2020-21 New Works Playwright Competition

30 Sep 2020-21 New Works Playwright Competition

Olathe, KS (Sept. 30, 2020) – Olathe Civic Theatre Association (OCTA) will host its New Works Playwright Competition, a unique opportunity for local playwrights to get their name out in the community and have a chance to see a workshop performance of their production. This year’s theme: The Comedies and Tragedies of 2020.

Submissions will consist of short plays inspired by the pandemic and quarantine life. This year only, one 1-act comedy and one 1-act tragedy will be selected to perform in the summer for the Winner Workshop. OCTA is looking for aspiring and established playwrights residing in Kansas or in the Kansas City area of Jackson, Clay, Platte, or Cass Counties. We also now include those in Johnson County, MO for consideration. Only submissions that have not previously been professionally produced are considered. This includes past Fringe shows. Submissions should be in .pdf format. This is a blind submission process. Scripts containing the playwright’s name in the .pdf will not be considered.

By December 18th, please submit no more than 10 pages of your first draft AND a story overview for where you would like the story to go. The goal is to write about 15-30 pages of a new comedy or drama/tragedy that can be performed virtually, similar to OCTA’s Winner Workshop this past summer. The committee will not accept musicals, monologues, or 1-person shows. Please send your teaser and story overview to newworks@olathetheatre.org.

Since the committee is asking for 10-minute teaser submissions of short, 1-act pieces no longer than 60 minutes, there will be two winners this year. These winners will have the opportunity to workshop their piece and present their full 1-act, script-in-hand, in the summer of 2021. 

The deadline for submissions is December 18 and The New Works Playwright Competition will be held virtually March 12 – 22 via Facebook Live. The selection committee will narrow down submissions to 10 semi-finalists, who will then be asked to e-mail their full script. From that pool, finalists will be chosen for March. Excessive language that does not further characterization or plot will not be accepted.

The March competition is also part fundraiser for the Jan Conner Scholarship. Half of the donations will go towards funding that scholarship and half will go towards the Winner Workshop. The March competition will be held on Facebook Live and will span March 12 – March 22.

Check out OCTA’s website for updated information about the voting process and for full submission guidelines at www.olathetheatre.org. Questions may be directed to Andrew Joseph Brown at newworks@olathetheatre.org. From the NWPC Committee:

“We’re all together in this fray, wishing to gather again and play. But we know this uncertainty won’t stay. Theatre always finds a way.”