Deadline to Submit: October 25, 2024

SUBMIT YOUR PLAY HERE

Showcasing the Works of Women Playwrights March 25-30, 2025.

In recognition of our theatre’s quarter-century anniversary and fifth year hosting the Voices of Women Theatre Festival, Powerstories is thrilled about the expansion and changes we offer women playwrights in 2025 in celebration of Women’s History Month.

In partnership with the USF School of Theatre and Dance, with USF’s portion of the festival funded entirely through the Dishman Fund for Playwriting, Powerstories is offering two playwrights an exciting opportunity to develop their full-length plays. No state funds from USF are supporting this project.

Powerstories’ Voices of Women Festival encourages submissions from women-identifying playwrights, playwrights of color, and other underrepresented groups. We are committed to promoting intersectional equity and enabling various submissions related to the theater of historically marginalized populations, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities.

For the 2025 Voices of Women Theatre Festival, Powerstories Theatre has up to 18 opportunities for talented women playwrights. We are accepting the following:

  • We will select one play from – General Submission open to any women playwrights – (60-120 minutes) – Powerstories-produced staged reading
  • *NEW* We will select one play from – Women Playwrights over 40 – ( 60-120 minutes) – Powerstories-produced staged reading
  • We will select up to 16 Ten-Minute Self-Produced Plays
    • Four Ten-Minute Self-Produced Play slots will be reserved for USF students

FULL-LENGTH SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

  • There is a $10 fee to submit your play.
    • USF Faculty, Staff, Students, and Dramatist Guild members are exempt but will need to supply verification.
  • Playwrights may only submit one play.
  • Playwrights must not submit previously submitted works to any Powerstories opportunity.
  • Play must be unproduced, new works, OR works not recently produced.
  • We will not accept musicals.
  • Submit only the first ten pages.
    • We will ask for the whole play if selected for the final round for consideration.
  • Your submission can have any theme.
  • Your submission supports diversity and inclusion.
  • The setting of your play should be simple or suggested.
  • The maximum cast size is 5.
  • Your submission reflects overall quality and is a substantially developed and well-written play.
  • Your submission is no longer than 120 minutes.
  • All plays should be submitted as PDFs with the title in caps, followed by the playwright’s name. Example: VOW 2025 Playwright Name
  • Play’s cover sheet must include the author’s information (name, address, telephone, email). A short synopsis is encouraged.
  • Any stage play format is acceptable.
  • If selected for Powerstories to produce:
    • You will be available for a playwright promotional interview before the festival.
    • You will actively promote your productions to boost ticket sales and share pertinent marketing information about the festival.
    • Powerstories will produce a rehearsed reading of two full-length plays.
    • Our selected playwrights will work side-by-side with their directors and cast to workshop the work in real-time before it is performed as a staged reading to a live audience.
      • Powerstories will hire a director to audition for the roles, manage the project, and incur all production costs for the performance at USF School of Theatre and Dance’s 50-seat black box theatre.
      • We will provide a professionally moderated talkback and written feedback.
    • Powerstories will offer selected playwrights a small stipend to help offset the costs of participating in the development process.
    • We would be delighted to have selected playwrights attend the development process in person. However, the playwright is not required to be in residence as Powerstories is unable to cover travel and housing costs.
    • The playwright must be available for rehearsals via Zoom.
    • Powerstories will consider your new work for a main stage production in our Season of Shows.
    • You will receive marketing assistance, including, but not limited to, our website with photos, bios, play synopsis, schedule, playwright interviews to promote your play, press releases, graphics for social media, and daily social media marketing.
    • Our graphic designer can also design a logo for a small fee.
    • You will receive an All-Access Festival Pass to support your fellow playwrights’ works.
    • All plays will be videotaped and included as part of the digital encore in the second week.
      • After the festival’s close, all plays will have a complimentary digital recording available to the playwright.
    • We trust that your play will be exclusively presented with Powerstories Theatre’s Voices of Women Theatre Festival and will not be produced directly before or after the festival (January 2025 – April 2025).
  • Scripts must be received by October 25, 2024.

Each full-length entry will be numbered and time-stamped. We will stop accepting plays after the 100th submission with the first 50 submissions given priority. Last day to submit is October 25, 2024.

There is a $10 fee to submit your full-length play.

Waived for Dramatist Guild Members and USF Faculty, Staff, and Students.
Deadline October 25, 2024

10 MINUTE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

  • There is no fee to submit your play.
  • Playwrights may only submit one play.
  • Playwrights must not submit previously submitted works to any Powerstories opportunity.
  • Play must be unproduced, new works, OR works not recently produced.
  • Your submission is no longer than 10 minutes.
  • We will not accept musicals.
  • Submit the entire play.
  • Your submission can have any theme.
  • Your submission supports diversity and inclusion.
  • The setting of your play should be simple or suggested.
  • The maximum cast size is 5.
  • Your submission reflects overall quality and is a fully developed and well-written play.
  • You will actively promote your productions to boost ticket sales and share pertinent marketing information about the festival.
  • All plays should be submitted as PDFs with the title in caps, followed by the playwright’s name. Example: VOW 2025 Playwright Name
  • Play’s cover sheet must include the author’s information (name, address, telephone, email). A short synopsis is encouraged.
  • Any stage play format is acceptable.
  • If selected for self-producing:
    • You will be available for a playwright promotional interview before the festival.
    • You will receive the use of USF School of Theatre and Dance’s 50-seat black box theatre for your 10-minute play (full or staged reading).
    • Each 10-minute playwright will be responsible for all costs of casting and directing the show.
    • You will receive marketing assistance, including, but not limited to, our website with photos, bios, play synopsis, schedule, playwright interviews to promote your play, press releases, graphics for social media, and daily social media marketing.
    • Our graphic designer can also design a logo for a small fee.
    • You will receive an All-Access Festival Pass to support your fellow playwrights’ works.
    • All plays will be videotaped and included as part of the digital encore in the second week.
      • After the festival’s close, all plays will have a complimentary digital recording available to the playwright.
    • We trust that your play will be exclusively presented with Powerstories Theatre’s Voices of Women Theatre Festival and will not be produced directly before or after the festival (January 2025 – April 2025).
  • Scripts must be received by October 25, 2024.

Each 10-minute entry will be numbered and time-stamped. We will stop accepting plays after the 100th submission with the first 50 submissions given priority. Last day to submit is October 25, 2024.

There is no fee to submit your 10-minute play.

Deadline October 25, 2024

In 2025, we are disbanding the digital submission portion of our festival.

SUBMIT YOUR PLAY HERE

AWARDS

Powerstories will review all productions for consideration for awards for Powerstories’ Best Short Play and Best Full-Length Play.
The plays will be evaluated based on the following:

  • A well-written, engaging script
  • A quality production to include acting and directing
  • Successful ticket sales through the marketing of your play
SUBMIT YOUR PLAY HERE

Playwrights will be notified of acceptance by January 15, 2025 or sooner.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and leadership of Powerstories Theatre, we look forward to receiving your submissions and presenting to the world your amazing stories.

 

Locations

Here’s where we will be bringing theatre to you next!

  • SEPTEMBER – New Tampa Performing Arts Center,
    8550 Hunters Village Rd, Tampa, FL 33647
  • JULY – Stageworks Theatre,
    1120 E Kennedy Blvd suite #151, Tampa, FL 33602

  • MARCH – USF College of the Arts, (TAR)
    3837 USF Holly Drive, Tampa, FL 33620

  • JANUARY – Straz’ Shimberg Playhouse,
    1010 N Macinnes Pl, Tampa, FL 33602

813-205-3451

Mailing address

PO Box 18021
Tampa, FL 33679

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