2012 Northern Writes Submission Guidelines

Penobscot Theatre Company’s 6th Annual Northern Writes New Play Festival Submission Guidelines

Penobscot Theatre is pleased to announce it is now accepting submissions for its sixth annual Northern Writes New Play Festival to be held in June 2012.  Submission guidelines have undergone significant revisions this year. Please read the following information carefully as submissions that do not meet the guidelines or include the processing fee will not be considered:

 Maine Playwrights and Northern Writes “Alumni” Playwrights:

Full scripts from playwrights currently living in Maine and writers who have participated in previous Northern Writes Festivals will be accepted.  Submissions must be postmarked by of February 1, 2012.  Please include a cover page with your contact information and a brief description of the play’s developmental history, (readings, workshops, etc).  Playwrights in this category are asked to submit only one piece of work and provide both a hard copy and electronic version.  Notification of script selection will occur in mid-April via phone or email.

First Time Applicants:

Those who have never participated in the festival before and are not currently residing in the state of Maine, are asked to send a Letter of Intent and the abbreviated materials, listed below.  These submissions will be accepted until January 9th, 2012.  Playwrights will be notified by January 13th if a full version of the script is requested.  Please submit only one piece for consideration.  Please use the following criteria for your application package and submit both a hard copy and electronic version:

Production Information – Please include:            

A brief synopsis of your play

Cast Breakdown

The developmental history of your piece of wor

10 pages from the play you intend to submit

Letter of Intent – A brief letter that addresses the following:

Describe yourself as a writer.

Why did you write this piece?

Why do you think your piece is right for the festival?

What do you hope to gain from having your piece included?

“Under 18” – Youth Writers:

                 Northern Writes is very happy to announce the creation of a new festival category to particularly nurture the development of young playwrights!  Please note, this category is only for writers 18 years of age and younger. There is no application fee for this category.   Playwrights in this category should submit short or one act plays only.  Candidates in this category should use the following guidelines:

Production Information – Please include:             

A brief synopsis of your play

Cast Breakdown

The developmental history of your piece of work

5 pages from the play you intend to submit

Letter of Intent – A brief letter addressing the following:

What school you attend

Why you wrote this piece

What kind of work you have done on the piece

What you hope to gain from participating in the festival

To all of our writers:

We appreciate you sharing your work with us.  We know that a creative project in an early stage of development can be a tender thing.  In that vein, we did not want to stifle your submissions with content or cast size restrictions. However, here are a few suggestions in accordance with what he have found works best at our particular festival:

The teams for our play readings come from a local pool of very talented actors, directors, and readers.  We are however, a fairly rural community in Maine.  We love the idea of new dramatic literature that includes people of all ages, races, and genders, but please note that our area does have a specific demographic and may not be able to accommodate all projects.

In the past, our night of short plays has been very well attended.  To allow us to feature as many short plays as possible, we ask that these submissions not exceed a half hour in performance length.  This also applies to the “Under 18”submission category.

We look forward to reading your submissions!  Please submit all materials to:

Paper Submission: Penobscot Theatre Company

                                 Northern Writes Attn: Jasmine Ireland

                                  115 Main St. Suite #4

                                   Bangor, ME 04401

 *Please include your $10 processing fee in the form of a check made out to Penobscot Theatre Company (This fee will defray the cost of photocopying, postage, etc.)

Electronic components:   northernwrites@penobscottheatre.org

Questions/Concerns:   Jasmine A. Ireland
Director of Education and Outreach
Penobscot Theatre Company

jasmine@penobscottheatre.org
207.947.6618
207.947.6678 (fax)
www.penobscottheatre.org