The Voices of YOUTH Theatre Festival

We believe theatre can entertain, educate, enlighten, provoke, transport, transform, and start important conversations. We experienced this first-hand with our inaugural Voices of Truth Theatre Festival held in March 2021 with 16 playwrights around the country.  Building on that success, we know it is not just adults but also our young people who have a lot to say and simply need a stage – in-person or virtual – to tell their stories. Though isolating, the pandemic has given us a tremendous opportunity for storytelling and imagination.

For our second festival, performed in our theatre following strict CDC guidelines or virtually, we want to give playwrights– ages 8 to 18 – a live or virtual stage with The Voices of Youth Theatre Festival. For our young creative artists who are interested in presenting a shorter script or original performance piece for a scene, monologue, spoken word, original song, or dance (with original music) we’re excited to offer a live virtual showcase as part of the Voices of Youth Theatre Festival. Perhaps you have created a new original hybrid of performing arts genres and we are happy to receive your submissions as well.

On July 19 – August 1, we will highlight ten plays that feature young performers. For play submission, we are open to all subjects, and special consideration is given to plays that present diverse casting. If you have a concept in mind but aren’t comfortable directing your work, do not let that hold you back from submitting. We will find a director for you.

Plays should have had no professional production in the Tampa Bay area before submission or, if accepted, have professional production scheduled within three months of debut with the Voices of Youth Theatre Festival. (If the play has had a workshop production, please include this information in your application.)

For our virtual showcase of shorter performance pieces (written for monologues, scenes, and spoken word artists) we are open to all subjects. For singers and dancers, music must be original and family-friendly. If you don’t fall into any of these categories, but still have a piece that you want to present, please submit your registration under “Other.” We’re excited to see something we haven’t thought of before or that is brand new to the performing arts.

Now, more than ever, we know it is our responsibility to give young artists a voice, a safe and creative outlet for self-expression. We look forward to your submission. 

FOR ARTISTS: A CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS BY MAY 15, 2021

Powerstories Theatre is seeking submissions for the Inaugural Voices of Youth Theatre Festival scheduled for July 16 to August 1, 2021.  Submissions are due by May 15, 2021. All submissions will be reviewed by an artistic committee, and selections will be announced by May 30, 2021 or sooner. The overall quality and development of the submission will be the main criteria for selection. Registration is $10.00. However, if a scholarship is needed for the entry fee, please don’t hesitate to ask.  If accepted into the festival, parent, guardian, or educator must provide approval, if under 18 years of age. Teachers may collect submissions and submit on behalf of their students.

Each young playwright will be responsible for casting, directing, mounting the show in the theatre, and if applicable for pre-recorded submissions, recording the show via Zoom or other means, and editing for submission to the festival. If an artist would appreciate assistance from a local director, Powerstories will match the artists with an experienced director.

For in-theatre productions, Powerstories Theatre will provide our stage for final performances, rehearsal time, technical assistance, marketing, box office assistance, high-quality live-streaming, and a copy of the live stream video. However, each playwright is responsible for all design elements, supplies and construction for any minimal and necessary set pieces, props, costumes, and miscellaneous items for their production.

Examples of submissions include the following: 

• Original Play Submissions:
  • Your own original play presented as either a full production with a minimal set or a staged reading performed in theatre with or without a small socially-distanced audience or a pre-recorded performance using digital platform provided by Powerstories
  • For a play, the ideal length is 45 to 90 minutes to allow for one full evening or matinee. Other lengths will be considered. For a play, six performers maximum on stage, if selecting to use the theatre. No limit on the number of characters if producing digitally. Playwrights must be willing to have in-theatre performance live-streamed.
  • Each play production will receive one matinee or evening to present.

Shorter Original Work Submissions:

• Your own original work will be performed live in our virtual festival showcase. The maximum length of the performance is 5-7 minutes and one minimum length for the following:

• • Original Scene – Performed live virtually in talent showcase using digital platform provided by Powerstories
  • Original Monologue – Performed live virtually in talent showcase using digital platform provided by Powerstories
  • Original Spoken Word –  Performed live virtually in talent showcase using digital platform provided by Powerstories
  • Original Song – Performed live virtually in talent showcase using digital platform provided by Powerstories
  • Original Dance – Created with original music, performed live virtually in talent showcase using digital platform provided by Powerstories
  • Other Original Works – Performed live virtually in talent showcase using digital platform provided by Powerstories

PLAY SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• New plays must be original.
  • Unless student is reimagining the concept to make his own idea, plays that copy the exact plotline of existing movies, TV series, and books will not be considered.
• The play should tell a story using dialogue to show opening, action, and resolution. Play needs beginning, middle, and recognizable end.
• The play should be set for a black box theatre with minimal set and limited set changes, if any
• Cover sheet of play should have title, student’s name, parent/guardian’s telephone number and parent/guardian’s e-mail. The student’s information should not appear anywhere else in the script.
• First page should provide name of characters and brief description of personality.
  • Please do not list the character’s physical looks and attributes. Actors portraying characters may not be able to match the identities.
• Plays must be typed, pages numbered, and double-spaced.
• Complete the registration form, including the fee or scholarship request, include the play or performance piece saved as a PDF file, and mail to fran@powerstories.com.

SHORTER WORK FESTIVAL REQUIREMENTS 

• Spoken word, scenes or monologue must be original.
  • Submissions must be typed, pages numbered, and double-spaced.
• With completion of registration form and submission of fee or scholarship request, spoken word or monologue, should be saved as PDF file and/or video clip. Send entire script in PDF and/or video clip to Fran@powerstories.com.

• • Cover sheet of spoken word, scene, or monologue piece should have title, student’s name, parent/guardian’s telephone number and parent/guardian’s e-mail. The student’s information should not appear anywhere else in the submission.
• Complete the registration form, including the fee or scholarship request, include the play or performance piece saved as a PDF file, and mail to fran@powerstories.com.

• Song, dance, and other talent entries should be saved as video clips. Send video clip submissions to Fran@powerstories.com along with registration form, registration fee or scholarship request as submissions above.

ABOUT THE THEATRE
The theatre is a black box theatre with a 26 x 13 acting stage.  We will provide artists with stage lighting, sound, projection options, and a list of stock set pieces that are available in our theatre. If you are bringing set pieces and props, they must fit in a small van for ease of moving in and out of the theatre. If selected, artists will receive more detailed technical information.