Here are 23 play submissions opportunities that have August deadlines, with prizes up to $10,000! There is something for everyone: from 10-minute play submissions right up to full-length play submissions.
*** If you are not yet a subscriber and wish you saw this post earlier, sign up on the right to receive notifications via email that a new blog post is up to make sure you don’t miss important deadlines!
| Name | Length | Nature of Opportunity | Deadline | Location | Add’l Info |
| Philadelphia Missionary Baptist Church | 10 mins | Theme: “Steadfast and Immovable.” Pieces should be PG to PG-13 (but no cursing, sex or sexual innuendos, and/or gambling of any kind). Playwrights must produce. | 7/31/18 | Merriam, Kansas | n/a |
| American Shakespeare Center | 2(ish) hrs | Looking for submissions that are inspired by or in conversation with Othello; Henry IV, Part 2; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; or Cymbeline. | 8/1/18 | Staunton, Virginia | n/a |
| Ensemble Studio Theatre | max 30 mins | Script which has not been reviewed in New York. | 8/1/18 | NYC | n/a |
| Pride Films & Plays | 60+ mins | New musical theatre with LGBTQ+ characters or themes. All musical and dramatic styles welcome. | 8/1/18 | Chicago | Fee: $20 Prize: $250 |
| The Tank / LIT Council | n/s | Development intensive for male playwrights of color. LGBTQ and cis-gendered males equally encouraged to apply. | 8/3/18 | NYC | n/a |
| Nylon Fusion Theatre Co | 10 mins | Theme: Can You TOUCH Me? | 8/8/18 | NYC | n/a |
| Native Voices at the Autry | Full Length | Plays by Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations playwrights addressing all themes and topics. | 8/10/18 | Los Angeles, California | n/a |
| Urbanite Theatre | 60-95 mins | Emerging & established female & female-identifying playwrights. US residents only. Plays must have an equal or greater representation of women, both in quantity & quality of roles. | 8/12/18 | Sarasota, Florida | Fee: $20 Prize: $5,000 |
| Little Black Dress Ink | Less than 10 mins | Female playwrights. Plays and monologues. Theme: Swimming With Giants | 8/15/18 | Prescott, Arizona | n/a |
| Sundog Theatre | 60-90 mins | Radio plays. | 8/15/18 | n/a | No Fee |
| Yale Drama Series | Full Length | Emerging playwrights. Int’l submissions ok. Original, unpublished plays. | 8/15/18 | New Haven, Connecticut | No Fee Prize: $10,000 |
Do You Want to Quickly & Easily Submit Your Play to Over 400 Contests & Theaters? What you see on this free blog is just a small sample of what’s available in the member’s area. You will save hours of research time and dramatically increase your odds of getting a production. I personally update these opportunities every month, so you’ll never waste time sending your play to an uninterested theater. Plus, you’ll get regular emails with brand-new opportunities! Click here to sign up & see the master list of 400+ theaters!
| |||||
| New Light Theater Project | Full Length | Original, unpublished and unproduced plays. Playwrights must be NYC-based. | 8/17/18 | NYC | No Fee |
| Caltech Theater | 80-120 mins | Science-driven plays, never before published or professionally produced. The playwright must live in the greater Los Angeles area. | 8/21/18 | Pasadena, California | n/a |
| Cary Playwrights Forum | 10 mins | New, original plays from writers who reside in NC. Plays must be set within the patron area of a bar or restaurant. Adult content of scripts should be no more than PG-13. | 8/25/18 | Cary, North Carolina | n/a |
| Little Wonder Short Radio Plays Competition | 10-15 mins | 1600-2000-word full cast audio dramas (10-15 mins) written in English. Open to anyone aged 16 or over from anywhere in the world. | 8/30/18 | Paris | No Fee |
| Little Wonder Short Radio Plays Competition | 10-15 mins | Same as the above opportunity (instructions specific for BAME and LGBTQ+ writers: Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, pansexual, 2-spirited, or asexual.) | 8/30/18 | Paris | No Fee |
| American Blues Theater | Full Length | Original, unpublished plays. Int’l submissions ok. Adaptations ok. | 8/31/18 | Chicago | Fee: $5 Prize: $1,000 |
| Pipedream Productions | 10-15 mins | “The audience will be blindfolded; therefore, the play will be read to an audience in total darkness.” | 8/31/18 | Denver, Colorado | n/a |
| Queens Theatre | 3-10 mins | Plays on all subjects by writers with disabilities OR plays by any writer which feature a character or characters with a phsyical or mental disability. | 8/31/18 | Queens, New York | n/a |
| The Gallery Players | 10-60 mins | Plays must be un-produced. Readings are ok. Must be the play’s world premiere. | 8/31/18 | Brooklyn, New York | n/a |
| Yellow Rose Productions | Full Length, One Act | Female playwrights only. Original works, not have been previously produced or fully staged. | 8/31/18 | Knoxville, Tennessee | Fee: $20, $28 Prize: TBD |
| Playwrights Offering Free Feedback | Full Length | Full-length trade program. You must read a play and give feedback, and in return will have an opp to send a play and get feedback from other playwright. | Year Round | n/a | n/a |
| Trade A Play Tuesday | 10 mins | Send in 10-min play and get same-day feedback. You must also read another playwright’s work and give feedback. | Year Round | n/a | n/a |
Want to see more opps, just like those listed in this blog post?? Click here to secure your full-membership now!
Remember, as a member you’ll get all sorts of extra benefits, including:
- The full, up-to-date listing of 400+ theaters that are looking for new plays
- Regular emails of new play submission opportunities with year-round and hard deadlines
- Access to over $10,000 in prize & content money
Here’s what your fellow playwrights have to say about their membership:
“Many playwriting groups recommended you! Thanks for the good work.”
-Jack Peterson, Playwright
“The best source I’ve found for contests & information about new play opportunities.”
-Leroy Clark, Author of Practical Playwriting and Writing for the Stage
“What a terrific bargain and time-saver. If you write, you need PSH. Simple. Just do it. It prompts you to keep circulating your labors of love, talent, and insights.“
-F. Lynne, Playwright & Actor
“My membership has been a tremendous help.”
-Tom Parks, Playwright