FIREHOUSE CENTER FOR THE ARTS
in collaboration with The Actors Studio of Newburyport
NEW WORKS FESTIVAL 2026 – CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
A festival celebrating new short, one-act, and full-length plays
January 22-25, 2025
For the submissions page: https://firehouse.org/new-works/
SUBMISSION CRITERIA
● Competition is open to all New England playwrights currently living in New England. (Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island) Scripts are to be original, unpublished, and unproduced. Staged readings or workshop productions will not disqualify the scripts.
● Musicals, monologues, children’s plays, adaptations, film and TV scripts are ineligible.
● A Short is defined as having a runtime of 8-10 minutes.
● A One Act play is defined as not running less than 30 minutes or more than 60 minutes
● A Full Length play is defined as not running less than 75 minutes or more than 150 minutes. Please note that we only accept 50 full-length submissions.
● Plays must be typed/word-processed, page-numbered, and in standard professional play format. Because of our blind reading process, no form of ID should appear on any part of the script and just be on the submission cover page. Any submission that does not follow this format will be subject to immediate disqualification.
● Scripts are judged by a jury and decisions are final. No written or verbal critique will be tendered.
● The Firehouse Center for the Arts and their Selection Committee reserve the right to reject any submission for any reason.
● All submissions must be received no later than 11:59pm on Saturday, June 21, 2025
ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS
The Firehouse Center for the Arts will only accept electronic submission. By electronically submitting, you will receive confirmation of your successful submission. All electronic submissions should be submitted using the form found here.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Submitted plays that meet the above criteria are judged by an independent panel of theater professionals. Playwrights will remain anonymous throughout the judging process. All playwrights will be notified as to whether or not their play will be presented in the festival. The judges’ decisions are final.
Selected full length and one act plays will be presented on-book as staged readings. Shorts will be presented off-book. All productions will use minimal sets, props, and technical cues.
PRIZE INFORMATION
The Full Length play selected for The Honegger Prize will be awarded an honorarium of $150.00. The One Act play and Short selected for the The Honegger Prizes will each be awarded an honorarium of $75.00.