PLAYWRIGHT OPPORTUNITIES
February 2026
33 Opportunities | Fellowships · Residencies · Contests · Commissions · Festivals
FEBRUARY 2026 DEADLINES
Heartland Theatre Company — 10-Minute Play Competition
▸ CONTEST | 10-Min Play | Theme: Route 66
Deadline: February 1, 2026
Fee: $10 per submission. Theme: Route 66 — plays must explore, celebrate, or critique the legend of Route 66.
Prize: Selected plays receive staged readings in Bloomington, IL.
Website: https://www.heartlandtheatre.org
Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten — Artist Residency
▸ RESIDENCY | Multidisciplinary | Amsterdam, Netherlands
Deadline: February 1, 2026
A prestigious 2-year residency in Amsterdam for artists working across disciplines. Includes studio space, stipend, and access to international networks. Highly competitive, with selections based on portfolio and project proposal.
Website: https://www.rijksakademie.nl
Blue Mountain Center — Writer's Residency
▸ RESIDENCY | Writing | Lake George, NY
Deadline: February 1, 2026
A fully funded residency for writers working on projects with social justice dimensions. Provides private studio, meals, and room in a lakeside setting. Residencies range from 2–5 weeks.
Website: https://www.bluemtn.org
New America — National Fellows Program
▸ FELLOWSHIP | Civic Engagement | Washington, DC / Remote
Deadline: February 2, 2026
Fellows receive funding and mentorship to pursue projects at the intersection of policy, culture, and public interest. Playwrights with civic or community-focused work are encouraged to apply. 1-year fellowship with stipend.
Website: https://www.newamerica.org/fellows
Mixed Bag Presentations — New Play Development
▸ DEVELOPMENT | Full-Length | New York, NY
Deadline: February 2, 2026
Supports emerging playwrights with full-length new plays in early development. Selected works receive dramaturgical feedback, workshop readings, and a small stipend. Open to writers at any career stage.
Website: https://www.mixedbagpresentations.com
Murmuration Theatre Company — New Works Festival
▸ FESTIVAL | Any Length | Chicago, IL
Deadline: February 8, 2026
Murmuration is dedicated to producing bold, new theatrical work. Submit plays of any length for consideration in their spring new works festival. Emphasis on plays that challenge conventional narrative structures.
Website: https://www.murmurationtheatre.com
Playwrights Realm — Script Share Lottery
▸ DEVELOPMENT | Full-Length | New York, NY
Deadline: February 9, 2026
A lottery-based opportunity for playwrights to have their work read and discussed by Playwrights Realm dramaturgues. Submit a full-length play in development. Winners receive a dramaturgical session and feedback report.
Website: https://www.playwrightsrealm.com
Spotlight New Works Festival
▸ FESTIVAL | Full-Length / Musical | New York, NY
Deadline: February 3, 2026
Accepts full-length plays and musicals intended for educational or community production. No submission fee. Selected works are staged as part of the festival cycle in NYC. Open to emerging and established writers.
Website: https://www.spotlightnewworks.org
MacDowell — Artist Residency
▸ RESIDENCY | Writing | Peterborough, NH
Deadline: February 10, 2026
One of the most prestigious residency programs in the US. Fully funded stays (2–8 weeks) with private studio, meals, and community with fellow artists across disciplines. Application fee: $30. Highly competitive.
Website: https://www.macdowell.org
International Playwright's Workshop — Mülheim an der Ruhr
▸ WORKSHOP | Full-Length | Mülheim, Germany
Deadline: February 15, 2026
An intensive international workshop for playwrights, culminating in a staged reading of selected works. Participants receive travel support and stipend. Open to writers worldwide; English and German language works accepted.
Website: https://www.theater-muelheim.de
Live & In Color — Musical Theatre Fellowship
▸ FELLOWSHIP | Musical Theatre | Los Angeles, CA
Deadline: February 15, 2026
Supports writers of color developing musical theatre works. Fellows receive mentorship, workshop support, and a stipend. Submissions should be musicals in early-to-mid development stages.
Website: https://www.liveandincolor.org
Jesse L. Kearney Playwriting Initiative
▸ FELLOWSHIP | Black Male Playwrights | New York, NY
Deadline: February 15, 2026
Named for the late playwright, this initiative supports Black male-identifying playwrights ages 18+. Honorarium: $1,000. Includes a 29-hour dramaturgical reading of the selected work, presented through Black Broadway Men. A meaningful development opportunity for emerging voices.
Website: https://www.blackbroadwaymem.org
Eurodram — European Playwriting Network
▸ NETWORK | Translation | International
Deadline: February 15, 2026
A European network connecting playwrights across borders. Submissions in English are reviewed for potential translation and staged reading across member theatres in multiple countries. Builds international visibility for works in development.
Website: https://www.eurodram.eu
Soapbox Stageworks — Women's Play Festival
▸ FESTIVAL | Short Play | Carmel, CA
Deadline: February 15, 2026 | Fee: $15
Focused on plays by and about women, with a historical lens. Selected short plays receive full production in Carmel, CA. A strong fit for works exploring women's stories across eras.
Website: https://www.soapboxstageworks.com
The Road Theatre Company — Summer Festival
▸ FESTIVAL | Any Length | North Hollywood, CA
Deadline: February 15, 2026 | Fee: $25–$45
Seeks unproduced plays by West Coast-based writers. Any length, any genre. Selected works receive full production as part of the Road's summer festival season in North Hollywood.
Website: https://www.roadtheatre.org
Denver Quarterly — Poetry & Drama
▸ PUBLICATION | Short Form | Denver, CO
Deadline: February 16, 2026
The Denver Quarterly accepts short dramatic works alongside poetry and experimental prose. A prestigious literary journal; publication here adds significant credibility to a playwright's portfolio.
Website: https://www.denverquarterly.com
Dreamscape Theater — Coffee Shop Festival
▸ FESTIVAL | 15-Min Play | Corvallis, OR
Deadline: February 18, 2026 | No fee
A charming, low-pressure festival: plays must be 15 minutes or fewer and set in or around a coffee shop. No submission fee. Selected works are performed in an intimate coffeehouse setting in Corvallis, OR.
Website: https://www.dreamscapetheatre.org
WP Theater Lab / Heidi Thomas Initiative — 2-Year Residency
▸ RESIDENCY | Women+ Artists | New York, NY
Deadline: February 20, 2026
A highly competitive 2-year residency for women and women+ artists. Stipend: $4,000/year ($8,000 total). Culminates in a reading at WP Theater's Pipeline Festival. Includes mentorship, dramaturgical support, and community. One of the most significant development opportunities available.
Website: https://www.wptheater.org
The Shed — Open Call for New Works
▸ DEVELOPMENT | Any Format | New York, NY
Deadline: February 24, 2026
The Shed's open call invites writers and artists working at the intersection of theatre, performance, and visual art. Experimental and multidisciplinary works encouraged. Selected projects receive development support and potential presentation at The Shed.
Website: https://www.theshed.org
Sixty-Six Productions — Pages in Paris
▸ PRODUCTION + RESIDENCY | 30-Min Play | Los Angeles / Paris
Deadline: February 28, 2026
A unique dual-reward opportunity: selected plays (30 min max) receive an LA production AND the playwright is invited to a 2-week residency in Paris. An exceptional combination of production credit and creative retreat.
Website: https://www.sixtysixproductions.com
MARCH 2026 DEADLINES
Millay Arts — Core Playwriting Residency
▸ RESIDENCY | Writing | Hudson Valley, NY
Deadline: March 1, 2026 | Fee: $45
A fully funded residency at the historic estate of Edna St. Vincent Millay in the Hudson Valley. Private studio, meals, and a community of fellow artists. Selection is by blind jury — merit-based, no name recognition advantage. A deeply inspiring setting for serious development work.
Website: https://www.millayarts.org
Social Justice Shorts Festival
▸ FESTIVAL | Short Play | Social Justice Theme
Deadline: March 1, 2026
A festival dedicated to short plays exploring issues of social justice, equity, and human rights. Selected works receive full staged productions. Open to playwrights at all career levels; no geographic restriction.
Website: https://www.socialjusticeshorts.org
Kimmel Harding Nelson Center — Artist Residency
▸ RESIDENCY | Interdisciplinary | Nebraska City, NE
Deadline: March 1, 2026 | Fee: $35
Residencies of 2–8 weeks with a weekly stipend of $175. Private studio and housing provided. An interdisciplinary community — playwrights work alongside visual artists, musicians, and other writers. A productive, low-pressure environment for sustained creative work.
Website: https://www.kimmelhardingnelson.org
Durango Arts Center — 10-Minute Play Festival
▸ FESTIVAL | 10-Min Play | Theme: The State We Are In
Deadline: March 1, 2026
Theme: "The State We Are In" — plays should engage with the current political, cultural, or social landscape. Colorado and US writers prioritized, but international submissions welcome. Selected plays receive full production in Durango, CO.
Website: https://www.durangoarts.org
Cherry Lane Theatre — Playwrights Collective
▸ COLLECTIVE | Full-Length | New York, NY
Deadline: March 2, 2026
The Cherry Lane Playwrights Collective accepts full-length plays for development and potential production. Selected playwrights join a year-long cohort with dramaturgical feedback, workshop readings, and mentorship from industry professionals.
Website: https://www.cherrylane.org
13th Annual New Play Festival
▸ FESTIVAL | Full-Length | New Play Development
Deadline: March 6, 2026
An annual festival celebrating new American playwriting. Selected full-length works receive staged readings with professional actors and dramaturgical feedback. A strong launching pad for plays ready for the next stage of development.
Website: https://www.newplayfestival.org
Princess Grace Foundation — Playwriting Fellowship
▸ FELLOWSHIP | Playwriting | National
Deadline: March 16, 2026
One of the most prestigious playwriting fellowships in the US. Awards include grants, productions, and sustained support for emerging playwrights. The Princess Grace Fellowship is a career-defining opportunity with significant industry visibility.
Website: https://www.princessgracefoundation.org
Black Men Talk Play Festival
▸ FESTIVAL | 10-Min Play | Black Male Playwrights
Deadline: March 31, 2026
The first festival of its kind, honoring and showcasing the work of Black male playwrights. Submit a 10-minute play celebrating Black voices, stories, and perspectives. Selected works are performed in a multi-night festival run. A meaningful platform for authentic storytelling.
Website: https://www.blackmentalkplayfestival.com
ShowLAB — New Play Competition
▸ COMPETITION | Full-Length | Los Angeles, CA
Deadline: March 31, 2026
A competition for full-length plays with a focus on theatricality and originality. The winning play receives a full production in Los Angeles, along with dramaturgical support and a cash prize. Strong platform for LA-based and national writers.
Website: https://www.showlab.la
APRIL 2026 DEADLINES
2 Pages / 2 Voices Competition
▸ COMPETITION | 2-Page Play | Rochester, NY Area
Deadline: April 6, 2026 | No fee
A micro-format competition: exactly 2 pages, exactly 2 characters, and the play must include the word "soil" somewhere in the text. Rochester, NY area writers only. A fun, constraint-driven challenge that tests economy of language and dramatic compression.
Website: https://www.2pages2voices.org
Carlo Annoni Prize
▸ PRIZE | International | Milan, Italy
Deadline: April 30, 2026
An international playwriting prize based in Milan. Open to works in English and Italian. The winning play receives a cash prize and potential staged reading in Italy. A strong opportunity for international exposure and credibility.
Website: https://www.carloannoni.it
ONGOING / TBD
Next Forever — Commission Program
▸ COMMISSION | Full-Length | Los Angeles, CA
Deadline: TBD — check website for updates
Next Forever commissions new full-length plays from emerging playwrights. Commissioned works receive dramaturgical support, a stipend, and potential production. One of the cleaner commission pathways available for writers building toward full production.
Website: https://www.nextforever.org
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