Marin Theatre Company Opens Submissions for 2013 New Play Awards; 1st Deadline 8/31

Marin Theatre Company Artistic Director Jasson Minadakis announced today that MTC is now accepting submissions for the 2013 Sky Cooper New American Play Prize and 2013 David Calicchio Emerging American Playwright Prize through August 31, 2012. The company will announce the 2012 winners by the end of the month.

Now in their sixth year, MTC's new play awards continue have an open submission process with no application fee. The submission process has changed this year to encourage agents and writers to submit online. Submission guidelines, online application form and FAQs are online at http://marintheatre.org/productions/new-plays-program/new-play-awards/.

The Sky Cooper New American Play Prize celebrates the work of the American playwright and encourages the creation of bold, powerful new plays for the American stage. MTC awards the Sky Cooper Prize annually to an outstanding unproduced play written by either an established or emerging American playwright. The winning play receives a developmental workshop and two staged readings as part of MTC’s New Works Series and is also considered under option for a full production as part of the theater’s annual main stage season. The playwright of the winning play receives a $10,000 award.

The David Calicchio Emerging American Playwright Prize honors David Calicchio’s lifelong career as a playwright and supports MTC’s commitment to the discovery and development of new and emerging American Playwrights. MTC awards the Calicchio Prize annually to a professionally unproduced playwright for a new work that shows outstanding promise and a distinctive new voice for the American theater. The winning playwright receives a $2,500 award. Their submitted play receives a developmental workshop and two staged readings as part of MTC’s New Works Series.

Previous Sky Cooper winners include The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter, 9 Circles by Bill Cain (winner of the 2011 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award), Sunlight by Sharr White and Magic Forest Farm by Zayd Dohrn, many of which received their world premieres at MTC. Previous David Calicchio winners include Andrew Dolan for That Good Night, Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig for Lidless, Emily Schwend for Carthage and A. Zell Williams for Blood / Money, all of which received staged readings through MTC’s New Works Series.

The Sky Cooper Prize and Calicchio Prize are made possible through the generous support of Norton J. “Sky” Cooper.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submissions must be unpublished, original full-length plays in any genre.

Musicals, translations, individual one-acts and any play previously submitted for the Sky Cooper or David Calicchio Prizes are not eligible.

Plays may not have received a full-scale, professional production prior to submission (plays that have had a workshop, reading or non-professional production are eligible).

Playwrights must be citizens of the United States.

Only one submission per playwright is allowed each year; you may submit the same play for both prizes.

Phase I:

Complete an online submission application (online at http://marintheatre.org/productions/new-plays-program/new-play-awards/) or submit a completed submission form (available for download) and 10 pages of consecutive sample dialogue via USPS to the address below, postmarked by August 31, 2012.

Online submission is encouraged, though hard copies will be accepted. We prefer the submission as a .pdf with last name, first name, (title of the play) as the document title. For example: Wilson, August (Seven Guitars).pdf.

Literary agents may submit full scripts of their client’s work. Please do not send full scripts for phase I unless via an agent or professional representation; unsolicited scripts will not be read.

All scripts will be read by a member of the Marin Theatre Company artistic staff. Please do not send more than the requested materials. Do not send videos, CDs or DVDs. Incomplete submissions will not be considered. Due to the high number of submissions, not every playwright will receive a response to their Phase I submission. No materials will be returned.

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