Prague Playwriting Contest

Who can submit a script?

• Open to all current and former residents of the Czech Republic
• Applicants must provide references to verify that they reside or resided in the Czech Republic or their play will not be considered.
• Semifinalists and finalists from the previous years may submit plays

What must your submission include?

• Plays should have an estimated running time of 30 minutes
• Scripts must be submitted in English
• Scripts must be received no later than Nov. 30, 2009
• Scripts are open to any subject
• Submissions must be only new works, or works never performed in Prague
• Scripts should be submitted without the playwright’s name and contact details. The playwright’s name and contact details should be provided on a separate sheet or in an e-mail
• Scripts may be submitted in hard copy or electronically. Scripts submitted electronically must be in Word format (.doc) or as a PDF
• Scripts submitted in hard copy cannot be returned
• Writers may submit as many scripts as they like
• There is a submission fee of 100 Kč for each play submitted
• The fee must be paid by Nov. 6, 2009 in cash or by bank transfer to Raiffeisenbank 412 298 1001/5500
• The playwright must agree to the indemnification agreement

Entries must be formatted using standard play formatting. The font should be 12pt Times New Roman. There is to be a title page and a page with a character and scene breakdown. There is to be a line break between lines of dialogue. The plays are to be 30 minutes long which corresponds to 10 – 20 pages. Plays received with less than 10 or more than 20 pages will not be considered. The authors name is not to appear within the play itself (ie. In the footer of the play). Plays should be submitted with numbered pages.

To see an example of the right formatting go to:  http://pragueplayhouse.com/format-example.doc

What will the judging be like?

Reading:

The initial readers will split up the entries and eliminate those that do not conform to the format and length requirements. They will read the first few pages and make a determination as to whether the play merits further reading. The remaining plays which pass this initial test will be split into three groups. Three readers will each read 2/3ds of the plays (each play will be read by 2 readers). The 3 readers will meet to discuss the plays read. Plays that receive 2 “yes” votes will pass into the “yes” pile. Plays that have a split vote will be considered depending on the number of free slots to pass to the final judging. The readers are encouraged to make their case for their “yes” plays. In the case a tie break (when one reader cannot be convinced that the play should or should not be included in the semi-finals), the third reader who did not read the play will be asked to read it and add to the discussion. The reading process should winnow down the pool of plays from 30-60 to 8-12 plays (the semi-finalists).

Semi-finalist judging:

The three judges will just the 8-12 semi finalists on a scale of 1-10 for each of the following criteria: Originality, Dialogue, Story/Plot. Each play will receive a score of 3-30 from each of the judges. These scores will be added to determine the 3 finalists.

Reworking:

Steffen Silvis will read the 3 finalist plays and make time to meet with each of the playwrights to provide notes on the play. The playwright will have the Christmas break to rework their piece. After the new year, directors for the play will be chosen and auditions will be held. The plays will be worked on through rehearsal (under Steffen’s guidance and the director’s suggestion). A final version of the play will be provided to the judges before opening night. The judges are to reread the play and again judge the play on Originality, Dialogue and Story. The final scores of the judges will be provided and the winner of the contest will be announced at the closing night gala.

What will the production be like?

• The top three plays according to the judging panel will be produced by the Prague Playhouse, o.s.
• The event organizers will select directors
• Writers who make it to the final selection are invited to work with the director according to the following:  
  • Directors will be encouraged to make contact with playwrights at the earliest possible opportunity, but directors have the final say in the elements of production – including casting
  • If possible, playwrights should attend the initial read-through of the work with the cast
  • After the read-through and before intensive rehearsals begin, the director and playwright (and perhaps one of the producers) should have a candid discussion about possible rewrites. The playwright is encouraged to take an active and constructive role in this process, and all revisions to the work are subject to negotiation and the final approval of the playwright
  • Playwrights are encouraged to attend rehearsals under the commonly established practices of the theater: a) The director is captain of the rehearsal process, while the writer is an observer unless invited to comment; b) the playwright should funnel all comments through the director, refraining from giving notes to actors or designers without the express approval of the director