CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: NYC/Metropolitan Area Playwrights

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ABINGDON'S MORAL DILEMMA COMEDIES BENEFIT CHALLENGE:

An evening of short plays

Moral Dilemma noun

A situation in which an individual faces conflicting obligations.



Comedy noun

Professional entertainment intended to make an audience laugh. Dear Playwright,

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

Our Moral Dilemma Comedy Series is an opportunity to challenge your creativity and write a short play that features a character who is experiencing or instigating a moral dilemma. 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, BLAME IT ON BECKETT, by Jon Morogiello and directed by Jackob G. Hofmann. Please note “Beckett” is not the springboard for our series. We are seeking 10-minute comedies written in any style that reveal a fresh plot, sufficient conflict and a running time of 10 minutes, maximum. The setting must be an office – any office. Be creative! SERIES A performs on Tuesday, October 11, and SERIES B performs on October 18. Are you ready? Here are the guidelines. Please read carefully!



GENERAL GUIDELINES:

1. Abingdon presents the play. We provide the actors, directors, stage manager, rehearsal space 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. Our goal is to fill every seat in the house! The suggested audience donation is $10.

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.

Please make sure you follow all submission requirements.

SCRIPT GUIDELINES:

1. Your play must adhere to the theme of an making an ethical or unethical decision. The funnier the better.

2. Your play must be set in an office. Available set pieces include chairs and a desk.

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 (10/11), and/or SERIES B (10/18). If you are available for either slot, let us know that, too!

11. We encourage you to attend rehearsals, if possible. The schedule will be determined later.

12. The deadline for script submission is midnight, September 16. Up to 12 scripts will be chosen.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

1. Email your scripts to Bara Swain at Bswain@abingdontheatre.org

2. Write in the subject line: MORAL DILEMMA COMEDY SUBMISSION / Your Name

3. In the body of the email, send your complete contact information and a one-line summary of your play as well as your availability (Series A and/or Series B).

4. You will be contacted regarding your script’s status in late September.

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!

Sincerely,

Bara Swain

Bswain@abingdontheatre.org

Kim T. Sharp

ksharp@abingdontheatre.org

Co-Producers

Abingdon’s Benefit Challenge Series