Contests are one of the best ways for a new playwright to break into the industry.
Here’s why:
Newcomers in any field always have to overcome their lack of experience in order to get taken seriously.
And this can be especially difficult in playwriting, if only because of the fact that the number of new plays getting produced is relatively limited. (There are only so many theaters, and they can only do so many productions, and only so many of those productions will be new work.)
Sometimes, as a new playwright, it might feel like no one will even give your work a serious thought.
Here’s where contests come in.
Contests are an easy way to have your work read and considered by industry professionals. After all, they wouldn’t hold a contest if they didn’t want to get exposed to new work!
And if you manage to win or place in a contest, that’s a fantastic way to gain instant credibility.
Keep in mind, that credibility is yours forever! Even after you move on to a new play, you can always add “Winner of XYZ contest” in your query letters to theaters in the future.
And I haven’t even touched on the more direct benefits of winning a contest, such as money, readings, industry exposure, and so on.
Winning or placing in a contest will often generate interest from industry professionals which can absolutely lead to future development possibilities (readings, workshops) and/or a full-scale production.
Remember, at PSH we offer the most comprehensive and up-to-date listing of playwriting contests available anywhere.
I highly recommend submitting your play to as many contests as possible!
(As long as your work meets the criteria, of course.)
