Ongoing submission Opportunities

This page contains information about opportunities with no deadline, as submitted to us by theatre companies or which come to our attention as a newer opportunity. Please check the theatre company's Web site whenever possible before submitting to verify current information. Newest opportunities are placed at the top of the page.

For deadline opportunities and newer ongoing opportunities, please subscribe to the PCSF newsletter.

Updated 11/19/23

Theatres are listed alphabetically. Ongoing opps may be withdrawn at any time. Always check the theatre website.

Almost Adults Productions

Almost Adults Productions is looking for 10-15 minute LGBTQ+ themed plays for an ongoing reading series to be presented on Zoom.

Writers do not have to be LGBTQ+ identified, but their material should be thematically relevant to the queer community.

There is no requirement for premiere status. Writers will be asked to participate in the production of their reading but Almost Adults can help out wherever needed. At least one rehearsal will be required prior to each reading. There is no deadline for submissions as they will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Send plays as Word or PDF documents to Aaron Leventman at: writingcoachsf (at) gmail (dot) com. Questions may be sent to this address as well. Writers may send up to three plays and will be notified within one month of submission.

We are also looking for actors and directors for this series. Please send an email if interested in participating.


Audible Audio Theater

Audible is committed to granting at least 50% of emerging playwright commissions to artists of color and women.

Submission Guidelines: To be considered as an applicant for a commission, please submit all of the following to AudibleTheater(at)audible.com:

  • One full-length script for an original or adapted play (in English language only) that represents your voice ("Script"). The Script can be in any genre and may include one-acts and solo pieces;
  • A short biography; and,
  • A brief statement about why audio plays appeal to you.

If you have an idea for an original audio play, you are welcome to include a pitch or summary along with your statement (this is encouraged, but not required). In your submission, please indicate where you heard about the Fund.

Link to Audible Audio Theater


Aurora Theatre Company *local*

Aurora Theatre Company does *not* accept unsolicited script submissions. Queries only. For more information, visit Aurora website.


B-8 *local*

"Be Home with B8's Inspire: New Works" series seeks new works. B8 Theatre Company is currently accepting submissions for original plays, short stories, poems, and songs of any length to be presented on-line in a "readers' theatre" format for a monthly one- or two-hour program of readings via Zoom. Prefer plays with strong potential to become fully staged productions in the future. As a small company, B8 appreciates plays suitable for 1-8 actors. Stipends will be provided for playwrights, directors, and actors.

Prefer works that inspire action, change, speaking out, growth, empowerment, hope, courage, and love. B-8 is strongly committed to producing works by artists of color, LGBTQIA+, anti-racist, feminist, and anti-ableist artists.

No deadline. Please send submissions, comments, and questions to janlee (at) b8theatre (dot) org.


The Big Break

The Big Break is seeking 10-minute play submissions to be considered for their curated festival of eight short one act plays. Selected plays will be directed by a SAG professional and be performed by The Big Break's repertory of actors.

Seeking Ten-Minute Stage Plays – or Short Film Scripts that can be staged as Plays – for unscripted competition Web-Series about producing the plays themselves.  

Plays should be one act (10-12 pages/10-15 minutes in length) with 1-4 characters to be taped in three-camera TV style.

All genres accepted – holiday element a plus. All writers are welcome to submit (WGA or non-WGA, Equity or non-Equity) Please fill out the submission form and include: Play Title, logline, genre, setting, page count and a few other elements about your play. Deadline: ongoing

Link to The Big Break opp website


Black Sun Lit digital vestiges seeks plays for publication

Black Sun Lit accepts 100 submissions per month. digital vestiges is an online series of fragments and ephemera. Black Sun (generally) reads submissions for digital vestiges year-round, accepts only previously unpublished work, and allows simultaneous submissions in the good faith that the writer promptly notifies us if their work has been accepted elsewhere. For consideration, please submit—in one file—either 1–5 works of prose (no more than 5,000 words), up to 5 poems (no more than ten pages), or 1 essay (3,500–5,000 words).

We are also open to translations, interviews, and/or works of drama, and enjoy debate on any artistic endeavor as it relates to our mission statement.

Link to Black Sun Lit details


Black Revolutionary Theatre Workshop

Melanated Mondays seeks Work by Black Playwrights

Black Revolutionary Theatre Workshop is looking for work from Black writers to be performed at our monthly virtual event, Melanated Mondays.

Each month, Black Revolutionary Theatre Workshop curates a selection of new works by the hottest up-and-coming Black writers around a new theme. On the 3rd Monday of each month, BRTW's ensemble brings these pieces to life and facilitates a community conversation about the underlying societal issues highlighted in the pieces and potential solutions to those challenges. We partner with organizers, educators, and organizations to share key avenues of civic engagement we all can undertake to make our communities more just and equitable.

The Details:

  • Submissions should be no more than 20 minutes in length and can be a complete (short) work or a segment of a larger work. The work must be by a Black writer/ Black writing team
  • The work explicitly impacts Black people The work deals with an aspect of social justice
  • The work fits within that month's theme or genre. (See Melanated Monday themes)
  • Writers whose work is shared will be paid a $25 honorarium.
  • While Black Revolutionary Theatre Workshop is predominately dedicated to theatre, we also accept poetry, short story, and screenplay submissions. Submissions do not have to be a completely polished work, but should be ready to be shared with an audience.

Submit your work to Melanated Mondays.

Questions? Contact meredith (at) thebrtw (dot) org.


Bob Galley (audio plays)

Bob Galley in Yeppoon, Australia, is looking for short scripts to broadcast on his show on an FM radio station there. Maximum 20 minutes,  5 characters.

Contact Bob at bob-g (at) bigpond (dot) net (dot) au.


The Braid Seeks Jewish Stories

Deadline - various.

The Braid produces Jewish stories On Stage or in a Short Film; Professional and Non-professional writers welcome! Send your first-person narratives (monologue), poems, songs or essays!

Link to The Braid website

City Lights

Theater Filament Series (Bay Area residence requirement).

The Filament Series gives promising new plays by local playwrights a workshop play-reading production, followed by an audience talk back session in which audiences give the artists feedback on the show.

Potential plays are reviewed and are selected on a competitive basis. City Lights secures the actors and director for the piece, and the playwright is closely involved with casting decisions and rehearsals. The public play readings are one-night-only performances held on selected nights throughout City Lights' season. Please note that only plays written by residents of California's greater Bay Area are eligible for consideration in the New Play Readers Series.

Link to City Lights opp website


Door Is A Jar Magazine

Seeks super-short plays.

Deadline: ongoing

Prize: Publication online and printed magazine

Founded in 2015, Door is a Jar Magazine is an online publication of poetry, short fiction, nonfiction, drama and artwork. Our publication focuses on writing that is accessible for all readers. We publish well-crafted writing that has cadence, personality, and uses familiar language to take readers on a journey.

Information/Guidelines:

  • Not to exceed 2 pages according to Submittable page, but in Guideline page, not to exceed 5 pages
  • Can submit 2 plays
  • Conversational with use of familiar language
  • Follow standard American format
  • New, unpublished works (note: if you posted your work in social media, or website, it is considered published)
  • Please read more of Door is a Jar guidelines.

Door is a Jar Submission Page


East-West Players

Ethnicity requirements

Manuscripts are now being accepted via email. Scripts should be emailed to literary@eastwestplayers.org. Emailed versions of scripts are preferred. Scripts should be submitted in a PDF format and must include the following:

  • A cover sheet, including your name, address, telephone number, website and email address.
  • A theatrical resume (two pages max) listing major productions, workshops, readings, commissions, publications, awards, etc., as well as education and training information.
  • A 100 word max synopsis of the play. Due to the large volume of submissions we will only reach out to playwrights whose work we are interested in.

No deadline given.

Link to East West website


Eclectic Full Contact Theatre

Seeks Short Plays (gender/ethnicity/sexual orientation considerations)

No deadline given.

Eclectic Full Contact Theatre is seeking submissions for an upcoming monthly podcast highlighting audio scripts from primarily women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ authors. They are seeking shows between 10-30 minutes long, on any subject, any genre. There will be pay. They are also seeking playwrights who may be interested in collaborating on serialized audio show concepts presently in development. Please send submissions/queries to info (at) eclectic-theatre (dot) com.


Elephant Ears

Elephant Ears seeks full lengths for developmental readings.

Deadline: ongoing

Have your play be read by actors; recording of the reading and feedback will be given to the playwright.

Elephant Room Productions brings the audience into a room to interact with a metaphorical elephant, a topic the vast majority of the world refuses to talk about, to engage and personalize the issue and ultimately become a part of a discourse that will continue well beyond our walls.

Information/Guidelines:

  • Elephant Ears Reading Series (EERS) will choose one play for Philadelphia and one for New York each month.
  • EERS is a process-oriented program for playwrights.
  • At Elephant Ears, we aim to get shows read out loud in a private setting early so that playwrights can use their time more efficiently while crafting their new work.
  • Any playwright is welcome to submit their show to EERS. Submission & Inquiry Email: submissions(at)elephantroomproductions.com

Link to EERS website


Finborough Theatre Seeks Full-Lengths

Unsolicited scripts from anywhere in the world at any time of the year. International playwrights should submit *developed* plays because of distance and time constraints. Plays must be in English. They want your fourth draft and not the first.

No deadline.

Full info and how to submit:
Link to Finborough website


Frequency Theater Seeks Audio Short Plays

New & established playwrights welcome.

10-20 minutes running time.

Audio scripts only.

Link to Frequency opp website

Gemini Magazine

Note: There are specific contests for short story, flash fiction, and poetry that are open around the world with entry fees. You can also submit for publication, not for contests. For plays, submission is open year-round and not a contest.

Deadline: ongoing
Prize: $20 per published piece

Descriptions: Gemini Magazine welcomes all writers and artists since 2009. They have no rules or restrictions on writing style or content. They don't want to set any boundaries thus, a clean, simple selection process: If it strikes a chord with them, they will print it.

Information/Guidelines:
1. Short play, any style
2. previously unpublished
3. Paste in the body of the email or attach a .doc file.

Gemini magazine website

Submission Email: submit (at) gemini-magazine.com


Golden Thread *local*

Golden Thread produces passionate and provocative plays from and about the Middle East that celebrate the multiplicity of its perspectives and identities. We are a developmental catalyst and vibrant artistic home to artists at various stages of their careers. We bring the Middle East to the American stage, creating treasured cultural experiences for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

No deadline given.

Submission guidlines
  • Plays by playwrights of Middle Eastern heritage on any topic 
  • Plays about the Middle East by playwrights of any cultural heritage 
  • Plays must be in English 
  • Complete the Full-length Play Submission Form and upload a pdf of your play to the form 
  • We will only contact playwrights whose plays are under consideration for reading and/or production.
Link to opp website

Lorraine Hansberry Theater *local*

  • This competition is restricted to scripts written in the English language.
  • No deadline.
  • The script must address a social issue(s) in a comedic way and have a hopeful ending
  • The script must have at least two African American women characters, one of whom is at least 40 years old.
  • The script must have at least one scene where two females have a conversation that is not focused on men.

Lorraine Hansberry Theatre opp info


Magic Theatre *local*

"Local" playwright is defined as residing within the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma).

We no longer accept query packages or musicals. We only accept full-length plays. Please submit full-length scripts as PDF documents.

Link to Magic Theatre website


Masque & Spectacle Seeks 10-Minute Plays for Publication

Does not accept previously published work, and wants First Electronic Rights and Non-Exclusive Archival Rights upon acceptance. No pay. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.

Submission window: November 1 – January 31 and May 1 – July 31.

Submit 10-minute plays (up to ~10 pages in length). While traditional plays are welcome, we are particularly interested in innovative and/or interdisciplinary texts that break new ground, either in relation to their subject matter, or in how the text itself is performed/written/represented on stage.

HOW TO SUBMIT: Playwrights may submit one previously unpublished 10-minute play for consideration. The script should be accompanied by a cover letter, which includes name, address, phone number, and email address. Proper playwriting format should be used. If you are uncertain about this format, several examples can be found online. Send drama submissions to masqueandspectacle(at)gmail.com. Attach written submissions in a single Word doc or docx file, and include the word "DRAMA" in the email subject line.

Link to Masque & Spectacle website

Mendocino Theatre Company (audio plays)

Mendocino Theatre Company's One-Minute Radio Theatre is a project for the community and we want all voices to be heard! Plays can be in English or Spanish. There's no fee for submission and there is no cash award if your play is chosen; all our actors and directors give their time free of charge.

The play may not contain the "seven dirty words", which are prohibited by the FCC. Play must be totally original and the author's own work.   

Please submit your one-minute play (app. 150-170 words, for 1-3 actors) in the body of an email (no attachments, to education@mendocinotheatre.org with the subject "MTC One-Minute Play: [Title of your play]". Include your full name, contact information, and a brief, 50-word bio. You may submit as many one-minute plays as you wish, but only one submission per email, please.
         
Selected plays are presented on Mendocino Public Radio stations.


The No Sleep Horror Podcast seeks scripts (audio plays)

Seeking submissions ideally between 20 and 40 minutes, and with 2 or more characters, with more being preferable.

Please include a word count with your script, and a spoiler-free list of characters with speaking roles. If you're new to scriptwriting and you'd like an example of how to structure and format an audio-only script, you can download an example.

Link to details at No Sleep website

 


Panglossian Productions

Seeks plays for podcast.

Panglossian Productions seeks short and full-length plays.

Panglossian produces both ten-minute and full-length plays in podcast form. You may submit full-length plays in progress to Panglossian or short plays to Panglossian.

No deadline given, no pay.


Petaluma Radio Players *local*

Seeking 30 minute and 60 minute Radio Plays and Radio Plays in series, or stage plays that can easily be adapted to radio. All genres including comedies, dramas, thrillers, historical fiction, adventure, noir and more. No long monologues. Send your script as either a Word file or pdf file to: info(at) petalumaradioplayers.com. In your Subject line, please write: 'SUBMISSION'.

Notes may be given to the playwright.

$100 payment.

No deadline given.

Link to Petaluma Radio Players opp


Play by Play *local*

Would you like to have a play read? We will be doing readings on the fourth Sundays of March, April, May, and June. We are particularly looking for good parts for women, and plays with at least two ethnic groups. We are reading only one- acts at this time. We hope to present a production of several one-acts.

We read plays aloud and discuss each play. Attendees are invited to participate or simply listen. There is no charge. Unfortunately, our theatre is not accessible; there is a long flight of stairs.

Contact Judith Offer with any questions: joffer (at) juno (dot) com


Play Publishers Seek Plays

A number of play publishers are seeking plays to offer to theaters.

Link to 15 play publishers

Powerstories Theatre

Seeks 20-90 minute Plays for Live Streaming

Note: DIY self-producing: casting, directing, and mounting the show.

Submissions must be congruent with the mission of Powerstories Theatre – staging true stories to open minds and hearts. The playwright must be willing to have their play live-streamed and be available for a playwright talkback either in-person (if produced in theatre) or on Zoom (if prerecorded).

Link to Powerstories website


Rose Theatre

Comedy Monologues Sought

Submit comedy monologues, 2-4 minutes. Rolling deadlines.

Link to Rose Theatre submissions


Shoestring Radio Radio Drama Program

Prize: Production of your play; air on national public radio stations; and a copy of the production.

"Shoestring Radio Theatre is a nationally-syndicated radio drama program featuring original radio plays by contemporary writers as well as adaptations of traditional favorites — everything from classic murder mysteries, "radio noir," and historical dramas to contemporary comedies, thrillers, and science fiction.

  1. Radio drama scripts should include only things you can hear—i.e. dialogue, sound effects and music cues (stings, transitions, etc.).
  2. We are always looking for good, original radio plays of any genre. We have produced dozens of scripts submitted by writers from all over the world who originally found us on the web.
  3. Radio drama scripts should also include a synopsis of the story, and a cast list of characters.
  4. Accepting 25-28 minute plays (which air in one part) and 50-56 minute plays (which air in two parts). Also accepting shorts, which can be up to 10 minutes in length.
  5. Submit in Word, PDF and Text files.

Link to Shoestring website


Sloan Initiative seeks Scripts and Proposals (STEM theme requirement)

Deadline: Rolling.

Full-length plays surrounding themes of math, science, or technology. No science fiction, please.

Examples of plays they've supported include David Auburn's Proof, Charlotte Jones's Humble Boy, andThe Other Place by Sharr White.

Link to opp website


Stories Found (audio plays)

Looking for:
  • A comedy. It can be a farce, satire, romantic comedy, even a dramedy. Any kind of comedy is fine, it just needs to be funny.
  • Around 10 minutes. We're not sticklers on this, but we love a good ten-minute comedy!
  • No more than four characters.
  • Must be suitable for audio production This will be an audio performance, not a staged reading, so your script can't rely on stage directions, visual gags, or physical movement. The story should be understandable with the just the characters' lines and sound effects. An SFX list or notes in the script are always appreciated!
  • Our audio engineer will review your script and add additional sounds to help bring your story to life, but he loves to have a basic starting point from the playwright.
Link to opp website

Theatre Three

Short plays sought

Theatre Three Off-Stage/On-Line In an effort to present original content in a unique way, Theatre Three, Port Jefferson, is seeking short plays to be produced as part of a series of online works. To date, the company has produced and posted three dozen pieces. Ideally, the pieces are written or re-conceived for an online platform. We hope that writers will see the constraints of the format as a way to tell stories in a different way.

The Plays:

  • Should run 7 to 15 minutes.
  • Should require no more than 10 actors.
  • Will be rehearsed and taped on Zoom or similar platform.
  • Will be posted on Theatre Three's website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel.
  • Should be submitted as pdfs with title and author: THE PLAY Author Name Playwrights may make multiple submissions.
This is an open-ended project. Selected works will received a $25 stipend; playwrights will retain all rights to future productions.

Link to Theatre Three opp website


Theatre Untitled

Seeks full-length plays.

We are always looking for new pieces to produce. We are committed to exposing up and coming playwrights and their works. If you would like to submit your play to us, please email your piece as a PDF to theatreuntitled(at)theatreuntitled(dot)com with the subject line "New Play Submission".

Please also tell us a little about yourself and your artistic viewpoint in the body of the email. We are seeking original plays or musicals that celebrate stories not yet told on stage and uplift underrepresented people. Women, BIPOC, and LQBTQ+ strongly encouraged to submit. No deadline given.

Link to Theatre Untitled website


TNP Readers Theater seeks new One-Acts

TNP Readers Theatre "Evening of New Plays" contest is an annual event designed to give playwrights an opportunity to have their one-act plays presented to an audience in a staged reading.

DETAILS & ELIGIBILITY: Entries must be one act, non-musical, and no longer than 30 minutes. We suggest that the cast not exceed seven characters. Additional details at the site:

Link to TNP website


Type

Information/Guidelines:

  • Micro-plays only
  • Use the form to submit. You will paste your writing in the box. No attachments needed.
  • Please read the works on Type! to get an idea of their publication.
  • Read about Type! 
  • Type! did not indicate any restrictions or limitations to geographical locations and citizenships of writers.
  • Ongoing opportunity.

Type website & Submission Form


Woodward/Newman Award for unpublished/produced Full-Lengths

Deadline: ongoing.

Submissions will be considered for the award as well as for all 8 production slots in our season. So a play that is not selected for the Woodward/Newman slot in our season, may still be considered and selected for production. We accept open submissions for all types of plays (including TYA shows).

Plays submitted after September 1, 2022 will be considered for the 2024-25 Season. All submissions will be kept on file for 2 years after submission.

Link to Woodward/Newman details and submission form