Kumu Kahua Theatre and Bamboo Ridge Press Reveal The May 2026 Prompt
Winners of the GO TRY PLAYWRITE contest receive a $100 prize and a Bamboo Ridge Press subscription
Kumu Kahua Theatre, in collaboration with Bamboo Ridge Press announce the May prompt for their monthly play writing contest, Go Try PlayWrite.
Thanks to a generous donation from an anonymous donor, contest winners will receive a $100.00 check as well as a subscription to Bamboo Ridge Press.
May 2026 prompt
An incitement prompt. Write a ten-page maximum scene of the moment a bully loses their effect/power over their victim. Kids, adults, chimpanzees, protozoa, roses, any group where bullying can occur. Also, the effect/power the bully has over their victim can be physical, mental, spiritual, social, monetary, whatever you can imagine.
Deadline to Enter: May 31st, 2026
Kumu Kahua Theatre was founded in 1971 by a group of graduate students at the
University of Hawaiʻi, with the original goal of producing locally-written experimental
works. The theater educates and trains new generations of aspiring theater
professionals through its living laboratory of productions and public play readings, and by holding classes and workshops in acting, improvisation and playwriting.
Bamboo Ridge Press was founded in 1978 to publish literature by, for, and about
Hawaiʻi's people. We currently publish two volumes a year: a literary journal of poetry
and fiction featuring work by both emerging and established writers, and a book by a
single author or an anthology focused on a special theme. In forty plus years we've
published a diverse catalog of poetry, prose, screenplays, stage plays, novels, and
more.
Each month entrants must write a 5-page monologue and/or a 10-page scene based on monthly requirements. Each month a new prompt will be chosen by Kumu Kahua Theatre's Artistic Director, Harry Wong III. All entries must be written in traditional play format; instructions on this format can be found here: https://www.dramatistsguild.com/script-formats courtesy of the Dramatists Guild.
There will be one winner each month. Scripts will be submitted to the judges anonymously. Each month Judges are selected from among the many talented theatre practitioners in the Hawaii theatre community.
Submit your May entries HERE
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