Welcome Playwrights!
The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival National Playwriting Program (NPP) is dedicated to supporting student playwrights in the development of their original work for the stage, with dramaturgical and performance opportunities that emphasize respect for the written word and for the playwright's contribution to the theatrical process. The NPP Mandate is:
If you have questions or need guidance in any way, please contact your Region 5, NPP Leadership team:
- To offer progressive mentorship of student playwrights that honors the integrity of individual voice, and is aimed at nurturing students into professional playwrights.
- To strive to create links with individual artists and institutions in the professional sphere, and to provide opportunities for the production of student work.
- To advocate for theatrical text and to preserve the integrity of the playwright's intent within all stages of the collaborative process.
- To engage and support faculty members who are developing new work in their theatre programs.
If you have questions or need guidance in any way, please contact your Region 5, NPP Leadership team:
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Sean Byrd, Region 5 NPP Chair
sean.byrd@normandale.edu |
Aaron Scully, Region 5 NPP Vice-Chair
ascully@ucmo.edu |
What Happens at the Regional Festival?
(Please give this a close read especially if you are new to the Festival)
The regional festival is a unique opportunity for playwrights to showcase and celebrate their work in a variety of exciting ways. No matter your writing experience, there is something at the festival for you.
We are dedicated to supporting student playwrights in the development of their original work for the stage, with dramaturgical and performance opportunities that emphasize respect for the written word and for the playwright's contribution to the theatrical process.
Each year Region 5 invites a number of 10-minute (usually six) and one act plays (usually three) to be performed at its regional festival.
With 10-minute plays, writers work closely with student directors, dramaturgs, actors and faculty mentors at the festival, and each is staged as a “stools and stands” concert reading in the 10-Minute Play Festival, held at the end of the festival week.
One-act plays are invited to the festival to present a staged reading, created at their home institution. The top selected one-act play also will be invited to a year-long mentorship with the NPP Region 5 Chair or Vice-Chair. May also include an invitation for a fully-mounted production of that play as a special event at Festival 52 in 2020.
Two 10-minute plays and two one-act plays are then selected by a panel of outside readers to be advanced as national semi-finalists, which are then considered for an invitation to the national festival in Washington, D.C. in Spring 2019.
The Planet Earth Play award returns again for Festival 51. This award is given to a play that addresses issues of sustainability and our responsibility to the planet. Planet Earth Plays should be entered in the 10-Minute Play category.
Also, returning for the second year will be The Protest Plays Concert Readings - a platform for student playwrights whose work focuses on issues of concern in their communities. Protest Plays should be entered in the 10-Minute Play category. Read more about the Protest Plays Project.
NEW for Festival 51 - The “R5 in 5” Bake-Off Intensive - geared especially toward the brand new playwright. This event, modeled on playwright Paula Vogel’s Bake-Off exercise, will bring new playwrights into the room, provide a list of 5 specific “ingredients”, and give them space to write a 5-minute play in 48-hours. Read more about Paula Vogel's Bake Off Exercise.
Finally, Region 5 will once again be offering the R5 NPP Mentorship Program that gives playwrights an opportunity to meet one-on-one with a professional mentor who will respond to their work. See more under Additional Information.
The regional festival is a unique opportunity for playwrights to showcase and celebrate their work in a variety of exciting ways. No matter your writing experience, there is something at the festival for you.
We are dedicated to supporting student playwrights in the development of their original work for the stage, with dramaturgical and performance opportunities that emphasize respect for the written word and for the playwright's contribution to the theatrical process.
Each year Region 5 invites a number of 10-minute (usually six) and one act plays (usually three) to be performed at its regional festival.
With 10-minute plays, writers work closely with student directors, dramaturgs, actors and faculty mentors at the festival, and each is staged as a “stools and stands” concert reading in the 10-Minute Play Festival, held at the end of the festival week.
One-act plays are invited to the festival to present a staged reading, created at their home institution. The top selected one-act play also will be invited to a year-long mentorship with the NPP Region 5 Chair or Vice-Chair. May also include an invitation for a fully-mounted production of that play as a special event at Festival 52 in 2020.
Two 10-minute plays and two one-act plays are then selected by a panel of outside readers to be advanced as national semi-finalists, which are then considered for an invitation to the national festival in Washington, D.C. in Spring 2019.
The Planet Earth Play award returns again for Festival 51. This award is given to a play that addresses issues of sustainability and our responsibility to the planet. Planet Earth Plays should be entered in the 10-Minute Play category.
Also, returning for the second year will be The Protest Plays Concert Readings - a platform for student playwrights whose work focuses on issues of concern in their communities. Protest Plays should be entered in the 10-Minute Play category. Read more about the Protest Plays Project.
NEW for Festival 51 - The “R5 in 5” Bake-Off Intensive - geared especially toward the brand new playwright. This event, modeled on playwright Paula Vogel’s Bake-Off exercise, will bring new playwrights into the room, provide a list of 5 specific “ingredients”, and give them space to write a 5-minute play in 48-hours. Read more about Paula Vogel's Bake Off Exercise.
Finally, Region 5 will once again be offering the R5 NPP Mentorship Program that gives playwrights an opportunity to meet one-on-one with a professional mentor who will respond to their work. See more under Additional Information.
SUBMIT YOUR PLAY
Guidelines
Students who meet eligibility requirements and attend a school that has entered at least one Associate and Participating Production, may enter up to 5 ten-minute plays, 5 one-act plays, and 5 full-length plays for the festival and/or Michael Kanin awards.
Faculty members at a school with an Associate or Participating entry may submit a full length play for The Musical Theater Award, The David Mark Cohen Award and Rosa Parks Award.
Professional Playwrights who have produced their work at a KCACTF affiliated school can submit their work for the David Mark Cohen Award.
A playwright who has graduated is still eligible to submit his/her work during the 12 months after the date of graduation or if his/her plays is entered as a participating production within 24 months of graduation.
- 10-Minute Plays: A play 10-pages or fewer in length (12 point font)
- One-Act Plays: A play more than 10 pages in length with a running time less than one hour.
- Full-Length Plays: A play more than one hour in length.
Students who meet eligibility requirements and attend a school that has entered at least one Associate and Participating Production, may enter up to 5 ten-minute plays, 5 one-act plays, and 5 full-length plays for the festival and/or Michael Kanin awards.
Faculty members at a school with an Associate or Participating entry may submit a full length play for The Musical Theater Award, The David Mark Cohen Award and Rosa Parks Award.
Professional Playwrights who have produced their work at a KCACTF affiliated school can submit their work for the David Mark Cohen Award.
A playwright who has graduated is still eligible to submit his/her work during the 12 months after the date of graduation or if his/her plays is entered as a participating production within 24 months of graduation.
Rules and Regulations for all Playwriting Awards and Prizes
(Please read these carefully to ensure that you are submitting your play in all appropriate categories.)
(Please read these carefully to ensure that you are submitting your play in all appropriate categories.)
Deadlines
ALL REGIONAL SUBMISSIONS: NOVEMBER 1st
MOST NATIONAL SUBMISSIONS: DECEMBER 1st
ALL REGIONAL SUBMISSIONS: NOVEMBER 1st
MOST NATIONAL SUBMISSIONS: DECEMBER 1st
ARE YOU READY?
You will submit your play on the Region 5 private submissions page at submittable.com.
New users will be required to create a username and password (no charge).
All scripts must be submitted blind: No Author or School Affiliation on document.
Scripts are accepted in .pdf, .doc and .docx format only.
You will submit your play on the Region 5 private submissions page at submittable.com.
New users will be required to create a username and password (no charge).
All scripts must be submitted blind: No Author or School Affiliation on document.
Scripts are accepted in .pdf, .doc and .docx format only.
FESTIVAL REGISTRATION
Be advised that you MUST register as an attendee for Festival 51 in order participate in any of the Playwriting events or any other portion of the festival. Register yourself or ensure that a faculty member is registering you as part of the group from your institution.
REGION 5 FESTIVAL MENTOR PROGRAM
We will once again offer the opportunity for a one-on-one mentorship session to every student playwright in the region who:
- Properly submits at least one play to Region 5.
- Registers for both the mentorship program (below) and the regional festival at-large (see above).
- Attends the regional festival in January to meet with her/his mentor.
STUDENT DIRECTORS AND DRAMATURGS
We are excited to put together students who will work during the festival week to develop a play. For the 10-Minute Play Festival, six ten-minute plays, six directors, 3 dramaturgs, six stage managers, actors and faculty mentors will collaborate on-line during the month of December and in-person at the festival for auditions, 4 hours of rehearsal and a festival of concert readings. For the Protest Plays Project, 3 assistant directors, actors and a faculty director will collaborate on-line during the month of December and in-person at the festival for auditions, 2 hours of rehearsal and a concert reading and post-production discussion with the team and the audience.
DIRECTORS and ASSISTANT DIRECTORS - apply under Directing Initiatives
DRAMATURGS – apply for the Dramaturgy Fellowship (be sure to indicate your interest in serving as a 10-Minute Play Dramaturg)
FACULTY MENTORS: send an e-mail of your mentoring interest to sean.byrd@normandale.edu.
DIRECTORS and ASSISTANT DIRECTORS - apply under Directing Initiatives
DRAMATURGS – apply for the Dramaturgy Fellowship (be sure to indicate your interest in serving as a 10-Minute Play Dramaturg)
FACULTY MENTORS: send an e-mail of your mentoring interest to sean.byrd@normandale.edu.
Kennedy Center Undergraduate Playwrights' Workshop
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is offering the Fourth Annual Undergraduate Playwrights’ Workshop at the Kennedy Center, June 3-9, 2019.
Up to four current undergraduate playwrights will be selected and brought to the Kennedy Center for six days to develop their full-length plays with a director/dramaturg team, and an acting company made up of leading actors from the Washington, D.C. community. This will be followed by a full-scholarship to participate in the Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive, led by Gary Garrison.
The workshop process will be completely driven by the particular needs of the playwright and her/his play. There is ample writing time, meetings with the director/dramaturg team, and daily four-hour rehearsal blocks with actors. If the team chooses to present a concert reading at the end of the workshop process, the feedback session will led by the play’s dramaturg and will be wholly based on the playwright’s objectives for the development process.
The creative teams will be supplemented, as needed, with additional artists that the playwright feels are necessary to the exploration of the work [for example: a sound designer, a choreographer, a composer, a movement consultant, a puppetry consultant, etc.]
All undergraduate students are eligible for nomination, including those receiving their degrees in the spring of 2019.
This is an invitation to nominate outstanding undergraduate playwrights from your school. The nomination need only be the name and email address of the playwright, no letters of recommendation are required or expected, at this stage. The selection process will proceed on the assumption that if you’ve nominated the student, you feel s/he’s ready for the experience. Representatives from the reading panel may reach out to you for more information and guidance as final invitations are being considered. Please communicate your nominees to me at your convenience (via ghenry@kennedy-center.org) and ask your nominees to apply via this link:
https://thekennedycenter.smapply.io/prog/kcactf_2019_undergraduate_playwrights_workshop_application
They’ll be asked for:
All of the work will be read “blind”- the reading panelists will not know the student’s name or school affiliation.
In late-January 2019, the selection panel will contact a group of finalists to discuss the workshop further. These playwrights will be invited to send updated information and a current draft or “treatment” of a proposed work-in-progress for the Kennedy Center residency.
The reading and selection panel will be made up of literary managers, dramaturgs, directors, and actors with an affinity for the development of new work.
The selected playwrights will be provided with round-trip transportation, lodging in a George Washington University residence hall, per diem of $50, and a daily Kennedy Center lunch voucher for the period of the residency. The playwrights and teams will be gathered on Monday June 3 and head home late afternoon on Sunday, June 9, 2019.
Every effort will be made to notify the invited playwrights by April 1, 2019.
Some thoughts from the previous Workshops:
“Growing up and leaving home means finding many new homes along the way, and I can say that I have found one at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. I am still blown away by the experience; it was totally surreal in the most wonderful way. Thank you for making my experience not only possible, but brilliant and inspiring.” Jamie Berry, University of Missouri
“To the Someone Who Isn’t Me Team: It's taken me a few days to process my thoughts. Here goes: your support and belief in this process has been absolutely invaluable. As a first foray into playwriting, your insightful feedback and generous and specific attention to the inner workings of the script have unlocked many possibilities for where the story may go- and I owe that to each and every one of you. To have people as talented and intelligent as all of you was truly a gift.” Michael Keita Hisamoto, Boston University
“It has taken me a few days to gather my thoughts and write this. Over the past week, I have been at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts at the first Undergraduate Playwrights' Workshop… During the week, I workshopped my full-length play Snapdragon with the most amazing team: Director Gus Heagerty, Dramaturg Ally Currin, Stage Manager Joey Blakely and actors Audrey Bertaux, Gabriela Fernandez-Coffey, Laura C. Harris, Alyssa Wilmoth-Keegan, Thomas Keegan and Kimberly Schraf. Your talent, honesty and support served as inspiration for me to write like I never had before and take this script to a new level I am so proud of. This immersive experience has changed the way I look at the future of theatre and I will take all the lessons (and many pages of notes I took) with me as a compass for becoming a playwright who isn't afraid to collaborate and take risks in order to create impactful theatre.” Nicholas De Los Santos, Loyola Marymount University
Up to four current undergraduate playwrights will be selected and brought to the Kennedy Center for six days to develop their full-length plays with a director/dramaturg team, and an acting company made up of leading actors from the Washington, D.C. community. This will be followed by a full-scholarship to participate in the Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive, led by Gary Garrison.
The workshop process will be completely driven by the particular needs of the playwright and her/his play. There is ample writing time, meetings with the director/dramaturg team, and daily four-hour rehearsal blocks with actors. If the team chooses to present a concert reading at the end of the workshop process, the feedback session will led by the play’s dramaturg and will be wholly based on the playwright’s objectives for the development process.
The creative teams will be supplemented, as needed, with additional artists that the playwright feels are necessary to the exploration of the work [for example: a sound designer, a choreographer, a composer, a movement consultant, a puppetry consultant, etc.]
All undergraduate students are eligible for nomination, including those receiving their degrees in the spring of 2019.
This is an invitation to nominate outstanding undergraduate playwrights from your school. The nomination need only be the name and email address of the playwright, no letters of recommendation are required or expected, at this stage. The selection process will proceed on the assumption that if you’ve nominated the student, you feel s/he’s ready for the experience. Representatives from the reading panel may reach out to you for more information and guidance as final invitations are being considered. Please communicate your nominees to me at your convenience (via ghenry@kennedy-center.org) and ask your nominees to apply via this link:
https://thekennedycenter.smapply.io/prog/kcactf_2019_undergraduate_playwrights_workshop_application
They’ll be asked for:
- A letter that introduces the playwright, the playwright’s work, and a brief discussion of one or more works-in-progress that s/he is interested in developing while in residence at the Kennedy Center in June 2019
- A selection of work that the playwright feels best represents their voice (ten-minute plays, one-acts, monologues, spoken-word poetry[In Word: with a full title page as page 1 and a blinded title page [title only] as page 2.
or
[In PDF: the complete play with a blinded title page and a full title page sent as a separate document] - A complete or partial draft of full-length work, or a detailed “treatment” and discussion of a proposed full-length work-in-process. [In Word: with a full title page as page 1 and a blinded title page [title only] as page 2.
or
[In PDF: the complete play with a blinded title page and a full title page sent as a separate document]
All of the work will be read “blind”- the reading panelists will not know the student’s name or school affiliation.
In late-January 2019, the selection panel will contact a group of finalists to discuss the workshop further. These playwrights will be invited to send updated information and a current draft or “treatment” of a proposed work-in-progress for the Kennedy Center residency.
The reading and selection panel will be made up of literary managers, dramaturgs, directors, and actors with an affinity for the development of new work.
The selected playwrights will be provided with round-trip transportation, lodging in a George Washington University residence hall, per diem of $50, and a daily Kennedy Center lunch voucher for the period of the residency. The playwrights and teams will be gathered on Monday June 3 and head home late afternoon on Sunday, June 9, 2019.
Every effort will be made to notify the invited playwrights by April 1, 2019.
Some thoughts from the previous Workshops:
“Growing up and leaving home means finding many new homes along the way, and I can say that I have found one at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. I am still blown away by the experience; it was totally surreal in the most wonderful way. Thank you for making my experience not only possible, but brilliant and inspiring.” Jamie Berry, University of Missouri
“To the Someone Who Isn’t Me Team: It's taken me a few days to process my thoughts. Here goes: your support and belief in this process has been absolutely invaluable. As a first foray into playwriting, your insightful feedback and generous and specific attention to the inner workings of the script have unlocked many possibilities for where the story may go- and I owe that to each and every one of you. To have people as talented and intelligent as all of you was truly a gift.” Michael Keita Hisamoto, Boston University
“It has taken me a few days to gather my thoughts and write this. Over the past week, I have been at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts at the first Undergraduate Playwrights' Workshop… During the week, I workshopped my full-length play Snapdragon with the most amazing team: Director Gus Heagerty, Dramaturg Ally Currin, Stage Manager Joey Blakely and actors Audrey Bertaux, Gabriela Fernandez-Coffey, Laura C. Harris, Alyssa Wilmoth-Keegan, Thomas Keegan and Kimberly Schraf. Your talent, honesty and support served as inspiration for me to write like I never had before and take this script to a new level I am so proud of. This immersive experience has changed the way I look at the future of theatre and I will take all the lessons (and many pages of notes I took) with me as a compass for becoming a playwright who isn't afraid to collaborate and take risks in order to create impactful theatre.” Nicholas De Los Santos, Loyola Marymount University
Theatre For Young Audiences National Playwriting Competition $1000 Award
The University of Central Missouri Department of Theatre & Dance is embarking on its 17th year in soliciting scripts for its National Playwriting Competition; which encourages the writings of original works for children’s theatre productions.
The University of Central Missouri Theatre Department has been producing children’s plays for over thirty years in our academic season and in the summer with Central Missouri Repertory. Since our 2001 season, we are now focusing the direction of this program on the production of world-premiere original plays. To support this mission we have established the Theatre For Young Audiences National Playwriting Competition.
Previous winners include:
2001 – Monsters and Me by Kevin Willmott Commendation for Excellence in Makeup/ Hair Design and for Excellence in Costume Design at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival;
2002 – Tails With Tales by J.M. Wilkerson Commendation for Excellence in Costume Design at KCACTF;
2003 – Kalifa’s Amazing Adventures by Nikki Harmon Commendation for Excellence in Costume Design and Sound Design at KCACTF;
2004 – In the YOSE: Tales From Japan by Patricia Montley Selected for Performance at Regional V Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in St Louis; 1st Place Barbizon Award for Lighting Design Excellence at KCACTF; 2nd Place Regional Design/Tech/Expo AND Meritorious Achievement Award – Puppets at KCACTF; Meritorious Achievement Award for scenic/props design and dramaturgy; Student Dramaturgy Award at KCACTF; Kennedy Center National Selection Team Commendations for scenic/props design and three actors;
2005 – Escape From Central Park Zoo by Nikki Harmon; Meritorious Achievement Award for Sound Design and Costume Design at KCACTF;
2006 - A Tale of Two Heroes: The Adventures of El Matador and Flynn the Swashbuckler Music, Lyrics and Book by Sam Stokes 1st Place Barbizon Award for Lighting Design KCACTF Region V, 3rd Place Barbizon Award for Lighting Design KCACTF National Festival, 1st Runner Up Barbizon Award for Costume Design KCACTF Region V.
2007 – Shadow Gets a Black Eye A Karagoz Play by Enver Sayan received seven awards at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. This was more than any production represented in Region V. The awards included stage management, dramaturgy, sound design, scenic design, costume design, puppet design and ensemble performance.
2008 – To the Rescue by Tim Rothwell and Joel Moses received Meritorious Achievement Awards in Costume Design and Sound Design. The costumes were also showcased in the Region V Costume Parade.
2009 – Morgan & the Falcon Prince by Jim Anderson & B.J. Hursh.
2010 – Chance of Rain: A Noah Riff by Kato McNickle.
2011 – Ribbit by Earl Sherburne.
2012 - And We Will Share The Sky by Donna Latham – Finalist for the KCACTF National David Cohen Playwriting Award; received Meritorious Achievement Awards for Costume Design and Millinery Construction.
2013 - A Thai Tale by Nikki Harmon, received Certificates of Merit for Scenic Design, Lighting and Animation Design, Sound Design, Costume Design and Stage Management and 2nd Place Regional Poster and Publicity.
2014 winner – Gustav—The Goose Who Wouldn’t Fly by Matt Fotis.
2016 winner –Not Waving by Richard Manley.
For additional information visit our website at www.ucmo.edu/theatre or contact:
National Playwriting Competition, Department of Theatre & Dance, 113 Martin, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 64093, 660-543-4020.
- Winner receives a $1000 cash award and World-Premiere production in the University of Central Missouri Department’s mainstage season. The production will receive at least four performances during the academic year and 6-8 if chosen for the summer season.
- The production will be entered as an associate or participating entry in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (academic year only).
- Guidelines: An original and unpublished work not produced professionally. Running time of production approximately 45-60 minutes, and preferably no more than 8 actors to play all parts. Playwright gives permission to artists to work the script and make it successful and playable for our audiences.
- Submissions: Please submit one copy (in PDF or Word format) of the script by email to: John Wilson at wilson@ucmo.edu Deadline: All script submissions must be received by Wednesday, October 31, 2018.
- Notification: All entrants will be notified of the winner by Friday, December 7, 2018. Please include e-mail address with entry.
The University of Central Missouri Theatre Department has been producing children’s plays for over thirty years in our academic season and in the summer with Central Missouri Repertory. Since our 2001 season, we are now focusing the direction of this program on the production of world-premiere original plays. To support this mission we have established the Theatre For Young Audiences National Playwriting Competition.
Previous winners include:
2001 – Monsters and Me by Kevin Willmott Commendation for Excellence in Makeup/ Hair Design and for Excellence in Costume Design at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival;
2002 – Tails With Tales by J.M. Wilkerson Commendation for Excellence in Costume Design at KCACTF;
2003 – Kalifa’s Amazing Adventures by Nikki Harmon Commendation for Excellence in Costume Design and Sound Design at KCACTF;
2004 – In the YOSE: Tales From Japan by Patricia Montley Selected for Performance at Regional V Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in St Louis; 1st Place Barbizon Award for Lighting Design Excellence at KCACTF; 2nd Place Regional Design/Tech/Expo AND Meritorious Achievement Award – Puppets at KCACTF; Meritorious Achievement Award for scenic/props design and dramaturgy; Student Dramaturgy Award at KCACTF; Kennedy Center National Selection Team Commendations for scenic/props design and three actors;
2005 – Escape From Central Park Zoo by Nikki Harmon; Meritorious Achievement Award for Sound Design and Costume Design at KCACTF;
2006 - A Tale of Two Heroes: The Adventures of El Matador and Flynn the Swashbuckler Music, Lyrics and Book by Sam Stokes 1st Place Barbizon Award for Lighting Design KCACTF Region V, 3rd Place Barbizon Award for Lighting Design KCACTF National Festival, 1st Runner Up Barbizon Award for Costume Design KCACTF Region V.
2007 – Shadow Gets a Black Eye A Karagoz Play by Enver Sayan received seven awards at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. This was more than any production represented in Region V. The awards included stage management, dramaturgy, sound design, scenic design, costume design, puppet design and ensemble performance.
2008 – To the Rescue by Tim Rothwell and Joel Moses received Meritorious Achievement Awards in Costume Design and Sound Design. The costumes were also showcased in the Region V Costume Parade.
2009 – Morgan & the Falcon Prince by Jim Anderson & B.J. Hursh.
2010 – Chance of Rain: A Noah Riff by Kato McNickle.
2011 – Ribbit by Earl Sherburne.
2012 - And We Will Share The Sky by Donna Latham – Finalist for the KCACTF National David Cohen Playwriting Award; received Meritorious Achievement Awards for Costume Design and Millinery Construction.
2013 - A Thai Tale by Nikki Harmon, received Certificates of Merit for Scenic Design, Lighting and Animation Design, Sound Design, Costume Design and Stage Management and 2nd Place Regional Poster and Publicity.
2014 winner – Gustav—The Goose Who Wouldn’t Fly by Matt Fotis.
2016 winner –Not Waving by Richard Manley.
For additional information visit our website at www.ucmo.edu/theatre or contact:
National Playwriting Competition, Department of Theatre & Dance, 113 Martin, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 64093, 660-543-4020.
The 40th Annual Mid-America Theatre Conference
March 7 - 10, 2019
Cleveland Marriot Downtown at Key Center
“INVENTION”
Playwriting Symposium—Call for Proposals
CALL FOR TEN-MINUTE PLAYS
The Playwriting Symposium of the Mid-America Theatre Conference seeks submissions of new, unproduced ten-minute plays by playwrights who wish to participate in our Dramatists Play Lab. All submissions must be received by OCTOBER 1, 2018.
The all-conference theme for our 2019 conference in Cleveland is "Invention.” Whether born of necessity or sheer inspiration, from manifestos to manifestations of our creativity, how do theatres and practitioners design innovate, and invent? How do historians address inventions or invent new histories? How do these inventions reshape our understanding of our histories, practices, and possibilities on the page, the stage, in the archives, and our classrooms? What gizmos, contraptions, and whirligigs, material or abstract, support our curiosity, passion, discoveries, and experimentation? How might a work’s reception be shaped/reshaped through invention?
What inventions are waiting on the horizon? We invite you to explore ways in which we devise, adapt, improvise, and inspire original ideas in our practices, pedagogies, stories, histories, and historiographies. We encourage playwrights to consider the all-conference theme as a springboard to generate plays that problematize traditional stories and structures, although submissions not directly related to the conference theme will be considered as well.
This is a juried event, and while we invite all playwrights to submit, the call for scripts is directed primarily at academic playwrights who are faculty members or graduate students and/or professionals in the field who seek the opportunity to present their work and receive feedback from their peers. First-time conference attendees are welcome to submit! Cleveland is a popular conference site for MATC, so we are particularly eager for your help in spreading the word to playwrights in colleges, universities and professional communities within easy travel distance from our conference site!
The selected plays will be rehearsed and presented as staged readings during the Playwriting Symposium sessions. Each play will have an assigned team of a director, dramaturg, actors and possibly scenographers and stage managers. Each ten-minute play receives limited rehearsal time at the conference. All participants assigned to a given project will have the final script in hand prior to the start of the conference. A small number of additional plays will be selected for cold readings as a part of our annual Fringe Festival. All selected playwrights must register for the conference and are expected to attend rehearsals for their play and participate in a post-reading discussion. Alas, there is no funding from the conference for travel or lodging costs.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Cleveland Marriot Downtown at Key Center
“INVENTION”
Playwriting Symposium—Call for Proposals
CALL FOR TEN-MINUTE PLAYS
The Playwriting Symposium of the Mid-America Theatre Conference seeks submissions of new, unproduced ten-minute plays by playwrights who wish to participate in our Dramatists Play Lab. All submissions must be received by OCTOBER 1, 2018.
The all-conference theme for our 2019 conference in Cleveland is "Invention.” Whether born of necessity or sheer inspiration, from manifestos to manifestations of our creativity, how do theatres and practitioners design innovate, and invent? How do historians address inventions or invent new histories? How do these inventions reshape our understanding of our histories, practices, and possibilities on the page, the stage, in the archives, and our classrooms? What gizmos, contraptions, and whirligigs, material or abstract, support our curiosity, passion, discoveries, and experimentation? How might a work’s reception be shaped/reshaped through invention?
What inventions are waiting on the horizon? We invite you to explore ways in which we devise, adapt, improvise, and inspire original ideas in our practices, pedagogies, stories, histories, and historiographies. We encourage playwrights to consider the all-conference theme as a springboard to generate plays that problematize traditional stories and structures, although submissions not directly related to the conference theme will be considered as well.
This is a juried event, and while we invite all playwrights to submit, the call for scripts is directed primarily at academic playwrights who are faculty members or graduate students and/or professionals in the field who seek the opportunity to present their work and receive feedback from their peers. First-time conference attendees are welcome to submit! Cleveland is a popular conference site for MATC, so we are particularly eager for your help in spreading the word to playwrights in colleges, universities and professional communities within easy travel distance from our conference site!
The selected plays will be rehearsed and presented as staged readings during the Playwriting Symposium sessions. Each play will have an assigned team of a director, dramaturg, actors and possibly scenographers and stage managers. Each ten-minute play receives limited rehearsal time at the conference. All participants assigned to a given project will have the final script in hand prior to the start of the conference. A small number of additional plays will be selected for cold readings as a part of our annual Fringe Festival. All selected playwrights must register for the conference and are expected to attend rehearsals for their play and participate in a post-reading discussion. Alas, there is no funding from the conference for travel or lodging costs.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
- Scripts must be typewritten using Samuel French or similar guidelines with a Times New Roman 12-point font.
- Scripts may not exceed ten minutes in length. We will NOT accept plays with longer run times. Please time your plays prior to submission. A general page estimate for a 10-minute play includes approximately 8-9 pages, although this is clearly not an exact science. Scripts with fast-paced dialogue are often much shorter in time than plays with extensive monologues.
- Due to the nature of the conference, please limit your script to two-four actors. Roles may be doubled within our acting pool, but the symposium can only accommodate a maximum of four actors per script.
- Submitted scripts should bear only the title of the play and NOT the name and address of the author. To ensure blind review, include a separate cover page document with the title of the play, name of the author, address, phone number, email, and university/college, theatre, or state affiliation.
- Playwrights may submit only one (1) 10-minute play script to the conference. Playwrights who submit multiple plays will not be considered. Plays that have been produced or have received readings or workshops prior to the submission date are not eligible for the Symposium. Please note that playwrights may also submit one (1) full-length or one-act play to the Plays-in-Progress initiative under a separate CFP.
- If you are also interested in (or know someone else who is interested in) acting or directing, or serving as a dramaturg, scenographer or stage manager, please apply (or have them apply) under separate cover. There is a separate CFP for those roles. No individual may submit to more than two symposia. This limit is put in place to avoid scheduling conflicts and to provide more individuals the opportunity to present. Please keep in mind, all the activities tied to playwriting and play development are part of a single symposia: Playwriting.
- Submit plays and cover pages by email attachment in PDF format to Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson, Playwriting Symposium Co- Chair (ethib1@uis.edu). Please direct any questions to Eric. Acceptances will be acknowledged by December 2018 or earlier.
CALL FOR FULL-LENGTH AND ONE-ACT PLAYS FOR
THE PLAYS-IN-PROGRESS PROGRAM
The Playwriting Symposium of the Mid-America Theatre Conference seeks submissions of new, unproduced one-act or full-length plays by playwrights who wish to further develop their work through its Plays-in-Progress program. Deadline: October 1, 2018.
This is a juried call to assist in new play development by offering selected playwrights a closed session appointment with a new play dramaturg. The dramaturg – who will also have been vetted – will read the script in advance, offer feedback and engage in discussion with the playwright.
At this time, the Plays-in-Progress program offers no scheduled public reading of the selected full-length and one-act plays during the symposium.
If you have an unproduced one-act or full-length play and would like critical feedback from a dramaturg, please email a proposal document as a .doc or .docx or PDF attachment to Playwriting Co-Chairs Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson (ethib1@uis.edu) and Justin Maxwell (jmaxwell@uno.edu) All proposals must be sent via email and include:
No individual may submit to more than two symposia. This limit is put in place to avoid scheduling conflicts and to provide more individuals the opportunity to present. Please keep in mind, all the activities tied to playwriting and play development are part of a single symposia: Playwriting.
Please direct any questions to Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson at ethib1@uis.edu
Acceptance for the Plays-in-Progress program will be acknowledged by December 2018 or earlier.
THE PLAYS-IN-PROGRESS PROGRAM
The Playwriting Symposium of the Mid-America Theatre Conference seeks submissions of new, unproduced one-act or full-length plays by playwrights who wish to further develop their work through its Plays-in-Progress program. Deadline: October 1, 2018.
This is a juried call to assist in new play development by offering selected playwrights a closed session appointment with a new play dramaturg. The dramaturg – who will also have been vetted – will read the script in advance, offer feedback and engage in discussion with the playwright.
At this time, the Plays-in-Progress program offers no scheduled public reading of the selected full-length and one-act plays during the symposium.
If you have an unproduced one-act or full-length play and would like critical feedback from a dramaturg, please email a proposal document as a .doc or .docx or PDF attachment to Playwriting Co-Chairs Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson (ethib1@uis.edu) and Justin Maxwell (jmaxwell@uno.edu) All proposals must be sent via email and include:
- A ten-page sample from the play in .doc or .docx or PDF format. Please do not send the entire play. Only one (1) full-length or one-act play will be considered per playwright. Please note that playwrights may submit to both the Dramatists Play Lab and Plays-in-Progress.
- A one-page plot synopsis.
- A one-page statement identifying your goals for your session.
- Your name and academic affiliation (if any).
- Your contact information.
No individual may submit to more than two symposia. This limit is put in place to avoid scheduling conflicts and to provide more individuals the opportunity to present. Please keep in mind, all the activities tied to playwriting and play development are part of a single symposia: Playwriting.
Please direct any questions to Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson at ethib1@uis.edu
Acceptance for the Plays-in-Progress program will be acknowledged by December 2018 or earlier.
CALL FOR ACTORS, STAGE MANAGERS, DIRECTORS, SCENOGRAPHERS AND DRAMATURGS
The Playwriting Symposium of the Mid-America Theatre Conference seeks Actors, Stage Managers, Directors, Scenographers and Dramaturgs who wish to participate in our juried new play Dramatists Lab. Selected participants will collaborate to present staged readings of new ten-minute plays at the conference during the Playwriting Symposium sessions.
For the 2019 meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, MATC takes on the theme of "Invention." Whether born of necessity or sheer inspiration, from manifestos to manifestations of our creativity, how do theatres and practitioners design, innovate, and invent? How do historians address inventions or invent new histories? How do these inventions reshape our understanding of our histories, practices, and possibilities on the page, the stage, in the archives, and our classrooms? What gizmos, contraptions, and whirligigs, material or abstract, support our curiosity, passion, discoveries, and experimentation? How might a work’s reception be shaped/reshaped through
invention? What inventions are waiting on the horizon?
The call for Actors, Stage Managers, Directors, Scenographers and Dramaturgs is directed primarily at academic theatre artists who are faculty members or graduate students and/or professionals in the field who seek the opportunity to participate in New Play Development alongside their peers. However undergraduates with a faculty member who will write a recommendation for them are welcome to apply! And, first-time conference attendees, please know that we welcome your applications in any of these areas as well!
Since we are meeting in Cleveland this year, we hope that theatre artists in the region will help us spread the word to colleagues in both academic and professional theatres within the reach of the conference. The selected plays will be rehearsed and performed as staged readings. Each ten-minute play receives limited rehearsal time at the conference and all participants assigned to a given project will have the final script in hand prior to the start of the conference. All theatre artists who are selected must register for the conference. Alas, there is no funding from the conference for travel or lodging costs. You MAY submit in MORE than one category.
ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED by OCTOBER 1, 2018. Acceptance will be acknowledged by early January 2019. Please direct all questions to Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson at ethib1@uis.edu
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
ACTORS:
Please submit a recent headshot or recent photo (jpg), a resume or bio, and a brief letter describing the types of roles you usually play. Tell us, too, if you have any experience working with new plays or being involved in staged readings. Approximately two roles are assigned to each actor. NOTE: A second call for actors will go out in mid-January after the plays and other MATC conference papers have been chosen, but actors who respond to the first call will be given preference.
STAGE MANAGERS:
For the second year in a row, we are seeking a maximum of Four (4) Stage Managers to assist the Dramatists Lab in communication with the teams assigned to each script, coordination of our staggered rehearsal schedule on site, execution of SM duties during rehearsals plus preparation and breakdown of the space for each staged reading during the symposium. Applicants can include undergraduates in a BFA Stage Management program or undergraduates in a BA theatre program with significant stage management experience. In either case we ask for a recommendation from your academic advisor to signal your readiness to take on the responsibility. Please submit a resume or CV detailing stage management experience and a one-page (or less) letter describing your approach to stage-managing work. If you are an undergrad, again, please include a brief note from the academic advisor in your BFA or BA program, supporting your application.
SCENOGRAPHERS:
We are especially eager to expand our pool of applicants for scenographers! Please submit a resume or CV detailing scenic design experience and a one-page (or less) letter describing your approach to designing new work. Also please attach two samples of your design work in the form of sketches or renderings. NOTE: We are still growing the "visual dramaturgy" aspect of our Dramatists Lab and hope that you will help us spread the word to your scenography colleagues and contacts in academic and professional communities so that we can offer scenography sketches for a larger number of plays in the symposium.
DIRECTORS:
Please submit a resume or CV detailing directing experience and a one-page (or less) letter describing your experience and approach to directing and developing new work. In your letter, it is imperative that you describe the types of work you are drawn to as a director because we strive to match each script to a director interested in that genre or style.
DRAMATURGS:
Please submit a resume or CV and a one-page (or less) letter describing your dramaturgy experience, both with new work and in other capacities. Again, it is imperative that you describe the kinds of projects you might find interesting to explore at this conference as we strive to match dramaturgs with appropriate projects. Please indicate whether or not you are also interested in participating in the Plays-In-Progress initiative. For a description of the initiative, please see the Plays-in-Progress CFP.
No individual may submit to more than two symposia. This limit is put in place to avoid scheduling conflicts and to provide more individuals the opportunity to present. Please keep in mind, all the activities tied to playwriting and play development are part of a single symposia: Playwriting. Submit by email only (Word .doc or .docx or PDF) as follows:
Actors and Stage Managers: Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson, Co-Chair at ethib1@uis.edu
Directors and Scenographers: Justin Maxwell, Co-Chair at jmaxwell@uno.edu
Dramaturgs: Aaron Scully at aaronscully76@gmail.com
The Playwriting Symposium of the Mid-America Theatre Conference seeks Actors, Stage Managers, Directors, Scenographers and Dramaturgs who wish to participate in our juried new play Dramatists Lab. Selected participants will collaborate to present staged readings of new ten-minute plays at the conference during the Playwriting Symposium sessions.
For the 2019 meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, MATC takes on the theme of "Invention." Whether born of necessity or sheer inspiration, from manifestos to manifestations of our creativity, how do theatres and practitioners design, innovate, and invent? How do historians address inventions or invent new histories? How do these inventions reshape our understanding of our histories, practices, and possibilities on the page, the stage, in the archives, and our classrooms? What gizmos, contraptions, and whirligigs, material or abstract, support our curiosity, passion, discoveries, and experimentation? How might a work’s reception be shaped/reshaped through
invention? What inventions are waiting on the horizon?
The call for Actors, Stage Managers, Directors, Scenographers and Dramaturgs is directed primarily at academic theatre artists who are faculty members or graduate students and/or professionals in the field who seek the opportunity to participate in New Play Development alongside their peers. However undergraduates with a faculty member who will write a recommendation for them are welcome to apply! And, first-time conference attendees, please know that we welcome your applications in any of these areas as well!
Since we are meeting in Cleveland this year, we hope that theatre artists in the region will help us spread the word to colleagues in both academic and professional theatres within the reach of the conference. The selected plays will be rehearsed and performed as staged readings. Each ten-minute play receives limited rehearsal time at the conference and all participants assigned to a given project will have the final script in hand prior to the start of the conference. All theatre artists who are selected must register for the conference. Alas, there is no funding from the conference for travel or lodging costs. You MAY submit in MORE than one category.
ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED by OCTOBER 1, 2018. Acceptance will be acknowledged by early January 2019. Please direct all questions to Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson at ethib1@uis.edu
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
ACTORS:
Please submit a recent headshot or recent photo (jpg), a resume or bio, and a brief letter describing the types of roles you usually play. Tell us, too, if you have any experience working with new plays or being involved in staged readings. Approximately two roles are assigned to each actor. NOTE: A second call for actors will go out in mid-January after the plays and other MATC conference papers have been chosen, but actors who respond to the first call will be given preference.
STAGE MANAGERS:
For the second year in a row, we are seeking a maximum of Four (4) Stage Managers to assist the Dramatists Lab in communication with the teams assigned to each script, coordination of our staggered rehearsal schedule on site, execution of SM duties during rehearsals plus preparation and breakdown of the space for each staged reading during the symposium. Applicants can include undergraduates in a BFA Stage Management program or undergraduates in a BA theatre program with significant stage management experience. In either case we ask for a recommendation from your academic advisor to signal your readiness to take on the responsibility. Please submit a resume or CV detailing stage management experience and a one-page (or less) letter describing your approach to stage-managing work. If you are an undergrad, again, please include a brief note from the academic advisor in your BFA or BA program, supporting your application.
SCENOGRAPHERS:
We are especially eager to expand our pool of applicants for scenographers! Please submit a resume or CV detailing scenic design experience and a one-page (or less) letter describing your approach to designing new work. Also please attach two samples of your design work in the form of sketches or renderings. NOTE: We are still growing the "visual dramaturgy" aspect of our Dramatists Lab and hope that you will help us spread the word to your scenography colleagues and contacts in academic and professional communities so that we can offer scenography sketches for a larger number of plays in the symposium.
DIRECTORS:
Please submit a resume or CV detailing directing experience and a one-page (or less) letter describing your experience and approach to directing and developing new work. In your letter, it is imperative that you describe the types of work you are drawn to as a director because we strive to match each script to a director interested in that genre or style.
DRAMATURGS:
Please submit a resume or CV and a one-page (or less) letter describing your dramaturgy experience, both with new work and in other capacities. Again, it is imperative that you describe the kinds of projects you might find interesting to explore at this conference as we strive to match dramaturgs with appropriate projects. Please indicate whether or not you are also interested in participating in the Plays-In-Progress initiative. For a description of the initiative, please see the Plays-in-Progress CFP.
No individual may submit to more than two symposia. This limit is put in place to avoid scheduling conflicts and to provide more individuals the opportunity to present. Please keep in mind, all the activities tied to playwriting and play development are part of a single symposia: Playwriting. Submit by email only (Word .doc or .docx or PDF) as follows:
Actors and Stage Managers: Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson, Co-Chair at ethib1@uis.edu
Directors and Scenographers: Justin Maxwell, Co-Chair at jmaxwell@uno.edu
Dramaturgs: Aaron Scully at aaronscully76@gmail.com