Long Beach Playhouse Seeks Playwrights

In 1990, the Long Beach Playhouse established the New Works Festival to encourage playwrights to submit their unproduced works for consideration in an annual competition. Now, 28 years later literally thousands of individuals have submitted their plays for consideration and the New Works Festival enjoys a solid reputation as an opportunity for a playwright to have his or her work considered for a prize and a staged reading that includes a moderated talkback with the audience and critiques from theater professionals.

The New Works Festival mission statement reads: To help established and emerging playwrights develop new works as a part of LBP's commitment to the arts. And to give each winner a quality reading that focuses on the words of the playwright to service the objective evaluation and critique of their work.

Each year begins with novice and experienced playwrights sending their un-produced plays to the committee. Each script is read and evaluated by members of the Literary Committee. After much discussion, winners are selected.

One weekend at the end of March is dedicated to the festival. Each day one of the winning plays is presented in the form of a public staged reading in the Studio Theater. The readings give the playwrights the opportunity to hear their words brought to life by actors. The audience plays an important part by providing feedback for the playwrights in the discussion that takes place after the reading. Winning playwrights also receive detailed written critiques by professional theatre critics. In addition to the staged reading, winners also receive two tickets to the festival, a $100 honorarium and a digital recording of their staged reading.

"The main criteria for submitted plays are that they have never been produced, are full length and are not musicals," said Laura Claggett co-chair of the New Works Festival.

"We ask for a $10 submission fee," added co-chair Anna Kate Mohler. "It's very modest and helps offset the costs for staff time needed for the auditions and videotaping of the readings."

"It's an honor to read the plays and to put on the staged readings. We feel like it's important to nurture playwrights and are delighted to have the opportunity to be part of a play's progress from creative inception to actual production," said Madison Mooney, Executive Director for the Long Beach Playhouse.

To submit a play, please visit www.lbplayhouse.org/special-events/new-works-festival to download the submission form. In addition to the form, please include:

· Check for the $10 processing fee (payable to: Long Beach Playhouse)

· Physical copy of script (Securely bound, we prefer three prong folders or ringed binders.)

· Brief synopsis of the play (include with script)

· Complete character breakdown (include with script)

· PDF version of script emailed to newworks@lbplayhouse.org, subject line should read 'NWF Submission Title of Play'

Note: You will need to mail a physical copy of the script AND email a PDF of the script.

Address your submission to: Literary Committee, Long Beach Playhouse,

5021 East Anaheim St., Long Beach, CA 90804

Scripts must be postmarked by June 30th to be considered for the Festival and will not be returned.

For more information contact us at newworks@lbplayhouse.org

Need more Los Angeles Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...