Barter Theatre Opens Play Submissions for Barter's Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights

Barter Theatre is accepting submissions of new plays for its 13th annual Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights (AFPP) taking place July 5th through August 12th, 2013. Founded in 2001, Barter's AFPP provides an outlet for new plays and playwrights with a distinctly Appalachian voice. Any original play that has not been previously published or professionally produced may be submitted for consideration by March 1, 2013.

In addition to mailing scripts to Barter Theatre, playwrights may now submit via email.
"We are excited to announce that we will now be accepting email submissions," said AFPP Director, Nicholas Piper. "Not only is this a more environmentally friendly policy, it will also make it easier and less costly for playwrights to submit their plays. We hope that this will encourage more people to submit to the AFPP."

Play submission guidelines are as follows: plays must be written by an Appalachian playwright (defined as currently living in the Appalachian Mountains that run from New York State to Alabama) OR the plays must contain Appalachian settings and themes. Full-length plays are preferred; and the full script must be submitted. The writers of the selected plays will be provided with housing and transportation in order to attend the reading of their play.

The annual AFFP process begins with the selection of six plays that are given staged readings. Following each reading, there is a discussion of the play with the Festival Panel (made up of local and regional theatre professionals) and the attending audience.

"We believe this process can be instrumental in helping the playwright further develop their work," said Piper.

Selected plays from the readings may be given mini-productions (fully produced but with minimal technical elements) the following year and may even go on to full productions on one of Barter's two stages.

The playwrights of the six selected plays will each receive $250 plus transportation and housing so that they may attend the readings.

Three of the plays read in last year's AFPP will be fully produced as part of Barter's 2013 season: the adaptation of Clyde Edgerton's novel, "Walking Across Egypt" by Catherine Bush, "Half a World Away" by Ruth Tyndall Baker and "Thicker Than Water" by Douglas M. Parker. The 2013 mini-production will be "Hanging Mary" by Matthew Carlton.

Plays must be received by March 1, 2013. Plays may be emailed in pdf format along with a brief synopsis and contact information to: apfestival@bartertheatre.com