The BETC Writers Group is for adult writers, ages 18+. We welcome applications from any playwright whose previous work has received at least one professional, community theatre, academic (K-16), TYA company, or fringe festival production; for short-play writers, we also welcome applications from playwrights who have at least one past script that has been presented as part of a festival or staged reading event.
Please note that we do not have the resources to workshop and develop musicals at this time, but straight plays that contain occasional music are eligible in all categories.
Writers Group members will commit to developing and completing work in one of three categories.
Full-length plays:
Three selected writers will develop one full-length play (75-120 minutes) for adult audiences between August 15, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
Each writer’s developed play will receive a residency week with up to 12 hours of rehearsal and two readings, all scheduled to take place within one week in June 2024.
Reading One: each play will receive a public, ticketed reading as part of BETC’s Cafe Au Play reading series; admission will be charged. That reading series is currently projected to take place on three consecutive Saturdays (6/2, 6/9, 6/16) in June 2024.
Reading Two: During the residency week in June 2024, each play will also receive a private reading at a community partner selected based on the play’s subject matter and content (e.g. a school, nonprofit group, community organization, public health organization). Community partner organizations will be identified after selected playwrights are announced in August 2023.
Royalties/ payment: Each selected writer will be paid $500 on completion of their week-long residency, during which they are asked to attend all scheduled rehearsals and readings.
Short (10-20 minute) plays:
Three selected writers will commit to writing short plays suitable for taking into senior living facilities, senior centers, and community centers. These could be as short as 10 minutes and as long as 20 minutes; each playwright will develop at least two short plays between August 2023-June 2024. They should have a cast of roles suitable for older adults to read, although characters can be of all ages, and should be family-friendly in terms of language and content.
These short plays will be used for community-partner reading events with area senior living facilities, libraries, and community centers that have theatre or play reading groups. BETC will schedule at least four such readings during April/May 2024. Writers will be paid $50 each time their plays are used for a community reading event, up to $200; all other performance rights remain with the writers.
Theatre for Young Audiences plays:
Two selected writers will work on TYA plays, aimed to be ~45 minutes in length. One writer will write a play to be performed by adult actors, and one will write a play to be performed by young actors. These plays will be suitable for students in elementary or middle schools, arts education programs, and/or other venues to be performed for K-8 students.
The writer creating the play to be performed by adult actors will receive a residency with up to 12 hours of rehearsal and a public ticketed reading; the play may also receive a private reading if an appropriate youth community partner is found; all to take place within one week in April/May 2024. This selected writer will be paid $500 on completion of their week-long residency, during which they are asked to attend all scheduled rehearsals and readings. All other performance rights remain with the writer.
The writer creating the play for young actors will receive at least two community readings by students in schools or arts education programs. This writer will be paid $100 each time their play is used for a community reading event; all other performance rights remain with the writer.
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Application components:
Applicants will be asked to submit the following through our online application form:
–Contact information
–Playwright bio (~150 words)
–Program interest statement (~250 words): Why are you interested in developing your work through the BETC Writers Group, and through public and community partner readings? What does connecting with community through new plays mean to you?
Three PDF attachments are required:
–Playwriting resume with titles of scripts, recent reading and production history, etc. (PDF)
–Writing sample from a script written within the past three years (10-15 pages, PDF)
–Play concept for the Writers Group (1 page, PDF):
For full-length and TYA applicants:
- Please describe the new play you would like to develop and workshop in the 2023-2024 Writers Group.
- Identify potential community partners you think might be a good match for your subject matter – for example, a play on environmental issues might be a good match for a reading at a science museum or with a local environmental advocacy nonprofit.
For short-play applicants:
- Please describe two to four concepts you would like to explore in the short plays you will develop and workshop in the 2023-24 Writers Group.
