Submitting a play involves more than emailing the same script to every theater and contest you can find. Each organization has its own artistic interests, eligibility rules, formatting requirements, and submission process. Learning how to submit a play strategically can help you avoid preventable mistakes and focus your efforts on opportunities that genuinely suit your work.
This guide explains how to research theaters and contests, prepare your script, write a submission letter, follow submission guidelines, and communicate professionally after submitting. It will also help you decide which opportunities are worth pursuing and how to give your play its best chance of being considered.
Before submitting, identify theaters, festivals, and contests whose requirements and artistic interests match your play. A carefully targeted submission is more likely to receive serious consideration than sending the same script indiscriminately to every available organization.
For examples of established programs, review these playwriting competitions and awards before building your shortlist.
Review each organization’s website, mission, previously produced work, and submission guidelines. Pay particular attention to:
Create a shortlist of opportunities that genuinely fit your script. Always verify the requirements on the organization’s official website immediately before submitting because guidelines and deadlines can change.
Follow the receiving organization’s instructions exactly. Even a strong play may be rejected without consideration if it exceeds the permitted length, omits required materials, or is submitted in the wrong file format.
Unless the guidelines state otherwise, your script should include:
Proofread the complete submission package before sending it. Confirm that the theater or contest name is correct, every requested attachment is included, and the uploaded file opens properly.
Under U.S. law, copyright protection exists once an original work is created and fixed in a tangible form, but some playwrights also register their scripts with the U.S. Copyright Office for an official public record. Registration is a personal legal and business decision and not a standard requirement for submitting a play.
Not every opportunity requires a cover letter. When one is requested or permitted, keep it brief, professional, and specific to the receiving organization. Its purpose is to introduce the play and explain why it may suit that theater, festival, or contest. It should not retell the entire story.
A useful cover letter can include:
Avoid exaggerated claims and generic praise. If you submit the same play to multiple organizations, personalize each letter and follow any rules concerning simultaneous submissions.
Keep a record of every submission, including the organization, play submitted, date, deadline, required materials, fee, and response status. This prevents duplicate submissions and makes it easier to follow each organization’s instructions.
Do not request an update unless the guidelines permit follow-ups or the stated response period has passed. When following up is appropriate, send one brief, courteous message. Avoid repeatedly contacting the organization or asking for detailed feedback unless it explicitly offers feedback.
If your play is declined, respond only if a reply is warranted. A short thank-you is sufficient. If revisions are requested, consider them carefully and clarify expectations before agreeing to substantial changes.
Notify organizations when required if your play is accepted elsewhere or becomes unavailable. Professional, accurate communication helps protect your reputation and keeps the submission process manageable.
Submission opportunities generally fall into several categories. Understanding what each type offers will help you decide where your play fits and what outcome you are pursuing.
Professional theaters may consider scripts for productions, readings, workshops, commissions, or development programs. Some accept unsolicited submissions, while others work only through agents, referrals, or limited open-submission periods.
Before submitting, study the theater’s mission, recent seasons, audience, and production capabilities. Confirm whether it accepts your play’s genre, length, cast size, development history, and geographic origin. If the theater requests only a synopsis or script sample initially, do not send the complete script unless invited.
Colleges and universities may seek new plays for student productions, staged readings, festivals, or academic development programs. These opportunities can be especially suitable for scripts with flexible staging, manageable production requirements, and roles appropriate for student performers.
Eligibility varies considerably. Some opportunities accept submissions from any playwright, while others are restricted to current students, alumni, local writers, or particular communities. Review the institution’s current guidelines before submitting.
Playwriting contests may offer cash prizes, readings, publication, professional feedback, development support, or a production. Before entering, examine the eligibility rules, entry fee, judging process, rights requested, prize terms, and the organization’s history.
A legitimate contest should clearly identify its organizer, requirements, deadlines, and awards. Be cautious when fees are high, prize terms are vague, or the organizer requests excessive rights to submitted work.
To begin identifying suitable theaters, festivals, contests, and residencies, browse our current play submission opportunities. Always confirm the final requirements on the organization’s official website before applying.
Choose opportunities according to what you want the submission to accomplish. A theater submission may lead to a reading, workshop, development relationship, or production. A contest may provide a prize, recognition, feedback, publication, or a performance opportunity.
Before applying, compare:
Neither option is inherently better. The strongest opportunity is one whose requirements, benefits, and artistic focus align with your script.
A Chorus Line demonstrates why development opportunities can matter as much as direct production submissions. Michael Bennett helped shape the musical from recorded conversations with Broadway dancers, whose personal experiences became the foundation of the show. After a workshop-based development process, it premiered at the Public Theater in 1975 and soon transferred to Broadway. The production ultimately ran for 6,137 performances and won both the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Although this was not a conventional unsolicited-submission success story, it shows how workshops, readings, and collaborative development can transform an unconventional idea into a major theatrical work. Playwrights should therefore evaluate opportunities not only by their immediate prizes, but also by the creative relationships and development support they offer.
Successful play submissions begin with a polished script and careful research. Rather than measuring progress only by acceptances, focus on consistently finding appropriate opportunities and submitting professional, accurate materials.
Before each submission:
Rejection is a normal part of playwriting and does not necessarily reflect the quality of your work. Artistic fit, programming needs, cast size, budget, and the number of submissions can all affect a decision. Continue improving your craft, targeting appropriate opportunities, and submitting your play professionally.
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