Playwright Festival

July 30-31: 7 PM – 9:30 PM & August 1: 2:30 PM – 5 PM

This is a City Theatre of Independence annual fundraising event with four primary goals:

  1. Provide a creative outlet for playwrights to submit unpublished, short plays
  2. Produce eight short plays for a unique evening of theatre
  3. Provide volunteer opportunities in all aspects of theatre
  4. Expand the volunteer and membership base of the City Theatre

How the Playwright Festival Works:

In January, a Call for Plays is sent out to playwrights around the country, presenting the theme, and the rules involved.

8 Plays Are Chosen

A selection committee reads up to 70 submitted plays and chooses eight to produce. Each play is assigned to a different director, and auditions are held in May for casting.

No Budget

This is a fundraising event, therefore is no budget (other than minimal royalties) is allotted for the eight productions. Directors must use existing props and costumes, and minimal sets.

Voting & Awards

After each performance, audience members are encouraged to vote for their favorite short play, and awards are given for Best Script, Best Production and Audience Favorites.

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Guidelines for Submission:

  • Eight short plays shall be selected for production in July/August 2022.
  • All submissions must be original, unpublished, one-act plays of between 10 and 15 minutes in length. No submission fee required.
  • Submissions must be received between February 1 and February 7, 2022.  Please email to: playwrightsubmissionscti@gmail.com.
  • The first 75 qualifying submissions will be accepted. When this quota is reached, no additional submissions will be accepted.
  • Any script selected for production will be presented in its originally submitted form. No post-submission changes will be allowed.
  • Any submission not adhering to the following shall be eliminated from consideration.

Submit Your Play:

Please send an email to: playwrightsubmissionscti@gmail.com with the following:

  • Name
  • Email
  • Phone
  • Title of Play
  • A Brief Synopsis of Play
  • Attach Word Document or PDF of play

Subject & Content

Theme: TBA

Scripts shall contain at least two and not more than five characters.
The stage will be bare, i.e. no walls, doors, or floor coverings, using no breakable props & minimal furniture.

Information & Guidelines

  1. All scripts must be submitted electronically via email in .pdf format. Two (2) copies of the script must be submitted. One (1) with all author identifying information the other MUST be completely Blind (NO author information).
  2. Scripts must include:
    • A separate cover page with the playwright’s name, address, telephone number, e-mail address and a short biography of the playwright
    • A cast of characters with descriptions
    • A brief synopsis
    • Numbered pages
  3. Playwrights will be notified via e-mail when their manuscript is received.
  4. Playwrights shall not submit more than two plays to be considered per festival year.
  5. Playwrights will be notified by May 15, 2022, if their play has been selected for production.
  6. Plays selected for production will be listed on our website.
  1. All production and publication rights remain the property of the playwright.
  2. City Theatre of Independence offers royalties of $25 per play.
  3. Production will be at the discretion of City Theatre of Independence.
  4. Only stage plays will be considered. Musical, film or TV scripts will not be selected for production.
  5. All submissions must be original, unpublished, and not presented or produced prior to June 1, 2022.
  6. Scripts will be judged on concept, dramatic action, characterization, cast size, and dialogue. Technical requirements will be noted.
  7. Critical analysis or feedback will not be provided.
  8. Playwrights should be aware that the size of our stage is limited. There are no opportunities for elaborate scene changes.
  9. Sexually explicit or gratuitously violent or obscene scripts will NOT be accepted.

Please Direct Questions to playwrightfest@citytheatreofindependence.org

Call for Playwright Festival Directors

To submit to be a director of a Playwright Festival play. Starting May 1, 2022 email playwrightfest@citytheatreofindependence.org.

Auditions for the Playwright Festival will be in late May 2022.

Download Director Application