This is a local festival: Playwrights must currently reside or work in Maryland or
the District of Columbia or have previously maintained their primary domicile, or place
of employment, within Maryland or the District of Columbia.
This is a new play festival: Plays cannot have had a staged production at the
time of submission to the festival. Readings and workshops are not considered productions.
If the play does receive a production after submission and before BPF production,
the playwright must inform the BPF.
Public Readings
BPF public readings are held regularly on the third Tuesday of each month, September
through February. They are rehearsed readings followed by discussion with the playwright(s).
Other readings are scheduled as demand warrants. The public is invited to these free readings. Plays
to be read are chosen from those scripts receiving not less than three (3) recommendations from the
readers and are directed by directors from the Baltimore theatre community.
If chosen for a reading,
The playwright shall provide a sufficient number of acting scripts.
The playwright (or a proxy) must be in attendance.
A reading is not required for a play to be chosen for production, nor is it a guarantee of
production. BPF member theatres are independent producing organizations, each with their own
tastes, ambitions and strengths. Each theatre chooses which play(s) they will produce based on
their own criteria.
Fee
Ten dollar ($10.00) submission fee. Checks should be made out to the Baltimore Playwrights
Festival and should accompany submitted scripts.
The fee is used to cover the cost of returning reader feedback to the playwright, awards to
the playwrights of the top three productions, and the kick off and awards ceremonies. (Note:
fees do not cover all these costs).
Submission Requirements
Three (3) printed copies must be submitted.
Two copies of a brief synopsis (no more than one-half page) must be included in each script -- one
with the playwright’s name for our files, one without the playwright's name for the readers. The
synopsis should briefly state the theme and tone of the play.
All plays must be TYPEWRITTEN on 8.5 by 11 paper and SECURELY BOUND
(A single staple in the upper left hand corner of a 200 page script is not securely
bound, nor is a script bound with binder clips. A submitted script should have a cover
of some kind and preferably be bound in a firm, three-hole report cover.
Standard play script format should be used, as it is designed to indicate the approximate
reading time of the play. General rules are below, there are variations, but please be
close to these guidelines:
margins: 1.5" left, 1" right, top and bottom
page numbers in upper right corner
12 point either Courier New or Times Roman
character name 2.5" from left margin
dialogue running from left to right margin
stage directions 2.5" from left margin (italics OK)
Since the playwright’s identity remains anonymous to BPF readers, all plays must
have two (2) title pages. The first page must contain the play’s title
and the author’s name, complete address, email address, and telephone number(s)
. The second title page must contain only the play’s title. The playwright’s
name must not appear elsewhere in the script.
Plays submitted to the Festival will not be returned.
Submissions are accepted from April 1 through September 30 (postmarked);
plays postmarked from October through March will not be accepted. (Sorry, but our
staff can only handle one season at a time!)
Tapes or CDs must accompany all musicals, preferably with vocals included. One
Tape or CD is required for each copy of a script.
Any play resubmitted after previous Festival consideration must be resubmitted
according to the following criteria:
resubmissions must wait one full season.
resubmissions should include a one-page synopsis of revisions and rewrites undertaken
by the playwright
resubmissions must reflect a major rewrite: characters or scenes added or
dropped, a new spine for the play chosen, a different theme focused on, etc.
Recommendations
One acts should not exceed one hour (60 pages) and full-length plays generally should not
exceed two and one-half hours (150 pages).
It is recommended that plays be sent via the US mail system. No one is generally available to receive UPS
or Fed Ex packages. Plays can also be dropped off at Fells Point Corner Theatre. Please contact the
Librarian to make sure someone will be available to receive the script at a designated time.
We encourage electronic submissions of your play and synopsis, in addition to the required paper
copies. Please use DOC, PDF, or RTF format.
Electronic submissions allow us to post plays on a protected website that can only be accessed by
BPF readers and theatre producers. The BPF can enlarge the number of play readers it employs and improves
the speed with which we can read plays by eliminating the cost and time required to go to our library to pick up
and return scripts. After the end of a season, the database is purged. To submit your play electronically,
email your script to the BPF Librarian.
Play scripts should be sent to:
Baltimore Playwrights Festival
PO Box 3 8 5 3 7
Baltimore, MD. 21231
Questions? Press the button and select 'start mail' in the pop up:
