMAN RESIDENCE
DEADLINE: Rolling
and
If you think you are eligible, now is a fabulous time to apply to The Dorothy Ross Friedman Residence. The Friedman is a shared housing (roommates) residence that offers affordable housing for working professionals in performing arts and entertainment, persons with HIV/AIDS, and senior citizens (60 years of age or older). Most of the apartments are 2-bedrooms, where you would have one roommate and there are a few 3-bedrooms, where you would have two roommates. All tenants have a rent stabilized lease. All apartments are complete with dishwasher, washer/dryer, central heating, and AC. Many apartments have terraces with spectacular Manhattan views, and everyone has access to the Colleen Dewhurst Community Room and the newly renovated Bette Midler Rooftop and Garden. On-site social services include a range of community programs and the Waldman Living Room for seniors. The Friedman Residence also features 24-hour security.
Criteria: Income Eligibility: 1-person household: $28,500 - $47,760
24. WILD CULTURE , WILD PROJECT
DEADLINE: Rolling
WEBSITE: http://www.thewildproject.org/programs/wild-culture/
Wild Culture is a program where wild project partners with a cross-section of independent, downtown performance artists to help both professional and emerging theater performers nurture, broaden and advance projects that are in various stages of development. Wild Culture gives artists free or subsidized space at wild project’s 89-seat eco-friendly theater, a stipend, box-office split, tech staff, marketing and community outreach to sustain the innovative creativity of downtown performance and unburden independent artists from prohibitive production costs. The program generally grants each project limited engagements of one to three performances. Projects that wish to submit to Wild Culture should align with wild project’s mission to enrich and educate the community, explore issues relating to female, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ artist communities, and demonstrate a clear performance aesthetic.
Wild Culture adapts each partnership to the specific needs and artistic vision of the project. Wild Culture is an ongoing program throughout the year.
If you have a project that might be suitable for a Wild Culture partnership, please email Producing Artistic Director Ana Mari de Quesada at adequesada@thewildproject.org to get the conversation going to partner with u
25. LONG WHARF THEATRE LITERARY PROGRAM & NEW WORK DEVELOPMENT
DEADLINE: Year round
WEBSITE: https://longwharf.org/casting-and-literary
Long Wharf Theatre has a proud and rich history of forming meaningful relationships with artists, supporting the development of their work, and moving their projects towards production. We are particularly interested in incubating new pieces that center BIPOC voices, push form, and feature innovative dramaturgy. We are also eager to support projects that originate with artists other than playwrights, such as designers, directors, dramaturgs, and activists. Many of these works have become part of the modern American canon with more than thirty Long Wharf Theatre productions transferred to Broadway or Off-Broadway runs. We are revitalizing our commitment to playwrights at all stages in their careers, and are now welcoming scripts from unrepresented playwrights as well as agents.
Email scripts to: literary@longwharf.org
Type of Materials: Full-length, One act, 10-minute scripts, musicals, adaptations, translations, virtual/Zoom plays.
26. PURPLE ROSE SUBMISSIONS
DEADLINE: NA
WEBSITE: https://www.purplerosetheatre.org/opportunities/script-submissions/
It is our mission to develop and produce new plays that give voice to a wide and diverse range of playwrights. We are unique in our journey toward quality storytelling, as we accept scripts from playwrights who have agency representation, as well as those who do not. Because of this, we receive a large number of submissions, and while we want to read everything that comes in, we also want to make sure that all who plan to submit understands that the Purple Rose is a professional theatre and only wishes to see the best work in which a playwright is capable. In addition to selecting a play that exemplifies a playwright’s storytelling ability, he/she/they must please adhere to the following guidelines to be accepted or considered.
Please submit only the first 40 pages; the title page does not count, however the character description/setting page will. Please include a brief synopsis on this page as well.
The 40 pages must be part of a full-length play. At this time we do not accept One-Acts or monologues.
Please save the file as monthyear: TITLE OF PLAY_Last Name; ex. 0722: MY PLAY_Playwright
The file must be in PDF; .doc, .docx, Google Drive files, .fdx or any extension other than .pdf will not be accepted or opened.
Dramatists Guild Modern Stage Play format is preferred but not required.
Include a brief synopsis of the play in the body of the email; emails containing scene-by-scene breakdowns will not be read.
Provide any development histories and production rights including, but not limited to: workshops, readings, former/current/slotted productions, labs, conferences, liens, etc.
Please notify us of any agency representation and include their contact information.
27. NY THEATER FESTIVAL SPRING/SUMMERFEST
DEADLINE: Rolling
WEBSITE: http://newyorktheaterfestival.com/summerfest-festivals/
We strongly believe that self producing a play or a musical can offer a very important tool for the growth of every playwright’s work. Once a playwright sees their work onstage, it provides an opportunity for the playwright to improve or modify their story. It’s also a great opportunity to invite people from the industry to see your production. People are more likely to go see a show than to read an unsolicited script, as some industry people receive on average thousands of submissions per month, and they understand that the journey for a show to be successful often goes through several productions.
Our team is completely dedicated to help get your work seen. We are always with you to help, from the first moment of your tech rehearsal to the closing of your last show. You will never be left alone during the process. We will help you to choose some of the 85 set/furniture props we offer to dress your stage for your run, and give you a complete crash course on how to use the audio/light/video system, which are intentionally very user friendly. After we show you how to use the tools we provide and how to utilize the space, you will be able to rehearse your tech rehearsal with whatever plan works best for you and your production. A team member will be present to provide prime responses to every inquiry, as well as a telephone # you can call anytime during relevant hours throughout the run of your show. In 11 years and 19 seasons we have successfully hosted 1,200 plays and 300 musicals and rewarded with cash prizes over 300 artists who participated in our Festival.
PRIZES:
We offer up to $8,000 in Prizes. $3,500 alone goes to the season’s best production (either a play or a musical)
Prize categories include:
BEST PRODUCTION: $3,500
BEST PLAY OR MUSICAL SHORT: $500
MOST CREATIVE PLAY OR MUSICAL: $500
BEST DIRECTOR: $500
2 BEST ACTORS: $500 each
2 BEST ACTRESSES: $500 each
BEST SINGER $500
BEST MUSICAL SCORE $300
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY $300
