Scripts are Coming in. Have You Submitted Yet?

Since May 2nd more than two dozen playwrights from sixteen states, including Kentucky, and two Canadian provinces have submitted scripts to this year's 10-Minute Play Contest. Among the contestants this year. so far, have been six women and 20 men.

Characters include a juggler, two clowns (in different scripts!) a newscaster, people of Middle Eastern and British extraction, a realtor, housewives and husbands, friends and lovers, and college students. The ages of this diverse group of characters range from 12 to 70+.

Settings include not only the expected living rooms and apartments but also a beach, the front seat of a car, a coffee house, a library, and a "tv writer's room."

What is missing from this diverse mix of characters and locales? Your script with your characters and settings. We are accepting entries through June 30, 2010. Please submit today.

Production Venues Needed

The venue for November 2010's 2nd Annual Festival of New Plays is yet to be determined. It is my understanding that last year's venue in Midway is unavailable, so we are looking for other possible theatres in both Lexington and Georgetown, Kentucky. If you have ideas for production venues within 20 miles of Lexington, KY please leave a comment. Thanks.

Entries Coming In

Since May 2nd, the first day we accepted submissions for the 2nd Annual 517 Playwrights 10-Minute Play Contest, we have received 24 submissions. Included among those received are submissions from Canada (3), California (2), Iowa (2), Missouri, Maryland, and New York. We will stop accepting submissions on June 30th, but it is not too soon to submit.

Next Meeting of 517 Playwrights

The next meeting of 517 Playwrights will be held on Sunday May 16th from 1:30 to 4:30 at Common Grounds Coffee House, High Street in Lexington. In addition to reading and discussing new scripts written by members we will also discuss the proposed mission statement and bylaws for Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. Both current and potential members are welcome to attend the meeting. If you have questions write to ky.playwright@yahoo.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Len Cuthbert to Direct at London Fringe Festival

Len Cuthbert, whose play Enigmatic Lucidity was performed as part of the Midway Festival of New Plays in October 2009, is now in rehearsals for the London (Ontario) Fringe Festival, that will take place, June 17 - 27, 2010. Len is directing, The Trilogy of Bob and Angelina which is composed of his three short plays, Enigmatic Lucidity,The Maladroit Romeo, and One Year One Day.

2nd Annual 10-Minute Play Contest

The Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. (KPW) announces that it is sponsoring its second annual 517 Playwrights 10-Minute Play Contest. This year’s contest, open to any playwright who wishes to enter, will give a preference to Kentucky playwrights in terms of both submissions and judging: Kentucky playwrights may enter two scripts and up to six of the winning scripts will be selected from among the Kentucky entries. As was the case in 2009 winning entries will again be performed as a festival of new plays; this year the festival will be held in November 2010.

1) Preference this year will be given to Kentucky playwrights and members of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop and 517 Playwrights. However, we will accept plays from anywhere in the world as long as the plays are written in English.
2) Plays should run no more than 10 minutes, and be no more than 10 pages long.
3) Submissions will be accepted from May 1, 2010 through June 30, 2010, ONLY. Send submissions to ky.playwright@yahoo.com
4) All playwrights should write “Contest Submission” on the subject line; Kentucky playwrights should write “Kentucky Contest Submission” in the subject line.
5) Plays may be written on any topic and be either comedies or dramas; no musicals, plays for children, or adaptations, please.
6) Plays should have a single setting, no more than four (4) characters, and simple technical requirements.
7) All Kentucky playwrights may enter up to two (2) scripts in this year’s contest.
8) Playwrights residing outside Kentucky may enter one (1) script in this year’s contest.
9) Up to eight (8) scripts will be selected as winners of the contest and given a full production as part of a new works festival of 10-minute plays during November 2010.
10) A maximum of six (6) winning scripts will be selected from among those entered by Kentucky playwrights; a minimum of two (2) winning scripts will be selected from those submitted by playwrights residing outside Kentucky.
11) For purpose of this contest a Kentucky playwright is a playwright who is a resident of Kentucky as indicated on his/her drivers license or state issued identity card.
12) There is no entry fee for submitting a script.
13) Playwrights will be paid, in lieu of royalties, an amount not to exceed $ 25 for the rights to publically perform his or her play/s for the run of the show, estimated at three performances.
14) Winning playwrights are encouraged to attend one or more performances of their play/s and will be given two (2) complimentary tickets to the performance of his/her choice in addition to the payment listed in #12, above.
15) Playwrights who submit one or more scripts agree to abide by the contest’s rules and agree to its terms and conditions as outlined above.
16) Decisions of the judges shall be final.

Ooops! It was Derby Day Yesterday.

I'm sorry. When I was making plans to post the rules for this year's 2nd Annual 517 Playwrights 10-Minute Play Contest I neglected to keep in mind that May 1st was Derby Day, a holiday that does not allow for work (ie posting contest rules). So yesterday was spent reading morning lines and watching coverage of race day from Churchill Downs and otherwise celebrating the greatest two minutes in sports. Yet again Calvin "Bo-rail" has again slipped a three year-old throughhbred, Super Saver, between rail and fellow competitors to race off with his third victory in four attempts. Only now can I too get back to work.