Announcement for the Beckwith Theatre Company’s 2027 Local Playwrights Festival of 10-Minute Plays

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​Beckwith Theatre Company (BTC) is excited to announce it is now accepting submissions for its 3rd Annual Local Playwrights Festival of 10-minute Plays. The deadline is 11:59 PM on September 11, 2026.

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The Festival is a celebration of original short plays from local playwrights that live in SW Michigan and Northern Indiana. These are original, never-before-produced plays that promise a diverse line-up of theatrical performances. Additionally, all directors and actors are also local.

 

The festival benefits the Beckwith Theatre Company’s Capital Campaign Fund which provides for the historic building’s upkeep and planned renovations. Playwrights, directors and actors receive no remuneration as all proceeds go the BTC Capital Campaign Fund.

 

Information available online at Beckwiththeatrecompany.com/fest or by emailing btcplayfestival@gmail.com.

 

As with the prior two festivals, playwrights are to focus their play on a certain theme, a certain activity, or feature a certain prop in their submissions. This also allows the festival to present a wide variety of offerings for the enjoyment of the audience. This year they are:

1. Senior citizen experiences (A wide-open category allowing for a full range of situations and emotions to be explored).

2. A car ride (Can include any genre from comedy to romance to mystery to drama, all with the potential to grab and hold an audience’s attention).

3. High School (May be from the perspective of students, faculty, or parents).

4. A rocking chair as a set prop, or

5. A coffee cup/mug with a broken handle.  ​

 

Submission guidelines

• Original Script that has not been previously produced and will not be produced before February 2027 (a staged reading or feedback reading is acceptable)

• Playwrights may submit 3 original - not AI generated - scripts

• Plays are to have a beginning, middle and end (no skits)

• The run time is to be 10 minutes. Shorter is fine. A little longer may be allowed depending on the play. Plan approximately 1 minute per page, adjusting for longer monologues within the play

• Minimum of two characters and a maximum of 5 characters

• Entries may be of any theatre genre; absurd, comedic, dramatic, dark, farce, mystery, tragedy … literal or figurative … it’s up to you

• Must address one of the themes, activities or props selected for this year’s entries

• Can be staged with minimal sets, props, and costumes (preferably contemporary) with storyline still easily followed

• No musicals are accepted

• Plays with limited songs or music are allowed as long as royalties are not required

• Suggested background music will be considered but may not be possible

• Limited foul language

• Limited sound and lighting cues

• There is no submission (entry) fee

• Plays submitted will not be returned

• Submissions are now being accepted

• Deadline for submissions is 11:59 PM on  September 11, 2026

• No sent revisions will be accepted

• Playwrights, directors and actors receive no remuneration as all proceeds go the BTC Capital Campaign Fund

 

Submission Details: How to submit your play

• All submissions should be in the ‘Standard Stage Play Format’ available by emailing btcplayfestival@gmail.com or going online at https://www.dramatistsguild.com/sites/default/files/2020-01/General-SFI-Formatting-Guidelines-Complete.pdf

• All submissions should use an easily readable 12-point font (Example: Times New Roman) with margins at least .75 inches

• Only PDF or MS Word formatted submissions are accepted; 2 files are to be submitted with one being a Title Page file and the other being a Script File (read on about these two)

• The Title Page File includes the Title of the play, which theme or prop your play meets, a 2-3 sentence descriptor of the play, your name, email address, phone number, mailing address and copyright if pertinent

• The Script File must have the title of the play on each page (Header) and page number (Header or Footer) and must not have any information identifying you as the playwright

• All submissions are to be sent via email to: btcplayfestival@gmail.com

• All entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM on September 11, 2026

 

Submitted Plays and Selected Plays

• A review committee from the Beckwith Theatre Company will read and score each play

• Scoring considers the plot, characters, writing style and voice, feasibility of staging the play, the variety of plays selected, the plays overall effect/impact on those reading and scoring the entry and whether or not the submission met the guidelines

• No Feedback will be given on plays not selected

• Playwrights will be notified by email whether or not their play was selected

• Playwrights of selected plays agree to a production by local directors and actors, and which may be recorded and photographed for marketing and promotional purposes

• Playwrights of selected play will be noted in marketing and promotional efforts, social media, programs and if they choose will be identified at the performances they attend

• Directors of the selected plays may desire to contact the playwright in which case contact information may be exchanged unless the playwright wishes not to have contact

• Selected playwrights are offered a pair of comp tickets for each performance they plan to attend.

 

We'll see you in February!