Thank you for your interest in The Playwrights Realm and our open submissions programs! This web portal will let you apply to:

• Writing Fellowship, only
• Scratchpad Series, only
• BOTH Writing Fellowship and Scratchpad Series, simultaneously

Applicants for the Writing Fellowship and/or Scratchpad Series will submit:

• Online application - short-answer questionnaire (see details here)
• Artistic résume (PDF format)
• Complete draft of the play that you wish to develop (PDF format), with your name and the play title on the cover page.
• Music samples (if applicable)

Applications for the Writing Fellowship and/or Scratchpad Series must be submitted by February 10th, 2025, at 11:59PM EST.

Please carefully read program details below, and then decide which application to fill out.

Writing Fellowship ONLY

The Writing Fellowship is at the heart of what we do: helping writers write. Four early-career playwrights receive nine months of resources, readings and feedback designed to help them reach their professional and artistic goals. The culminating event of the program is our INK’D Festival, which features public readings of each Fellows’ play. To be eligible you must:

1. Live within commuting distance to Midtown Manhattan, and be able to make it to regular evening writers meetings, rehearsals, and events.
2. Have a script that would benefit from a nine-month, intensive development process.

Please note: short plays, solo plays, plays with multiple authors, and musicals are not eligible for the Writing Fellowship.

Scratchpad Series ONLY

Scratchpad Series jumpstarts The Realm’s relationship with early-career playwrights from around the country. Participants will spend a week in New York City for a developmental reading of their play with top-notch professional collaborators—director, cast, and The Realm’s artistic staff. If the playwright is based outside of New York, The Realm will provide travel and housing or per diem. To be eligible you must:

1. Have a script that would benefit from dramaturgical conversation with The Realm and 15-hour developmental reading process reading. (Plays can be anything from a rough first draft to a play that is close to production-ready.)
2. Be able to be present in New York City for a process of between 3-6 days, at a time agreed upon by both you and The Realm.

Please note:  short plays and solo plays not eligible for the Scratchpad Series.

Apply to BOTH programs

Please be prepared to discuss how you think your script could benefit from the two different opportunities these distinct programs offer. To use this form you must:

1. Live within commuting distance to Midtown Manhattan, and be able to make it to regular evening writers meetings, rehearsals, and events.
2. Understand that you are applying to both programs with a single script. We accept just one play, per playwright, per season.

Please note:  Short plays and solo plays not eligible for either program.  

To access the application form you will either log into your Submittable account, or if you don’t have an account already, create a secure User ID and log in for Submittable. This will enable you to save drafts as you work and verify that your application has been received.