Ashland New Plays Festival, Oregon USA, assists playwrights in the development of new works through public readings and offers an educational forum to the community through discussions and workshops. Their international playwright competition culminates in the reading of four new plays The event includes rehearsals and two staged readings of each winning play.

Entries cost $20. A $1,500 stipend is awarded to each winning playwright to help defray travel and other expenses. The playwright is responsible for the cost and arrangements for transportation to and from Ashland. ANPF will provide airport transportation and week-long housing in a local bed-and-breakfast for each winning playwright and one guest (shared accommodations); most other meals are the responsibility of the playwright.

Deadline 

Submissions close when 400 scripts are received or on December 31, 2018, whichever comes first.

Winning playwrights will be notified in June and will be announced publicly in July.

The Playwright Agreement covers participation in Ashland from Sunday, October 14, to Monday, October 22, 2018, in at least one rehearsal culminating in two public readings of each play, a playwriting workshop led by the host playwright, and scheduled social events.

Requirements

• Full-length drama or comedy, intermission preferred – 80 minutes minimum running time if no intermission; 95 – 120 minutes with one intermission. ANPF presentations are concert readings, not staged readings. The emphasis, therefore, is on the language and dialogue of a play. Stage business cannot be considered as part of the play’s running time. Submitted scripts should meet the timing requirement as specified with this in mind.
• Previously unproduced
• Maximum of eight actors; doubling is permitted, provided a doubling plan is included with the cast list
• Submitting author is (or authors, when in collaboration, are) sole owner of script copyright

Administrative Criteria

• Legibly typed in 12-point font in standard play script format with 1′′ margins; characters’ names centered above dialogue
• Submitted as a single PDF—no hard copies accepted (see Definitions below)
• No indication of authorship on any of the pages (“blinded”)
• Page 1: cover page with play title only; also, insert this disclaimer: This script is copyright protected and may not be reproduced, distributed, or disseminated without the prior written permission of the author.
• Page 2: brief synopsis of play (200-word maximum) and cast list that includes each character’s name, age, and brief description
• All pages numbered
• Characters’ names centered above dialogue
• Last page indicated with “Fin” or “End”