1.
Women’s Project Lab
deadline: November 8th
website: http://wptheater.org/lab/
WP Theater is looking for 15 female-identified playwrights, directors, and producers who crave an artistic home, professional support, and the resources to launch them into the next phase of their careers to join the 2016-2018 WP Lab.
Lab provides up to fifteen artists with community, a vital professional network, entrepreneurial and leadership training, free rehearsal space and, most significantly, tangible opportunities for the development and production of bold new work for the stage.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY:
Must be a female-identified artist living within 90 minutes of Women’s Project Theater via car or rail.
Must be able to attend evening meetings at Women’s Project Theater twice each month for the duration of the two years, as well as other events throughout the year, such as master classes, retreats, observerships and other special events at WP.
Regular attendance is mandatory and therefore applicants should view the program as a two-year-long commitment.
Must be available for an in-person interview.
THE PARTICIPATING ARTISTS WILL:
Receive a stipend
Participate in a monthly lab meeting led by Women’s Project Theater’s Artistic Staff
Participate in a bimonthly meeting of the five artists in their concentration led by a mentor in their field.
Participate in master classes led by established artists.
Receive complimentary tickets to WP shows, invited dress rehearsals and other special events
Receive artistic support and professional development guidance from the artistic staff.
Participate in The Pipeline Festival, a festival of five new plays, written, directed and produced by the WP Lab, to be presented during the second year.
For further clarification of Requirements for Eligibility, please see the Frequently Asked Questions section below.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS (PDF document submission):
-Current resume
-One page statement that describes your artistic vision and the specific process behind it and why this residency would be useful for you in this moment of your career.
-A list of 3 professional references, including title/affiliation, phone and email
Playwrights:
In a separate PDF, the full length script most representative of your work and that you believe to be ready for production.
The draft should not have your name or any other identifiers.
The play must be at least 60 pages long, and must be a completed draft, though it need not be a final draft.
Directors & Producers:
A list of upcoming productions, workshops, readings and other projects with dates, venues, and your role.
You may also include a link to your website, or other online resources.
Additional materials should not exceed 3 pages and may include reviews (no excerpts) and photos
Hard copy applications will not be accepted.
All materials will be reviewed by a panel of theater professionals. Finalists will be notified by early May and asked to interview in June 2016. The 2016-2018 Lab will begin in September 2016.
For further clarification of materials required for application, please see the Frequently Asked Questions Section below.
SEND APPLICATION MATERIALS TO:
WPLabSubmissions@womensproject.org
Subject Line: WP Lab Application Submission
Hard copy applications will not be accepted
If you have specific questions, please email wpinfo@womensproject.org after reading the Frequently Asked Questions section below. No phone calls please.
2.
NYTW 2050 Fellowship
Deadline: Oct 19th
The 2050 Fellowship is named in celebration of the U.S. Census Bureau’s projection that by the year 2050, there will be no single racial or ethnic majority in the United States.
This projection provokes thoughts at New York Theatre Workshop about the transformations that will take place in the American landscape – demographically, technologically, environmentally, and artistically. They are a catalyst for broader questions about our moral and artistic future. How do we define diversity? Whose stories aren't being told? What lies ahead for our world?
In response to these questions, NYTW has expanded and renamed our longstanding Fellowship program to support the diversity of voices and aesthetics that will make up this new minority majority.
Details of the 2050 Fellowship
NYTW will accept up to six 2050 Fellows for the 2016-17 Season. These fellowships will entail a commitment from June 2016 to June 2017. Playwrights and directors are eligible to apply.
NYTW’s 2050 Fellowships consists of five basic components:
1) Monthly fellowship meetings where fellows meet with each other and artists from the New York Theatre Workshop community to discuss craft, aesthetics, and artistic development;
2) Access to rehearsal space and two opportunities to share works-in-progress with the NYTW Artistic staff and entire fellowship cohort;
3) Mentorship from the NYTW Artistic Staff and contemporary theater artists;
4) An invitation to participate in the artistic life of the theater by attending staff meetings, developmental readings, dress rehearsals, and other NYTW functions;
5) A 3-day weekend retreat at the start and end of the fellowship
2050 Fellows are awarded a modest stipend and an artistic development fund to support Fellowship projects, see work, research, and travel.
What makes a competitive applicant?
The 2050 Fellowship supports emerging artists who exhibit outstanding artistry and whose voices are underrepresented in the theatre. We encourage applicants with a unique cultural perspective inclusive of race, ethnicity, gender, class, disability and sexual orientation.
3.
GREAT PLAINS THEATRE CONFERENCE
Deadline: Oct 15th
The Great Plains Theatre Conference offers playwrights the opportunity to interact with and have their work seen by top writers, directors and actors from across the country. In addition, playwrights work directly with these professionals in hands-on writing and industry workshops, participate in daily panel discussions and attend evening performances with master playwrights and theatre practitioners. Past panelists, workshop leaders and respondents include: Edward Albee, Doug Wright, Emily Mann, Mac Wellman, Arthur Kopit, Marshall Mason, Mark Lamos, Theresa Rebeck, Constance Congdon, Erik Ehn, Will Eno, Lee Blessing and David Lindsay-Abaire among others.
Plays submitted are reviewed by a 100% blind reading process and considered for the following categories...
THE MAINSTAGE SERIES
Five plays are chosen for the MainStage Series and recognized with the Holland New Voices Award. For the playwright, this includes a $500 honorarium, travel, room and board, Conference registration and preferential admittance to all special WorkShop sessions and Conference events. MainStage playwrights also receive a script rehearsal period with local and national directors and actors. Near the end of the week, the GPTC features a staged reading of each script for Conference attendees and the general public. A panel of top theatre professionals serve as respondents to the work. The five MainStage plays are published in “The 2015 GPTC Reader.”
Playwrights whose scripts are chosen for MainStage readings must attend the GPTC for the entire week.
DAILY PLAYLABS
Approximately 25 plays are chosen for the daily PlayLabs. For the playwright, this includes room and board, Conference registration and preferential admittance to all WorkShops and Conference events. Local and national directors and actors rehearse in preparation for a staged reading of each script. Conference attendees and the public attend these readings and a panel of select theatre professionals serves as respondents
Playwrights whose scripts are chosen for PlayLab readings must be available to attend the entire conference.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
The GPTC will accept both full length and one act scripts.
Playwrights may submit a maximum of one script.
Scripts co-written by multiple playwrights may be submitted. If chosen, the benefits outlined above will be provided for ONE playwright only.
Plays that have received an Equity production, plays for young audiences and musicals will not be accepted.
All selections will be finalized by March 15.
There is a $10 fee for each submission. Submissions will not be considered without payment. The entire fee is applied toward the costs for readers.
4.
Lark Theatre’s Playwrights Week
Deadline: Oct 20th
As our Open Access Program, Playwrights’ Week serves as the central entry point for play submissions at The Lark and encourages the development of new voices. The Lark is committed to providing access to all playwrights and is proud to seek out plays that reveal underrepresented and vital perspectives. All playwrights will receive consideration without regard to demographics, professional experience, geographic location or history with the organization.
Playwrights' Week 2016 Submissions Guidelines:
Submit ONE completed application and ONE full-length play.
No more than ONE play per playwright will be considered.
List only the play title on the cover page. No personal information.
Submit only Word or PDF files as attachments
A complete submission is composed of two parts:
Please EMAIL your script and completed application as two separate attachments in the same email to: submissions@larktheatre.org
Other Important Information:
Each applicant should expect a confirmation of application receipt by November 2015 and a final response by July 2016.
While there is no official minimum number of pages for submitted full-length plays, we do not accept 10-minute plays or musicals.
Previously produced plays are eligible for consideration.
Plays previously submitted to this program are accepted, but we strongly encourage the submission of new work.
Writers living outside of the United States can apply if the script was originally written in English.
Due to the volume of submissions to this program, we will be unable to accept revised drafts of scripts during the selection process.
Housing and travel will be provided for all out of town writers.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please email submissions@larktheatre.org.
What Lark Provides
Ten hours of rehearsal time with a creative team (including director and actors) to address self-identified development goals
A public staged reading at The Lark
A peer-based community of support and conversation for the week
The Evaluation Process
Submitted plays are evaluated based on the following Lark Support Criteria:
Plays which are ambitious, fresh, playful, engaging, energizing, provocative, powerful, and theatrical
Plays that reveal unheard and vital perspectives
Playwrights with clear goals about their writing who are open to a development process
5.
LAST FRONTIER THEATRE CONFERENCE
Deadline: Nov. 23rd
The Last Frontier Theatre Conference strives to create an educational experience for playwrights, actors, directors, and theatre enthusiasts that enriches participants’ minds and inspires their souls. Participants are completely immersed in the theatre arts for eight days, with a blend of performances, developmental readings, classes, and social events.
The Conference gives a venue for playwrights to present their work in the Play Lab, where they receive feedback from theatre professionals and their peers, and have the opportunity to network with actors and other writers.
It is vital for the state’s theatre community to embrace the story tellers who are speaking about the unique experience of living in the Last Frontier. The Conference is dedicated to fostering playwriting and the presentation of new works by Alaskans.
The Last Frontier Theatre Conference is now accepting submissions through November 23, 2015, for the Play Lab. Authors must register for the Conference and be in attendance for their reading; the cost of transportation is the responsibility of the participants. Guidelines:
Plays must be received by November 23, 2015
One submission per author.
Submissions should run between 20 minutes and 2 hours.
They can be of any genre except musical.
The play should not have received a professional production; readings and amateur productions are acceptable. Authors should be interested in developing this play.
6.
EST SLOAN GRANT
Deadline: November 1st
The EST/Sloan Project commissions, develops and presents new works delving into how we view and are affected by the scientific world. These plays examine the struggles and challenges scientists and engineers face from moral issues to the consequences of their discoveries.
The Project is designed to stimulate artists to create credible and compelling work exploring the worlds of science and technology and to challenge existing stereotypes of scientists and engineers in the popular imagination. The Project commissions and develops new works throughout EST’s developmental season, including one Mainstage Production, as well as workshops and readings in an annual festival called FIRST LIGHT.
Now in its 15th year, the EST/Sloan Project has awarded commissions totaling more than $450,000 to more than 140 artists. Previous commissionees include: Billy Aronson, Mike Daisey, Jason Grote, Ann Marie Healy, Michael Hollinger, Israel Horovitz, Tina Howe, Shirley Lauro, Emily Levine, Romulus Linney, Quincy Long, Cassandra Medley, Dan O’Brien, Carey Perloff, Bill Pullman, Jaquelyn Reingold, Tommy Smith, Caridad Svich, Vern Thiessen, Alex Timbers, Bridgette Wimberly, David Zellnik, Stillpoint Productions, and The Royal Shakespeare Company.
Proposals will be accepted starting September 1st, 2015.
Deadline for artist proposals and script submissions: November 1, 2015
Deadline for regional development grants: December 1, 2015
Commissions will be awarded to individuals, groups and creative teams for full-length and one-act plays and musicals. Commissions range from $1000 to $10,000. Commission amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis, as are deadlines for drafts, finished work, and research support (if appropriate). Extant, full-length works may be submitted and are judged on a script-by-script basis by the EST/Sloan Project staff. Rewrite commissions for existing scripts range from $1,000 to $5,000.
Commissions are also available for regional theaters who wish to sponsor a local project focused on science and technology, either by commissioning a new script or developing an extant piece. Regional commission amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis, ranging from $2,000 - $5,000.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
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.
Hard sciences include the following areas:
Mathematics
Physics (geological, nuclear, theoretical, etc.)
Biology (evolution, zoology, animal behavior, ecology, molecular, genetics, etc.)
Chemistry (industrial, biochemistry, etc.)
Neuroscience
Anthropology and Archaeology
Technology includes:
Computer Science
Software Development, Computer Development
Engineering (civil, chemical, mechanical, electrical, aerospace, vehicle design)
Space Research
Areas not considered for commissions include:
A selection committee evaluates the proposals and makes the final decisions. Candidates may be asked to revise aspects of their proposals, provide writing samples, and/or arrange a meeting to discuss their project as part of the selection process.
Deadline for artist proposals and script submissions: November 1, 2015
Deadline for regional development grants: December 1, 2015
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS
Theatre companies interested in receiving an EST/Sloan Project regional development grant should submit the following as their application for a grant:
A current draft of the script, or a one- to two-page description or outline of the project.
A resume or biography of each collaborator involved.
A one- to two-page cover letter detailing the development history of the project and your goals for the commission.
An estimated budget for the project.
Delivering Your Submission
We accept scripts in the following manner...
EMAIL (PREFERRED):
sloanproject@ensemblestudiotheatre.org
7.
The O’Neill Center: 2016 National Playwrights Conference
Deadline (window): Sept 16- Oct 16th
**Submissions for the 2016 National Playwrights Conference will be accepted from September 16 through October 16 at 11:59 PST**
If you are interested in applying, please look over the materials and sign up to receive email updates about the National Playwrights Conference. As soon as we post our 2016 application, you will be the first to know.
The National Playwrights Conference strives to create a supportive environment that empowers playwrights to their own process and to experience the play with a professional company.
In the years since its inception the National Playwrights Conference has developed more than 600 plays. During the Conference, playwrights live on the grounds of the O'Neill for a full month and each engages in a week-long process of rehearsals culminating in two script-in-hand public readings. Up to eight playwrights are selected for this intensive laboratory each summer. Conference playwrights represent a wide range of experience from those working on a first play to Broadway veterans; directors and actors have also worked on and off Broadway, in film, and in regional theaters, and represent emerging artists and seasoned professionals.
Each year NPC accepts scripts from any playwright for consideration in its summer landmark event, and takes this solicitation and selection process very seriously. We do not require an agent or nomination to apply, simply the right to work in the United States.
The O'Neill typically receives approximately 1,000 scripts during this month-long window. The plays are sent to readers across the country; the work is read blindly and narrowed down into a semi-finalist pool and then a finalist pool. This process is maintained by our on-site literary office and is monitored carefully.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
You must be 18 years of age and have the right to work within the United States.
The play must not have had a professional production, or be scheduled to have a professional production, prior to August 2016. A professional production means that the artists working on the show were compensated for their time, and that all of the theatrical elements one hopes to see in a production were present.
You may submit one original or adapted work, providing that the rights to any material not in the public domain have been granted in writing, and a copy of the release is sent along with the script.
We develop all genres and styles of drama, including one-acts and solo pieces. NPC does not develop music theater works, though you may submit such work to the National Music Theater Conference.
While we accept work that has been submitted to NPC in previous years, we recommend that you share new work with us each year.
Only complete applications will be accepted, whether in hard copy or electronic form.
8.
Reva Shiner Comedy
Deadline: Oct 31st
We are currently accepting submissions for the 2016-17 Reva Shiner Comedy Award (deadline Oct. 31, 2015). The top 10 finalists and the winner of the 2016-17 Reva Shiner Comedy Award will be announced at the end of March 2016.
"Full-length" plays will have a complete running time of between 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes) to 2 hours 15 minutes (135 minutes).
Plays submitted must be unpublished at the time of submission. Plays that have received developmental readings, workshop productions, or productions at small theatre companies are acceptable. No scripts with previous productions at major regional theaters will be accepted. Once entered, subsequent activity does not change the acceptability of the script.
Each submission must include a synopsis (1 page or less) including the cast size. A separate page should include a brief bio of the playwright, and production/development history if applicable.
Each submission must include a cover letter with contact information and a $10.00 reader fee. Agent submissions require no fee. The fee will be waived for Dramatist Guild members with an enclosed photocopy of a membership card.
Make sure to note with your submission that you have paid the reader fee online.
It is preferable for musicals to include a demo CD. The complete score is not necessary but may be included. All plays are read by BPP's literary personnel led by and including the Literary Manager and Artistic Director.
We do not accept e-mail submissions. Scripts will not be returned. Blind submissions are not necessary. Please include all contact information. Plays submitted in previous years will be accepted.
The BPP reserves the right not to name a winner and/or name a winner but not commit to a reading or production.
Send to:
Reva Shiner Comedy Award
Bloomington Playwrights Project
107 W. 9th Street
Bloomington, IN 47404
Scripts must be postmarked by October 31, 2015, and received no later than November 10, 2015. We are not responsible for postal delays, and recommend you not choose to send Media Mail unless you are submitting several weeks in advance.
For further information, write BPP, Attn: Literary Manager, 107 W. 9th Street, Bloomington, IN 47404. For faster replies, please e-mail us at literarymanager@newplays.org
9.
Soros Justice Fellowship
Deadline: Oct. 21st
The Soros Justice Fellowships fund outstanding individuals to undertake projects that advance reform, spur debate, and catalyze change on a range of issues facing the U.S. criminal justice system. The Fellowships Program is part of a larger effort within the Open Society Foundations’ Justice Fund to reduce the destructive impact of current criminal justice policies on the lives of individuals, families, and communities in the U.S. by challenging the overreliance on incarceration and extreme punishment, and ensuring a fair and accountable system of justice.
Advocacy Fellowships
The Soros Justice Fellowships Program’s Advocacy Fellowships fund lawyers, advocates, grassroots organizers, researchers, and others with unique perspectives to undertake full-time criminal justice reform projects at the local, state, and national levels. Projects may range from litigation to public education to coalition-building to grassroots mobilization to policy-driven research. Advocacy Fellowships are 18 months in duration, may be undertaken in conjunction with a host organization, and can begin in the spring or fall of 2016.
Media Fellowships
The Soros Justice Fellowships Program’s Media Fellowships support writers, print and broadcast journalists, bloggers, filmmakers, and other individuals with distinctive voices proposing to complete media projects that engage and inform, spur debate and conversation, and catalyze change on important U.S. criminal justice issues. The Media Fellowships aim to mitigate the time, space, and market constraints that often discourage individuals from pursuing vital but marginalized, controversial, or unpopular topics in comprehensive and creative ways. Media Fellowships are 12 months in duration, and fellows are expected to make their projects their full-time work during the term of the fellowship. Projects can begin in either the spring or fall of 2016.
Guidelines and Application
Download and review the complete Advocacy guidelines here and the complete Media guidelines here. Applications must be submitted by clicking on the appropriate "Submit" button below. Please Note: The "Submit" button will be active and viewable starting on August 11, 2015.
Applicants who are uncertain whether some aspect of their proposed project fits within the parameters of the Fellowships Program guidelines or whether the project is otherwise likely to be of interest to the program may submit an email inquiry before proceeding with the full application. The email should provide a brief (no more than 500 words) description of the proposed project, as well as some background information on the applicant, and should be sent to: sorosjusticefellowships@opensocietyfoundations.org.
10.
The Lark Playwrights’ Week 2016
Deadline: October 20
website: http://www.larktheatre.org/get-involved/submit-play/
As our Open Access Program, Playwrights’ Week serves as the central entry point for play submissions at The Lark and encourages the development of new voices. The Lark is committed to providing access to all playwrights and is proud to seek out plays that reveal underrepresented and vital perspectives. All playwrights will receive consideration without regard to demographics, professional experience, geographic location or history with the organization. http://www.larktheatre.org/get-involved/submit-play/?edit_off
11.
Ashland New Plays Festival
deadline: January 15th (or when 400 qualifying scripts have been received)
ANPF’s flagship festival is an international playwriting competition that culminates in the reading of four new plays culled from hundreds of submissions by a cadre of volunteer readers. This unique and much-loved five-day festival in Ashland, Oregon, features professional actors from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the community. The event includes rehearsals and two staged readings of each winning play. Four winning playwrights receive a $1,000 stipend and local accommodations. Submissions will be accepted until January 15, 2016 or when 400 qualifying scripts have been received.
12.
Berkeley Rep Ground Floor
Deadline: Nov. 1st
e invite artists to apply with projects that would benefit from a residency in Berkeley for 1–4 weeks. Berkeley Rep will provide transportation, housing, rehearsal space, technical support, and a modest stipend. Applicants must be available for residency between May 31 and June 26, 2016. Previous applicants may re-apply. There is no limit on the number of projects an artist may apply with. We do accept applications from international artists.
Projects may be anywhere along their development path: from an idea without anything on paper yet, to a complete draft of a text. Whether you are a writer simply needing a room in which to write or an ensemble wanting intensive rehearsal time, we encourage you to apply. Artists from other disciplines interested in creating theatre pieces also welcome. If your project is ready for a small audience, we are happy to provide that, but there is no requirement for any kind of culminating event. Past participants have held events that were open to the public, no final presentation at all, small closed readings, and everything in between.
This is a developmental residency. Projects looking for a full production are not eligible. If you are applying for an adaptation, please have the underlying rights already secured. We do not accept scripts along with application forms. If a proposed project makes it to the second round, we will then request more information, including whatever may already be written.
To apply
We suggest you download and complete the application as a Word document and then cut/paste your answers into the application form below. Please note that the online form does not allow you to save the application mid-way through and that you must hit the “submit” button at the bottom to finalize the form submission process. Do not submit the Word document via email.
Email resumes for key collaborators to groundfloorapps@berkeleyrep.org.
Format: All resumes must be submitted as a PDF file and should be no more than one page long.
Title of resume: “Project Title, Name on Resume.pdf”
Subject heading of email: “Subject: GFApp, Project Title, Include Names of All Resumes Attached.”
Email: Please submit only one email per application with all relevant resumes.
All applications and corresponding resumes are due by 11:59pm on November 1, 2015.
Applicants will be notified by February 16, 2016.
Please note
Only electronic submissions will be accepted.
Please do not submit any materials beyond those required in the application.
Only complete applications will be considered.
Please do not call or email Berkeley Repertory Theatre to check the status of your application.
For questions regarding the application process, please email: groundfloor@berkeleyrep.org.
13.
SUNDANCE THEATRE LAB
deadline: Oct. 15th
website: http://www.sundance.org/programs/theatre-program
Sundance looks for original, compelling human stories that reflect the independent vision of the theatre artist. We are interested in supporting a diverse and daring group of theatre artists who tell unique stories, present material in a new form, or conceptualize existing material with an innovative vision. We look for writers and collaborators who are interested in genuinely exploring their material. Plays, musicals, dance theatre, performances and solo projects are all eligible. Submitted projects must be original works. Sundance is not looking for projects about the MENA region, and preference will not be given to plays that focus on those themes, though, as always, we welcome work on any topic. We are most interested in stories that you feel need to be told by you at this moment in time.
Submitted work cannot have been previously produced, but may have received prior workshops or readings. Commissioned work is eligible for submission; however, playwrights must obtain written permission from their commissioning organization prior to applying.
Sundance Institute is interested in both established and emerging theatre artists, as well as artists making a transition from areas outside of theatre. We welcome solo performers and projects for young audiences.
NOTE: Artists may only submit one application. Previous applicants may reapply, but not with previously submitted material.
YOU WILL NEED
Outline and/or 10-Page Portion of Your Script (if applicable)
Project Summary
Artistic Statements
Letter of Acknowledgement (if applicable)
$35 Non-Refundable Application Fee
