One-Act Playwriting Competition Deadline is Sept. 1

The One Act Play Competition of the 13th Annual Port Townsend Playwrights’ Festival is nearing the submission deadline of September 1, 2008. Sponsored by the Port Townsend Arts Commission, this competition leads into the 2009 Playwrights’ Festival produced by Key City Public Theatre, where local playwrights see their work brought to life on stage.

The competition is open to all residents of Jefferson County, Wash.—from the beginner to the experienced playwright—and is designed to encourage local playwrights to work freely within the medium of the one-act play.

The criteria for festival play selection are as follows: Three judges are charged with selecting the best plays. Playwrights are advised to remember that, unlike screenwriting or prose, there are unique challenges and advantages to consider when writing plays. Judges will base their decisions on story, character and style, as well as the feasibility of successfully translating the words to the stage. Judges will select a combined total of approximately 90 minutes of material—this could mean three 30-minute plays, two 45-minute plays or four shorter plays, for example. The selected plays will be recognized equally as winners and performance rights fees will be distributed evenly among the playwrights whose work is chosen.

Shortly after play selection, a separate reading will be arranged for each of the chosen plays. This reading will not be open to the public, as it is an opportunity for the playwright to hear the work read by actors and to discuss it with those actors, potential directors, and Key City Public Theatre’s artistic director. Playwrights will then be encouraged to work on any revisions they wish to make to the play before the rehearsal process begins.

Following these initial script readings, a director will be assigned to each play and auditions will be held in January 2009 during Key City Public Theatre’s annual general auditions. The level of production provided for each play may vary and will be determined at the artistic discretion of Key City Public Theatre. The playwright is encouraged to participate in the entire production and rehearsal process.

In a continuing effort to develop local playwrighting talent, the Port Townsend Arts Commission and Key City Public Theatre sponsor the annual Playwrights’ Workshop each June. This year’s workshop featured Mara Lathrop, an award-winning, internationally produced playwright and instructor. Key City Public Theatre also hosts a monthly Playwrights’ Works-In-Progress night, providing a safe and constructive environment for writers to hear their works aloud and receive feedback.

All competition entries must be postmarked no later than September 1, 2008. Entries should be mailed or delivered in person to: Port Townsend Arts Commission, ATTN: Play Competition, 250 Madison St., Port Townsend, WA 98368. A $10 entry fee, made out to “City of Port Townsend,” shall accompany each individual script entry. All entries must be typewritten and submitted in triplicate. Each submission shall have a cover page bearing the title of the play and the name, address and telephone number of the author; the scripts themselves shall list the title of the play, but bear no author information. To be returned, scripts must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope or may be picked up at City Hall after the winning plays are announced. There is no limit to the number of one-act plays that may be entered by one playwright, but no previously performed or published plays are accepted, and full-length plays will not be considered. 

In submitting a script to the One Act Play Competition, the playwright grants Key City Public Theatre performance rights for festival production, and agrees that in any future publication of the script, Key City Public Theatre will be credited with the premiere production. 

For more information, visit call KCPT Artistic Director Denise Winter at 360-379-0195.