Playwriting Competition

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Congratulations to 2024 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award Winner Emily McClain! A total of 104 scripts were submitted to the 2024 Essential Theatre Playwriting Competition. Deadline for the 2025 Competition is April 23, 2024. The 2025 winner(s) will be announced in early 2025.

We’re now accepting play script submissions for the 2025 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award competition. Previously unproduced plays by Georgia playwrights are eligible, and there are no restrictions as to style, subject matter or length (though preference is given to plays with a running time of at least an hour). The winning playwright will receive a cash prize of $1,000, and the play will be given a full production as part of the 2025 Essential Theatre Play Festival. The script submission deadline is April 23, 2024.

Submit your play today via our online form or via email to Peter Hardy ([email protected]) in pdf or MSWord format. You may also mail a hard copy of your script to Essential Theatre at 1414 Foxhall Lane #10, Atlanta, GA 30316. Please read the Essential Playwright Agreement. If your play is selected, you will be asked to sign and submit a copy of this agreement.

Please make sure that your contact information INCLUDING your place of residence in Georgia are on the front page of your script, in addition to including your residential address in the online submission form or in the body of your email or cover letter. As the only requirement for this competition is that you be a Georgia resident, this is a crucial part of the submission process.

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Previous Competition Winners

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