New South Young Playwrights Festival

2025 FESTIVAL: JUNE 1-7
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: extended to APR 14

What IS the New South Young Playwrights Festival?

Students—high school through college—are invited to submit completed one act plays for consideration in Horizon Theatre Company’s New South Young Playwrights Festival Contest. 20-25 playwrights are selected to participate in the New South Young Playwrights Festival (in non-virtual years, at Horizon Theatre in the trendy Little Five Points area of Atlanta). This week-long festival is free and includes playwriting workshops, seminars, and rehearsals with professional theatre actors, directors, and playwrights.

The Annual NSYP Short Play Festival is a public reading and showcase of the writers’ short plays that were created over their intensive week.

MENTORS: We also recruit 2-4 current MFA Playwriting candidates as mentors and teaching assistants during the festival week. Current MFA candidates in playwriting are encouraged to apply. Housing, meals, and travel stipend provided, as well as a modest check for work performed during the Festival.

INTERNS: If you have an interest in playwriting, directing, producing, or stage management, this is the internship for you! Interns will be able to audit some of the playwriting sessions and will be exposed to many professionals in the field. Interns should have experience in stage management and/or scheduling, as well as in interest in furthering a career in the theatre. They will be expected to assist with the general flow of the festival, including (but not limited to) making runs to pick up meals as well as transporting festival participants to and from their housing. They will also set up for/clean up after meals, take notes during seminars, run video cameras, assist with photography and social media, and manage technology for Zoom events with guests from out of town. Applicants who are willing to use their personal car for Festival business get top priority.

Interns will be paid a $300 stipend for the week and will have the opportunity to interact with the professional actors, directors, and playwrights that participate in the festival when not busy with their other tasks, as well as sit in on playwriting workshops led by MFA candidates and established playwrights. It’s a wonderful chance for professional theatre development!

Playwright Application Writing Submissions

The choice of subject, style and form is up to you. High school scripts must be no longer than 20 minutes reading time (approximately 15 pages). College scripts may be up to 60 minutes in length (approximately 50 pages), although shorter scripts are acceptable and encouraged. Co-written plays with no more than 2 writers are eligible.

Application Guidelines:

Include 2 copies of your script: One copy should include a title page with your name, permanent residence home address (not your school address), your phone, e-mail, DOB, year in school, and your school name/address/phone. The other copy should have NO IDENTIFYING INFORMATION on the title page: only include the title.
High school student submissions are limited to 20 minutes total reading time (15 pages max!). College undergraduate student submissions are limited to 60 minutes total reading time (50 pages max!), though shorter plays are accepted and encouraged.
Film scripts, screenplays, or adaptations of other authors’ works are not eligible.
Please also provide the name, phone number, and email for your primary writing/theatre advisor or instructor.
Please also send in a headshot or photo of yourself, printed or digital.

FAQ’s:

1. Why do I have to submit 2 copies of my script? We prefer to score all submissions blindly, without looking at the playwright’s identifying information. Scores are based solely on the writing, rather than any identifying information that could provide a bias.

2. How many winners are selected? We host between 20 and 25 writers from all over the country. We usually receive 7-10 dozen submissions each year. Participants are primarily college undergraduates with a few exceptional high school students.

3. When will I hear if my play has been selected? We begin a rolling notification process at the beginning of April. It may take several weeks for you to receive an update.

4. What will I be doing during the festival week? A typical day lasts from 9am to 10pm. We have daily classes, seminars, and writing workshops. Monday – Thursday evenings, we present readings of all the winning submitted plays performed by professional actors. In the past, we have attended theater productions multiple evenings during the week, including the show on stage at Horizon. Each participant is also commissioned to write a new 5-minute play for the mission of the theatre that will be rehearsed with a professional director, cast, and then performed for the public on the closing day of the festival.

5. What do you mean by ‘housing and travel stipend are provided? We arrange housing for our non-local participants (people who live more than 60 minutes outside of metro-Atlanta). Last year, accomodations were provided by Georgia State University Housing, which is a short drive from the theatre. We arrange daily carpools to and from any location that is not within walking distance to the theater. We also arrange transport to and from the airport/train/bus stations for those coming from out of town. Housing and meals are provided Sunday evening through Saturday afternoon. Out of town participants will receive a partial travel stipend reimbursement by the last day of the festival to help offset the cost of traveling to and from Atlanta.

6. I have a conflict on one or more of the festival dates. Can I still participate? No. We ask that all participants be fully available to the festival Monday afternoon through Saturday afternoon.

For more information contact education@horizontheatre.com