Submission period: March 1 through April 30
Only 50 scripts will be accepted. When 50 are received, submissions will close and that will be announced on this website.
The Process
- Go to this page to understand how the festival works.
- Read the eligibility and submission guidelines (below)
- Complete the Online Submission Form
- Pay the $10 submission fee
Eligibility
- This is a local festival: Playwrights must currently reside or work in Maryland or the District of Columbia, or must have maintained their primary domicile, or place of employment, within Maryland or DC for a significant period of time within the last two years.
- This is a new play festival: Plays cannot have had a staged production at the time of submission. Readings and workshops are not considered productions. If the play receives a production after submission, the playwright must inform the BPF.
- Only one submission per playwright per year.
All submission materials and payments will be done online:
1. Script:
- Each script must be anonymous. Please remove any identifying information from title pages, headers & footers.
- Include in one PDF script document:
- Title page
- Synopsis (no more than one-half page in length)
- Character listing (including gender, age range, and any features such as skin or hair color necessary to the script)
- Setting (place and time)
- Script (with page numbers)
- If your play is a musical, the script PDF file must include the full lyrics to every song, as well as links to the appropriate music files. See “Other Submission Item Guidelines” below for more information about music files.
- Standard play script format should be used. Refer to the Dramatists Guild website: https://www.dramatistsguild.com/script-formats-theatre-scripts.
- All scripts must be saved in PDF format and submitted via the online portal available on the baltplayfest.org website. No snail mail or other methods of submission will be accepted. Improperly submitted materials will be destroyed.
- One acts should not exceed 60 pages. Full-length plays should not exceed 150 pages. It is recommended that cast size be limited to a maximum of 10 actors. Please state if roles can be doubled or double-cast.
2. Other Submission Item Guidelines
- Submission Form: Our online Submission Form is available here.
- Submission Fee: There is a $10 fee for each submission, which is used to help cover the costs of maintaining the Festival. Once you have completed the submission form and uploaded your script, you will be taken to the payment page.
- Music: If your play is a musical or requires music, the script PDF file must include links to the appropriate music files in MP3 or WAV format. Music files must be located in an online share such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Please do not attempt to send music files via email or snail mail.
- Residency Document: If the playwright is not a Maryland or DC resident, a document must be submitted explaining when or how the playwright meets the BPF residency requirement. This can be as simple as a statement citing the dates of your residency in MD or DC. At this time, please email this to librarian@baltplayfest.org, with your name and the title of the play in the subject line.