2012 Worldwide Play Festival

What happens when a professional theater company produces 45 plays written by young playwrights?

 

See how the New York Times, NY1, The Huffington Post, and other major outlets answer that question!

Submit Your Play

 

All plays written at Writopia Lab--whether written by preschoolers or high school seniors--this school year will be professionally produced in the theater district in May as part of our 2012 Worldwide Plays Festival. We welcome your young writer to become one of Writopia's resident playwrights as part of his or her winter workshop experience. Make sure he or she has told his or her workshop leader that he'd like to take part.

 

Say What? That's right:

Every single play that is seriously workshopped at Writopia Lab will be produced in the Theater District in the spring.

This means that all plays seriously workshopped this school year will be performed by professional actors, directed by celebrated directors, and produced in exciting venues!

 

How Did this Amazing Thing Happen?

David Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Inc., began funding our annual festival last year. David Letterman has again granted us $50,000 to produce our writers' poignant, entertaining, and sometimes hilarious works!

 

Outside Submissions

Is anyone outside of Writopia eligible?

Yes! We invite writers in grades 1 to 12 to submit their plays, musicals, and monologues for consideration. Eighteen pieces will win recognition and six of those will be professionally produced and performed on stage in the Festival. Young playwrights will experience the transformative power of bringing their page to the stage.

 

Categories:

  • Monologue
  • Drama
  • Comedy
  • Science Fiction or Fantasy-themed plays

Completed scripts must be no longer than 20 pages. We accept collaborations. Writers may enter more than one submission.

Recognition:

One play per category per age group will be produced, directed, and performed by professional actors as part of the Festival. Twelve additional top pieces will be recognized.

 

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Our 2011 Festival was covered in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, and The Park Slope Patch. In addition, plays from the 2011 Festival won in every category--elementary, middle, and high school--in Stephen Sondheim's 2011 Young Playwrights Festival!

 



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If you have any questions, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call us at (212) 222-4088.


Important Dates

Sunday, February 26
Festival Open House at Writopia's Manhattan Lab: have your play reviewed by professional playwrights or write a new play in three hours! The event will culminate in staged readings with group discussions afterward.

Monday, March 12
Deadline for all submissions: submissions must arrive at Writopia on or before March 12th. 


Tuesday, May 15--20
The Writopia's Worldwide Plays Festival!
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How To Submit:


Writopia Writers

  • Email your plays to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Outside Submissions

  • Email your play in PDF or Microsoft Word format to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (preferred) mail your play to:
    Writopia Lab
    155 West 81st Street, Suite A
    New York, NY, 10024
  • Include a cover page with your name, birthday, grade, school, phone number, and email address. Optional: If you were inspired by or received fanstastic guidance from a mentor or teacher, please provide his or her name, email address, and phone number.
  • There is no fee for participation in this festival.

 

 

What is Writopia Lab?

Writopia Lab is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in New York City in April of 2007. We run creative writing workshops for kids ages 8 to 18. All of our workshops have a maximum of six students and are led by a published writer who has been fully trained in our time-tested methodology. In each of the past three years, more kids from Writopia Lab have been recognized on both the regional and national levels by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards than from any other school in the nation. Also, in 2008, 2009, and 2010 our students won multiple "Best Play" awards in Stephen Sondheim's Write A Play! festival.