"My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go."

--From Hamlet (III, iii, 100-103)

 

 

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The cast of The Girl in the Boat by Ben Varkentine

 

 

 

The Tennessee Stage New Play Festival is designed to encourage and promote the development of new American plays. We accept submissions of unpublished works from playwrights all over the country, and typically review seventy scripts from over 25 different states. The festival consists of one world premiere production, staged readings and table readings of selected scripts, and a playwriting workshop for local writers. This series is ideal for seasoned professionals and developing theatre artists to collaborate and explore the craft.

Submission Policy

Our submission policy is simple. We read all scripts, full length or one act and consider each play on its own merits. We do not accept scripts electronically.

Please mail all scripts to: Tennessee Stage Company, P.O. Box 1186. Knoxville, TN 37901. If you wish the script returned to you in the event it is not selected you must include a self addressed stamped envelope. We read throughout the year. You may submit a script at any time. Our festival occurs January through March so we make our choices for the following year at the end of October.

Our system is we annually pick three to six plays for public table readings including a discussion session with the audience, actors and director and – whenever possible the playwright. From those plays we will choose two plays to bring back the following year as staged readings and then we choose one of those two plays to be the featured production in the next year’s festival. For a featured production we pay a royalty of $500.00.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at tennesseestage@bellsouth.net