Kumu Kahua Theatre And Bamboo Ridge Press Reveal January 2026 GO TRY PLAYWRITE Prompt 

Kumu Kahua Theatre, in collaboration with Bamboo Ridge Press, has announced the January 2026 prompt for Go Try PlayWrite, its monthly playwriting contest.

Thanks to a donation from an anonymous supporter, each monthly winner will receive a $100 cash prize and a subscription to Bamboo Ridge Press.

January 2026 Prompt

Playwrights are asked to submit either a scene of up to ten pages or a monologue of up to eight pages incorporating the phrase: “I don’t see color.” The prompt invites writers to explore how such language can function sincerely or disingenuously, and how it may obscure prejudice, racism, or systemic inequities. Entrants are encouraged to examine how everyday phrases can mask judgment, bias, or willful ignorance.

The deadline to submit entries for the January prompt is January 31, 2026.

Each month, writers must submit either a five-page monologue or a ten-page scene written in traditional play format. Formatting guidelines can be found on the Dramatists Guild website. Prompts are selected monthly by Kumu Kahua Theatre Artistic Director Harry Wong III.

Submissions are judged anonymously, with one winner selected each month. Judges are drawn from the Hawaii theatre community and include a rotating group of local theatre practitioners.

Founded in 1971, Kumu Kahua Theatre is dedicated to developing and producing locally written works and to training new generations of theatre artists through productions, readings, classes, and workshops in acting, improvisation, and playwriting.

Founded in 1978, Bamboo Ridge Press publishes literature by, for, and about the people of Hawaiʻi. Its catalog includes poetry, fiction, screenplays, stage plays, novels, and themed anthologies, featuring both emerging and established writers.