ABINGDON THEATRE COMPANY's 8th BENEFIT CHALLENGE SERIES

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
NYC/Metropolitan Area Playwrights

Dear Playwright,

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

Our Denial Plays Benefit Series challenges your creativity to write a short drama or comedy within these parameters:
· Features a character who is faced with overwhelming evidence of his/her participation in an activity and/or behavior, which they absolutely deny;

· The character IS or IS NOT successful in their denial (they may have to face the truth); and,

· The play is set outdoors.

Scripts will be given preference (although these are NOT requirements), if they include:

· A socially relevant theme;

· Multi-ethnic casts.

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, LOST ON THE NATCHEZ TRACE, by Jan Buttram and directed by Kate Bushmann. We are seeking plays written in any style that reveal a fresh plot, sufficient conflict and a running time of 10 minutes, maximum. Be creative! Plays are due at midnight on January 13. SERIES A performs on Tuesday, February 7, and SERIES B performs on February 14. 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 also a fundraiser to support Abingdon’s New Play Development Program. ALL participants are donating their time and talent, and HELPING TO 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 denial.

2. Your play must be set outdoors. Available set pieces are 3 cubes (or crates).

NOTE: The stage dressing is a wooded marsh area.

3. Write for a cast of 2-3 actors (any age, race, ethnicity, or gender). Multi-ethnic casts are encouraged! Casting may be non-traditional. If you feel this would compromise your vision of the play, let us know. Specifying this will not influence our consideration.

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 (2/7), and/or SERIES B (2/14). If you are available for either slots, 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, January 13. 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: DENIAL PLAYS 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 January.

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!