WELCOME TO THE NATIONAL KCACTF SUBMITTABLE PAGE
UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS AS WELL AS FACULTY MEMBERS AND GUEST ARTISTS FROM COLLEGE PROGRAMS MAY SUBMIT THEIR WORK FOR AWARDS AND OTHER CONSIDERATION HERE.
ALL NATIONAL PLAYWRITING PROGRAM SUBMISSIONS, TEN MINUTE, ONE ACT AND FULL LENGTH PLAYS ARE ACCEPTED HERE. REGIONAL SUBMISSIONS OTHER THAN PLAYWRITING ARE ALSO ACCEPTED. PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR SUBMISSION CATEGORY BELOW.
IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF YOUR CATEGORY PLEASE CLICK THE GUIDELINES OPTION NEXT TO THE CATEGORY FOR DETAILS.
The National Playwriting Program’s Mission Statement The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival National Playwriting Program is dedicated to supporting student playwrights in the development of their original work for the stage, with dramaturgical and performance opportunities that emphasize respect of the written word and for the playwright’s contribution to the theatrical process.The Playwright’s Bill of Rights: We cannot cut or change lines, alter the structure of the play, or essential stage directions without permission. Playwrights, agents and theatrical publishing companies are approachable and willing to work with us to obtain that permission. We should start that negotiation well before rehearsals begin.
The manuscript should be a scholarly paper of 10-20 pages [plus endnotes and references] on any area in the art, craft and/or history of theatre, or a cross-disciplinary topic with the art of theatre featuring as a key area of investigation.
The submitting student must be a bona fide, matriculated undergraduate student.
The submitted manuscript should have been written no earlier than January 2023.
At this time, co-authored manuscripts will not be considered for the awards.
IMPORTANT: All KCACTF Regions are using this Common Application. It has been set to remain open until the end of the regional festival cycle, even though that date occurs after many regional deadlines. Please refer to your regional website for those deadlines.
On this form you will:
1. Provide contact and eligibility details.
2. Send a Reference Form to a faculty member or other professional collaborator who has agreed to speak about your work on the project.
3. Write short reflective statements (150-250 words) addressing three of the following questions:
- How did you approach the work of researching and analyzing the play?
- What moments of joy did you experience during this process?
- How did you adjust your goals in response to project needs?
- How did you overcome challenges that arose during the process?
- How did you navigate the relationship between your individual work and that of the rehearsals and/or design conferences?
4. Select, organize, and upload the materials that best represent your process and/or dramaturgical sensibility. These items may include emails, pictures of your display, screenshots of webpages, presentations, content shared with project participants or instructor, and/or videos.)
- Please Note: Although we have set a limit of 100 pages for these uploaded documents, we encourage you to focus on the quality and not quantity of the materials you select.
5. Write an introduction to the materials you have uploaded, briefly explaining why you created them for this project (150-250 words).
6. Write a brief statement (150-250 words) answering one of the following questions:
- Takeaways: How has this project helped you understand how to improve your dramaturgical work? What aspects of your work will you bring into your next project?
- Uniqueness: Where are you in this work? If someone else had dramaturged this production, how would it have been different?
- Impact: How did your individual participation affect the whole? (To address this aspect of your work, we encourage you to invite statements from collaborators who can speak to your intangible contributions.)
- Dramaturgical Vision: How does this project fit into your overall creative work and plans for the future?
7. Confirm your intent to attend your Regional Festival, where you will display, present, and receive feedback about your work.
8. If applicable, briefly tell us about an aspect of your work that you haven’t yet explained in your previous answers.