Road Theatre Company Calls For Submissions For Its 10th Annual Summer Playwrights Festival!

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, remain committed to their meaningful mission to produce and develop New Work for the Stage. They are thrilled to announce in this, their upcoming 28th season, the tenth annual Summer Playwright's Festival (SPF10). The Road Theatre's annual Summer Playwrights Festival has been held annually since its inception in 2010.

The 10th anniversary of this festival will begin on July 28 and continue on through August 4, 2019. SPF mounts 30-40 staged readings of new plays in 8 exciting days, and is now the largest staged reading festival in the nation, with playwrights from around the country and around the world participating.

Each reading is followed by a talk-back with the playwrights, directors and casts and a reception featuring complimentary food, drink and live music in our gallery space and cantina. Readings are held in both our Historic Lankershim Arts Center Theater and Gallery and in our 77-seat theater in the NoHo Senior Arts Colony. Although we receive hundreds of submissions for our festival, new and established playwrights are encouraged to submit.

Past playwrights have included D.L. Coburn, Lisa Loomer, Sharr White, Marisa Wegrzyn, Craig Wright, Wendy MacLeod, Lucy Thurber, Mo Gaffney, Keith Huff, Brett Neveu, Scooter Pietsch, Craig Pospisil, Julie Marie Myatt. Guest artists have included Bryan Cranston, Laurie Metcalf, Kathy Baker, Jennifer Tilly, Perry King, Rondi Reed, Tom Irwin, Nancy Travis, Gregory Harrison, Gale Harold, Robert Pine, Michael O'Neill, Harold Gould, and many, many others.

"The Road Theatre Company is dedicated to producing new plays. 22 plays from the Summer Playwrights Festival have gone on to full production on our main stages including our current season selections, The Rescued by Julie Marie Myatt (SPF8), Death House by Jason Karasev (SPF8) and last season's Stupid Kid by Sharr White (SPF7) and Through the Eye of a Needle by Jami Brandli (SPF7). We are very proud to be bringing these new plays straight from the festival to our audiences."

Founding Festival Director Scott Alan Smith

"Ten years ago Scott Alan Smith, Associate Artistic Director had an idea; a Summer Playwrights Festival, and under his direction it has not only become an integral part of the Road's yearly programming but the largest festival of its kind in the nation. Here's to our 10th Anniversary Festival!"

-Taylor Gilbert, Founder and Artistic Director

"The Road's Summer Playwrights Festival, celebrating its tenth anniversary this summer is indeed a milestone. This is my favorite time of the year at the Road. Testing the stamina of our membership to present anywhere from 35-45 staged readings in 8 days, hosting playwrights from around the country, guest actors and directors, the Festival is the very definition of community to me. We have found many great plays to produce on our mainstages, met many actors who've become members of our company, and created lasting relationships with playwrights and directors alike. Seeing the lines down the street from our box offices makes me smile. Watching people discover the warm welcoming atmosphere, the free food and drink and all the different live music, not to mention the talkbacks designed to give valuable feedback to the writers, this festival is the largest of its kind in the entire country. But it feels like a big community party of artists and audiences and we always hate to see the week end. Founding Festival Director Scott Alan Smith, Festival Director Matthew Singletary, Executive Producer Carlyle King along with their fellow producers and crew make it a living theatrical miracle."

- Sam Anderson, Artistic Director

Submission Information:

-Each submission is read and evaluated by our artistic staff with recommendations made to the festival producers who evaluate the plays, then narrow the field to the final 30-40. Each play receives a minimum of two reads. The SPF10 staff regrets that we do not provide feedback on any submitted materials.

-Plays of any length or genre are eligible; however, to be included in SPF10, the work must remain unproduced on the west coast and unpublished through August 4, 2019.

-Early submissions are strongly encouraged.

-No agent is required.

-Electronic copy applications only are accepted. No hard copies, please.

Play Format Guidelines:

-All scripts must be in a PDF file format. Name your file with the title of the play first. No hard copy submissions will be accepted.

-Please put your direct contact information on your play (your name and email address).

-Plays must be paginated and include a list of characters.

-Please do not send a synopsis or playwright resume.

Submission Window:

-We will accept submissions for SPF10 between 12:01 am January 15, 2019 and 11:59 pm March 1, 2019. We cannot accept any plays past this deadline so please plan accordingly.

-Official SPF10 selections will be made on June 15, 2019.

Fee:

-$15 for scripts over 30 pages (full length) and $10 for scripts under 30 pages (short form).

-Ten minute, one acts, full length, solo performance plays are eligible for submission) beginning 12:01 am January 15, 2019.

-This fee can be submitted via the button below beginning on January 15th. Upon payment, you will receive an automatic reply to your email inbox with script submission instructions.

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