NATIONAL FESTIVAL OPPORTUNITIES

Submission Explanation

1. A new play can be given a concert reading, a staged reading or a full production and entered at the Associate Level. It will then be eligible for all the Michael Kanin Playwriting Awards (yes, even the John Cauble one-act awardñthis is new) except the National Student Playwriting Award (must be submitted as a Participating entry and chosen to come to the regional festival).

2. All student written new plays that are entered as either a Participating or Associate Entry are eligible for the Michael Kanin Playwriting Awards. Scripts are to be submitted directly to the Kennedy Center. See National award guidelines.

3. David Mark Cohen ( DMC ) All new plays, adaptations and translations entered as either a Participating or Associate entry are eligible for the David Mark Cohen Award. Yes, this includes faculty and other professional writers. See National Award breakdown for details of this award.

a. All DMC nominations must be sent to the Region II Chair and post marked by November 1.  

Send to:

Ruth Childs, NPP Chair Region II,
SUNY Brockport
350 New campus Drive
Brockport, NY 14420

b. Submit 4 copies of the script. Three must be blind copies with title only appearing. The fourth must have title, your name, and all contact information. See Region II Festival submission guidelines for more details.

c. A selection committee comprised of professionals not affiliated with any of the nominees will decide which of the scripts, if any will be nominated. Each region can choose up to two scripts to nominate for national consideration.

d. The DMC nominees will be notified around December 1.

NPP Cheat Sheet: A quick guide to the Michael Kanin Playwriting Awards

The Michael Kanin Playwriting Awards Program  

ONLY FOR PARTICIPATING PRODUCTIONS ($250.00 fee and fully produced):

• National Student Playwriting Award 

If it's student written and it's a FULL LENGTH PLAY, and it was entered as a participating production and brought to your regional festival, then it is eligible for this award.

FOR PARTICIPATING OR ASSOCIATE ENTRIES: STUDENT WRITTEN ONLY

Participating entries = $250.00 fee and fully produced Associate entries=$200.00 fee and can be a concert reading, fully staged reading, or fully produced production.

After receiving a regional response, the writer is responsible for submitting the scripts to the Kennedy Center.

• John Cauble Short Play Award

Reads under one-hour (not a ten-minute play).

• Mark Twain Comedy Award

Script is comic or it has some comic element to it.  

• Lorraine Hansbury Award

Student is of African-American heritage and the play deals with the African-American experience.

• Jean Kennedy Smith Award

Script deals with the human experience of living with a disability.

• KC Youth and Families Playwriting Award

Script written on a theme that will appeal to young people, K-12 grades.

• Paula Vogel Award

Celebrates diversity and encourages tolerance while exploring issues of dis-empowered voices not traditionally considered mainstream.

• Latino Playwriting Award

Script written by a person of Latino Heritage.

• KCACTF Musical Theatre Award

Student written musical; the composer, lyricist and librettist are eligible.

• David Mark Cohen

Student written or a WORKING PLAYWRIGHT, Participating or Associate entry, produced at a college or university. Sent to the Regional Chair (Region II by Nov. 1). New plays, translations, adaptations are all eligible!

• National Ten-Minute Play Award

Scripts sent to Regional NPP Chairs (Nov.1) Must be student written and 10 minutes or less. Must be accepted to the Regional Festival first

Michael Kanin Playwriting Awards Breakdown

A more detailed breakdown of each award.  

Please, note that the national explanation for the Ten-minute play award is incorrect: all ten-minute plays must be sent to the NPP Chair. See: Region II Festival Opportunities.