Call for script submissions - 10-Minute Play Fest

Yellow Springs 10-Minute Play Festival 2013

Script Submission Guidelines

Submission deadline: September 1, 2013

Festival Production: October 25 & 26, 2013

The name Yellow Springs 10-Minute Play Festival is somewhat of a misnomer employed to distinguish this annual Center Stage production from the annual one-act play production at Yellow Springs High School. While we like our plays to come in it at 10 minutes or less, running over by a couple minutes is not a big deal. Beyond the competitive submission process, this is not a contest. So, there is no strict rule regarding length. That being said however, if a play is too long, in fairness to the other submitters; we will not be able to include it. The shorter the plays, the more we can include. Last year we had eight plays on the program.

The Yellow Springs 10-Minute Play Festival is a showcase for local talent, therefore we accept submissions only from playwrights with a strong YS connection, e.g. current or past residents or those currently employed in Yellow Springs or Miami Township; and past or current participants in Yellow Springs Center Stage. The local connection is important for several reasons: we hope that the playwrights will be actively involved in the production of their plays, including casting and directing, or will, at least, be available for consultation; we like our playwrights to introduce their plays to the audience during the two nights of the festival; and we seek to limit the number of submissions for review to a manageable number. In the past, and in spite of this requirement, we have received submissions from playwrights from afar with no connection to our community, hoping to have their scripts produced with no intention of even showing up to see the production. Some have even had the nerve to ask us to send a video tape. No, no, no…

Our hope is to do a lot with very little. This is the very essence of the 10-minute play. As such, playwrights are advised to keep their sets simple and their casts minimal. In the past, we have received scripts that looked like they were written for the big screen. Keep in mind that we have limitations in terms of lighting, sound, and special effects. Additionally, rehearsing a large cast for a very short play can make scheduling and finding rehearsal space problematic. If we see production difficulties that we feel cannot be overcome by creative direction, the play will be rejected in spite of the quality of the writing.

The deadline for script submissions for the Third Annual Yellow Springs 10-Minute Play Festival is September 1, 2013. Scripts may be submitted as email attachments to gunchpress@yahoo.com or by mail to Center Stage, P.O. Box 544, Yellow Springs, OH 45387. Feel free to address further questions to Virgil Hervey at gunchpress@yahoo.com.