Manhattan Theatre Source’s Estrogenius Festival, an annual celebration of female voices, is one of New York City’s largest women’s arts festivals.
Founded by Fiona Jones in 2000, the festival debuted with a program of 10 short plays and music. Since then, it has grown into a five-week event including short plays, solo shows, music, visual art, dance, teen performances and support for African girls’ education.
Completely volunteer run, the Estrogenius Festival has provided more than 1,600 artists the chance to shine; showcased award-winning playwrights Sheila Callaghan, Quiara Alegria Hudes, T.D. Mitchell and Melissa Maxwell; presented Bessie Award-winning choreographers Marta Renzi and Jennifer Nugent; and provided scholarships for girls to attend school in Niger, ranked the poorest country in the world by the United Nations.
Submissions for short plays and Sola Voce for the 2012 festival are now OPEN.
We take open submissions from around the world and are committed to providing opportunities to female artists - in a variety of disciplines - ranging from the emerging to the seasoned professional.
Chosen plays will be announced in July. The festival will run this fall. Dates are currently TBD.
REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES FOR PLAYWRIGHTS
Each qualifying submission is thoroughly reviewed. Please do us the same courtesy by thoroughly reviewing and following all submission guidelines.
Plays submitted outside the specified dates and/or guidelines WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED
We are primarily looking for new short plays by female writers, but we do consider submissions by male writers that explore complex female characters and perspectives and are appropriate for a celebration of female voices. Please don’t put a woman’s name on your play. It WON’T help you.
We will only consider plays that have not yet been produced in New York City.
Submissions for Estrogenius 2012 will ONLY be accepted electronically. No in person submissions will be accepted. Should an electronic submission be an issue, please contact our Submissions Coordinator, Michael Bordwell by calling 917.830.5176 or email estrogenius.submissions@theatresource.org.
Submissions and payment must be submitted via the Submission Form link.
The Submission Charge for consideration for the festival is $10.
Please number the pages of your script.
Maximum length is 20 pages, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Preferred length is 10-15 pages, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only .doc, .docx and .pdf formats will be accepted.
Please complete all required fields on Submission Form but DO NOT include your name or any identifying information on the submission you upload. We only take blind submissions.
There are no stipulations on content or subject matter. Material need not be women’s issues-oriented.
We’re interested in all that women are writing about.
Your play will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
o Does the play have a clear beginning, middle, and end?
o Does the play avoid negative stereotypes?
o Is the subject matter new and interesting or, if it’s a familiar story, is it told in an interesting or innovative way?
o Is the play well written?
o Would it fit well in an evening line-up of plays?
o Will it work in our space?
o Are you excited to see this play on the stage?
Playwrights must be open and willing to work on possible re-writes and/or cuts. IF your play is chosen and it is running longer than 20 minutes, you MUST cut. NO EXCEPTIONS!
All plays should require only simple production values (sets, lights and costumes). If it can’t be done with our unit set and some imagination, then please don’t submit it!
All short plays must have a minimum of two characters. If you have a one-woman show, please look at the guidelines for our Sola Voce miniature festival of solo shows.
No attached casts or directors. (You may refer actors and directors for audition/interview.)
An electronic confirmation will be sent to you to let you know when all of your materials (cover sheet, payment and script) have been received/processed.
FAQs
Q: Can I submit more than one play for consideration?
A: Yes, you may. This year, for the first time we are allowing writers to submit more than once. However, for EACH play submitted, the writer must pay a separate $10 fee.
Q: Why is there a charge this year?
A: Because EstroGenius is growing! The loss of our space on MacDougal Street creates a unique opportunity for the festival to expand into a larger venue, but it also means we need more money up front to rent that space and produce your play in a bigger, more prestigious and versatile venue. Your submission fee helps make that possible.
Q: Is my submission fee tax deductible?
A: Absolutely. Should you require a letter to go along with the receipt, please contact us via email.
Download: submission form
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For queries: estrogenius.submissions@theatresource.org
For submissions: via the submission form
Website: http://www.estrogenius.org/
This blog is no longer updated. Please instead visit Writers For Diversity for new opportunities for women/ LGBT writers and writers of color. Thank you.
