THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR THE MAY 2025 SHORT WORKS FESTIVAL IS NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 28, 2025.
SUBMISSIONS MUST BE TIME STAMPED ON EMAIL TO: info@strongboxtheater.com BY THAT DATE FOR CONSIDERATION
SUBMISSION: This short play festival is in keeping with STRONGBOX's mission to: Foster a partnership between the arts and our community at large to raise the visibility of the arts in East Rockaway, NY and its surrounding Long Island area; Assist new playwrights in getting their talents seen by and shared with our local audiences, and to Cultivate an appreciation of theater by new patrons.
THERE IS NO FEE to submit your play to be considered for inclusion in this Festival. Playwrights may submit up to two (2) plays, with a separate application accompanying each submission.
SELECTION / PARTICIPATION / CONSIDERATIONS: All plays submitted will be reviewed by a selection panel chosen by the Festival’s Artistic Director and Executive Producer, who will also have input. Playwrights will be notified on or about March 7, 2025, if their play(s) has(have) been selected for inclusion in the festival. Selected playwrights must submit a signed Participation Agreement by no later one (1) week following notification of selection. All selected playwrights will receive one (1) complimentary admission to each performance of their selected play(s).
THE STRONGBOX SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL is hosted by Bethany Congregational Church in their social hall at 100 Main Street, East Rockaway, NY, which seats 150 patrons. So, our host’s congregation will be considered by the Festival Selection Panel when reviewing the language, situations, and themes in any play submitted. The Festival’s Artistic Director, and the Executive Producer reserve all final decisions regarding selection, content, staging, and running time to be presented.
All submissions must be original and unpublished (but our festival’s production of them does not have to be a premiere).
All production and publication rights will remain the property of the playwright. A flat $100 royalty will be paid to each playwright for each of their selected plays. Other than reviewing each submission for selection, no critical analysis or feedback will be provided by the festival to the playwrights regarding any play.
EASE OF PRODUCTION is a prerequisite for all plays considered for production in this Festival. The stage is 18’ wide x 12’ deep, with folding screens to provide wings on stage left, center, and right, as required. A simple set footprint and minimalist production requirements (e.g., costuming, props, audiovisual, etc.) are non-negotiable. Acting blocks of varying shapes/sized and a basic lighting/sound plot will be used for all plays in the festival. Given the available resources, musical plays cannot be considered for this year’s Festival.
TWENTY MINUES OR LESS: Plays submitted for the festival can run no longer than 20 minutes (if unsure, please use 1.1 minute per page for estimation), and regardless, brisk pacing is a prerequisite for producing them. Plays can be comedies or dramas (or somewhere in between), as well as monologues. There will be six (6) performances of each selected play @8:00pm on the following Fridays/Saturdays: May 2-3, 9-10 & 16-17, 2025.
DIRECTORS for all selected plays will be assigned by the Festival’s Artistic Director. We expect the program to include 6-8 plays, with their order to be determined by the Festival’s Artistic Director and Executive Producer. There will be an intermission.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: A digital copy of your script in PDF format must be emailed to: info@strongboxtheater.com (Submissions via mail or hand-delivery will not be accepted);
-Script pages must be numbered;
-On the cover of your script, please include
-Play Title;
-Playwright’s Name;
- Playwright’s Contact information [Address, Telephone Number & Email].
- On the second page of your script, please Include a character breakdown;
-Include the Setting where your play occurs and the Time it takes place (that could be used in any program);
- Provide a statement that the play submitted is original and unpublished.
-Provide a short biography of the playwright to be used for Festival promotion (if selected);
SELECTION CRITERIA:
-Solid structure (e.g., a “beginning, middle, and end;”)
-Depth of characterization;
-Quality of narrative and dialogue;
-Dynamic vs. Static staging and/or concepts.
-Entertainment value;
-Additional weighting will be considered for plays that reflect the following:
-Playwrights who reside in East Rockaway or neighboring communities (Hewlett, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, Oceanside);
- Playwrights who reside in the other areas on Long Island;
-To help provide opportunities for diversity and inclusion in the arts: plays written by or that include characters and themes with women, people of color, LGBTQ+ and/or the developmentally challenged;
-Plays that are topical and have societal impact