Here’s something most playwrights never think about when they hit “submit”:
Your cast size is doing half the talking for you.
Before a literary manager even reads your first line of dialogue, they’ve already glanced at your character list. And if your play calls for 14 actors with a dog and a live marching band… well, you can probably guess what happens next.
It’s not that ambitious plays don’t get produced. They do. But theaters are working with real budgets, real rehearsal spaces, and real scheduling constraints. And a play that requires fewer resources is simply easier to say YES to–especially for a playwright they haven’t worked with before.
This doesn’t mean you should water down your vision. It means you should be strategic about where you send what.
A few things worth considering:
* Before submitting, look at the theater’s recent seasons. How large were those casts? That can say a lot.
* If your play has a big cast, target theaters with ensemble companies or educational programs. They’re actively looking for plays with more roles to fill.
* If you’ve written a tight two-hander or a small-cast play, don’t underestimate its value. Smaller plays are genuinely in demand at most mid-size and small theaters, especially for second stages and studio spaces.
* Consider noting any doubling possibilities in your character description. A 10-character play that can be performed by 5 actors is a very different conversation for a producer.
None of this is about compromising your art. It’s about understanding the practical reality on the other side of that submission portal…and matching your work to the theaters most likely to champion it.
That kind of strategic thinking is exactly what we try to help with at Play Submissions Helper. Our curated monthly list doesn’t just give you opportunities; it helps you find the *right* opportunities for the work you’re already writing.