What should the plays be about?
Plays can be about anything you want them to be about as long as YOU are the one who writes it! Your play must be original, and you must write it on your own. Don’t adapt other books or plays, or use a plot you saw in a movie or on television. The play may be of any genre (comedy, drama, mystery, fantasy) and remember some ingredients that can make a good play: interesting characters, relationships, situations, surprise ending, plays that have a larger meaning, funny lines, etc. *Adults should not help you write your play. They can offer advice like “This play doesn’t have an ending” or “I don’t understand what’s happening here” but they should not help with the story line, characters, or dialogue.
How long should the plays be?
For grades 2-5 the plays should be 3 to 10 minutes, for grades 6-8 the plays should be 7 to 15 minutes, and for grades 9-12 the plays should be 10 to 25 minutes.
Who can enter?
Anyone in grades 1 thru 12, who lives in Cuyahoga County can submit a play. You can attend private, public, or home schooling. Students in grades 6 and up will automatically also be entered in the Dobama Young Playwrights Competition (see DYPC details above).
How do I prepare my play for entry to the festival?
Send in your typed play (handwritten plays will not be accepted; adults may help younger students type their play). Complete and sign the application form (click here to view and print the MBKPF Application Form) and send it in with your play. Please make sure that each page of the play is numbered and also contains the name of the play. Your name and age should ONLY be listed on the title page of your play. Do not include your name on any other page of the play. If you would like to received feedback on your play with judges’ comments, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Plays will not be returned. Make sure you also save the electronic version of your play that can be emailed if you play is selected as a winner in Dobama Young Playwrights events.
When do I send my script in?
You can send your script in at any time, but the deadline is March 1st, 2012.
What happens after I send my script in?
Each play is read and evaluated. A few plays are selected for the Dobama Young Playwrights Competition (for students grade 6-12; see details). The remaining plays remain eligible for the Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival where winners are chosen for each grade category. If you are a winner, you will be notified by May 1st, 2012.
What happens if I win?
If you are a winner in the Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival, your play will performed in a staged reading by professional actors on either Saturday, June 2nd or Sunday, June 3rd. At that performance you will also receive a bound, printed version of your script, will be recognized on stage, and will be part of a cake reception following the performance. There will also be press releases publicizing the winners of the 2012 festival.
Questions?
Email us at: youngplaywrights@dobama.org
