1. BMI WORKSHOP
DEADLINE: Aug. 1st
WEBSITE: https://www.bmi.com/theatre_workshop/application_requirements
Application Materials
Composer: Three contrasting compositions - uptempo, comedy song, ballad. Please include a copy of score which includes lyrics.
Lyricist: Three contrasting lyrics in PDF format - uptempo, comedy song, ballad.
Composer/Lyricist: Three contrasting songs - uptempo, comedy song, ballad. Please include a copy of score which includes lyrics.
Note that if you apply as a composer and a lyricist, you will be accepted as one or the other (that is, as either a composer or a lyricist) and you will be assigned different collaborators over the course of the year. If you apply as both a composer/lyricist and a librettist and are accepted as both, you will spend your first year as a composer/lyricist only, as the two groups meet at the same time.
Select applicants will be invited to audition in early September. Librettists are accepted on the basis of their written materials and are not required to audition. At the auditions, composers and composer/lyricists will be asked to perform at least two contrasting theatrical compositions; lyricists will be asked to recite samples of their theatrical lyrics. All auditions must be done live, using a piano.
The Workshop runs September through May in New York City. Prospective members must make their own living arrangements in the city or be able to commute weekly. During the first year, composers and lyricists are paired off and are asked to create appropriate songs based on scenes from various sources. The writers perform their assignments, which are then discussed by the other writers and the moderators. There are analyses and discussions of current and past musicals, with an eye to understanding form and structure. Every effort is made to insure that each writer retains his or her individual style.
In the Workshop’s final phase (Second Year), teams work on a musical. The Workshop functions as a forum and a sounding board for works in progress, as music and lyrics are critically evaluated and open dialogue is encouraged. At the end of each Second Year, the Workshop Committee determines which writers from the group are invited to join the Advanced Workshop. Not everyone is asked. This Workshop is intended for writers of professional caliber who are expected to contribute to the vitality of the musical theatre scene.
2. BLUE INK AWARD FOR PLAYWRITING
DEADLINE: August 1st
WEBSITE: https://americanbluestheater.com/single-tickets/new-play-development/
The nationally-renowned Blue Ink Award for playwriting was created in 2010 to support new work. Since inception, we’ve named 12 Award winners, 112 finalists, and 171 semi-finalists. Nearly $10,000 in cash and prizes was distributed to playwrights in 2022.
Each year American Blues Theater accepts worldwide submissions of original, unpublished full-length plays. The winning play will be selected by Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and the theater’s Ensemble. The 2022 winning playwright receives a monetary prize of $2,500. Cash prizes are awarded to finalists and semi-finalists too.
Send any questions to ElyseD@AmericanBluesTheater.com.
3. LIFT EVERY VOICE NEW PLAY FESTIVAL
DEADLINE: August 1st
WEBSITE: https://www.americanstage.org/lift-every-voice-play-submission
Submissions will be capped after the first 200 scripts are received.
American Stage (St. Petersburg, Florida) is committed to producing powerful stories, boldly told. Formerly known as our 21st Century Voices: New Play Festival, Lift Every Voice is a new play festival committed to providing exposure to emerging playwrights with a focus on BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ storytellers. This year’s programming includes a week-long rehearsal and development process for each of the final playwrights and their plays, culminating in public staged readings. In addition the festival weekend includes workshops, panels and lectures. All public events are held March 1-3, 2024.
SUBMISSION RULES & REQUIREMENTS
Submissions are encouraged from BIPOC or LGBTQIA+ playwrights
Playwrights must reside in the United States.
Plays must be unproduced and unpublished with limited development.
Plays that have been previously submitted to American Stage or the Lift Every Voice New Play Festival are not eligible to be submitted again.
No musicals or translations.
Full-length plays only (at least 60 minutes)
Plays with casts of six or fewer will be more heavily considered.
Plays must include a contact page and character breakdown.
One submission per playwright.
Playwrights must be available to attend the festival in person, including rehearsals.
- Volume of submissions will prevent us from providing individual feedback.
- Submissions will be capped after the first 200 scripts are received.
FESTIVAL RULES & GUIDELINES
Four finalists will be chosen to participate in the Lift Every Voice Festival.
Each finalist will receive the following: a professional director and cast, a table read, 15 rehearsal hours, opportunity to rewrite and edit, a staged reading with a total of two performances, and facilitated post-show talkbacks.
Finalist will receive a stipend of $600, housing accommodations and round trip airfare to and from St. Petersburg, FL.
Finalists will be selected by a panel of readers and notified by American Stage by November 1, 2023.
Volume of submissions will prevent us from providing individual feedback.
Submissions will be capped after the first 200 scripts are received.
Only finalist playwrights will be contacted.
Playwrights are required to participate in the rehearsal process and attend the readings and talkbacks
No other royalties or payments will be issued.
All participants (including actors, directors, stage managers and designers) will be compensated.
Complete the online submission form to provide American Stage with information about the playwright and the play.
Upload submission package via the online submission
In order to be accepted, your submission package must be submitted as a single PDF file that meets the following requirements.
File name must be “Title of Play_Author Last Name”
The first pages of the file must include:Title of the play;
Character breakdown and description; please include total number of characters. Plays with 3-5 actors/characters are preferred.
Time and place of the play;
Synopsis of the play that helps to provide context for the 10 page sample (no longer than 1 page);
A concise paragraph (no longer than 1 page) describing the development history of the play you are submitting;
A statement describing how your play is a good fit for the 2023-2024 American Stage Lift Every Voice New Play Festival.
A 10-page sample of the play.
4. 2024 DIVERSE VOICES PLAYWRITING INITIATIVE
DEADLINE: August 1st
WEBSITE: https://forms.illinoisstate.edu/forms/diversevoices
The 2024 Diverse Voices Playwriting Initiative welcomes submissions for full-length, unproduced plays by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) playwrights in accordance with the mission statement of the Crossroads Project (see above). A diverse panel of judges including Illinois State University faculty, staff, students, and alumni, as well as members of the local community, will select one playwright as the winner.
To be eligible to win, the playwright must be available for a one-week residency in mid-to-late April 2024 (exact dates TBD). If the play has multiple writers/creators, we can only provide funding for one person during the residency. Other writers/creators are welcome to participate in the workshop by self-funding the trip or joining virtually for rehearsals and events.
There is no entry fee. We only accept electronic submissions in PDF format. Because our staff and resources are limited, we can only consider the first 100 submissions.
The winning playwright will receive:An invitation to Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal, IL, as a guest-artist-in-residence for a one-week new play development workshop, culminating in a public staged reading. This residency may also include class visits and other University events. Travel (within the U.S.), housing, and meals during the residency.
An honorarium of $500 for the residency.
Please include in your submission:A representative sample from your play up to 15 pages. These do not have to be the first 15 pages of the play.
A synopsis of the play (max. 250 words).
A character list with short descriptions for each character (age, ethnicity, gender, occupation, family relationships, etc.)
A playwright’s statement (max. 400 words). In the statement, describe your inspiration for writing the play, address where you are in the development process, and discuss how a workshop in a university setting can facilitate that process. Please include information about access and accommodation needs in this statement.
Please follow these guidelines when submitting your play:
Submissions must be:
A full-length play.
Musicals and plays with music are eligible for the program. However, we can only provide piano accompaniment for rehearsals and the staged reading.
The primary language of the play must be English. Other languages in the play may be presented through English translations (provided by the playwright) for the staged reading.
There are no other restrictions in subject matter or style.
A playwright may only submit one play per year. The work must be submitted by the playwright rather than a literary agent or other third party.
Submissions must be the original work of the playwright, which may include adaptations of fictional or factual material. Translations of other playwrights’ work are not accepted.
The submitting playwright must be either the owner and controller of the copyright or provide written proof that they have acquired the legal right to use copyrighted material (including source material for adaptations) in their work.
Plays that have been produced or published professionally are ineligible for the program. Plays that have been presented through staged readings, workshops, university productions, or community theatre productions are eligible.
A playwright (including finalists) may submit a play that they submitted in a previous year if there have been substantive revisions.
The Crossroads Project reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted play for any reason.
We will contact semi-finalists by the end of November 2023 and ask them to submit the full play.
The winning playwright will be notified by the end of January 2024.
Inquiries about the Diverse Voices Playwriting Initiative should be directed to:
Kee-Yoon Nahm, D.F.A.
Assistant Professor in Theatre Studies
Chair, The Crossroads Project
5. EMERSON STAGE NEW PLAY WORKSHOP
DEADLINE: August 1st
WEBSITE: https://forms.gle/wQdXJj9kFLFh2Bn77
Emerson Stage, the producing organization within the Performing Arts Department at Emerson College (Boston, MA) is seeking applications for our New Play Workshop slot as part of our 2023–2024 season. We are looking for playwrights and directors, who have a history of collaborating together, to apply with a specific new play that they are interested in workshopping at Emerson.
The guest playwright and guest director pair will work closely with students in our undergraduate program who will serve as actors, designers, stage managers, dramaturgs, related assistants, observers, and other production roles.
Both Playwright and Director need to be US-based.
Submitted plays can have been previously workshopped but must not be published.
At this time, we are not able to support new musicals.
At this time, we can only consider plays that would require a minimum of six actors.
To apply, please visit: https://forms.gle/wQdXJj9kFLFh2Bn77
All related dates and other relevant information can be found on the application.
Playwrights and Directors should fill out ONE application together and include the playwright’s script in the same application.
To learn more about Emerson Stage and our 2023-2024 season, please visit: https://www.emersonstage.org
6. WRITE IT OUT!
DEADLINE: August 4th
WEBSITE: www.letswriteitout.com
Founded in 2019, Write It Out! (WIO!) is a groundbreaking playwriting program and prize for people living with HIV and AIDS. WIO! takes pride in being created by community for community. Understanding the isolation one can feel when living with HIV, WIO! provides community and artistic tools as it amplifies the visibility of people living with HIV in the theatre and beyond.
The goal of WIO! is to use the power of imagination and healing to strengthen the voice of those living with HIV and AIDS and transform the theatrical landscape into a more equitable and stigma-free space.
The free workshops take place virtually every Tuesday and Thursday from 5-6:30pm EST, from September - December. Write It Out! is only for people living with HIV. All writing levels/experiences are encouraged to apply. Strict confidentiality is given to all applicants.
The Write It Out! Prize celebrates a playwright living with HIV. This groundbreaking prize consists of $5,000 and a year of dramaturgical support to help the recipient develop a new work. Strict confidentiality is given to all applicants.
7. NATIVE VOICES PLAYWRIGHTS RETREAT AND 30TH FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS
DEADLINE: August 15, 2022
WEBSITE: theautry.org/events/signature-programs/native-voices-annual-call-for-scripts
Native Voices is currently accepting submissions of full-length plays (60+ pages) by American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations playwrights addressing all themes and topics.
The Retreat and Festival bring artists to Los Angeles to work on a selected number of plays through a rigorous directorial and dramaturgical commitment for 8–10 days in June. The Retreat culminates in public staged readings of the plays at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles. Selected playwrights receive artistic support as well as an honorarium; out-of-town artists receive roundtrip airfare plus lodging in Southern California.
Selection Process: Full-length plays (60+ pages) received by August 15th, 2023 will be read and evaluated. A select number of playwrights will be invited to submit formal proposals detailing their developmental goals should their play be chosen for the short list. Scripts will then be sent to a committee of nationally recognized theatre artists for further evaluation. With their help, Native Voices selects up to four plays for the Playwrights Retreat and Festival of
New Plays. Playwrights will be notified in March 2024.
*Due to budget constraints post-COVID, we cannot accept plays that require more than six actors to produce. Express doubling is encouraged, should it be necessary to complete your vision.
8. THE YALE DRAMA SERIES PLAYWRITING COMPETITION
DEADLINE: August 15th
WEBSITE: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/yale-drama-series-rules-and-submission-guidelines/
The Yale Drama Series is seeking submissions for its 2023 playwriting competition. The winning play will be selected by the series’ current judge, Jeremy O. Harris. The winner of this annual competition will be awarded the David Charles Horn Prize of $10,000, publication of their manuscript by Yale University Press, and a celebratory event. The prize and publication are contingent on the playwright’s agreeing to the terms of the publishing agreement. There is no entry fee. Please follow these guidelines in preparing your manuscript:
This contest is restricted to plays written in the English language. Worldwide submissions are accepted.
Submissions must be original, unpublished full-length plays, with a minimum of 65 pages. Plays with less than 65 pages will not be considered. Translations, musicals, and children’s plays are not accepted.
The Yale Drama Series is intended to support emerging playwrights. Playwrights may win the competition only once.
Playwrights may submit only one manuscript per year. Only manuscripts authored by one playwright are eligible.
Plays that have been professionally produced or published are not eligible. Plays that have had a workshop, reading, or non-professional production or that have been published as an actor’s edition will be considered.
Plays may not be under option, commissioned, or scheduled for professional production or publication at the time of submission.
Plays must be typed/word-processed and page-numbered.
The Yale Drama Series reserves the right to reject any manuscript for any reason.
The Yale Drama Series reserves the right of the judge to not choose a winner for any given year of the competition and reserves the right to determine the ineligibility of a winner, in keeping with the spirit of the competition, and based upon the accomplishments of the author.
9. NATIVE VOICES: SHORT PLAYS FESTIVAL 2023
DEADLINE: August 23, 2022
WEBSITE: http://theautry.org/explore/theatre-native-voices/call-scripts
*Please note that Native Voices only accepts submissions written for the stage or theatre by American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations artists.
Don’t Mess with Auntie! Our communities shape us - our identities, our values, our taste in food. And, in our Native communities, the list of those who rear us extends far beyond that westernized “nuclear family.” This year, Native Voices invites you to tell a story inspired by an Auntie (or, many Aunties…let’s be honest)!
Don’t Mess with Auntie. We know it, we live by it, and goodness, do we have stories about it! Native Voices’ 2023 Short Play Festival is calling all Auntie stories. Laugh, cry, and learn your lessons as we assemble at the Autry for our 13th Annual Short Play Festival. Please keep your plays under 10 minutes.
Plays selected to participate in the 13th Annual Short Play Festival will also be entered to win the Thomas Studi Gadugi Audience Prize of $500 and the Von Marie Atchley Excellence in Playwriting Award of $1,000.
Scripts longer than 15 pages or read aloud at longer than 10 minutes will not be accepted. Fresh, surprising perspectives are welcome!
10. AMERICAN-SCANDINAVIAN FOUNDATION TRANSLATION AWARDS
DEADLINE: September 1st
WEBSITE: http://www.amscan.org/fellowships-grants/translation-competition/
The American-Scandinavian Foundation annually awards three translation prizes for outstanding translations of poetry, fiction, drama, or literary prose written by a 20th or 21st-century Nordic author: The Nadia Christensen Prize includes a $2,500 award, publication of an excerpt in Scandinavian Review, and a commemorative bronze medallion.
The Leif and Inger Sjöberg Prize, given to an individual whose literature translations from a Nordic language have not previously been published, includes a $2,000 award, publication of an excerpt in Scandinavian Review, and a commemorative bronze medallion. The Wigeland Prize, given to the best translation from Norwegian by a resident of Norway, includes a $2,000 award, publication of an excerpt in Scandinavian Review, and a commemorative bronze medallion.
GUIDELINES
The prizes are for outstanding English translations of poetry, fiction, drama or literary prose originally written in a Nordic language.
Translations must be from the writing of one author, although not necessarily from a single work.
The online application will require the following materials:
Your CV;
A brief description of the author whose work you are translating;
One copy of the translation, including a title page and a table of contents for the proposed book of which the submitted manuscript is a part. If prose, manuscripts must be 25-50 pages, double-spaced; if poetry, 15-25 pages. *Note: Manuscripts must have numbered pages, and the translator’s name should not appear on any page of the translation manuscript. Submissions containing the translator’s name will be disqualified;
One copy of the work(s) in the original language (relevant pages only); and
A letter or other document signed by the author, the author’s agent or the author’s estate granting permission for the translation to be entered in this competition and published in Scandinavian Review.
The translation submitted in the competition may not have been previously published in the English language by the submission deadline. (If the submitted translation is also under consideration by a publisher, you must inform us of the expected publication date.) Translators may submit one entry only and may not submit the same entry in more than two competitions.
The Translation Prize cannot be won more than three times by the same translator.
11. WOODWARD/NEWMAN AWARD
DEADLINE: August 31st
WEBSITE: https://seeconstellation.org
We are currently accepting submissions for the 2024-25 Woodward/Newman Award. The award recipient and finalists will be announced by May 15, 2024. The winner will be awarded $3,000 and a full production.
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.
Please note that there are significant changes to our submission and selection process from previous years. In order to make the Woodward/Newman Award accessible to all, we have eliminated submission fees as well as the contest format. The Woodward/Newman Award will continue to be awarded to an unpublished new play once per year and come with a $3,000 cash prize and a full production. Submissions will be accepted and reviewed by our literary team on an ongoing basis, and will be considered for the award as well as for all 8 production slots in our season. So a play that is not selected for the Woodward/Newman slot in our season, may still be considered and selected for production. This will allow us to now accept open submissions for all types of plays (including TYA shows). Plays submitted prior to September 1 will be considered for the 2024-25 season, while plays submitted beyond that date will be considered for the 2025-26 Season. All submissions will be kept on file for 2 years after submission. If you have questions regarding submissions to the Constellation Stage & Screen, please contact the Literary Manager at literary@seeconstellation.org.
“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.
If you have any questions, please email literary@seeconstellation.org.
12. FIFTEENTH STREET MEETING OF THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS
DEADLINE: August 31st
WEBSITE:
Fifteenth Street Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, a Quaker meeting in NYC, seeks plays about the contribution Black women made in 19th-century America.
Interested in all areas, but particularly interested in anything related to Quakers. No other parameters. Possible reading.
13. 7TH ANNUAL BLACK BOX NEW PLAY FESTIVAL
DEADLINE: August 31st
WEBSITE: galleryplayers.com
The Gallery Players in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York, is seeking plays for its 27th Annual Black Box New Play Festival to be held in January 2024. Each play selected will be given a black box production with non-equity actors. Playwrights must be available, if not in person, via Zoom or some other virtual venue for rehearsals and use this as an opportunity to continue work on their play.
1). Plays must be un-produced (readings are ok); must be the play’s world premier
2) Length of Plays: Plays should be 30 - 60 minutes. We will also accept full-length plays. We are looking for plays with at least 4-6 characters or more. No monologues. No period costume pieces. You may only submit two (2) plays.
3). Format: Pages must be numbered; A cover page with Title of the play and playwrights contact information is required, along with a plot synopsis of the play and a character breakdown
4). Submit a copy of your resume
5). Playwrights cannot direct their own work
6). Send two copies of your play(s), along with your resume, to: The Gallery Players Black Box New Play Festival 199 14th Street Brooklyn, NY 11215.
14. THE HENLEY ROSE PLAYWRIGHT COMPETITION FOR WOMEN
DEADLINE: August 31st
WEBSITE: https://henleyrosecompetition.com/
The Henley Rose Playwright Competition for Women was founded by Yellow Rose Productions, with permission of Beth Henley, to encourage and recognize the new works of female playwrights. The Henley Rose Playwright Competition for Women aims to give voice to the stories of this generation and to bring into the spotlight important works that have been crafted.
The first 250 submissions to be received from July 1st until August 31st will be considered.
A small group of finalists will be announced in June 2024. The First, Second, and Third Place winners will also be announced by the end of June 2024 and will receive the Henley Rose Award.
First Place – $1000
Second Place – $500
Third Place – $250
Submissions must be completed, full-length plays. No one-acts or ten-minute plays, please.
Submissions must be the original work of the submitting female-identifying playwright.
Submissions may not have been previously produced or fully staged at the time of entry.
Submissions are due by August 31st, 2023 and must include all of the submission materials to qualify.
One script may be submitted per applicant.
SUBMISSION MATERIALS
Completed Registration (Click Here for Registration)
Script
Payment: $22 submission fee. Submission fees will go to create a cash prize for the winner of the Henley Rose Award. ($22 submission fee will be waived for current members of the Dramatists Guild of America. Please include a scan or photocopy of your current membership card with your script for verification.)
All applicants may choose to submit scripts and/or payment via snail mail (checks made payable to Yellow Rose Productions):
Henley Rose Competition
1321 Raleigh Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37917
All applicants may choose to submit materials via e-mail for an additional $10.00 printing fee.
E-mail submission materials may be sent to henleyrosecompetition@gmail.com.
Feel free to contact us with any questions at henleyrosecompetition@gmail.com.
15. PRINCETON ARTS FELLOWSHIPS
DEADLINE:September 12th
WEBSITE: https://arts.princeton.edu/fellowships/princeton-arts-fellowship/
Princeton Arts Fellowships, funded in part by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, David E. Kelley Society of Fellows in the Arts, and the Maurice R. Greenberg Scholarship Fund, will be awarded to artists whose achievements have been recognized as demonstrating extraordinary promise in any area of artistic practice and teaching. Applicants should be early career visual artists, filmmakers, poets, novelists, playwrights, designers, directors and performance artists—this list is not meant to be exhaustive—who would find it beneficial to spend two years teaching and working in an artistically vibrant university community.
We are only accepting submissions for the Programs in Creative Writing, Theater, and Visual Arts for the 2023 Princeton Arts Fellowship application cycle.
Click here to apply now for a Princeton Arts Fellowship.
Princeton Arts Fellows spend two consecutive academic years (September 1-July 1) at Princeton University and formal teaching is expected. The normal work assignment will be to teach one course each semester subject to approval by the Dean of the Faculty, but fellows may be asked to take on an artistic assignment in lieu of a class, such as directing a play or creating a dance with students. Although the teaching load is light, our expectation is that Fellows will be full and active members of our community, committed to frequent and engaged interactions with students during the academic year.
A $90,000 a year stipend is provided. Fellowships are not intended to fund work leading to an advanced degree. One need not be a U.S. citizen to apply. Holders of Ph.D. degrees from Princeton are not eligible to apply.
To apply, please submit a curriculum vitae, contact information for three references (should the search committee choose to contact references, please do not request letters or have letters sent in advance of a request from the search committee), and work samples (i.e., a writing sample, images of your work, video links to performances, etc.). Please also submit a 750-word proposal that includes how you would hope to use the two years of the fellowship to develop your work, how you would contribute to Princeton’s arts community through teaching and/or production, and how you have encouraged diversity and inclusion in your artistic practice, teaching, and/or research.
Applicants can only apply for the Princeton Arts Fellowship twice in a lifetime.
16. RADCLIFFE INSTITUTE FELLOWSHIP
DEADLINE: September 14th
WEBSITE: https://radcliffe.onlineapplicationportal.com
Harvard Radcliffe Institute fellows are in residence for a period of nine months from September 1, 2024 through May 31, 2025 and receive a stipend of $78,000 plus an additional $5,000 to cover project expenses. Fellows are expected to be free of their regular commitments so that they may fully devote themselves to the work outlined in their proposal.
As this is a residential fellowship, fellows are expected to reside in the Greater Boston area for the duration of their fellowship. Fellows may be eligible to receive additional funds for moving expenses, childcare, and housing to aid them in making a smooth transition. Healthcare options are made available as needed.
Harvard Radcliffe Fellows receive office or studio space in Byerly Hall and full-time Harvard appointments as visiting fellows, granting them access to Harvard University's various resources, including libraries, housing, and athletic facilities. If fellows would like to hire Harvard undergraduate students as Research Partners, we will cover their hourly wages.
Fellows are expected to engage actively with the colleagues in their cohort and to participate fully as a member of the Harvard Radcliffe community. To this end, all fellows present their work-in-progress, either in the form of a private talk for their cohort or a public lecture, in addition to attending the presentations of all other fellows during that academic year (up to two talks per week). We offer group lunches and other opportunities to connect with members of your cohort, but attendance at these is optional.
Applications are evaluated on the quality and significance of the proposed project and the applicant's intellectual and creative capacity, as evidenced by a strong record of achievement or extraordinary promise. We seek diversity along every dimension, including geography, ethnicity and race, stage in career, and ideological perspective.
Each application is reviewed in a two-tiered process–first by experts in the relevant field, then by a multidisciplinary committee charged with selecting a diverse class of fellows of the highest achievement and potential. As a uniquely multidisciplinary community, we highly value collegiality and openness to cross-disciplinary conversation. Evidence of collaborative and/or multidisciplinary work is a valued addition to the application.
Applicants will be notified of the results of the selection process by the end of March 2024.
17. 14th Annual Short Play Festival
DEADLINE: September 15, 2023
http://theautry.org/explore/theatre-native-voices/call-scripts
*Please note that Native Voices only accepts submissions written for the stage or theatre by Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations artists.
Who You Calling “Stoic?”: Not Your Cigar Store Indian
There are many stereotypes that Native Americans - living and dead - have had to contend with. One of the most pervasive in film, history, and wooden statues: the stoic, wise leader.
He never smiles. He rarely speaks. He is always a he.
But we know better. And for Native Voices 14th Annual Short Play Festival, you will, too!
We’re asking our writers to dive into the image of the “Stoic Indian.” Let’s flip that stereotype on its head.
Instead of playing stoic, Native Voices’ 2024 Short Play Festival is asking for stories that play with stoic. Come, make us laugh, teach us a lesson, or show us stoic as we join together for the Autry for our 14th Annual Short Play Festival. Please keep your plays under 10 minutes! Plays selected to participate in the 14th Annual Short Play Festival will also be entered to win the Thomas Studie Gadugi Audience Prize of $500 and the Von Marie Atchley Excellence in Playwriting Award of $1,000. Scripts longer than 15 pages or read aloud at longer than 10 minutes will not be accepted. Fresh, surprising perspectives are welcome!
18. TOPANGA ACTING COMPANY SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL 2024
DEADLINE: Sept. 16th
Email: topangaactorscompany@theatercompany.org
Topanga Actors Company is currently accepting submissions for its second Short Play Festival to be performed at the Topanga Library in Topanga Canyon, California on November 4 & 5 and November 18 & 19, 2023
Submissions for the festival are open to playwrights worldwide, but plays should be aimed at an English-speaking audience.
Pieces should be original ten- to- fifteen minute plays; stand-alone shorts. Any theme, any genre, no musicals. We are looking for up to 20 short plays. Following established TAC protocols, plays will be presented as enhanced staged readings.
Please email submissions to topangaactorscompany@theatercompany.org . We will only accept email submissions.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Plays running 10 to 15 minutes each should be submitted in standard play format via PDF format with a title page including the title of your play and your contact info: name, address, phone and email address.
One play per playwright. Please provide a casting breakdown and a note about casting flexibility if appropriate
Unpublished work only, please.
19. JENTEL ARTS RESIDENCY
DEADLINE: September 15th
WEBSITE: http://jentelarts.org/apply/
Experience time apart from daily concerns. Experience a place where the time passes in the quiet certitude as it did 50 to 100 years ago. Experience the remarkable landscape and atmosphere of a working cattle ranch in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains. Experience solitude balanced with the opportunity for community. Sitting just eight miles away from UCross is Jentel, which hosts month-long residencies year-round. The program accepts both established and emerging artists, so long as you’re dedicated to your craft and your work has a “personal voice or vision.” Though food isn’t included, they do provide a $400 weekly stipend to help with the costs of your trip. Applicants must be over the age of 25. Deadlines are January and September 15; $23 application fee.
20. ABBEY THEATRE OPEN SUBMISSIONS
DEADLINE: October 31st
WEBSITE: https://www.abbeytheatre.ie/scripts-and-ideas/
Our submission window is currently open. As Ireland’s National Theatre, our commitment is to reading scripts and ideas by writers and artists resident on the island of Ireland, or Irish writers and artists who might live abroad. Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we are unable to read work that does not match this description.
Once submitted, each play is read by our panel of experienced theatre professionals. For this first read, each play is read anonymously, meaning we get an honest assessment of the play’s potential and theatricality, as well as the play’s suitability for the Abbey Theatre. After being read by a member of our panel, every play is further considered within the department. We’ll consider, as part of its context, the general interest of the play in relation to the rest of our programming and how the play might develop from this draft. For this reason, it’s sensible to send us a draft that you’ve taken time to reflect on, as we won’t be able to read the same play again.
If we decide not to produce your play, we will send you a letter offering some feedback on your script, and may point you in the direction of other opportunities either at the Abbey Theatre or elsewhere. This can take us up to six months as we receive in excess of three hundred submissions a year and reply to them all.
If you have an idea which you can’t really send us as a finished script, you can still let us know about it. It might be a play you want to write that you want to research, a play without words, a piece of dance theatre, an event, a happening or an interdisciplinary work that would be difficult to get a sense of in a script alone. It could also be a proposal for a co-production. The process of submitting an idea is, on purpose, short; we want to get a sense of what excites you about the project and why you need our support to achieve it. We will fully consider all of the material you send us to come to a decision.
Your proposed idea should answer these questions.
What is it you want to make? (50 words max)
What do you want to happen in the show? (500 words max)
How do you want to make the show? (100 words max about the ways you might go about making the work)
Why do you want to make it now? (100 words max about why this idea is urgent)
Your idea may be accompanied by links to video, audio, images, extracts of text or other supporting materials.
What happens after you submit your idea?
Once you have sent us an email, your idea will be logged. All of the material you send will be considered by the Abbey Theatre’s artistic team in one of our quarterly meetings. You will receive a response by email within six months of your submission.
Submission Guidelines
These submission guidelines refer to both scripts and ideas. Please have a careful read of them before you consider sending in your work.
If you submitted your play or idea between 1st November 2022 and 31st January 2023, we ask you to re-submit your work on or after 1st February 2023, as no scripts will be accepted during this time.
When you send in your submission, tell us in your email a little about yourself, why you feel your play or idea would be a good fit for the Abbey, and any experience you have (it’s fine if you have none!).
We do accept short plays, musicals, and adaptations, but we are not in the position to read work in or intended for mediums other than live theatre. Novels, short stories, screenplays, audio plays, and teleplays will not be read.
We can only accept plays or ideas written in Irish or English.
For scripts, we only accept completed plays. Extracts will not be read.
Unfortunately, we’re not able to re-consider an idea or script that has already been through the process.
Your script or idea must be clearly typed and formatted; we cannot accept handwritten work or printed hard copies.
Your script or idea must be sent in Word, PDF or other standard formats (such as JPG for photographs) as an attachment.
Do not include your name or contact information on the script document.
We only accept one script or idea at a time.
Where to Send Your Script or Idea
Before submitting, make sure you have read the submission guidelines in full.
To submit your script, please email script@abbeytheatre.ie. To submit your idea, please email ideas@abbeytheatre.ie.
If you have any questions about the New Work department, please drop us a line at new.work@abbeytheatre.ie.
If you would like us to come and see your produced play or rehearsed reading, write to us at new.work@abbeytheatre.ie telling us a bit about you, the play and its stage of development. As a small team, we can’t see everything, but we will come if we can.
21. THE JEWISH PLAYS PROJECT
DEADLINE: Rolling
WEBSITE: www.jewishplaysproject.org/guide
AN IMPORTANT NOTE: SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN TO ARTISTS OF ALL
BACKGROUNDS, DENOMINATIONS, FAITHS, CREEDS, RELIGIONS, and other IDEALS.
SUBMISSION PROCESS: Fill out the Project Application Form and attach a play to the form as a PDF. You must submit your play with your name and other identifying information removed (we review all plays blind). We will consider submitted plays and musicals:
MUSICALS: Submitted musicals must include links to recordings of at least 3 songs to be reviewed. Please note, we review musicals on a different timeline than our other programming.
ELIGIBILITY: The following must be true of a submitted play or musical:
It contains significant Jewish themes, characters, content, or points of view.
It is in English, or primarily in English—we love plays that play with language as a theatrical tool, and plays that explore the differences in language. It just needs to be primarily accessible to an English speaking audience. (We welcome translations.)
It is full length, meaning over around 75 minutes in length. (For a guide, that usually means 60 pages or more. We DO NOT review 10 or 20 minute plays.)
It has not had a full production in the NY Metro region or a major regional theater (LORT C or above).
It has never been published in any form.
NOTE: We are most interested in submissions that embrace and depend on Jewish identity at their dramatic core, while avoiding stereotypical forms that rely on cultural or ethnic shorthands in lieu of dramatic development. This holds true whether dealing with the historical gravity of the Holocaust or employing stereotypical tropes for comic effect.
The JPP brings all the tools of new play development to bear on the plays we select: dramaturgical consultation and research; the involvement of collaborating artists - including directors, designers and actors - at all stages as needed; private and public presentations; and industry advocacy. We partner with great writers who not only have a great idea for a play, but have a heartfelt intention to write a Jewish play. To us, this means that during the development process, the writer is committed to making decisions about the progress of the play (or musical) that enhance and deepen the Jewish content, spirit, ideas and values in the work.
22. NATIVE VOICES PRODUCTION SUBMISSIONS
DEADLINE: Rolling
WEBSITE: theautry.org/events/signature-programs/native-voices-annual-call-for-scripts
We accept scripts all year long. Do you have a full-length script that has been developed and produced that you would like us to consider for a future Native Voices production in Los Angeles? Please follow the Checklist for All Submissions below and in the Native Voices Script Submission form check the box for 2023 General Production Consideration.
Checklist for Call for Scripts
Please label script attachment as follows: PlayTitle_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: MyNewPlay_Doe, J.doc).
All submissions must conform to a standard play-script format (one-inch margins, #12 Times or Courier font, all pages numbered).
Include a title page with full contact information (mailing address, phone numbers, e-mail address) and a draft or revision date.
Include a character breakdown at the beginning of your script.
Provide a biography of 75–100 words. Please label attachment as follows: Bio_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: Bio_Doe, J.doc).
Provide a press ready photo of at least 300dpi. Please label attachment as follows: Photo_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: Photo_Doe, J.doc).
Provide development history for the play. Label attachment as follows: DevHistory_PlayTitle_Author’s Last Name, First Initial (Example: DevHistory_MyNewPlay_Doe, J.doc).
To submit, fill out our online form and upload your submission materials here: Native Voices Script Submission Form
Please do not send treatments or outlines. Previously produced plays should be submitted under the 2023 General Submission for Production Consideration. Playwrights are encouraged to make multiple submissions (up to three per event), but selection will be limited to only one play per playwright, per event.
23. AUDIBLE EMERGING PLAYWRIGHTS FUND
DEADLINE: Rolling
WEBSITE: https://www.audible.com/ep/audible-theater
In 2017, Audible launched a theater initiative, intended to radically increase access to exceptional plays and performances. A core pillar of the initiative is the Emerging Playwrights Fund, a program that invests in and nurtures self-identifying emerging playwrights, some of our most inventive, delightful, and provocative storytellers. Through the Fund, Audible aims to connect extraordinary performers with remarkable original work, amplifying new voices and harnessing the power and potential of audio to reach millions of listeners.
The Fund specifically supports t he creation of original dramatic work, written with audio in mind, but theatrical in spirit. Audible is dedicated to commissioning, developing, and producing work that reflects the diversity of our members and our world. To accomplish this, Audible is committed to granting at least 50% of emerging playwright commissions to artists of color and women.
To be considered as an applicant for a commission, please submit all of the following to AudibleTheater@audible.com:
1. One full-length script for an original or adapted play (in English language only) that represents your voice ("Script"). The Script can be in any genre and may include one-acts and solo pieces;
2. A short biography; and
3. A brief statement about why audio plays appeal to you.
If you have an idea for an original audio play, you are welcome to include a pitch or summary along with your statement (this is encouraged, but not required).
Any applicant over the age of 18 may submit a Script. Submissions are accepted year-round. Due to the number of Scripts that Audible receives, Audible will only consider one Script at a time from each applicant and will not consider resubmissions, including those that have been significantly revised. The Audible team evaluates submissions on a rolling basis, and applicants will be notified regarding the status of their submissions via email. Thanks in advance for your patience while we process your Script; our typical response time is 6-8 months.
24. THE STOCHASTIC LABS
DEADLINE: Rolling
WEBSITE: https://stochasticlabs.org/residencies/
The Stochastic Labs offers fully-sponsored residencies to engineers, artists, scientists, and entrepreneurs from around the world. Residencies include a private apartment at the mansion, co-working and/or dedicated work space, shop access, a $1,000 monthly stipend and a budget for materials.
24. THE FOUNDATION FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS
DEADLINE: Rolling
WEBSITE: https://www.foundationforcontemporaryarts.org/grants/emergency-grants/
Created in 1993 to further FCA's mission to encourage, sponsor, and promote work of a contemporary, experimental nature, Emergency Grants provide urgent funding for visual and performing artists who:
Have sudden, unanticipated opportunities to present their work to the public when there is insufficient time to seek other sources of funding
Incur unexpected or unbudgeted expenses for projects close to completion with committed exhibition or performance dates
Emergency Grants is the only active, multi-disciplinary program that offers immediate assistance of this kind to artists living and working anywhere in the United States, for projects occurring in the U.S. and abroad. Each month FCA receives an average of 95 Emergency Grant applications and makes approximately 12-15 grants. Grants range in amount from $500 to $3,000, and the average grant is now $1,700. We recommend that artists review all of our eligibility guidelines and FAQs before applying. You may also complete our Eligibility Questionnaire, but please note that the questionnaire is not a substitute for a thorough review of program guidelines.
25. THEATRE ARIEL OPEN SUBMISSIONS
DEADLINE: Open
WEBSITE: http://www.theatreariel.org/opportunities
Theatre Ariel is always seeking the next great Jewish play to present to our audiences. Theatre Ariel is looking for plays that engage with the rich world of Jewish life, thought and practice; plays where Judaism, Jewish identity or Jewish perspectives are significant or driving factors in the story (In other words, not plays where the characters ‘happen’ to be Jewish or that have a few yiddishisms or “Jewish jokes” in them, but plays where Jewish life/thought/history is integral or particularly relevant to the story.). Theatre Ariel seeks plays with casts of five actors or less.
You do not have to be Jewish to have your work considered by Theatre Ariel.
All our performances are presented as salon-style theatre readings in people’s homes, following a long tradition of Jewish theatre. For the foreseeable future, we will be presenting in a hybrid model of both in-person and virtual performances. To have your script considered, please email the following to submissions@theatreariel.org:
Brief cover letter introducing yourself and your play, as well as a short plot summary and character breakdown (indicating doubling, if any)
Ten minute excerpt from the script (if these are not the first ten pages, then please supply a brief explanation of where we are in the story when your sample picks up)
Theatre Ariel is committed to reading and responding to every submission we receive. Please allow three to six months for a response. Please forward any questions you may have to the same email address listed above.
26. THE DOROTHY ROSS FRIEDMAN RESIDENCE
DEADLINE: Rolling
and
If you think you are eligible, now is a fabulous time to apply to The Dorothy Ross Friedman Residence. The Friedman is a shared housing (roommates) residence that offers affordable housing for working professionals in performing arts and entertainment, persons with HIV/AIDS, and senior citizens (60 years of age or older). Most of the apartments are 2-bedrooms, where you would have one roommate and there are a few 3-bedrooms, where you would have two roommates. All tenants have a rent stabilized lease. All apartments are complete with dishwasher, washer/dryer, central heating, and AC. Many apartments have terraces with spectacular Manhattan views, and everyone has access to the Colleen Dewhurst Community Room and the newly renovated Bette Midler Rooftop and Garden. On-site social services include a range of community programs and the Waldman Living Room for seniors. The Friedman Residence also features 24-hour security.
Criteria: Income Eligibility: 1-person household: $28,500 - $47,760
