Play Submissions and Script Development Opportunities

Alumnae Theatre Company is located in Toronto, Canada, and has been staging adventurous theatre for over 100 years.

NEW IDEAS FESTIVAL 2024 - CALL FOR SCRIPTS​
APRIL 17 - MAY 5, 2024

The  New Ideas Festival (“NIF”) is an annual, three-week, juried festival of short new plays, works-in-progress, and experimental theatre. Each week has a different program of up to four one-act plays.

NIF’s 36th season will run from April 17 to May 5, 2024, and will provide dramaturgical support, rehearsal and production space, technical support, access to the Theatre’s costume, props collections, and publicity. We invite you to submit your own play or pass this information along to a playwright you think may be interested. NIF encourages voices from diverse communities, including those who identify as Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQI+ persons, persons with disabilities, and those at the intersections of these identities. Preference will be given to Canadian scripts and scripts with challenging roles for women of all ages. 
 
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Scripts must be submitted in one combined PDF to Nif@alumnaetheatre.com
Please note the following:

1. Scripts must be original works - not previously performed outside a workshop;
2. The one-act plays may be in any genre or style, with a running time of 10-30 minutes;
3. Include on the first page: (i) play title, (ii) list and description of characters (including age), and (iii) the synopsis of play (maximum of 50 words);
4. Include on the second page: (i) play title, (ii) playwright’s name and contact information, and (iii) playwright’s biography (maximum of 75 words);
5. Each playwright may submit a maximum of two scripts.

 ​
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 11:59 pm on NOVEMBER 15, 2023

IMPORTANT DATES: 
Selected Plays Announced: November 30, 2023
Creative Exchange (between Playwrights and Directors through Cold Reads: January 5, 2024
Performances of the Plays: April 17 – May 5, 2024

Alumnae Theatre's
New Play Development Group

All Active, Lifetime and Senior Supporting Members of the Alumnae Theatre are invited to join the New Play Development (NPD) group.

​We’re a group of women playwrights and dramaturges, at all levels of experience, who meet once a month from September through June to read and share our work, give feedback to each other, and discuss script and playwriting issues.

Partnering with directors, dramaturges, and actors, NPD organizes 3 annual showcases of new Canadian works:

• Write Now! Weekend-long playwriting challenge held in October that culminates a week later in a presentation of rehearsed readings of all the entries;
• Big Ideas   A festival of longer works held each May that includes directed staged readings with actors, as well as table reads.
• Next Stage Reading Series  A series of "semi-cold" script readings open to the public that runs throughout the year and aids in the development of works-in-progress. The Next Stage Reading Series is usually held in Alumnae's lobby.

Many NPD members submit plays to the New Ideas Festival, Alumnae Theatre’s juried 3-week festival of new short plays held each March, and to Alumnae’s FireWorks, which features 2 to 3 full production works each November.

​How to Join the New Play Development (NPD) Group

​The NPD group comprises Active Members of the Alumnae Theatre Company. If you are not yet a member of the Alumnae, please join.  For more information on participating and the meeting dates/times contact Ramona Baillie, the Committee Chair, at rbaillie@rogers.com.

Mainstage Shows

The Mainstage plays are usually written by established playwrights. However, any playwright is welcome to submit his/her script to our programming chair at any time for consideration.
​
​The Mainstage season programming process occurs between June and October each year, with a season usually announced in November or December.

To Submit a Script for Mainstage Consideration:
Contact our Programming Chair at:  
​mainstage.programming@alumnaetheatre.com​

Play Submissions Canada | Alumnae Theatre

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