Thursday, January 1, 2026

Get What You Want: January 2026

Relentless Award – American Playwriting Foundation

Deadline: January 1, 2026
Website: https://americanplaywritingfoundation.org

This award changes careers. The Relentless Award is not just a financial windfall—it’s a declaration to the American theatre ecosystem that a playwright’s voice is significant. Winners receive a large cash prize, but more importantly, they receive industry advocacy, meaningful development support, introductions to theatres and producers, and often subsequent productions. The foundation is highly intentional about championing the playwright, not simply rewarding them. Scripts tend to be daring, emotionally ferocious, politically aware, and theatrically explosive—plays that take big risks rather than coloring inside the lines.

Mudhouse Artist Residency (Crete, Greece)

Deadline: January 1, 2026
Website: https://mudhouseresidency.com

This is a creative immersion experience. Writers receive two weeks of distraction-free time in a stunningly beautiful, remote Cretan village, along with housing, studios, curated artist talks, shared meals, and a serious, thoughtful artistic cohort. It’s perfect for playwrights who need deep reflective time, want to break a creative block, draft something new, or reconnect to joy and curiosity in their process. It’s less “industry development” and more “soul restoration and artistic deepening”—which sometimes is exactly what makes the next great play possible.

Kumu Kahua / University of Hawai‘i Playwriting Contest

Deadline: January 2, 2026
Website: https://www.kumukahua.org/playwritingcontest

This contest is mission-driven: plays must center Hawai‘i, Pacific Island life, or Pacific diaspora experience. Winners receive cash awards, prominent recognition, and serious artistic engagement from an institution that has cultural responsibility at its core. This is one of the few spaces truly designed to honor these stories with artistic rigor rather than token interest. Writers gain legitimacy, community grounding, and meaningful institutional partnership.

Papatango New Writing Prize (UK & Ireland)

Deadline: January 6, 2026
Website: https://papatango.co.uk

One of the most career-transformative opportunities in the UK. The prize guarantees:

A fully staged professional production
Publication by Nick Hern Books
Professional development and mentorship
Deep industry exposure
Career advocacy

And uniquely: every single entrant receives written feedback. That alone is remarkable at this scale. For many writers, Papatango is the bridge from talented unknown to working professional with a production track record and national legitimacy.

McKnight Fellowship in Playwriting – Playwrights’ Center

Deadline: January 8, 2026
Website: https://pwcenter.org/programs/mcknight-fellowship-in-playwriting

This is a major mid-career fellowship, offering:

A substantial financial stipend
Year-long artistic support
Access to the Playwrights’ Center’s development engine
Dramaturgical guidance
Workshop and reading opportunities
National institutional visibility

It is designed not just to recognize a playwright’s existing body of work, but to protect their time, deepen their craft, and expand their future possibilities.

JMU Playwrights Festival – James Madison University

Deadline: January 10, 2026
Website: https://jmu.edu/theatredance

Selected playwrights receive:

A staged reading or production
Time in rehearsal
Collaboration with student and professional artists
Community conversation and engagement
Honorarium support

University festivals like this offer a rare balance of curiosity, safety, and experimentation. It’s a place where a play can “grow up” in a supportive environment while still being respected as serious art.

The Leah – Leah Ryan Fund

Deadline: January 12, 2026
Website: https://leahryanfund.org

This award is deeply personal, political, and artistic. The winning playwright receives:

A $5,000 cash prize
Development residency at Vassar’s Powerhouse Theater
A creative team of world-class collaborators
Continued advocacy from the Leah Ryan community

It prioritizes women, trans, and nonbinary playwrights and celebrates imagination that refuses limitation. The Leah is known for its warmth, seriousness of purpose, and genuine care for playwrights as human beings.

Anderson Center Artist Residency (Minnesota)

Deadline: January 13, 2026
Website: https://andersoncenter.org/apply

Residents receive:

Private studio
Housing
Meals
A peaceful natural environment
Cross-disciplinary artistic community

This residency creates the rare gift of time with structure and nourishment. Writers often complete major drafts here, or do the kind of high-focus rewrite that’s impossible in day-to-day life. It is contemplative, serious, and protective.

Wichita State University Playwriting Competition

Deadline: January 14, 2026
Website: https://wichita.edu/playwritingcompetition

Benefits often include:

Staged reading or production
Invitation to campus
Engagement with faculty and students
Blind submission fairness
Artistic conversation space

It’s an academically rigorous yet creatively open contest—perfect for a play that would benefit from thoughtful rehearsal room exploration.

Provincetown Community Compact – Dune Shack Residencies

Deadline: January 15, 2026
Website: https://thecompact.org/dune-shacks.html

Writers receive:

Total isolation
No electricity
No internet
Deep connection to environment
Support for underrepresented artists
Some fellowships include $500 support

These residencies are historic, raw, and spiritually charged. They’re for writers who want to strip away distraction and listen deeply to themselves and their work.

Jesse L. Kearney Playwriting Initiative – Black Broadway Men

Deadline: Opens January 15, 2026
Website: https://www.blackbroadwaymen.org/jlkplaywriting

The selected playwright receives:

A professionally cast 29-hour reading in NYC
A $1,000 honorarium
Professional director
Mentorship from Black theatre leaders
Industry presence at the presentation

This is pipeline, visibility, craft support, and economic respect rolled together. It is not symbolic support—it is real resources.

Ucross Residency – Wyoming

Deadline: January 15, 2026
Website: https://ucross.org

Residents receive:

Private studio
Housing and meals
Breathtaking wilderness
Structured time
Name recognition that resonates nationally

Many nationally celebrated playwrights have developed career-defining work at Ucross. It is an artistic reset button of the highest caliber.

SPARC Ten-Minute Play Contest

Deadline: January 16, 2026
Website: https://nycplaywrights.org

Benefits include:

Live presentation
Professional environment
Festival audience exposure
Visibility inside a curated artistic event

If you write short plays that land cleanly and powerfully, this festival respects the form and presents it well.

Madison New Works Lab

Deadline: January 16, 2026
Website: https://jmu.edu/theatredance/experiences/madison-new-works-lab.shtml

Selected playwrights receive:

A 10-day development residency
Director + cast
Dramaturgical attention
Paid support
Housing and travel generally supported
Public sharing opportunity

This is work. Not literary committee talk. Not surface-level “feedback.” Actual rehearsal, script interrogation, and growth.

Glass Ceiling Breakers – Theatre Revolution

Deadline: January 17, 2026
Website: https://theatrerevolution.org

Playwrights receive:

Full festival production
Actor + director collaboration
Curated audience dialogue
A platform explicitly designed to elevate marginalized voices

It is politically conscious, artistically empowered, and community rooted.

Fenimore Art Museum Short Play Initiative

Deadline: January 18, 2026
Website: https://fenimoreartmuseum.org

Playwrights gain:

Integration of theatre and museum culture
Context for art-inspired storytelling
Live performance alignment with historical and cultural narratives

A strong platform for writers drawn to art history, archival thinking, or site-inspired performance.

Valhalla Tahoe WordWave

Deadline: January 19, 2026
Website: https://valhallatahoe.com

Benefits include:

Staged reading with professional artists
Audience engagement
Cash prize
Lodging support
A festival steeped in natural beauty

It feels like a celebration of creativity rather than a competitive grind.

Core Writer Program – Playwrights’ Center

Deadline: January 22, 2026
Website: https://pwcenter.org/programs/core-writer-program

This is a three-year artistic partnership, not just a credit line. Writers receive:

Travel support
Multiple development workshops
Dramaturgical support
National networking
Institutional belonging

It is structural support that stabilizes and accelerates artistic life.

LaBute New Theater Festival – St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Deadline: January 31, 2026
Website: https://stlas.org

Playwrights receive:

Full production
Professional actors and direction
St. Louis AND often NYC presentation
Visibility for darker, intense, provocative work

It rewards playwrights who write sharp-edged, fearless contemporary drama.

Equity Library Theater Festival

Deadline: January 31, 2026
Website: https://equitylibrarytheater.info

Benefits include:

No submission fee
Hybrid performance formats (live and online)
Broad accessibility
Community-forward ethos

Perfect for getting work performed without financial barrier.

Old Miner TYA Contest – Utah Valley University

Deadline: January 31, 2026
Website: https://uvu.edu

Benefits include:

Developmental support
University community engagement
Consideration for future production
Respectful, serious TYA platform

Ideal if you write children’s theatre with artistic sophistication.

FEBRUARY 2026

Heartland Theatre Ten-Minute Festival

Deadline: February 1, 2026
Website: https://heartlandtheatre.org

Full productions, strong audiences, professional energy, and a festival known for quality and integrity. A meaningful résumé credit and a joyous theatrical process.

Princess Grace Theater Awards

Deadline: February 2, 2026
Website: https://pgawards.org

A signal honor placing you in lineage with some of the most impactful theatre artists in America. It opens doors and rewrites professional trajectories.

New Works of Merit

Deadline: February 2, 2026
Website: https://newworksofmeritplaywritingcontest.com

Validation for socially urgent playwrights. Offers advocacy, legitimacy, and a powerful mission-driven platform.

Core Apprentice – Playwrights’ Center

Deadline: February 5, 2026
Website: https://pwcenter.org

Career entry point. Mentorship. Partnerships with theatres. Paid development. A clear step onto the national radar.

Forestburgh Playhouse – In the Works / In the Woods

Deadline: February 16, 2026
Website: https://fbplayhouse.org

Retreat setting + professional workshop + audience engagement. A space to push your play and grow it.

Inkslinger Playwriting Contest – Southeastern Louisiana University

Deadline: February 20, 2026
Website: https://southeastern.edu

One of the rare programs that guarantees a full production. If your script needs staging, this may be the opportunity that gives it life.

MARCH 2026

Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival – One Act

Deadline: March 1, 2026
Website: https://tennesseewilliams.net

Prize money, festival recognition, and cultural prestige intertwined with literary heritage.

Scribe Playwriting Competition

Deadline: March 7, 2026
Website: https://scribeplaywriting.weebly.com

Serious artistic evaluation, international participation, credibility, and recognition.

Arkana Micro Play Issue

Deadline: March 16, 2026
Website: https://arkanaliterarymagazine.submittable.com

Publication + artistic experimentation + literary visibility. Perfect for bold miniature theatrical forms.

Teatro Salón Reading Series – Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center

Deadline: March 31, 2026
Website: https://guadalupeculturalarts.org

A deeply culturally-rooted development space with meaningful dramaturgy, community conversation, and institutional care.

Weathervane 8×10 Festival

Deadline: March 31, 2026
Website: https://weathervaneplayhouse.com

Full production, enthusiastic audiences, thoughtful staging, and vibrant festival energy.

Central PA Playwriting Festival

Deadline: March 31, 2026
Website: https://centralpatheatre.com

Community warmth + artistic seriousness. A great place to build production history and regional artistic relationships.

Sunday, December 21, 2025

Answer The Call

God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.

Don't wait until you feel you have enough research or expertise or craft to do something perfectly. Making preparation to be perfect is a trap. It's a tool of procrastination. It's a way to avoid 99% of the things that scare you.

My friend called me about a web video. It was 2012 and I was sitting in an airport about to fly back to NYC to volunteer at a church. Suddenly the church contact person not only stopped calling me, he blocked my number and emails. We had no argument or fight. To this day it was one of the biggest mysteries. So now I was sitting in this airport going back to a volunteer job that had vanished. I had nothing going on and my friend called me. I wasn't that interested in web videos and I had almost no experience but it was intriguing. His company wanted to produce some web videos: would I read the scripts? I told him 'yes later.' And then it hit me 'you have nothing going on in your life and the one thing you were going to do for free...has vanished.' So I read the script in the airport. I texted him back my thoughts, he asked when we could meet in person to talk further and I said...'I guess tonight. I'm flying back to NYC.'

Thus began one of the truly wackiest series of events in my life, starting with an answer to a call. We had dinner that night and I gave my general observations about the script. My friend pivoted. Can you write them?' Yes...I guess I can. Great, now we just need a producer. And out of my mouth I heard the words 'Oh, I can do that too?' My friend looked at me...really? I nodded, Sure. How hard can it be?' To write and produce a series of videos from scratch with no experience? It was much harder than I expected and much easier than I feared.

Things just started sliding into place. I was willing to answer the call. Every anxiety I faced was overcome. Not perfectly. Not with Spielbergian precision. But with a growing sense of confidence I started writing and producing a series of web videos as my primary source of income. And then I went to another business and pitched my expertise and was hired to write and produce several more videos. I set up a producing bank account so that I could pay myself and others, found the contract templates for directors, crew, and actors, drew up budgets and plans. And it just happened. One fear after another melted just because I woke up everyday like 'what can I do right now? Imperfectly or feeling my way out. And then what help can I ask for now?' A few months later I got into Juilliard and these videos became a financial support for being a playwright there. Some actors dismissed me, some doubted me, I had people hang up on me, outraged that I wasn't enough for them. And it was thrilling to just 'know' this is going to happen. And some of those actors and crew people who hung up on me are still broke, prima donnas waiting all these years later for their perfect ship. As my career advanced from web videos to Juilliard plays, to West-End dramas, Broadway musicals, and 10 yrs of tv writing on hit shows. And one of the foundation moments for me was getting pre-fired from a volunteer job and just reading a web script in an airport and being 'willing.' Willing to say 'ok this web video isn't my ideal...but it could be interesting.' And some of those broke prima donnas are still waiting for perfection and not willing to answer the call they're getting.

Don't wait for perfect conditions. Start on a Tuesday. Start on your left foot. Start when you only have 5 min. Jot it down on a napkin and get yourself excited with a spark. And if you keep piling up the napkins, awkward 5 min sparks, the circumstances of life start bending around your willingness to answer intuition.

Don't wait. Answer the call. The qualifications are given on the journey.

Sunday, December 14, 2025

Necessary Roughness

A flag was thrown on the play, and a referee announced the call: unnecessary roughness on the defense. The ball was advanced forward 15 yards on the penalty. I thought about how many times I've heard that call without processing it: Unnecessary roughness. And for some reason, on this day, it felt like I was hearing it in a funny way. Unnecessary roughness. By inverse logic, it implies that there is a 'necessary amount of roughness on the football field. Not an appropriate or acceptable amount of roughness. Necessary. In order to survive, in order to play, there must be a necessary amount of roughness. An essential degree of resistance or engagement must occur. What does that even mean, and is it applicable to life?

Necessary engagement. Necessary roughness. I think there is an unspoken code of 'necessary roughness.' I learned it on the playground. There was a certain, measured protocol that was never explicitly articulated but has persisted into adulthood.

I thought about a club bouncer and the necessary amount of roughness. If there's an unruly drunk person who refuses to get out of line it's considered acceptable to push or guide them. Acceptable. If they push back then some people would consider a punch to the body acceptable. If the clubgoer punches back then it's acceptable to follow up with some some more punches to the face and body unil the disruptor gives up. What is 'unnecessary roughness?' Well I think most people would consider stomping on someone, kicking them, hitting them when they're unprotected or unconscious. In videos, when this happens in a fight, there is usually someone who steps in to say 'enough' because there's an accepted belief that escalating things could lead to permanent damage, scarring, or death. Slamming someone to the ground and continuing to pummel them? Unnecessary roughness. But a bouncer's punch to a drunk person? Necessary roughness. The other people standing in line want to get into the club too. And this one person is holding things up. If the bouncer does not use appropriate roughness, they are annoying everyone else waiting, as well as the club owner.

Necessary engagement with bullies. My father discussed his childhood experience and how he stood up to bullies by sitting...on them. Crushing them until they gave up. The unspoken message was to advocate for yourself in the most nonviolent way. Years later, when I was dealing with a bully in junior high school, my words sufficed. I honed my verbal skills to say the most ruthless and cruel things until the bully felt so humiliated that things didn't escalate.

In high school, when facing another bully, cruel words did not suffice or de-escalate the situation. Jokes became light punches and slaps on the arm and behind the ear. Half-joking 'ha ha' forms of violence. I thought about it for a minute. Returning the light slaps would result in a slow escalation. So to cut it off at the roots, my teenage brain decided that the best course of action was one, severe, unexpected burst of roughness. It seemed unprompted but I waited until my tormentor was walking down the hall one day. And I feigned a joke 'ha ha' tease as an excuse to run up and kick him in the back. With my entire body. I have never kicked anybody harder in my life. I felt his body reshaping itself around my foot as it entered him for a brief moment and sent him flying down the hall. And then I pretended to be surprised 'oh wow...ha ha...well just giving you some motivation for the day.' I walked away. The next morning the bully smiled at me sheepishly and said he was in so much pain he didn't sleep all night. I said 'really? Oh wow, I didn't know I kicked you that hard, bro.' This bully never touched me again. And I never had to kick him or any of his friends because they had been warned that I 'didn't know how to tease back gently and it could result in unnecessary and excessive pain.'

In college there was a bully freshman year who made it clear that a measured, terrible burst of engagement would eliminate this person from my life. So it came to pass that one day in the midst of a game of snow football we ended up in a scuffle. I fractured/broke his leg. Not another word out of him. Ever. Or his friends. Ever.

But in retrospect, I realize that even one burst of roughness every few years or every decade can plant a powerful dark seed. Necessary roughness has repercussions, so perhaps active engagement is a better term. Meet the enemy with wisdom as quickly as possible. No shirking away from the confrontation but to do so with love.

Is there such a thing as necessary rough love? Engaged kindness? Energized equanimity? Can I play the field with this intensity?

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Get What You Want: December 2025

Many Voices Mentorship – Playwrights’ Center

Deadline: December 4, 2025 (11:59 PM CT)
Website: https://pwcenter.org/programs/many-voices-mentorship

Designed for Minnesota-based Black, Indigenous, or playwrights of color who are new to playwriting. Selected writers receive classes, dramaturgical support, a staged reading, and a year-long mentorship.

The program builds foundational skills and integrates writers into the Playwrights’ Center ecosystem with community and cohort support.

BCA Playwright Residency – Boston Center for the Arts

Deadline: December 8, 2025
Website: https://bostonarts.org/residency/bca-playwright-residency-2024-2025/

A year-long residency offering space, mentorship, and support to playwrights developing innovative work. Writers receive rehearsal space, artistic guidance, and opportunities for community engagement.

Ideal for playwrights creating boundary-pushing or hybrid theatre projects who want to embed deeply in a supportive Boston-based artistic community.

BCA Launchpad Residency – Ensemble/Company Track

Deadline: December 8, 2025
Website: https://bostonarts.org/launchpad

Supports small ensembles or writer-led collectives in developing new performance work. The residency includes rehearsal space, administrative support, and a structured development cycle.

Strong match for playwrights working collaboratively or exploring devised, interdisciplinary, or movement-text hybrid forms.

Excellence Artist Fund Residency – University of Wyoming

Deadline: December 8, 2025
Website: https://www.uwyo.edu/thd/_files/faculty/rfp-uw-2026-2027-excellence-artist-fund-residency-innovation-arts.pdf

A major funded residency ($50k–$150k) supporting ambitious new theatre and dance projects. Artists receive housing, travel, production resources, and up to four weeks of on-site development.

Ideal for playwrights developing large-scale, interdisciplinary, or community-engaged work requiring significant institutional support.

Downtown Urban Arts Festival (DUAF)

Deadline: December 8, 2025
Website: https://www.duafnyc.com/submit

A long-running NYC festival presenting new plays by diverse voices. Selected works receive professional staging, promotion, and a small stipend.

DUAF focuses on bold, urban, contemporary storytelling and is particularly advantageous for emerging writers seeking NYC exposure.

McKnight National Residency & Commission – Playwrights’ Center

Deadline: December 11, 2025
Website: https://pwcenter.org/programs/mcknight-national-residency-and-commission

A major national award for playwrights living outside Minnesota. Offers a $15,000 commission, $7,500+ in development support, travel, workshops, and a public reading.

This is one of the most prestigious U.S. commissioning opportunities, enabling creation of a brand-new play with deep institutional backing.

The Ground Floor Summer Residency Lab – Berkeley Rep

Deadline: December 12, 2025 (5 PM PT)
Website: https://www.berkeleyrep.org/how-to-apply-69nb

One of the nation’s premier development labs. Writers spend 1–2 weeks at Berkeley Rep developing new work with dramaturgs, actors, and artistic staff.

The lab emphasizes exploration and discovery, and many Ground Floor projects go on to major productions regionally and nationally.

The Road: Under Construction Program

Deadline: December 16, 2025
Website: https://roadtheatre.org/event/under-construction-submission/

Beginning in January 2026, this group will meet twice a month live (TUESDAYS @ 7PM). And on Zoom for the virtual cohort (Day/Time TBD). As we get closer to full reads, sessions will be every week. Regular Attendance is required!

Each playwright must enter this group with the beginnings of a new play, and we will work collaboratively for a 10-month gestation process on the development of each piece. Concluding with a directed reading at our theatre.

McKnight Fellowship in Playwriting – Playwrights’ Center

Deadline: January 8, 2026 (11:59 PM CT)
Website: https://pwcenter.org/programs/mcknight-fellowship-in-playwriting/

A major fellowship for Minnesota-based mid-career playwrights. Provides $25,000, travel funds, and development resources. Requires at least one professional production.

This is one of the most respected and well-funded playwright fellowships in the country.

Lambda Literary Writers Retreat – Emerging LGBTQ Voices

Deadline: January 8, 2026
Website: https://lambdaliterary.org/emerging-writers-retreat/

A highly competitive retreat for emerging LGBTQ+ writers. Includes a playwriting cohort with faculty mentorship, workshops, and community-building.

Ideal for queer playwrights developing new work, expanding their artistic network, or seeking a national literary community.

Relentless Musical Award – American Playwriting Foundation

Deadline: January 15, 2026
Website: https://www.americanplaywritingfoundation.org

One of the largest cash prizes for musical theatre writers in the U.S. Open to unproduced musicals or works-in-progress.

A high-profile opportunity for musical-theatre bookwriters and playwrights working in hybrid text/music forms.

Ucross Foundation – Fall 2026 Residency Session

Deadline: January 15, 2026
Website: https://ucross.org

A world-renowned residency program offering 2–6 week stays for artists across disciplines. Playwrights receive private studios and room/board.

Ideal for writers who thrive in rural quiet with uninterrupted writing time.

A is For seeks one-act plays on reproductive justice

Deadline: January 18, 2026
Website: https://aisfor.org/plays?blm_aid=78942638

The A is For Playwriting Contest and the all it takes is ONE ACT Play Festival engages playwrights who are passionate about abortion rights and reproductive justice, and offers audiences the opportunity to see those stories performed by theatre professionals in live staged readings. Since the inauguration of our Playwriting Contest in 2020, we have received over 1,000 one-act plays about reproductive justice from all around the world, and have brought 12 of them to the stage!

A is For amplifies art and artists working to eradicate stigma against abortion. We believe that theatre deepens our relationship with the world around us by inviting us to empathize, and recognize our own belonging. We are looking for plays that challenge stigma against abortion. We want to hear the stories you want to tell.

Three winners will be announced in late spring 2026, and will receive the following prizes:

1st Place - $5,000

2nd Place - $3,000

3rd Place - $1,500

Princess Grace Awards – Theater/Dance/Film (Nomination Deadline)

Deadline: February 2, 2026 (11:59 PM PT)
Website: https://pgfusa.org/apply

This deadline applies to directors, designers, actors—not playwrights. However, it's often tracked alongside theatre opportunities.

Nominees receive significant grants and national recognition; playwrights are eligible only in the separate Princess Grace Playwriting Fellowship at New Dramatists (opens March 2026).

Core Apprentice Program – Playwrights’ Center

Deadline: February 5, 2026
Website: https://pwcenter.org/programs/core-apprentice

A program for student or early-career playwrights transitioning into professional development. Includes dramaturgy and a full workshop.

A strong national bridge between academia and the professional theatre field.

MacDowell Fellowship (Fall/Winter 2026–27)

Deadline: February 10, 2026
Website: https://www.macdowell.org

One of the most prestigious artist residencies in the world. Playwrights may apply in the theatre category for fully funded residencies lasting 2–6 weeks. Need-based stipends available.

Designed for immersive creation in a quiet, supportive environment with artists across disciplines.

Saturday, November 1, 2025

Get What You Want: November 2025

Premiere Play Festival 2026

Deadline: November 1, 2025

Website: https://premierestagesatkean.com/play-festival/guidelines/

Premiere Stages supports emerging and regional playwrights through readings, workshops, and productions. The festival offers development opportunities and professional exposure for new plays, with past winners securing publication and national recognition.

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Travis Bogard Artist-in-Residence Fellowships at Tao House

Deadline: November 1, 2025

Website: https://eugeneoneill.org/fellows/

Residency at Eugene O’Neill’s Tao House, offering playwrights archival access and dedicated time for creative work in Danville, CA. Ideal for writers exploring themes of American identity, theatre, or history.

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Newport New Works Summer 2026 Musical Theatre Festival

Deadline: November 2, 2025

Website: https://newportnewworks.org/apply

A two-week immersive residency in Newport, RI, pairing playwrights and composers with Broadway-level creatives. Selected projects receive housing, stipends, and developmental workshops culminating in public presentations.

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TASN National Short Play Festival (Actors Studio of Newburyport, MA)

Deadline: November 15, 2025

Website: https://newburyportacting.org/short-play-festival

10-minute play competition featuring a public performance and cash awards. All genres accepted. Early submission recommended, as the window closes once 300 plays are received.

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THINK FAST (The Theater Project, NJ)

Deadline: November 17, 2025

Website: https://thetheaterproject.org/think-fast-festival

Annual virtual one-act festival featuring new short plays (under 15 minutes). The top winner earns $500. Ideal for emerging playwrights seeking festival exposure.

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The Artistic Home – “Cut to the Chase” One-Act Festival (Chicago)

Deadline: November 18, 2025

Website: https://www.theartistichome.org/

Accepting one-acts (up to 20 minutes) around the theme 'I’m Still Here.' Selected works receive a full production in Chicago’s acclaimed Artistic Home theatre.

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Tiny Grant (NYC)

Deadline: November 28, 2025

Website: https://airtable.com/appkkWIw2qxjatkOg/pagitZTO25xcX88Vb/form

Provides $2,000–$3,000 to emerging NYC-based artists across disciplines. Six-month program with mentorship, check-ins, and a culminating salon event. Especially supportive of artists pursuing full-time careers.

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Meanwhile Park Playwright Prize (Berkshires, MA)

Deadline: November 30, 2025

Website: https://www.meanwhilepark.org/playwright-prize

Outdoor theatre one-act competition awarding $500 and a summer 2026 production. Unproduced one-acts with six or fewer actors are eligible.

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NYCPlaywrights – Monologue Call: “Black Woman Genius”

Deadline: November 30, 2025

Website: https://www.nycplaywrights.org/

Call for monologues celebrating Black women’s creativity and resilience. Selected monologues will be featured online through NYCPlaywrights’ curated series.

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CineStory TV Retreat and Fellowship

Deadline: November 30, 2025

Website: https://foundationforcontemporaryarts.org/

Five-day writing retreat in Idyllwild, CA, with mentorship from TV professionals. The fellowship winner receives $3,000 and a 12-month mentorship with Hollywood writers.

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BCA Playwright Residency (Boston Center for the Arts)

Deadline: December 8, 2025

Website: https://bostonarts.org/artist-residencies/

One-year residency offering space, mentorship, and resources for playwrights developing full-length works. Includes opportunities for readings and collaboration with Boston’s theatre community.

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BCA Launchpad Residency (Boston Center for the Arts)

Deadline: December 8, 2025

Website: https://bostonarts.org/launchpad-residency/

Residency supporting small ensembles or companies creating new interdisciplinary performance works. Provides rehearsal space and artist support for one year.

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McKnight National Residency & Commission (Playwrights’ Center)

Deadline: December 11, 2025

Website: https://pwcenter.org/programs/mcknight-national-residency-and-commission

Prestigious national award offering $15,000 commission and $7,500 in development funds, including travel to Minneapolis for workshops and readings.

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Brown Skinned Girls 2 – Hepburn Hooks Theatre (UK)

Deadline: December 15, 2025

Website: https://hepburnhookstheatre.co.uk/

Short play showcase (10–15 minutes) by female playwrights of color. Selected works will be staged in London, emphasizing empowerment and identity.

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NAMT Festival of New Musicals

Deadline: December 16, 2025

Website: https://namt.org/

The industry’s premier festival for new musicals. Selected shows are presented in staged readings before major producers and artistic directors in New York City.

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Van Lier New Voices Fellowship (Rattlestick Theater)

Deadline: December 18, 2025

Website: https://www.rattlestick.org/van-lier-new-voices-fellowship

Two playwrights (ages 18–30, BIPOC-identifying) receive $35,000 stipends plus $5,000 for artistic development. Fellowship year includes dramaturgical support and opportunities for readings at Rattlestick.

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Playwrights Theatre Centre – International Theatre Script Competition

Deadline: December 25, 2025

Website: https://www.playwrightstheatre.com/playwrights/calls-opportunities/

Global competition for full-length plays and musicals. Winners receive international exposure, mentorship, and development through Playwrights Theatre Centre’s programs.

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New Works of Merit Playwriting Contest (NYC)

Deadline: January 5, 2026

Website: https://www.newworksofmeritplaywritingcontest.com/

Recognizes socially conscious full-length and one-act plays. Winner receives $500 and a professional staged reading in New York City.