Thursday, November 14, 2024

Thank you, Morgan Jenness. Rest in Peace.

 "You need to meet Morgan!" At different times throughout my early NYC yrs ppl would say that to me: meet Morgan Jenness. She was at Abrams, or she was a manager, or she was freelance spirit wandering through the city. I would ask "how can I meet her?" and then the person would usually say something like "oh I'll introduce you" before disappearing from my life. After a few yrs I just stopped asking 'how?' I gave up the idea. Eventually Paul Lucas e-connected us on Facebook. Morgan was a dramaturg on a Josh Fox project. So we had some slight connection. And then New School Drama sent out an e-vite to its playwright alums to come back for a special workshop with...Morgan Jenness. I signed up with a speed reserved for RSVP'ing to see Michelle Obama or Bjork or Michelle Obama performing w/ Bjork in some funky Fort Greene bookstore. I arrived in one of the bomb shelter rooms at New School for Drama and sat around a conference room table with a few other writers. 

Morgan spoke about finding our inner voice. I vaguely knew what she was talking about. She asked us to sit quietly for a moment and try to listen to that inner voice. And try to wait for it to say 1 or 2 clear phrases about what it needs. I was tempted to roll my eyes but didn't. 

So I sat there. And It's been several years since this happened so I'm probably getting the steps wrong or missing some key details. But I remember we sat there in that room and an eery shift happened under her guided meditation. And then something happened. Now there's a reason why you don't talk in specific detail about spiritual experiences in Buddhism. Words cheapen a magical moment and reduce it to a literal thing. But spiritual stuff is not a finite Plymouth Rock that you land on, plant a flag, and declare that you have conquered a new land. The magic moves like a shift phantom cloud. So this next part is intentionally fuzzy...

I sat there along with other writers. And a voice materialized from the darkness of my subconscious. It was a voice so clear and obvious that it felt like the glasses on my face. I got a teary-eyed at this inner voice that hung in the air saying something so true about...me. Then I sucked the tears up b/c I'm finally in the room with Morgan after all these years. And I am having a spiritual reckoning. Crying felt very 'performative' and I didn't want to disturb other participants having their own experiences so I just sucked the tears back in and jotted down the phrase. 

At the end of the workshop I thanked her. She changed my understanding by getting me to listen to a lower frequency that was underneath all the worries about my career and fellowships. After that evening session knew I was going to be ok. I didn't know 'how' or 'what' ok meant. But for certain I knew that I was going to be fine because I could always return to that 'knowing.' In one evening, I met Morgan and she lifted a mirror to all of us so that we could see and know. And I guess that's why ppl kept telling me in the middle of an interesting discussion about art or life 'oh you need to meet Morgan.' Because she was wise beyond her accolades or titles. She was carried her own 'knowing' around with her...like Elizabeth Kemp. And this 'knowing thyself' truth magnetized an entire room and an entire community.


Thank you, Morgan. 


Friday, November 1, 2024

Get What You Want: November 2024

 

1. PREMIERE STAGES PLAY FESTIVAL 2025

DEADLINE: November 1, 2024

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


Premiere Stages is committed to supporting emerging and regional playwrights by developing and producing new plays. Since 2005, the Premiere Play Festival has offered playwrights the opportunity to develop their work in an encouraging, focused environment through discussions, rehearsals, readings, workshops, and Equity productions.


Through the Premiere Play Festival, Premiere Stages has developed many plays that have gone on to have successful productions in New York and at regional theatres throughout the country. We strive to facilitate relationships between writers and theatre professionals who we think will respond to their work, in hopes that plays developed at Premiere will go on to subsequent productions. We offer Play Festival winners the option to retain the coveted “World Premiere” brand on their plays. Additionally, Premiere’s productions are consistently reviewed, scouted by major publishing houses, and honored by the American Theatre Critics Association.


Premiere Stages will accept submissions of unproduced plays written by playwrights affiliated with the greater metropolitan area from September 1, 2024, through November 1, 2024. All plays submitted to the festival are evaluated by a panel of professional theatre producers, directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, and publishers. Four to five finalists are subsequently selected for public Equity readings in Spring of 2025.


Following the Spring readings, one play is selected for an Equity production in the Premiere Stages 2025 season and receives an award of $3000. The runner-up receives a 29-hour staged reading and $1500. The other finalists will each be awarded $1000.


Premiere Stages is committed to supporting a diverse group of writers; playwrights of all backgrounds, ages, and experience levels are encouraged to apply.


Submission Guidelines


PDF FORMAT SUBMISSIONS ONLY 

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

  • Plays must be unpublished and unproduced (readings and workshops are okay), with no productions and/or publication currently scheduled through September 2026.

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

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

  • Submissions are limited to one script per playwright.

  • Please contact Premiere Stages to inquire about submitting a script that has been previously submitted.

  • Playwrights must be available for the development of their script (see the 2025 schedule table).

  • Submissions are accepted September 1, 2024 through 11:59 p.m. on November 1, 2024. Submissions sent early in the submission window are strongly encouraged.

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

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


We accept script samples and synopses from playwrights without an agent. Submissions must include:

  • Brief synopsis of the play (no more than half a page)

  • History of the play’s development (or statement that it has none)

  • The playwright’s bio or resume

  • Script sample from the play (no more than 10 pages plus title page and character breakdown)

  • Premiere Stages will request full scripts to read if the play seems viable for the 2025 season. In 2022 and 2023, the winning plays were first received as samples.


All plays must be submitted as a PDF via Submittable at premierestagesatkean.submittable.com/submit


Premiere Stages will accept full scripts from literary agents or theatre professionals affiliated with Premiere Stages.



2. THE RICHARD RODGERS AWARDS

DEADLINE: November 1, 2024

WEBSITE: https://www.artsandletters.org/rodgers-award


The Richard Rodgers Awards were created and endowed in 1978 by composer and member Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) for the development of new works of musical theater. These awards support readings and productions of musicals by emerging composers and writers at nonprofit theaters in New York City. The winners are selected by a jury of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Previous recipients include Jonathan Larson, for Rent; Jeanine Tesori and Brian Crawley, for Violet; Kirsten Childs, for The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin; Anaïs Mitchell for Hadestown; and Jason Kim, Helen Park, Max Vernon, and Woodshed Collective, for KPOP.


3. DUE DISSIDENCE SEEKS ONE-ACT PLAYS DEADLINE: November 1, 2024

WEBSITE: http://duedissidence.com/


Send To: duedissidence@gmail.com


Submissions should have political themes and a strong point of view. We are open to a wide range of ideological perspectives-final selections will be based on quality, not ideology. 


Accepted plays will receive a stipend of no less than $50, and run 2-3 performances. Planned dates are mid-March.


Format: Word, PDF


Length: We are primarily seeking one-acts, but full-length plays will be considered


~ Selected plays will receive a full production


~ Playwrights may submit more than one play


~ There are no restrictions based on production history, but the play must be unpublished


"A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having." 


Due Dissidence is an open-minded, left-wing YouTube/Rumble politics show, podcast, and website that reaches 2-3 million viewers/listeners per month. Both hosts come from a theater background and would like to use their large and growing platform to do Playhouse 90-style cultural events that will be performed live and streamed to our audience.


4. FOX ENTERTAINMENT WRITERS INCUBATOR

DEADLINE: November 1, 2024

WEBSITE: https://foxcareers.com/Programs/WritersIncubator


FOX Entertainment is looking for passionate, talented and driven writers with diverse and creative voices to participate in the 2025 FOX Entertainment Writers Incubator. The FOX Entertainment Writers Incubator is a highly selective initiative designed to nurture and provide support to four (4) writers of all genres (comedy, drama, animation, etc.) who have diverse voices, backgrounds and life experiences. Writers will have a chance to work intensively on their scripts under the guidance of established writers, executives, mentors, directors and producers.

The initiative offers trained writers a rigorous three-month workshop focused on rewriting their material, honing writing skills, and exploring the business of media and entertainment. Upon successful completion of the FOX Writers Incubator, writers will receive priority in staffing meetings on FOX television shows.


To begin the application process, you must register for an account. This will allow you to save your progress as you fill out your application. You must ensure all required fields have been completed and agreements have been signed to be considered for this program.


To apply, you will need the following:


  • One (1) original episodic pilot script in PDF format (anything that is not an episodic pilot script will be disqualified)

  • Resume in PDF format

  • Bio

  • Personal statement

  • Script synopsis (750 words or less)

  • Script genre (drama, comedy, dramedy, animation)

  • Logline (75 words or less)

  • 2 additional original loglines of unproduced material

  • Contact details for 2 references

  • Completed submission of material agreement

  • Completed agreement letter


5. DAVID A. EINHORN PRIZE

DEADLINE: November 4, 2024

WEBSITE: https://www.untitledtheater.com/david-einhorn-playwriting-award?fbclid=IwY2xjawFqrsNleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSRgw4S7ywA8MnU9Ec_MpgGAb8167WzD34tJLAK1PbLryjrOPdZ5PZ3D4Q_aem_8IBwk_BsTlCzE0aRDCNn4A


David A. Einhorn was the co-founder of Untitled Theater Company No. 61. This prize is to commemorate his work, with a special emphasis on supporting an American playwright or librettist 30 or older (citizens or legal residents) who has been working independently for at least 5 years, producing work independently without the support of large institutional theaters.


We are looking for work that resonates with the mission of the theater company, tackling ideas (political, scientific, and philosophical). Stylistically, we are looking for work that connects to classic absurdist theater and playwrights such as Ionesco, Beckett, and Havel. Humor is a very important stylistic element, as well as an overt theatricality.


Plays submitted should be 15 – 45 minutes in length (2,500 – 7,500 words).  If it is a libretto with music, we are looking for a work approximately 15 minutes in length.  If it is a libretto without music, the same length as for the play should apply.


The prize will be $2,000, split in two parts. $1,000 will go directly to the playwright, and there will be a $1,000 pledge towards the future production of one of the playwright’s works. There will also be a January 26, 2025 reading of the play or libretto, as part of our 30th anniversary celebration


There is no restriction in terms of previous development/production.

Document 1 is a script. Playwrights are requested to submit anonymously, so please be sure no name appears on the script. In the same document, please include a paragraph about the central idea of the play and how the work explores it.


Document 1a is for those who are submitting a libretto or a play with music.  Please attach or include a link to sample music (just music or preferably a recording of music and lyrics).  


PLEASE NOTE: try to keep it all as anonymous as possible, so a link to your clearly marked YouTube account is less than ideal.  Dropbox or similar is fine, as is an attachment of course.

Document 2 is a history of independently produced work, in which the playwright was in some way involved in the process of production. It should include at least three productions over the span of at least five years. This should also be submitted anonymously. You can also include a future planned production which would benefit from the $1,000 pledge (though it is not required that you have that production planned).


Examples of independently produced work that applies: a theater (or opera) company for which the playwright is Artistic Director or Co-Artistic Director or similar position.  A stand-alone production where the playwright was responsible for financial/logistical elements of the show, or for which they shared that responsibility.  Something that would not qualify: a one-act evening where the playwright simply submitted a script.  


Finally, be sure to include your name and contact information (email and phone) either in the body of the email or in a separate document.


Submissions are open from October 1  – November 4.  Script submissions are capped at 120.  Submissions should be sent to utc61submissions@gmail.com


6. LUCILLE LORTEL THEATRE HIGH SCHOOL PLAYWRITING FELLOWSHIP

DEADLINE: November 6, 2024

WEBSITE: http://lortel.org/HSPF/



SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE


We’re seeking 7 lucky fellows for a series of workshops to help you craft your first (or next) play!


Who: Any NYC Public High School student in any of the five boroughs


What to submit:


• An artistic Statement (i.e. who you are, why you want to write, what inspires you, influences, what stories do you want to tell?)


• 2-3 page creative writing sample (short story, song lyrics, poems, etc) 


• 3 Story ideas (Be creative! What kind of stories do you want to see told?)

Fellows will meet every Thursday and Saturday from January 16 to March 31, 2025


Fellows receive: mentoring from theatre professionals


$500 honorarium dinner and broadway tickets


Presentation of play publication of play


7. THE WAVE GRANT

DEADLINE: November 15, 2024

WEBSITE: https://www.wavelengthproductions.com/grants/


The WAVE (Women At the Very Edge) Grant is devoted to helping emerging female and gender non-conforming BIPOC filmmakers tell their own “great f**king story.” Each year, we select five recipients to receive a $5,000 seed grant for the production of their first short film. Recipients also receive mentorship from our award-winning team with development, production, post-production, festival strategy, and more.



8. EST SLOAN COMMISSION

DEADLINE: November 15, 2024

WEBSITE: https://kristin-gole-gvwa.squarespace.com/application


Individuals or creative teams interested in receiving an EST/Sloan Project commission should upload a single document which contains the following as their application for a grant: A one-page description or a simple outline/synopsis of the project. Your proposal should describe the story you want to put on stage. All the science has to be discussed as part of the story, not as a separate section. Focus on plot and character development, as well as the aesthetic style you envision for the piece. A resume or biography of each collaborator involved.


The EST/Sloan Project is open to a broad range of topics related to the issues, people, ideas, processes, leading-edge discoveries, inventions, and/or history of the "hard" sciences and technology, as well as explorations of the culture of those fields.

  • Mathematics

  • Physics (geological, nuclear, theoretical, etc.)

  • Biology (evolution, zoology, animal behavior, ecology, molecular, genetics, etc.)

  • Chemistry (industrial, biochemistry, etc.)

  • Neuroscience

  • Anthropology and Archaeology

  • Computer Science

  • Software Development, Computer Development

  • Engineering (civil, chemical, mechanical, electrical, aerospace, vehicle design)

  • Space Research

AREAS NOT CONSIDERED FOR COMMISSIONS INCLUDE:

  • Science Fiction

  • Medical Conditions and/or Victims of Disease

  • Psychology and Human Behavior

9. KINSMAN QUARTERLY HOLIDAY PLAYWRIGHT CONTEST

DEADLINE: November 15,  2024

WEBSITE: https://www.kinsmanquarterly.org/



SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE


We are looking for holiday scripts for our upcoming collection Holiday Plays for Cultures Worldwide. Submissions should include one-act shorts with themes of holidays, especially from BIPOC and underrepresented cultures. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Day, Chinese New Year, and Easter. Scripts must be original, unpublished works in English, ideal for families and low-budget organizations. Shorts should be between 10 and 20 pages with less than 6 main characters. Winning scripts receive up to $500 USD and publication. 


Selected submissions will be published on the Kinsman Quarterly website and promoted on its social media sites and printed advertisements. Copyrights of the individual submissions remain with the authors. Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc owns the copyrights to the collection as a unit.


Simultaneous submissions are accepted, however submissions should be withdrawn if accepted elsewhere. To ensure that we are able to publish the unpublished work, winning contestants and finalists are asked to wait a full year after publication before they republish the work themselves or with another organization.


Those Eligible

  • individuals 18 years or older

  • authors of BIPOC and underrepresented communities preferred, but not restrictive

  • must be able to receive award payment through Paypal 


Contest Guidelines

  • Each entry should be an original, unpublished work by the submitting author, which does not infringe upon the copyrights of another individual or entity. 

  • Scripts should be between 10 and 20 pages with less than 6 main characters.

  • Submissions must be received by November 15, 2024 at 11:59pm EST.

  • Submissions should feature holiday themes with rich cultural content

  • Participants may enter more than one submission.

  • Changes to the competition entry cannot be made once a work is submitted. However, a revised version may be resubmitted. In such cases, include the word "revision" in the file name. 


Submission files must be named by Title_AuthorName. Example: "Missing Diamonds_DoeJohn".

  • All entries must be submitted as an MS Word doc/docx or .pdf file. 

  • All entries must be in 12-point courier font for in a standard play format. 

  • Be sure to remove all track changes from edited text. 

  • Entries that do not adhere to guidelines will not be considered. 


Prizes


Grand Prize = $500 cash prize and publication in the collection "Holiday Plays for Cultures Worldwide" and as individual scripts on the Kinsman Quarterly website.


1st Runner Up = $250 cash prize and publication in the collection "Holiday Plays for Cultures Worldwide" and as individual scripts on the Kinsman Quarterly website.


2nd Runner Up = $150 cash prize and publication in the collection "Holiday Plays for Cultures Worldwide" and as individual scripts on the Kinsman Quarterly website.


Top 6 Finalists receive a $50 Amazon gift card and publication in the collection "Holiday Plays for Cultures Worldwide" and as individual scripts on the Kinsman Quarterly website.




10. ISA FASTTRACK FELLOWSHIP

DEADLINE: (Early deadline) November 21, 2024

WEBSITE:  https://www.networkisa.org/contest/view/fasttrackfellowship


 Looking for representation or to connect with working directors or producers? Get on the Fast Track!  For 21 seasons, the ISA Fast Track Fellowship has been the premier screenwriting fellowship for writers on the rise. Fast Track Fellows have:

*Signed with major agencies like CAA, Paradigm and ICM.
*Been introduced to and then signed with management companies.
*Had their scripts optioned, leading to development deals.


Two ISA Fast Track Fellows meet with eight top level agents, managers, producers and executives during a whirlwind week of career acceleration with guidance from an ISA Development Executive. Past seasons' executive meetings include writers, producers, directors and execs from WandaVision, Dear White People, Ted Lasso, LA LA Land, Whiplash, Harriet, Lessons in Chemistry and What Women Want among others. Fellows are then accepted onto the ISA Development Slate for a minimum of one year. Throughout the year, ISA development executives champion and pitch these writers and their projects to our industry partners actively looking for material to produce.   

Seven Category Selections will receive $500 cash each, be evaluated for acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate and go on to be considered for the two Fast Track Fellowships. We are looking for the freshest, most original, and most personal writing in all of these categories:

Action/Adventure
Comedy
Drama
Historical/Biographical
Sci-Fi/Fantasy 
Suspense (Mystery, Crime, Horror, Thriller) 
Spec Scripts ----> NOW ACCEPTING SPECS!

Please note: We define a spec script as an episode based on an existing television show. If your script is not based on existing IP, please submit to the television category.

 

11. SEVENTH ANNUAL ERIC H. WEINBERGER AWARD FOR EMERGING LIBRETTISTS

DEADLINE: December 2, 2024

WEBSITE: https://www.amasmusical.org/eric-h-weinberger-award



The Eric H. Weinberger Award for Emerging Librettists is a juried cash and production grant given annually to support the early work and career of a deserving musical theatre librettist. It commemorates the life and work of playwright/librettist Eric H.


Weinberger (1950-2017), who was a Drama Desk Award nominee for Best Book of a Musical (Wanda’s World), and the playwright/librettist of Class Mothers ’68, which earned Pricilla Lopez a Drama Desk Award nomination.


The winner will receive $2,000 to help with cost-of-living expenses. The winning musical will receive development assistance in the 2025 New Works Development Program of Amas Musical Theatre, culminating in an Amas Lab production with New


York theatre professionals. Amas, which is administering the Award, was the development home for several of Mr. Weinberger’s musicals, and which produced the World Premiere of Wanda’s World and the New York Premiere of Tea for Three.


With the many setbacks in the theatre industry over the past few years, we are grateful to be afforded this opportunity to continue making theatre and creating an impact in our community. We are excited to begin work with our 2024 winners Daniel and James Cullen on their piece Dubbo Championship Wrestling and welcome a new wave of inspiring voices to our musical theatre family.


Submissions open September 12, 2024 and will close December 2, 2024. All submissions must be sent through an online application that can be found HERE.


Only one submission per playwright/librettists will be accepted. The winner of the Award is announced in Spring 2025.

 

Amas Musical Theatre will not ask for any fees for entry or for any fiduciary involvement

from the playwright/librettists at any point of the process.


Submission Requirements:


The musical must:

• Be a full-length show (at least 80 minutes)

• Have no more than eight actors (actors may play multiple roles, if so, please include a suggested breakdown of role distribution)

• Be complete and ready for readings, workshops and/or productions

• Have a demo that is an accurate representation of the music and style of the show (at least five songs)

• Have full underlying rights clearance of any pre-existing material used in the script (music, source material, etc.)

• Not have had a full production or be published in any way, even if with a different name.

​​

What to submit:

All documents must be submitted as PDF files and they should be named with the part of the submission it refers to and the title of the show in the format of PART_TITLE, i.e.: for Tea for Three; BIO_TEA-FOR-THREE, SYNOPSIS_TEA-FOR-THREE, etc.

1. Biography and resumes of the creative team like writer, composer, lyricist (if applicable)

2. History of the submission’s development, and any previous titles it has gone through (if applicable, maximum one page)

3. Brief synopsis (maximum 150 words)

4. Brief artistic statement on the piece itself, including all source material, inspiration, goal, message, etc. (maximum one page)

5. Proof of rights (if applicable)

6. Demo and track listings (Demo selections to be posted as a Dropbox or Google Drive link)

7. PDF document of the full-script and sheet music, if available (no writers named)


12. CAPE FELLOWSHIP

DEADLINE: November 25th

WEBSITE: https://www.capeusa.org/cnwf

The CAPE New Writers Fellowship (CNWF) discovers and nurtures emerging Asian and Pacific Islander writers launching their careers in television and other entertainment mediums.

With one of the highest success rates in the industry, CAPE New Writers Fellowship graduates have staffed on over 70 shows across all major network, cable, and streaming platforms in addition to signing overall deals.Founded and co-chaired by Emmy Award-winning Writer, Creator and Showrunner Leo Chu and veteran film and TV executive Steve Tao, the CAPE New Writers Fellowship is one of few writing programs in Hollywood created by a creative and an executive. This immersive program equips each writer with the practical and business knowledge they need to succeed as a professional in the entertainment industry.


The Fellowship includes a series of intimate panels, workshops, and discussions with top television and film writers, producers, agents, managers, and executives. The Fellowship also features a Writing Lab where each Fellow is matched with a high-level industry mentor to help them revise their original script into professional level writing samples. 

As thought leaders at the forefront of the evolving entertainment landscape, CAPE is expanding this year’s program to address the current challenges in the industry and include a wider variety of pathways to becoming a professional writer in Hollywood.

The enhanced curriculum will include both in-person and virtual masterclasses, panels, and workshops that explore a diverse array of writing opportunities, which may include animation, video games, indie films, narrative podcasts, short form digital content, and more. 

The Fellowship typically runs each year in the spring. Sessions take place on weekday evenings Pacific time for approximately 3 hours, twice a week.


13. THE OLD LADY PROJECT

DEADLINE: December 16th, 2024

WEBSITE: https://filmfreeway.com/OldLadyProject


The Old Lady project is an initiative to encourage the development of plays and musicals that feature significant roles for female identifying characters over 50, a demographic that is mostly unseen in mainstream media. Scripts/Screenplays will be submitted to a national panel of directors and producers and staged readings of the winners will occur at the historic Noyes Cultural Arts Center. A directory of works will be featured on the Old Lady Project webpage to facilitate connections between theatre companies, directors and producers. Scripts with the highest score will be offered a staged reading at our expense.

14. NAMT’S FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS 2025

DEADLINE: December 17, 2024

WEBSITE: https://namt.org/newmusicals/festival-submissions/



Now in its 37th year, NAMT’s Festival of New Musicals is the cornerstone of NAMT’s mission to be a catalyst for nurturing musical theatre development and production.


In 1989, the Festival of New Musicals was created to provide a forum to celebrate the new musicals that were being produced and presented around the country. Since then, the Festival has introduced musical theatre producers to 300+ musicals and 565 writers from around the world. More than 85% have gone on to subsequent readings, workshops, productions and tours; been licensed; and/or recorded on cast albums as a direct result of the Festival!


Held over two days in New York City every fall, the Festival produces 45–minute presentations of eight new musicals before an audience of over 800 industry professionals with the experience and resources to move the work forward. We look for new musicals at all stages of development from the broadest possible range of voices.


Please note the following deadlines for the 36th Annual Festival of New Musicals:

  • December 17, 2024: Early Deadline for All Submissions

  • January 7, 2025: Late Deadline for All Submissions ($40 fee applies)


Shows submitted by the early deadline require no fee for submission. Shows submitted after the early deadline will be charged a $40 late fee, which must be paid by credit card on the submission portal.


All the information you need about the writers and (if applicable) agents, production/development history and more is outlined in the application, but you should read this entire page before prepping your materials. You may save and return to your application without having to complete it all in one sitting.


  • The Musical must be complete and ready for readings, workshops and/or productions.

  • The Musical should have a demo that is an accurate representation of the music and style of the show and at least 50% of the score must be available to submit on demo.

  • The Musical must have full underlying rights clearances for any pre-existing material used (music, source material, etc.) in the script.

  • The Writers must be ready for readings, workshops and/or productions at the time of submission and available for presentations in October 2025 at the Festival.


15. WOODWARD/NEWMAN AWARD

DEADLINE: ROLLING

WEBSITE: https://seeconstellation.org/get-involved/submit-play/

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.

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.

16. NES ARTIST RESIDENCY (IN SKAGASTRÖND, ICELAND)

DEADLINE: Rolling

WEBSITE: https://neslist.is/apply/


As one of the largest residencies in Iceland, NES currently hosts between 90–120 artists per year. NES provides artists with a workspace and living quarters within Skagaströnd, and the freedom to create as they wish. Artists receive a $175 stipend/week, with housing accommodations.



17. NATIVE VOICES PRODUCTION SUBMISSIONS 

DEADLINE: Rolling

WEBSITE: theautry.org/events/signature-programs/native-voices-annual-call-for-scripts


Native Voices is devoted to developing and producing new works for the stage by Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations playwrights.

2025 OPEN Submission for Production Consideration

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 2025 General Production Consideration.


How to Submit

Checklist for All Submission Types

❏ 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(s) linked below

Where to Send Submissions

We only accept electronic submissions (preferably PDF format).

To submit, make sure you have everything on the checklist above, click on the link below to fill out the form and upload your materials:

- Short Plays: coming soon!
- Full Length Plays: https://bit.ly/2024NVScriptCall
- General Production Consideration: https://bit.ly/2024NVScriptCallGP


A Note About the Native Voices Distance Dramaturgy Process

Months prior to residencies, selected playwrights participate in dramaturgical conversations with an assigned director and dramaturg. Workshops with these creative teams and a cast of professional actors commence once the playwright arrives on-site. It is important to note that these conversations and workshops are playwright driven, allowing the writer to shape their own developmental path. Selected playwrights should be prepared to dedicate adequate time to this process prior to arriving on-site. For More Information or Questions: nvliteraryassociate@gmail.com


MISSION:

  • To support creative freedom for engineers and scientists outside of traditional institutional frameworks

  • To thoughtfully enable the creative ventures, inquiries, and expressions that will shape our technology-driven future

  • To build an interdisciplinary community of artists, engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs to collaborate in meaningful and unpredictable ways


Since we opened our doors in 2014, Stochastic Labs has helped pioneer exceptional 20th/21st-century creative ventures including Lynn Hershman Leeson and NASA scientist Josiah Zayner’s epic transmedia artwork The Infinity Engine; JD Beltran and Scott Minneman’s Cinema Snowglobe; Alexander Reben’s film-making robot BlabDroid; Graham Plumb and Karen Marcelo’s volumetric Open Cube; street artist KATSU’s AI Criminals; and Lauren Lee Mccarthy’s interactive performance piece Follower, among others.


18. THE FOUNDATION FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS – EMERGENCY GRANTS

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. Each month FCA receives an average of 100 Emergency Grant applications and makes approximately 12-21 grants. Grants range in amount from $500 to $3,000, and the average grant is now $1,900. We recommend that artists review all of our eligibility guidelines and FAQs before applying.



19. 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 submit your work to get the conversation going to partner with us.





Thank you, Morgan Jenness. Rest in Peace.

 "You need to meet Morgan!" At different times throughout my early NYC yrs ppl would say that to me: meet Morgan Jenness. She was ...