Submissions Now Open for Red Bull Theater's 2022 Short New Play Festival

Red Bull Theater today announced that submissions are now open for Red Bull's 12th ANNUAL SHORT NEW PLAY FESTIVAL, six brand new 10-minute plays of heightened language and classic themes inspired by this year's theme: "Alchemy," that will be selected through an open submission process. These selections will premiere alongside commissions from Stephen Adly Guirgis (Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, Our Lady of 121st Street) and Larissa Fasthorse (The Thanksgiving Play, What Would Crazy Horse Do?). This year's Short New Play Festival is made possible by the leadership support of The Noël Coward Foundation. The deadline for submissions is 12 Noon on Monday April 4th.

The Short New Play Festival is scheduled to be held live, in-person, on Monday, July 11th. "Each year we look for fresh and exhilarating work with classical inspiration. This year's theme is 'Alchemy.' But that's just a jumping off point. We hope that playwrights from throughout the world will review and respond to our mission to revitalize the classics. Playwrights are encouraged to riff on a classical character, borrow a classical milieu, or be inspired to create a brand new style of dramatic verse. Finding inspiration from classics beyond the traditional Western canon is welcome. Through this festival, we hope to cultivate dialogues with classical theater in a multitude of creative and surprising ways," explains Artistic Director Jesse Berger.

Over the Short New Play Festival's twelve-year history, Red Bull Theater has cultivated over 4,000 new short plays of classic themes and heightened language, presenting 87 of them in a one-night-only Festival performance with some of New York's finest actors and directors. The commissioned playwrights have included Marcus Gardley, John Guare, Jeremy O. Harris, David Ives, Ellen McLaughlin, Dael Orlandersmith, Theresa Rebeck, José Rivera, Anne Washburn, Doug Wright, and winning entries by writers such as Anchuli Felicia King, Patricia Ione Lloyd, Lynn Rosen, and Jen Silverman. Stage Rights has published a 5-volume collection of the plays from the first 10 years of Red Bull Theater's annual Short New Play Festival as Red Bull Shorts.

OPEN SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Using the theme ALCHEMY, write a short play that: makes use of heightened language, and/or is in conversation with a classical theme, style, or story from any cultural tradition; is no more than 10 minutes in length; is self-contained with a beginning, middle and end; is an original, unpublished, and never previously produced new work. Complete guidelines are at RedBullTheater.com.

Selected Playwrights will receive a staged reading of their submission, performed by an ensemble company of some of New York City's finest actors as part of the festival on this year's festival, scheduled for Monday, July 11th. Selected playwrights will receive a commissioning fee of $400; travel reimbursement of up to $400 to attend the festival rehearsal and performance; will be consulted on choices for the shared ensemble cast; will have final script approval; will have the opportunity to have their play published and licensed by Stage Rights as part of our Red Bull Shorts series.