Purpose: To solicit for development and production new plays based on an historical event or person/people native to the state of Indiana. Preference will be given to plays highlighting history, the arts, philosophy, social change, or the economy in Indiana. Indigenous people, people of color, women, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized writers are encouraged to submit, and stories relating experiences of marginalized people are also encouraged. Read the rules below and then submit here. 

Info and rules:

1. To submit, you must be a current, permanent resident in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, or Kentucky.

2.  Submit a full-length script to Southbank Theatre via Google form no later than December 31, 2024 at 11:59 pm.

3. All scripts will be reviewed, and up to 4 scripts will be selected as finalists for development and a staged reading in Indianapolis directed by an experienced director. (We reserve the right to select fewer than 4 scripts.)

4. Your play must have no special effects other than lighting and sound. Simple sets preferred.

5. Please submit in PDF format.

6. We are looking for NEW plays. Please do not send us anything that has previously been produced. Plays that have had other readings are okay.

7. Your play must contain at least two (2) characters, but should need no more than 6 actors including doubling.

8.  Your play should consist mainly of dialogue, not monologues.

9. Submissions are judged blind, so do not include your name or other identifying information on the script itself or the file name. Please number your pages.

10. Those plays which receive staged readings will be videotaped for archival purposes, and writers will be awarded $100 when selected for the staged reading. Staged readings will take place in Indianapolis in summer 2025, exact date TBD depending on theatre availability.

11. Only one entry will be accepted from each playwright.

12. Your play must be written in English and should be full-length, around 70-90 pages, using standard playwriting format, like the one linked here. Only plays, not musicals, will be considered.

13. Southbank will select one of the finalists for a full production in season 5 (2025-26). Selection will be based on director/cast input, audience feedback, and relevance to Southbank’s mission to produce plays interested in history, literature, philosophy, politics, and social change.

14. In addition to a full production of their play in season 5, the overall winner will receive an additional $250 cash prize, as well as hotel accommodations for two nights when the play is produced, a reception with the director and cast, and a $100 meal allowance. Additionally, a $250 travel allowance will be provided to the winner to help allay cost of travel to see the production. (In the event that the winner is from Indianapolis and does not need accommodations or travel allowance, the prize will be converted to a cash prize of $1,000)

Southbank Theatre Company is a nonprofit theatre company dedicated to enriching the Indianapolis community – and beyond – through producing plays and musicals by both Indiana playwrights and playwrights of historical and contemporary significance. What makes us unique are our interests in history, politics, philosophy, and literature – and how those subjects can contribute to critical thinking, self-awareness, and social change.