Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati
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COLLEGIATE PLAYWRITING COMPETITION
Our annual collegiate competition nurtures local aspiring dramatists who are helping to shape the future of American theatre.
Write on.
PLAY/write: The Jackie Demaline Regional Collegiate Playwriting Competition is a juried cash award given annually to support the early work and career of an emerging playwright. Depending upon the pool of submissions received, up to three winners may be chosen; winners will receive $2,500 along with a professionally staged reading of the winning script.
Entrants must be currently enrolled either full- or part-time at a university or college in the Greater Cincinnati region and submit an original full-length play. There is no entry fee. Three finalists will be chosen by a panel of judges.
The competition commemorates the life and work of writer, critic, and theatre enthusiast, Jackie Demaline. A passionate arts advocate, Ms. Demaline served as an important catalyst for change in the theater community and was an entertainment writer and editor for numerous publications. Her legacy lives on through this competition, providing professional development for emerging writers, amplifying new voices and perspectives, and kick-starting arts careers.
Rules and submission guidelines
This year’s submission deadline is May 31, 2025.
If you have questions about the competition or submission process, please email Jared D. Doren, Programming & Events Manager.
Competition rules
There is no entry fee. This competition is limited to early-career playwrights under the age of 30 currently enrolled full- or part-time at a university or college within a 75-mile radius of the Greater Cincinnati region. Playwrights cannot have had a professional or Equity production of any of their work. Scripts must be submitted electronically.
Where indicated on the electronic submission form, you will need to include:
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- the title of your play along with your name and contact information
- biography and/or author’s history of the play
- 2-3 sentence keynote description of the play
- a list of characters and a list of acts and scenes
Guidelines
This competition is restricted to original, unpublished full-length plays (minimum of 50 pages) written in English. Translations, musicals, adaptations, and children’s plays are not accepted.
Plays must be typed and page-numbered in either a PDF or Microsoft Word format. Plays must appear in a professional script format, examples of which can be found on the Dramatists Guild of America website.
Subject matter is open, however, the play should address some of the characteristics Jackie considered when critiquing theatre:
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- Does it tell me something I didn’t know about myself or the world in which I Iive?
- Does it hold up a mirror at an angle I’ve never tried so that the things I do know now possess new meaning?
- Does it move me? Excite me? Provoke me?
- Does it make me laugh or cry? Make me uncomfortable? Make me think?
Audition
We’re always looking for new talent to shine on our stage and encourage actors of all types, ages, ethnicities, genders, and abilities to audition.
Apprentice Program
Our Apprentice Program offers a season-long immersive experience for professionally bound artists.
Volunteer
Doing good has never been this entertaining. Join our exciting theatre community and meet other performing artists by joining the ETC Entourage!
Photo credits | Apprentice Program, Molly Israel & Kadeem Ali Harris in Love and Information (Mikki Schaffner); Volunteer, Cast of Ripcord (Ryan Kurtz)
1127 Vine Street