Yale Drama Series Playwriting Competition 2023

The prestigious Yale Drama Series has announced the call for entries for its 2023 Playwriting Competition.

This annual international competition, funded by the David Charles Horn Foundation, is designed to identify and support emerging playwrights.

A Tradition of Excellence

Distinguished playwrights select winners of the competition.

• The series’ inaugural judge was Edward Albee (2007-2008), followed by luminaries such as Sir David Hare (2009-2010),
• John Guare (2011-2012),
• Marsha Norman (2013-2014),
• Nicholas Wright (2015-2017),
• Ayad Akhtar (2018-2019)
• Paula Vogel (2021-2022).

The current judge for the competition is playwright Jeremy O. Harris.

Prize

The successful playwright will be awarded the David Charles Horn Prize of $10,000. With the cash prize, the press of Yale University Press will publish the winning manuscript, and a celebratory event will be organized in honor of the winning play.

Eligibility Criteria

• The competition is open to playwrights worldwide, requiring plays to be written in English.
• Submissions should be original, unpublished full-length plays with at least 65 pages. Children’s plays, translations, and musicals are not accepted.
• Importantly, the competition aims to support emerging playwrights, and as such, playwrights can only win once.
• Each playwright may submit one manuscript annually, and only solo-authored plays are eligible.
• While professionally produced or published plays are not eligible, those that have had a workshop, reading, or non-professional production, or have been published as an actor’s edition, will be considered.

Application Process

Electronic submissions for the 2023 competition must be submitted no earlier than June 1, 2023, and no later than August 15, 2023.

The Yale Drama Series Competition encourages electronic submission. Electronic submissions ensure immediate confirmation of successful submission and allow applicants to check the status of their entry.

Applicants should exclude their name and contact information from their manuscript and submission file name to apply.

The manuscript title page must include the play’s title, a summary (no more than three sentences), a list of characters, and a breakdown of the play’s acts and scenes.

The applicant’s contact information and a brief biography should be provided where indicated in the electronic submission form.

For applicants unable to submit electronically, hard copies of scripts can be mailed to Yale Drama Series, P.O. Box 209040, New Haven, CT 06520-9040.

For more information, visit the Yale Drama Series website.

Conclusion

The Yale Drama Series Playwriting Competition represents a fantastic opportunity for aspiring playwrights to get their work recognized and published.

Take advantage of this chance and unlock your full potential.

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