CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: NYC/Metropolitan Area Playwrights

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ABINGDON’S SANCTUARY PLAYS BENEFIT CHALLENGE

Sanctuary noun
(1) a place of refuge and protection
(2) a shelter from danger or hardship
(3) a place of safety

Dear Playwright,

You are invited to submit an original 10-minute play to Abingdon Theatre Company’s THE SANCTUARY PLAYS Benefit Challenge. This effort engages artists who support a theatre dedicated to new plays.

Our Sanctuary Series is an opportunity to challenge your creativity and write a short play that features at least one character who is seeking sanctuary, providing sanctuary, or their sanctuary is being threatened. We STRONGLY encourage original play submissions that are developed for this presentation.

Using your skills and imagination, write an original play that will be presented as a staged reading on the set of Abingdon’s next production, SUMMER IN SANCTUARY, by Al Letson and directed by Rob Urbinati. We are seeking 10-minute plays, preferably on a socially relevant theme, written in any style that reveal a fresh plot, sufficient conflict and a running time of 10 minutes, maximum. SERIES A performs on Tuesday, April 5, and SERIES B performs on April 12. Are you ready? Here are the guidelines. Please read carefully!

GENERAL GUIDELINES:
1. Abingdon presents the play. We provide the actors, directors, stage manager and the theatre (the 55-seat Dorothy Strelsin Theatre at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex, 312 W. 36th Street, NYC).
2. This is a fundraiser to support Abingdon’s New Play Development Program. All participants are donating their time and talent, and are helping recruit an audience. The suggested donation is $10. Our goal is to fill every seat in the house!
3. Each playwright and director will be able to attend the staged reading of their script in designated seating.
4. Every play gets two performances.

SCRIPT GUIDELINES:
1. Your play must adhere to the theme of seeking, providing or losing sanctuary.
2. Your play can be set anywhere. Available set pieces include rehearsal cubes, chairs and a table.
3. Write for a cast of 2-3 actors (any age, race, ethnicity, or gender).
4. We prefer scripts that can be staged without relying on stage directions. If stage directions are necessary, please keep them to a minimum.
5. Your script will be presented as a staged reading in accordance with AEA guidelines. Keep production values to a minimum. Costumes are at the discretion of the director and the willing cooperation of the actors. No hand props can be used.
6. Plays should be in standard script format: 12 point font, 1” margins on all sides, and character names on a separate line. On your title page, please include your contact information (phone, email and address). Be sure to number all pages.
7. Submit scripts in MS-Word - preferred - or PDF format.
8. Scripts longer than 10 pages – title and character breakdown pages are not counted – will NOT be considered. Regardless of the number of pages, the running time MUST be no more than 10 minutes!
9. You may only submit one script for consideration.
10. Playwrights must attend the staged reading. Please specify your availability for SERIES A (4/5), and/or SERIES B (4/12). If you are available for either slot, let us know that, too!
11. The deadline for script submission is midnight, March 11. Up to 12 scripts will be chosen.

HOW TO SUBMIT:
1. Email your scripts to Bara Swain at BCSwain4@aol.com.
2. Write in the subject line: SANCTUARY PLAY SUBMISSION / Your Name
3. In the body of the email, send your complete contact information and a one-line summary of your play.
4. You will be contacted regarding your script’s status in mid-March or when the 10-minute slots have been filled. (Submissions are selected on a rolling basis.)

Please make sure you meet all script and submission requirements. If anything is omitted, your submission will be returned to you for one last opportunity to meet those requirements.

If you have any questions, contact Bara Swain or Kim T. Sharp, Co-Producers. For more information on Abingdon Theatre Company, see our website at www.abingdontheatre.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

Bara Swain
BCSwain4@aol.com
Kim T. Sharp
ksharp@abingdontheatre.org