Mid Month Motivation July 15, 2025
The Power of Music Plus No-fee opportunities for Playwrights & Storytellers
Greetings, Dear Friends -
I hope everyone is finding joy in their daily lives. I know I’ve written and talked about the importance of joy before, it’s like going to the gym or exercising. We need it, we all agree it’s good, but do we really take time out for it? For many of us, it’s a struggle to work out 30 minutes a day, just like it’s a struggle to carve out time for joy. I have my excuses, like I’m soooooo bizzzzzzy!
Yesterday I played the piano for the first time in weeks, and let the music lift me and the tears fall. The news has been so upsetting and depleting, that I couldn’t hear any music, or take any pleasure in music.
But when I was cat-sitting two fluffy cats in Palm Springs end of June and early July, I found myself singing to them. Making up songs as well as paraphrasing familiar ones like “Weird Al” Yankovic. Music came back to me in the heat of the desert. So when I returned home, the piano and I had a face-off. The piano won.
But I won, too. Happy to report, I’ve been making steady progress on my screenplay comedy. Almost near the end of Draft One. Yay. It’s never taken so long to crank out a first draft, but these are also unprecedented times. Yes, being a bit Type A, I am a bit ashamed, but I can’t go backwards, only forwards. So I vow to do better, and to crank up the music.
What music do you listen to, to lift your spirits?
What music do you listen to, to inspire your creativity?
In William Styron’s Darkness Visible, Styron shares how music cut through his crippling depression and suicidal thoughts. He lost the ability to enjoy his life, rewrote his will, burned some papers — final preparations. Then one night, he heard Brahms Alto Rhapsody. A song dear to his mother. He said a sudden soaring passage from Brahms Alto Rhapsody pierced his heart like a dagger and unlocked so many memories. Styron checked into a hospital the next day.
Music, like words, has the power to save our lives.
Here are some opps I found. Some of the opps listed in previous posts are still open. As always, happy writing. And play some music!
Lucy
Braid Theater, various deadlines
Various stories wanted on themes like Secret Dilemmas (8/1), Do the Right Thing (9/1), The Dreidel Diaries II (9/1), On Being Jewish Now (10/1), L’Chaim America (10/1), The World Couldn’t See Me (9/1)
https://the-braid.org/submit/
Cue Zero Theatre Company, plays about NH and surrounding community, ongoing
https://cztheatre.com/index.php/new-works-submissions/
DQT Classics in Color, Sept 2
Classics in Color (CiC) is a new play development and public engagement program for BIPoC writers developing plays that blend the BIPoC lived-experience with global classics.
CiC is conducted via Zoom and uses an instructor-led curated classroom format with the goal of working constructively toward advancing each matriculant’s vision for their play.
https://www.thedqt.org/
Go Try Playwrite, 5 page monologue or 10 page scenes, July 31
The prompt for July 2025 is: A deadly dating. Write a 10-page maximum scene of two praying mantises out on a date, a female and a male. The date should end with “making a baby.” Make sure you look-up mantis mating techniques. This should be a fun one. $100 prize and subscription to Bamboo Ridge Press.
International Human Rights Festival, 10-20 min pieces in any performance medium, NYC and tri-state based artists.
The performances must be fully produced by you. Works may not have been produced within the last year in NYC, or be scheduled in the next six months of 12/14/2025. Costanza Bugiani, Assistant Producer, costanza@humanrightsartmovement@org
All accepted performers will receive 1) $200 Performance stipends (per project) 2) PR and marketing support 3) 30-minute tech rehearsal 4) Festival Technical Director and Stage Manager. 5) Free photographic and video documentation of their performance.
Larking House, One-Act & Full-length Plays, Aug 17th
Submissions open via the submission form on our website on August 1st, 2025 and will close on August 17th, 2025. No reading fee! This season, we are seeking 6 new scripts by local and remote playwrights to be workshopped and presented over a weeklong program. We’re seeking one-act and full length plays that have yet to be fully produced.
Each play will be cast and directed over a series of playwright-oriented workshop rehearsals, culminating in a staged reading and response session from invited respondents. The intensives will take place between October 26th and December 13th, with one playwright’s work explored and developed each week. This year we will have four remote sessions, and two in-person readings for California-local playwrights in the Orange County area!
Millenial Pulp, Call for Fiction, Non-fiction, Drama, no deadline
https://manager.submittable.com/opportunities/organization/f5318276-59e7-45ca-8cc4-00c022c9b957
Montana Rep, Site-Specific Plays about Montana and New Work by Native Playwrights
Short work (15 minutes or less performed) that is specifically site-based for our Plays on Tap series. Although full works are accepted, we invite you to introduce us to your work by sending us a letter of inquiry along with a synopsis and a 10-page selection from one of your plays.
https://www.montanarep.org/play-submission
New Manifest Theater, Short Plays, July 25
Short Plays, 20 pages or fewer, that respond to the Theme, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.
https://newmanifest.org/manifest-minifest-6/
P.K. Productions, Plays that Centers Young Voices ages 18-25
PK Productions is a nonprofit company led by emerging artists, and we’re looking to produce a new play that centered on young voices. This opportunity includes a full production in New York City with a professional creative team and documented behind-the-scenes process as part of our ongoing mission to demystify independent theater-making for young artists. Writers of all backgrounds are welcome to submit.
Please Include:
• The script
• A short artistic statement about why this play matters to you and why now
• A character breakdown, including approximate age ranges
• A brief production history, if applicable
• Your contact info on a separate title page
We’re especially interested in plays centered on characters 18-25 or played by actors between the ages18–25, and we’d love to hear how you envision young artists bringing your story to life. Email p.k.productioncompany@gmail.com
Snowdance, Ten-Minute Comedy Festival, Oct 10
Please email your script to snowdance@overourheadplayers.org now through October 10, 2025. Plays must run 10 minutes or less. A rule of thumb - 1 page (8 1/2 x 11) of single spaced, average dialogue will total about 90 seconds. https://overourheadplayers.org/snowdance-submissions.html
Somerset Community College Fine Arts 4th Annual Shorts Festival, Sept 30
Shows to Die For! Plays can be ANY genre and setting, does NOT have to be mystery/drama. Script cannot exceed 10 pages. At least one character must be murdered by an unknown killer. Email submissions to scctheatre@kctcs.edu
Taco Bell Quarterly, July 31
https://tacobellquarterly.org/submission-guidelines/
Winding Road Theater, 6th Annual Eight 10s in Tucson, July 31 or first 300
The submission portal is officially live as of 12:01am PST on Monday, July 14, 2025. You’ve got until 11:59pm PST on Thursday, July 31 (or until we receive 300 qualifying scripts) to throw your work into the ring.
For full details, including submission guidelines and eligibility, please visit our Submissions page:[ www.windingroadtheater.org/submissionpage.html](https://www.windingroadtheater.org/submissionpage.html)