New Play Festival Form

For over 36 seasons, TSC has championed playwrights through hundreds of script readings, workshops, and 40 world premiere productions. Last year, we launched the New Play Development Series, featuring staged readings of four brand-new plays and table readings of three works-in-progress. This year, we’re excited to continue the series with a focused development process for four in-progress scripts, culminating in a two-week rehearsal intensive and public readings at the TSC New Play Festival in January 2026. Submissions open June 1, 2025 and close August 31, 2025. For any questions or concerns, email david@tennesseestage.com.

• The submission must be an original, unpublished full-length play or a play in progress that is at least 50% complete. Previous staged readings and workshops are permissible. • Works that have previously been produced or published are ineligible. Additionally, plays slated for professional production upon submission will not be considered. While simultaneous submissions are allowed, please inform TSC promptly if your play is chosen elsewhere for development or production. • The submission should be a play you are interested in actively advancing in a developmental environment. • The submission must include a title page containing the play’s title, playwright’s details including name, address, phone number, and email address, along with a character list and scene breakdown, if applicable. • Manuscripts must be legible, typed in a minimum of 12-point font, and paginated. • The submission must be intended for an English-speaking audience and written primarily in the English Language. • The submission must be able to be performed by six or fewer cast members. Doubling /multiple character tracks are welcome. • Playwrights may submit multiple works, but once submitted, no revisions will be accepted before the selection announcement. Revised plays previously submitted to TSC are welcome for resubmission. • Critiques will not be provided for all submitted scripts. Email notification will be sent to eight selected playwrights whose plays are chosen as finalists. Interviews will be set up with all eight finalists in order to determine which four will be selected for the development series. The four selected playwrights and the four finalists will be announced publicly on our website and social media platforms by September 15, 2025. • In order to be considered, the script must be submitted no earlier than June 1, 2025 and no later than August 31, 2025. • Playwrights must currently reside in or have a residence in one of the 33 East Tennessee counties.