Young playwrights from schools in Bucks County, PA currently in grades 9-12 are invited to submit their original, one-act scripts to the contest. Plays must follow the content and formatting guidelines posted below to be eligible for consideration.

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Submissions will open in mid-September, 2025.

Deadline for script submissions is December 1, 2025.

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Up to four plays will be selected for presentation in Doylestown on April 11, 2026.

Eligible plays will be read by theatre professionals at a staged reading. Late submissions will not be considered. 

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Submission Guidelines

• Playwrights must be in grades 9-12 at a school in Bucks County, PA

• Plays must be the work of a single writer. Collaborations will not be considered at this time.

• Plays must be original works. Adaptations, or works derived from other stories, or source material, will not be considered.

• Plays can be about any subject, but writers should consider that some language and material may not be suitable for our audience.

• Plays cannot include copyrighted material such as music, song lyrics, poetry, etc.

• Plays should have a running time of 20 minutes or less (approximately 20 typed pages).

 

Script Formatting

• Include a cover page that includes the following information:

  • title of the play

  • playwright’s name

  • playwright's email address

  • parent/guardian name

  • parent/guardian email address

  • school you attend

  • teacher’s name

• Include a brief, one-paragraph synopsis of the play and character list on the page following the cover page:

  • include the name and a brief description of each character that speaks or appears onstage

  • characters that are spoken about but who do not appear onstage should not be included in the character list

• Follow the formatting guidelines recommended by the Dramatists Guild, which can be found linked here. Scripts that do not follow this format may not be considered for production. 

 

What happens if your play is selected?

• All selected playwrights have the opportunity to revise their work prior to the presentation.

• Each selected playwright must attend rehearsals and staged readings of the play at the festival.

• The festival will be held at the James-Lorah Auditorium.

 

How is your play copyrighted?

All work is copyrighted the moment it is created and the writer retains exclusive control of their material. By submitting their work, playwrights agree to allow the Oscar Hammerstein Museum & Theatre Education Center (OHMTEC) to mount a staged reading of the work (if chosen) and for artists from the organization to critique the play. OHMTEC may also publish your script in whole, or in sections, on its website or other marketing materials. All other rights remain the exclusive property of the writer.