2025 Quill to Act New Play Festival Submission
Overview
Murphys Creek Theatre is now accepting submissions for our 2025 Quill to Act New Play Festival. Submissions will close when we reach 100 scripts or on April 15th, 2025, whichever comes first.
Three finalists will win $100 and have a staged reading of their script.
The winner will have their play workshopped and produced as part of MCT’s 2026 Season.
Please read ALL of the script guidelines and prepare your PDF script accordingly BEFORE starting the submission process.
(For returning playwrights, a submission form link is at the bottom of this page)
Script Guidelines
MCT will only accept plays that meet all of the Basic Requirements, Document Criteria, and Artistic Merit listed below.
Basic Requirements
Full-length drama or comedy, intermission preferred. If there is no intermission, then the running time must be 75 minutes or less. MCT Quill to Act presentations are performed in a concert reading style (no costumes, lighting, sound effects, set, or props). The emphasis is on the language and dialogue of the play. Stage directions will be read and are considered part of the running time. Submitted scripts should meet the timing requirement with this in mind.
Previously unproduced. All scripts submitted to MCT must be unproduced and remain unproduced until after MCT’s 2025 Quill to Act festival. Any presentation by a theatre (including non-equity, regional, or community theatre) counts as a production. This includes virtual presentations. College/academic productions, development workshops, and readings are exempted.
Maximum of six actors. Doubling (or more) of characters is permitted, provided a doubling plan is included with the cast list.
The submitting author is (or “authors are” when in collaboration) the sole owner(s) of the script copyright.
Document Criteria
Legibly typed 12-point font in standard play script format with 1” margins. You can find general play script format guidelines HERE.
No indication of authorship (your name) on any of the pages. The reading of the scripts is to be blind. Any script received with the author’s name on it will be disqualified.
Submitted as a single PDF. Only scripts formatted as a PDF file will be considered.
Page 1: Cover page with only the play title.
Page 2: Brief synopsis of the play (200-word maximum) and a cast list that includes each character’s name, age, and brief description.
All pages are numbered.
Characters’ names are shown above the dialogue.
The end of the play is clearly indicated.
Artistic Merit
MCT’s Quill to Act New Play Festival is committed to presenting new work that is uniquely theatrical, has literary merit, and appeals to our audience’s emotions and imagination. Such work invariably reflects an original concept or theme, possesses a clear and cogent structure, and includes characters whose language expresses their individual worldviews.
MCT does not accept:
Film or TV scripts
Children’s Theatre
Musicals
We do accept adaptations and parodies of works in the public domain.
Submission Process
Read ALL script guidelines first.
Fill out the submission form. Enter your playwright name, script title, contact information, etc.
Upload membership to the Dramatist Guild (if applicable).
Upload your script.
Submit your registration information.
On the confirmation page, follow the link provided to process the $15 submission fee. Dramatists Guild members can waive this fee by uploading proof of membership to the submission page or emailing it to submissions@murphyscreektheatre.org.
You will automatically receive an email stating that we have received your submission and payment. If you experience any difficulties with the process, please contact us before submitting your script.
Thank you for sharing your work with MCT!
The Fine Print
Submissions are limited to one script per author per year. Collaborations are accepted and count as submissions for each author (e.g., a playwright cannot submit both a co-written script and a singularly authored script in the same year). Once a script has been submitted to MCT, we cannot accept revisions. Please note that MCT does not provide feedback on scripts beyond the talkback following each of the finalists’ readings.
Refunds are not given for plays that are not accepted.
Playwrights whose plays are selected as finalists will be notified by July 31, 2025, and will be announced publicly in August. A $100 stipend is awarded to each finalist playwright. Stage readings of the finalist scripts are slated for September 30, October 7 and 14, 2025.
Following the readings, a winning script will be selected from the finalists. The winning script will be produced as part of MCT’s 2026 season. Upon notification of their selection, the winning playwright(s) must sign the Playwright Agreement, providing permission for workshopping and public performance of their script.
All playwrights are responsible for the cost and arrangements for transportation to and from Murphys should they choose to attend in person.
Directors, performers, and technicians for the readings are drawn entirely from a pool of local, professional artists.