The Jim Henson Foundation grants 2026

Website

Deadline: March 3, 2025

The Jim Henson Foundation awards grants each year for the creation of innovative new works of contemporary puppet theater. Our definition of a puppet is an object that is given the appearance of life through direct or indirect manipulation by the human hand. The Foundation’s Board of Directors judges applications based on the excellence of the puppetry including puppet design, manipulation and theatrical execution.

There are three Artist Grants available: Workshop Grants ($3,000), Production Grants ($7,000), and Family Grants ($4,000). All Artist Grants are to be used towards puppetry. This includes the building and performing of the puppets and the integration of the puppets in the piece.

Production Grants of $7,000 are awarded for the production of new works ready to premeire in the coming year. Workshop Grants of $3,000 are for the development and workshopping of these pieces. Workshop Grants and Production Grants can be combined over a two year period for the greatest benefit to the piece; keep in mind, however, that a Production Grant does not need to be preceded by a Workshop grant and a Workshop Grant in no way ensures a future Production Grant. Less than half of Workshop Grant recipients receive Production Grants.

Family Grants of $4,000 fund the development of new and innovative work specifically for children, families, and teenagers ready to premiere in the coming year. Please keep in mind that Family Grants will be evaluated by the same high artistic standards as works for adults.

Since The Jim Henson Foundation began awarding grants in 1982, there has been astonishing growth in both the quantity and quality of puppet theater in this country. This has made it increasingly difficult to narrow the applicant pool, so we have instituted a policy that we hope will more evenly distribute our funds among the many artists worthy of support. Artists who received a grant in the previous year are not eligible to submit a proposal in the current year. Artists who received a Workshop Grant in the previous year are eligible to apply in the current year, but only for a Production Grant to further develop the previously funded piece.

Grants are made only for the development of new full-length works of excellent live puppet theater. The Foundation does not award funds for the presentation or remounting of existing work. Grants cannot be applied retroactively; substantial portions of a proposed project must take place after the funds are awarded.

We would like to emphasize that live puppet performance needs to be integral to the proposed project. While we will consider productions that utilize other media and genres, a major portion of the piece must feature puppetry that is well-executed in both design and performance. The mission of the Foundation is to fund excellence in PUPPET theater. Funding decisions are based on the quality of the puppetry.

Please note that the Foundation will prioritize work that can continue beyond a premiere. We look for shows that will live on through multiple performances with the potential to tour both nationally and internationally.

Awards can be made only to IRS tax-exempt organizations. We welcome applications from individual artists, but those without 501(c)(3) non-profit status must apply through a fiscal sponsor with this non-profit status. Applications for international collaborations are accepted, but the primary artist must be a US citizen. The project needs to be presented in the United States and ideally developed and workshopped in the United States as well. Projects that will only take place outside of the United States are not eligible for funding. Learn more about the application process on our Grant Application FAQ page.

The Mud Angels, Luis Tentindo
2010 Production Grant, 2009 Workshop Grant, Photo: Richard Termine
Letters of Intent

If you would like to be considered for a grant, the first step is to submit a letter of intent on or before March 3, 2025.

The letter of intent is a PDF comprised of two pages, a 1 page letter and a 1 page visual. The Letter must include:Your complete contact information, including mailing address, phone number, email and website address
The category of grant you intend to apply for – Production, Workshop or Family.
A clear description of the planned project, including the dramatic arc of the piece, the types of puppets that will be used, the lead puppeteer, the lead puppet designer and builder, and your timeline for the work including any upcoming workshops, residencies, or performances.

The letter must be accompanied by a one-page visual.This can be photographs of the puppet(s), a working sketch or illustration of the puppet(s), or a combination of images that show the puppetry in the proposed project.
Do not include images of other artists you are inspired by who are not attached to the project. If these kinds of inspirational images are included, your application will be disqualified.
Puppetry is a visual medium, the one-page visual you submit is essential to the letter of intent phase of the process.
All images must be original work and have the artist/source identified.

Do NOT submit a cover letter or any other additional materials. Letters of intent are accepted only via online submission.

LETTER OF INTENT PDF SUBMISSION LINK: https://spaces.hightail.com/uplink/HensonFoundation

You will receive an email of receipt from our office within 3 business days of submission. If you do not receive an email, please contact us.

Approximately half of the applicants submitting letters of intent will be asked to submit full proposals. Letters of intent will be reviewed at the Spring board meeting, and applicants will be notified of the board’s decision by June 5, 2025.
Sea Change: the history of water – Cabinet of Curiosity
2021 Production Grant, Photo: Chris Andrews
Application Instructions

If you are invited to submit a full proposal, your application must be received on or before September 9, 2025. Late applications are not accepted. Applications will be reviewed at the Fall board meeting, and applicants will be notified of the board’s decision by December 9, 2025. Applications are accepted by online submission only.

Please read the application instructions carefully. All materials including photographs and other visuals must be submitted as a multi-page PDF. Materials that exceed page limits will not be reviewed. Applications must include the following information: online grant application cover sheet
An online grant application link will be emailed to you from the Foundation Manager. Please use this link to submit the cover sheet information for your application. Click here to review what you will need to fill out on the online cover sheet.

MORE INFORMATION ONLINE HERE.

Community Players Theater - Page to Stage 2025

Website

Deadline: August 31, 2025

Page to Stage: An Original Staged Reading is an opportunity for playwrights to submit their work to be performed through Community Players Theatre (Bloomington IL.) To those wishing to submit their work, please make sure it follows this criteria:

• The script must be unpublished
• It is fine if the script has gone through workshops or readings
• No more than 2 locations within the script
• Cast size 2-6
• Can feature a child but the majority of the cast must be adults
• Few adjustments will be allowed once the script has been submitted
• PDF or Word Doc formatting
• No musicals
• A playwright is not limited on how many they can submit
• This process is for the benefit of audiences to hear new plays and new playwrights

Scripts are due by August 31st, 2025. Please submit all scripts to Ashleigh Rae-Lynn (playreading@communityplayers.org)

The Players Theatre Short Play Festival ~ NYC

Website

Deadline: March 25, 2025

Submit by visiting https://shortplaynyc.com/submit/ and submitting your PDF (PDF preferrable but also accept DOC and DOCX)

New York City is like no other place in the world! We are seeking plays that get to the heart of the Big Apple and explore what makes this town tick. Unique New York – it’s more than a tongue twister – it is a way of life! Plays must be NYC–themed or have something to do with living in NYC. Descriptions of past plays are here.

Performances: Plays run Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm, Sundays at 3pm on one of three weekends June 5 – 22, 2025. There is a mandatory 45-minute tech rehearsal on the Sunday before that play's weekend.

• Plays must be 15 minutes or less, ideally in the 10 – 15 minute range
• This is a self-produced short play festival in a 50-seat black box theatre located at 115 MacDougal St., NYC. It is upstairs at the Players Theatre in the Steve and Marie Sgouros Theatre. We provide lighting and sound in our 50-seat black box.
• No restrictions on eligibility – all over 18 years of age are welcome to submit
• Playwrights may submit up to two plays
• No plays that have been/will be produced within 2 months before or after in the NYC area
• Playwrights will be notified within 2 weeks of submission deadline as to whether their play has been accepted or declined
• There is NO submission fee; if accepted and the playwright chooses to participate, there is a one-time $50 tech fee.

Call for Submissions: Brave Voices Short-Play Festival

Website

Deadline: March 31, 2025 @11:59PM

Are you a playwright with a passion for telling stories that center around LGBTQIA+, POC, and other marginalized voices? We want to hear from you! Brave Voices, a short-play festival celebrating underrepresented perspectives, is now accepting submissions of original 10-minute plays.

Theme: Stories must center around LGBTQIA+, POC, or marginalized characters. All genres (including horror) are welcome.

Length: 10-minute plays (approximately 8–10 pages).

Originality: All plays must be unpublished (though prior productions are permitted) and should be suitable for a low-budget black box theater.

Submission Format: Scripts should be submitted as a PDF or Word document, with a cover page that includes the title of the play, your name, and contact information.

Playwrights of selected works will receive a $50 honorarium and their work will be part of the Brave Voices Short-Play Festival in August 2025 at Boxland in Columbus, Ohio.
Notifications:

Selected playwrights will be notified via email by April 20, 2025.
How to Submit:

Please send your script to boxlandsubmissions@gmail.com with the subject line: "Brave Voices – [Your Play Title]."

Boxland Inc., is a 501c3 non-profit supporting Central Ohio multimedia artists. We provide a platform for artists, actors, and other creatives to showcase their work.

Our mission is to facilitate the production of quality creative multimedia and provide a safe, fair, stable, and supportive launchpad for the artists who produce it.

Another theater organization threatened by the Trump dictatorship

 Another wake-up call for those who think fascism is of no concern to playwrights.

 DONATE TO PRIMARY STAGES

Port Washington Play Troupe seeks 10-minute plays for a staged reading

Website

Deadline: March 14, 2025

THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR SUBMISSION WINDOW EARLY - DO NOT SEND

The reading will be performed in late spring at the Port Washington Public library.

Play Troupe will assign a director to each play who will cast from an open call. The rehearsals will take place over a three-week period and calumniate in two performances.

• The theme of the play festival is "Past, Present and Future"
• The play should be ten minute sin length and no longer than fifteen minutes.
• Plays may be comedic or dramatic and should have between 2 and 8 characters
• Plays should be presented in a standard play format (PDF preferred)
• The plays should be suitable for an audience of 12 years old and up.
• Subject matter should have some connection to the theme.

Strides Collective Commission

Website

Deadline: February 23, 2025 at 11:59 PM

SUBMISSION FORM

The Strides Collective is currently accepting applications from queer playwrights in the Mid-Atlantic Region for our inaugural Strides Collective Commission (SCC). One selected playwright will receive a stipend of $500 and work closely with the Collective over the course of a year to develop their original idea for a full length, modern queer play, culminating in a produced staged reading of the new play in 2026. 

In order to qualify for the SCC, the following criteria must be met:

Playwright self-identifies as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community

Playwright resides in the Mid-Atlantic Region (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, or West Virginia)

Playwright has never had a play professionally produced (i.e. with AEA contracts). Readings, workshops, community, collegiate, and semi-professional productions are OK.

Playwright is not currently a student in an undergraduate program. Note: current undergraduate students who are seniors and plan to graduate in Spring 2025 may still apply.

For this opportunity, we are looking for wholly original ideas that have not yet been worked on or written, as the intent is to nurture the development of the script from the very beginning.

In preparing your submission, please keep in mind the following guidelines that Strides uses in determining which type of plays to develop and produce. We are currently looking for ideas for plays that:

• Speak on the current queer experience
• Contain dynamic, well-rounded queer characters
• Are set in the present, the near past, or the near future
• Are modern in language, perspective, and theme
• Are grounded in realism or magical realism

In addition, we are NOT looking for ideas for plays that:

• Are historical, period pieces, and/or biographical in nature
• Primarily feature high-school aged characters
• Solely focus on explicit queer trauma or stereotypes
• Are adaptations of Shakespeare, myths, classic stories, or any other pre-existing material of any kind

Finally, this opportunity is supporting the development of a full length play by one playwright. Therefore, we are not currently accepting ideas for musicals, one-act plays, solo shows, or pieces written by multiple collaborators.

RESISTING FASCISM ~ The 92% by Bryan-Keyth Wilson

Bryan-Keyth Wilson (he/him) is dedicated to using the arts as a medium for connection, healing, and community building. He has published three novels, ten plays, four choreopoems, and 32 monologues, including the critically acclaimed FOR COLORED BOYZ on the verge of a nervous breakdown/when freedom ain’t enuff, which earned multiple literary awards and a sold-out Off-Broadway showcase at Theatre Row and regional premiere at The Fulton Theatre in Lancaster, PA. An experienced educator who has taught master classes at institutions like Prairie View A&M University and Susquehanna University, Wilson is also the creator of the LIFT EV’RY VOICE International Playwright & Spoken Word Virtual Festival and is developing his first comic book series, THE TALENTED TENTH, under Wilson Comics.

• Website: www.LiteraryPrince.com
• Instagram:@literaryprince 
• @southernsoultheatre 

ABOUT THE MONOLOGUE 

The exit poll numbers from the November 5th election moved me deeply. Seeing that 92% of Black women stood steadfast in the fight for our democracy—once again—solidified what I already knew: when the stakes are highest, Black women are always there, leading the charge. While other marginalized groups were present at the polls, Black women showed up where it mattered most. "The 92%" was born out of that moment, reflecting pride, frustration, and the need to set boundaries. This piece is my way of honoring that legacy while asserting the right to rest and demanding collective accountability. 

   

     ~ Excerpt published by permission, all rights held by the playwright.

If you enjoy a piece published in the RESISTING FASCISM project, we encourage you to reach out to the playwright to tell them so. If the playwright has not included an email address or website, let us know at info@nycplaywrights.org and we'll pass along your message.

You knew who he was. You knew. You knew what that mutherfuckah was all about. Maya Angelou said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” And that I did. I believed he was a rapist, a felon, a racist. I believed he was a man who speaks the same hate-filled rhetoric as Hitler. A traitor who tried to overthrow this country. I believed he was a womanizing pussy-grabbing pornstar chasing bigot. And you still chose him. I can’t make this shit up! This the stuff white dreams are made of. For real! So here’s the thing: Don’t talk to me. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not until 2028. And maybe then I might entertain your conversation. Don’t come asking for my vote. Don’t come asking for my voice in the streets. Don’t ask me to rally my sorority sisters. Don’t come asking for anything from me. Don’t ask me what time it is! Because I’ve given you everything I’ve got. Take me out the goddamn group chat.

----------

Fascist update: Trump is coming for veterans.

Trump's executive orders cause 'chaos' at the VA, some staffers say

Employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs say President Donald Trump’s flurry of executive orders and policy changes have already chipped away at staff morale, and now they fear the impact will be felt by the country’s 9 million veterans for whom the VA provides lifelong care and benefits. 

RubySky Productions seeks 10-minute plays

Facebook page

Deadline: March 31, 2025

RubySky Productions is looking for plays of 10 minutes or fewer, for their next audio production. Us Rubys are keen to inspire the next generation of playwrights, so please share to any family or friends! 

Any subject and genre, just keep to under 10 minutes please and ideally suitable for audio. Open to anyone worldwide under 18, no other restrictions. 

Depending on entrants 2 age groups may be implemented. A small stipend in the form of an Amazon Voucher will be offered for the winning entrant(s).

Please submit to RubySkyProductions@outlook.com

Any questions, please ask.

Woodward/Newman Award 2026-27

Website

Deadline: August 31, 2025

Each play should be individually submitted at the following link: CONSTELLATION STAGE & SCREEN PLAY SUBMISSION.

We are currently accepting submissions for the 2026-27 Woodward/Newman Award. The award recipient will be announced by May 15, 2026. The winner will be awarded $3,000 and a full production.“Full-length” plays should have a complete running time of between 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes) to 2 hours 15 minutes (135 minutes). 

TYA shows should have a complete running time of over 40 minutes.

Plays submitted must be unpublished at the time of submission (independently published is acceptable).

You will be asked to submit your play as an attachment and all other information (bio, history, synopsis, character breakdown) will be entered into a form. 

• Musical submissions may upload demos as an attachment or include a link to a shared folder.
• Limit of 2 play submissions per year.
• $3,000 cash prize is in lieu of royalties for the full production. Housing & transportation will also be provided.
• Any unpublished play submitted to Constellation regardless of method (e.g. online form, agent submission, direct contact) may be considered for the Woodward/Newman Award.

Please note that we are moving away from a “finalists” model in lieu of keeping all plays under consideration for extended periods (2yrs). We will only announce a winner.

If you have any questions, please email literary@seeconstellation.org.

Alpine Fellowship Theatre Prize 2025

Website

Deadline: April 1, 2025 at 11:59 PM BST 

SUBMIT VIA SUBMITTABLE

The Alpine Fellowship Theatre Prize 2025 - Awarded for the best playwriting response on the theme of Fear.

The winner and runners-up will receive financial support in the following amounts:

Prizes

First place: £3,000

Second place: £1,000

Third place: £1,000

Rules

Open to all nationalities.

Applicants must be aged 18 or above at the time of entry.

All entries must be written in English.

You can enter multiple prizes.

Plays must not have been professionally produced (this means a run of more than a week for which the audience must buy tickets, it does not include rehearsed readings or workshops.)

Submissions are judged anonymously so please do not include your name on your script.

Submission

To apply you will be asked to submit the following:

A completed play that responds to the theme of Fear. The response is up to you and if you think your work is a response, then you are eligible to submit. Plays must be longer than 30 minutes (which is likely around 30-pages)

A short statement about how your work responds to the theme.

A brief summary of your past work and writing experience.

Yellow Springs Theater Company ~ ANNUAL TEN-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL

Website

Deadline: March 1, 2025

Accepting SUBMISSIONs for The Yellow Springs Theater Company’s ANNUAL TEN-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL 1-1-2025 till 3-1-25

Send submissions to ystheatercompany@gmail.com. 

Our projected performance dates are June 6 & 7, 2025. The exact location is TBD, but we hope to perform outdoors again. 

With your submission please provide a statement about who you are, how you developed the idea for your play, and if you are able to be involved in casting and/or directing your work. Our goal is to help writers bring their work to an audience. Keep in mind that plays must be 10 minutes or less. If it runs long we will require writers to make cuts. Also there is minimal set, lights, and sound available so any submissions will have to be adaptable to what is available.

RESISTING FASCISM ~ I AM CHARLOTTE by Richard Conlon

Richard Lyons Conlon is a proud Lifetime Member of the Dramatists Guild and Resident Playwright Alum at Chicago Dramatists where his social satire 7 MINUTES TO LIVE just closed an extended-run world premiere. He is an O’Neill Semi-Finalist, and was selected as a 2020 Kennedy Center Playwright. Richard’s work has won several awards and has been published by Next Stage Press, Eldridge Publishing, and Smith & Kraus. His sci-fi play MEMORY, SPEAK will be produced in April in Otherworld Theatre’s Paragon Festival in Chicago. Currently, he is working on a play as part of “Uncovered Stories from Ukraine”, which matched 20 American playwrights with current residents of war-torn Ukraine to tell their stories of living under the unlawful and immoral Russian invasion.

• newplayexchange.org/users/10967/richard-lyons-conlon
• facebook.com/RichardLyonsConlon

ABOUT THE PLAY

With the overturning of Roe came a proliferation of draconian laws enacted by deeply blue states for the purpose of completing the task of destroying abortion rights, no matter the cost, ironically, including the cost of human life. “I am Charlotte” is the climatic play in a series of short plays dealing with the real-life consequences of these laws on real people. Together, the plays make up the full-length play, “The Dobbs v. Women Plays”. Three of the dramas follow sisters Char and Liz as they deal with the fascist reality that these “pro-life” laws inflict upon them.

     ~ Excerpt published by permission, all rights held by the playwright.

If you enjoy a piece published in the RESISTING FASCISM project, we encourage you to reach out to the playwright to tell them so. If the playwright has not included an email address or website, let us know at info@nycplaywrights.org and we'll pass along your message.

 

                LIZ  

 

That better be your fucking lawyer.

[A middle-aged man enters, dressed vaguely urban-safari. A spotlight bounces around, stops on Char – a camera filming. The man stops. He and Char stare at each other. He speaks with a British accent.]

                MARK 

Hello, Charlotte.

                CHAR

Not supposed to have reporters in here. 

                MARK 

[Waves off the camera-person: the spot goes out.] 

Oh, I’m not a reporter.

                CHAR

Okay, so who are you?

                MARK

I’m here to help you.

                CHAR

Got a reprieve from the governor?

                MARK

I’ve just come from him, matter of fact. We were discussing your impending . . .

                LIZ

Assassination?!

                MARK

Yes, that. You’re Elizabeth.

               LIZ

So what is it you do want?

                MARK

Like I said, to help your sister.

                 

                CHAR

How?

                MARK

To be upfront, I’m here to make you a proposal.

                LIZ

First, who the fuck are you?

               MARK

Oh, I’m sorry. I just assumed. Burnett’s the name. Mark Burnett.

                LIZ

Okay. What do you want? 

                CHAR

Wait. Fucking “Survivor” Mark Burnett?

               MARK

Among other things.

                LIZ

Like “Apprentice”? I’m not liking where this is going.

                CHAR

You talked to the governor. Get him to stop this.

                MARK

I don’t have that kind of influence.

                LIZ

He’s thinking about it, though, right? A stay? A reprieve? Or is that just a rumor?

                MARK

He’s weighing his options. The pros and cons.

                CHAR

And your angle is . . .?

                MARK

Simple. You are a lightning rod right now, Charlotte. For both sides. Your story would make very compelling television.

                LIZ

She’s just a woman who assumed she still had rights in America.

                MARK

As the first woman to be convicted of murder for –

                CHAR

-- for exercising my rights.

                MARK

-- for terminating a pregnancy – there is tremendous interest in you right now.

                LIZ

No shit. What does that mean for you?

                MARK

Pragmatic Liz. I’ve heard all about you.

                LIZ

I’ve heard a lot of shit about you, too.

                MARK

Thought you didn’t know who I was.

                LIZ

I’ve never watched your garbage. But I know all about you.

                MARK

Don’t believe everything you – .

                LIZ

You’re the reason we’re here. It was you propped up the bankrupt orange abomination and convinced people he was some kind of stable genius.

                MARK

I’m really not going to argue anything with you. I’m here for Charlotte.

                LIZ

Let me guess – you want to film it, don’t you? Her execution?

                MARK

Please, nothing so crass as that.

                LIZ

Meaning the governor said no.

                MARK

[A beat.] He thought it was a bit much. But, I have a proposition I think you’ll find very interesting.

----------

Yet another fascist atrocity: Trump administration pressures Romania to lift restrictions on Tate brothers

The Trump administration has pressured Romanian authorities to lift travel restrictions on the self-described misogynist influencer Andrew Tate, a champion of the US president who is facing criminal charges in Bucharest.

Andrew and his brother Tristan Tate, who are dual US and UK nationals, have become a cause célèbre in rightwing social media after having been arrested in Romania in 2022 and charged with human trafficking, sexual misconduct and money laundering, as well as starting an organised crime group. They have denied wrongdoing. 

Onstage/Offstage podcast seeks 10-minute plays on DEI

Website

Deadline: February 23, 2025 at 11:59 PM

Onstage/Offstage (www.onstageoffstage.org) is opening our call for submissions of 10-minute plays to produce and air on its podcast, now in its 13th year.

This year's theme is “Diversity/Equity/Inclusion.” We seek plays that center on the characters' struggle rather than the topic itself. Please make sure your submissions are character-centered. Also please read and follow these guidelines, especially submission acceptance dates, if you wish your play to be considered.

Please follow this format for file names:
OSOS2025_DEI_Yourlastname_Play title

Example:
OSOS2025_DEI_ONEILL_The Joys of Sobriety

By submitting, you agree to all the following requirements:
Selected plays will be broadcast on WRFI 88.1 Ithaca (NY, USA) Community Radio and podcast at our website and social media, Podbean, and other podcast hosts on a date of our choosing.
Please note: Playwrights are required to do a short interview to accompany their play.

SUBMISSIONS ARE WELCOME BY EMAIL ONLY FROM
12:01AM MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2025 TO 11:59PM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2025.

Send submissions to onstageoffstagepodcast@gmail.com

Selected plays will be cast, directed, rehearsed, and recorded by Onstage/Offstage Podcast artists.

HELPFUL TIPS:
-Do not submit plays that require extensive reading of stage directions. The work should be overwhelmingly dialogue.
-Has your play been produced before? WE DON'T HOLD THAT AGAINST YOU. SEND IT.
-THREE (3) characters maximum.
-Comedies and dramas welcome. **No monologues.**
-No excessively offensive language. Not that we are against strong language where appropriate, but we have to bleep it for public radio broadcast, and that's more work for us. The recording remains au naturel for the podcast.
-Plays must be roughly 10 MINUTES in length. 8-10 pages or so.


-Plays MUST BE IN PDF FORMAT with pages numbered and a cover page containing:
--Play title
--Playwright name
--Playwright contact info
--Synopsis/teaser
--One submission per playwright.
--We will cap submissions at 100.

-By submitting your work, you agree that Onstage/Offstage Podcast may produce, host, and air your work . You will, of course, have prominent credit.

-We'd love to remunerate you for your creativity, talent, and efforts to write and submit your work, but we are a very small operation and our funding is nil. What we offer is a chance to talk about yourself as an artist, and to have a sound recording of your play.

We will notify only those playwrights whose work has been accepted.

**We strongly encourage BIPOC and members of the LGBTQIA+ communities to submit!**

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking short scripts

Website

Deadline: March 2, 2025

Ghostlight Ensemble in Chicago is seeking short scripts (under 30 minutes) for a staged reading series at Black Eagle Club. The only requirement is that the scripts are set at a bar.

This is open to playwrights in any geographic area. There is no payment for selection, but there is also no fee to submit.

Selected plays will be presented in a series of staged readings during the spring of 2025 as part of our revamped series of live events at Black Eagle.

Pieces can be previously produced and playwrights may submit more than one play.

Electronic submissions only, please. Please submit a brief synopsis of script in the body of your email, along with contact information, and attach a copy of the full script to Maria Burnham at scripts@ghostlightensemble.com. 

Please use the following format in the email’s subject line: Bar Project Script Submission: [play name] - [playwright name]

Best Medicine Rep Theater Company 2025 - 2026 Reading Series

Website

Deadline: February 28, 2025

Or until they reach 200 submissions

THEY HAVE MET THEIR SUBMISSION CAP DO NOT SEND

Best Medicine Rep Theater Company in Gaithersburg, Maryland is accepting script submissions for its 2025 - 2026 Reading Series, now through February 28, 2025, or until we reach 200 submissions. 

We are interested exclusively in small comedies with simple production demands. 

 No more than 5 actors. Doubling is fine, but please indicate who doubles for whom on the characters page. 

Go Try Play Write February 2025

Website

Deadline: February 28, 2025

SUBMISSION FORM

We're proud to announce a new monthly playwriting contest in collaboration with Bamboo Ridge Press. Every month, Kumu Kahua's artistic director Harry Wong III will select a writing prompt on the first day of that month. We're looking for 5-page monologues or 10-page scenes based on that prompt; the due date for submissions are always the last day of the month. All entries must be written in traditional play format; instructions on this format can be found here (https://www.dramatistsguild.com/script-formats), courtesy of the Dramatists Guild.

There will be one winner each month. Scripts will be submitted to the judges anonymously. Winners will receive $100 and a subscription to Bamboo Ridge Press. Woo!

The prompt for February 2025 is:

A hell of a prompt. Write a 10-page maximum scene or an 8-page maximum monologue where you send someone to hell. This is as open as can be—all that matters is that someone did something or a number of things that receives eternal punishment. Writers, consider this prompt primal scream therapy.

Best of luck!

Rogue Theater Festival seeks new works by emerging writers and artists

Now accepting new works for the seventh annual and uniquely hybrid Rogue Theater Festival! Rogue is looking for new works by emerging writers and artists to present live for an audience OR virtually for an audience. We encourage anyone who feels they have a story to tell to submit their piece to the festival. This year Rogue is proud to be accepting full length one acts for either Fully Staged or Staged Reading shows, Short Shows, and recorded shows of all lengths to stream. 

Basic Festival Details:

• Participants may choose to participate in our Live in Person Scenario whether as a staged reading or as a fully staged production (in person and live in NYC) or Digital Scenario (remote filming anywhere in the world and virtual presentation)
• Performances: August 4-10, 2025 (each full length show will have 1 performance and shorts shows 2 that will perform at The Flea in NYC and DIGITAL shows will stream all week via CUR8)
• All chosen shows will receive assistance in marketing, publicity, and helpful feedback
• Each LIVE show will get one technical rehearsal at The Flea in NYC
• Each DIGITAL show will give Rogue Theater Festival their edited piece to be inserted into a final package before presentation 
• Playwrights and Producers are fully responsible for putting up their production (e.g. Director, union contacts if choosing to use union members, rehearsal space, transportation fees, salaries, marketing, costumes, casting etc.).
• There is a one time, nonrefundable, participation fee. You do NOT need to pay to submit your play, only if you plan to participate in the festival. 
• Each show will need to sell a minimum ticket amount 

Entrance requirements:

• LIVE (staged reading) 45 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes long (no intermission)
• LIVE (fully staged) 45 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes long (no intermission)
• LIVE (short show) 10 minutes to 15 minutes long (no intermission) 
• DIGITAL 45 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes (no intermission)
• It may be a play, musical, improv piece, stand up comedy set, clowning routine, solo show, burlesque number, poetry, spoken word, song cycle, or dance. If you have something else we’d be thrilled to hear from you too!
• It must be an original work, but having been performed before is totally fine.

HOW TO SUBMIT!

Please submit your piece by visiting www.roguetheaterfestival.com and clicking on the “Submit Your Play” tab.

The deadline for all submissions is Saturday, March 15th. We will be reviewing all submissions and contacting selected participants on or before Monday, March 31st. 

If selected, there will be a one-time participation fee. LIVE (staged reading) participants ($225), LIVE (fully staged) participants ($450), LIVE (short shows) participants ($200) and DIGITAL participants ($100). These are non-refundable. Please visit our website www.roguetheaterfestival.com for more information and to get to know us better. Get ready to make a wave with Rogue in 2025!

RESISTING FASCISM ~ As Long As I Know How to Love by Tom Misuraca

Over 170 of Tom Misuraca’s short plays have been produced and stage read globally, often winning audience favorite awards. Most recently, his ten-minute play, Straight Acting, won the jury prize at Acting Out's Quare Tales in Ireland. Fourteen of his full-lengths have been produced in California, Las Vegas, Texas, Michigan, Utah and New York City. His most produced play, Geeks! The Musical, was produced Off Broadway in 2019. His full-length play, Pieces, was one of three finalists of Murphys Creek Theatre's 2024 Quill to Act Finalist Reading Series and read there in October. Then in November, he had five one-minute plays produced in a festival in Japan. 

ABOUT THE PLAY
As Long As I Know How to Love was a response to what the worst possible case scenario could be for the LGBTQIA+ community in these terrifying political times. In what I hope won’t be the not too distant future, William is glued to social media waiting to hear is yet another anti-LGBTQIA+ law is going to pass. While Alex is doing his best to brighten up the look and the feel of their home. Where William feels defeated, Alex is hopeful that no matter what happens in the outside world, they will continue to keep a home filled with light and love.

   

     ~ Excerpt published by permission, all rights held by the playwright.

If you enjoy a piece published in the RESISTING FASCISM project, we encourage you to reach out to the playwright to tell them so. If the playwright has not included an email address or website, let us know at info@nycplaywrights.org and we'll pass along your message.

                ALAN

The tides will turn, they always do. But in the meantime, we have to remain visible.

                WILLIAM

Protest until we’re thrown in jail?

                ALAN

That, and keep having fun. Keep going to the theater and singing along with frilly musicals. Keep antiquing and giving straight couples bad advice on how to decorate. Keep going on walks and exploring new neighborhoods. Keep brunching with friends.

                WILLIAM

I’m sure SCOTUS will ban brunch next. Citing they’re more dangerous that assault rifles! While those right-winged nuts keep on shooting up drag shows and people displaying pride flags.

                ALAN

Well a Pride flag will always fly outside our house. No matter how many times it gets stolen or defaced, I’ll replace it. Even if I have to Betsy Ross one 

myself. 

 

                WILLIAM

            (under his breath)

Hope you’re able to... 

 

                ALAN

And I’m just getting started. Like Shakespeare said, “As long as I know how to love, I know I will survive.”

                WILLIAM

That’s Gloria Gaynor. 

 

                ALAN

Close enough. For as long as I’m able, this house will be a home of love. For us, and for any friends who need shelter from the storm out there. As Gloria said: “How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.”

                WILLIAM

That was Shakespeare. 

 

                ALAN

He’s not as danceable.

               (beat)

So? You with me?

                WILLIAM

As Shakespeare said: “You had me at hello.”

-------

Fascism update: the Republican-controlled Senate confirms an anti-science anti-vaccination kook as Health Secretary 

Studio Players 12th Annual 10-Minute Play Festival

Website

Deadline: February 22, 2025 at 11:59PM EST

Or when they have received  300 entries

The 12th Annual 10-Minute Play Festival will begin accepting submissions beginning at NOON EST on February 15, 2025. Submissions received before this time will not be considered.

This competition is open to any playwright. There is NO submission fee, NO production fee. The judges will be members of the Studio Players theatre community: board members, directors, and patrons. The rules are simple and are as follows:

1. Any playwright may enter; please submit only ONE play per playwright. If a playwright submits more than one script, only the first one received will be considered and the others will be discarded.

2. The play must be a 10-minute play (meaning it will be approximately 10 pages of dialogue). If it’s a monologue/one-person piece, it should come in under 10 pages.

3. All plays should be emailed, with a separate cover page containing the following information: play's title, author's name, email address, mailing address and phone number. The play itself should only have the title and a brief synopsis; no identifying information should be contained in or on the 10-page script.

4. To be considered, each script must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST February 22, 2025.

5. The contest is open to the first 300 entries received.

6. Winning entrants agree to a full production of their scripts and video recording and presentation of their scripts.

That's it! The top 7 scripts (as determined by the judges) will be performed by active members of the Bluegrass theatre community. Each play will be a fully realized production; each performance will contain all the winning scripts. The 7 selected playwrights will each receive $250 in prize money.

The script selection process is anonymous and therefore we won't be posting notifications during the deliberations. We will announce the 15 finalists and 7 winners after the selection process is complete.

All entries should be sent to: 10minuteplayfestlex@gmail.com with "10-min Play Fest" in the subject line. Visit https://www.facebook.com/studioplayers for more information.

Theatre Southwest 28th Annual Theatre Southwest Festival of Originals

Website

Deadline: April 5th, 2025

Theatre Southwest of Houston, Texas is accepting entries from now until April 5th, 2025 for the 28th Annual Theatre Southwest Festival of Originals to be presented July 25th-August 9th, 2025.

The TSW-FOO is FREE to enter and will once again be calling for short one act (20 minute) plays in any and all genres from all over the country and the world.

Submission Guidelines:

Each playwright may submit up to 2 plays for consideration.

All entries should be unpublished and previously unproduced in the Houston area.

All Genres are accepted. We produce an eclectic variety of plays, but comedies are always appreciated.

Monologues or One Actor plays are not accepted.

Plays should be 20 minutes in length (give or take a minute or two).

Page count should be no less than 17, but no more than 22 pages. 12 point font (Courier, Arial or Times New Roman) and using Standard Playwriting Format.

There is no maximum limit of characters or sets, but common sense should be used as 5 plays will be produced in one evening.

Number all pages of the scripts, and scripts MUST be securely bound by three hole punch with brads or three hole punch folder. NO STAPLES!

Scripts must be submitted by postal mail ONLY. Emailed PDF or Word files will not be considered.

Scripts (hard copies) cannot be returned.

NOTE: We apologize for the inconvenience of mailed in hard copies for all domestic entities, but the fest does make exceptions for overseas entries. If you are entering from another country you may email a PDF to: mimiholloway@gmail.com This is also the email to address any questions.

Be sure to include your contact information; phone number, email, and mailing address on the title page of each script.

List all characters with a brief character description.

Please include a one paragraph synopsis of the play.

Make sure all mailed entries are POSTMARKED by April 5th, 2025.

Overseas entries must be emailed before 11:59pm April 5th, 2025.

One hundred dollars will be paid to all playwrights selected for production.

Scripts should be mailed to:

Theatre Southwest
8944 Clarkcrest St.
Houston, Texas 77063-4004
Attn: TSW-FOO

Message from the Dramatists Guild

This message is especially for those who have complained about NYCPlaywrights' RESISTING FASCISM project, writing to us that they loathe "inappropriate political chatter in what should be a forum for playwriting and ideas about theatre..."

No - not even those who think playwrights should be above politics will be spared in the long run.

Statement on the Kennedy Center's Cancellation of a Scheduled Production 

The Dramatists Guild of America is outraged by the Kennedy Center’s announced cancellation of its scheduled production of the show Finn by Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond, both members of the Dramatists Guild. We find it appalling that the Center is backing out of their commitment to bring this joyful children’s musical, one that they commissioned and produced to much acclaim, to communities across the country. At its heart, Finn has a universal message of love and acceptance.
The new board of the Kennedy Center claims the show was cancelled for financial reasons, but we find that difficult to believe considering the ideological purge now being employed by the new administration, impacting every nook and cranny of the federal government.

This is coming at a time when The Arts have been specifically targeted for attack, as is pointedly reflected by the new “guidelines” for grants that were announced by the National Endowment for the Arts. The guidelines not only disqualify applicants who serve historically underserved communities, including those theaters that value diversity and inclusion in their productions, but they have also criminalized the process, if it is later judged that grantees have, in some way, violated the new vague and overbroad guidelines. It is an obvious ploy to chill speech and intimidate applicants in violation of the First Amendment.

These actions go beyond censorship. It may set the stage for a constitutional crisis that transcends parties and ideologies and cuts to the heart of our democracy.

We stand in solidarity with Kooman and Dimond, the Guild members who wrote Finn, as well as the writers of other shows still scheduled for the Kennedy Center, like Parade by Guild members Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry, and Eureka Day by Guild member Jonathan Spector. And we stand with all the other writers of shows that will have productions canceled by theaters that will no longer be funded by the NEA.

We will, however, do more than just stand with them and issue statements. In collaboration with our non-profit affiliate, the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund, we intend to develop, finance and employ strategies to defend all dramatists from having their voices silenced.

As was stated in a legal brief 27 years ago, in the landmark Supreme Court case of NEA v Finley, “…art plays a critical checking function, providing alternative perspectives on the world and often challenging the status quo. This is why artists, along with universities and the press, are often the first targets of repressive regimes.”

Amanda Green

President

Dramatists Guild of America