The most common rejection in theater is one that happens before you ever hit "Send."
It happens quietly at your desk. You find a promising submission listing, feel a flicker of interest... and then talk yourself out of it.
"They probably want something edgier."
"My play runs 100 minutes and they prefer 90."
"They seem to produce bigger names than me."
And just like that, a play that might have been a real contender never leaves your hard drive.
This is the self-rejection problem. Not every playwright falls into it; but after years of doing this, I've seen it sink plenty of opportunities. And it's worth knowing about, if only to make sure it never happens to you.
The most important thing to remember is this: saying no is the theater's job. Not yours.
Sure, there may be times when you decide not to apply because you (or your work) don't meet certain hard rules. If a submission opportunity states: "90 pages maximum," "No musicals," "One submission per playwright," "Must be a resident of Ohio," or something similar--then yes, definitely heed those rules.
But not all submission guidelines are hard rules. Some are wishlists: "We gravitate toward contemporary stories" is not a ban on your historical drama. "We prefer casts of six or fewer" does not mean "We will not read your seven-character play."
Those wishlists might mean your play isn't a perfect fit. But plenty of produced plays sat just outside the stated preferences of the theater that staged them.
Besides, you don't know what holes a theater might have in their upcoming season. Maybe that theater that gravitates toward contemporary stories has filled all of next year's slots with contemporary plays, and needs something different as a change of pace. Or maybe they just hired a new literary manager with different taste.
So the next time you're on the fence about a near-fit opportunity, don't reject yourself. Send it out, and give yourself the opportunity to succeed that you deserve.