Applications Open for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s 2027 National Playwrights Conference

The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center is now accepting applications for the 2027 National Playwrights Conference. Applications are due by September 10, 2026, at 11:59pm PST.

Selected playwrights will receive a week-long workshop of their play on the O’Neill’s seaside campus in Waterford, CT. These workshops are staffed by a full team of professionals, including a director, a dramaturg, and actors, and feature two script-in-hand public readings that provide writers with further insight into their work. The cohort of playwrights also receives a multi-week residency on the O’Neill campus to use as they see fit.

The O’Neill continues to employ an open script submission process for its founding program and invites all playwrights to share their work regardless of professional representation. Scripts are reviewed blind, without writer names or contact information.

To be eligible for the conference, submitted plays should not have received or be scheduled to receive a professional production prior to July 31, 2027.

Applications should be submitted via the online form at https://theoneill.submittable.com/submit. A $15 fee supports the costs of the application process and platform. If the fee is a barrier to submission, a number of waivers are also available on a first-come, first-serve basis and can be requested on the O’Neill’s website prior to beginning an application.