What is Playwrights’ Platform?
What do you do?
When do you meet?
Where do you meet?
What are the benefits of being a member of Playwrights’ Platform?
When is the festival and where does it take place?
Scheduling a reading at Playwrights’ Platform.
Do you have any submission guidelines?
How do I get my play produced by Playwrights’ Platform?
Will Playwrights’ Platform supply actors, directors, and stage crew for the festival?
Do you only accept ten-minute plays?
Once a play has been submitted to be read, can it be revised or altered between that time and its reading?
How much does it cost to become a member of Playwrights’ Platform?
If you submit a play to a festival (and there are several theaters accepting 10-minute submissions), does it have to be registered or copyrighted? How does one go about doing that?
What is Playwrights’ Platform?
Playwrights’ Platform is a Boston-based, non-profit cooperative of local – and some remote – playwrights, actors, and directors, who seek to nurture each others’ talents along with those of other area theater artists.
Our mission is to help playwrights develop their work in a supportive environment and improve their skills. Playwrights’ Platform membership is diverse and includes theater professionals as well as those who approach theater as an avocation.
What do you do?
We meet several times a month, both on Zoom and in person at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, and read members’ plays, including monologues, ten-minute plays, one-acts, and full-length plays.
Each play that is read receives at least a ten-minute feedback session, where attending audience members offer respectful critiques and suggestions.
In June, Playwrights’ Platform hosts an annual Festival, in which we mount full productions of a selection of member plays. We also offer occasional special writing events and programs.
Playwrights’ Platform members can also take advantage of the Actors in Residence program.
Playwrights’ Platform members meet the first Wednesday of the month on Zoom and also once a month, in person, at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre from 7 to 9pm EST to read and critique members’ plays. Go to Calendar for the currently scheduled meeting times.
Playwrights’ Platform members meet the first Wednesday of the month on Zoom and also once a month, in person, at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre from 7 to 9pm EST to read and critique members’ plays. Go to Calendar for the currently scheduled meeting times.
What are the benefits of being a member of Playwrights’ Platform?
Membership in Playwrights’ Platform comes with many benefits, including:
- Hear your work performed by actors at meetings.
- Thoughtful critiques of your work.
- Have access to the Actors in Residence program.
- Opportunity to submit to the yearly Playwrights’ Platform new works Festival.
- Opportunity to meet and network with members of the local theater scene.
Go to Membership for information about becoming a member of Playwrights’ Platform.
When is the festival and where does it take place?
In June of each year, Playwrights’ Platform hosts an annual Festival, which features full productions of a selection of member plays. The call for plays goes out in February with a deadline in early March.
Go to Festival for more information.
Scheduling a reading at Playwrights’ Platform
You must be a member to have a play read at a Playwrights’ Platform meeting. Also, you must attend several meetings before having a play read. Go to Membership for information about becoming a member of Playwrights’ Platform.
Playwrights’ Platform meetings are two hours in duration, so plays – and critique time – must fit within that time span. (Comments can also be emailed to a playwright.) Note that you can read a portion of a full-length play or space the play over multiple readings if it is longer than two hours (including setup time and intermission).
Note: Members should be aware that not all plays are suitable for a reading, including very long plays and plays with large casts. Plays with offensive subject matter are also not eligible for a reading.
Note that the minimum amount of time allocated for critiques depends on the length of the play, with a minimum of 10 minutes for short plays, and the number of plays on the agenda for the meeting.
To schedule a reading or a play, a member must follow these steps:
- Determine how long it will take to read the play. Be sure to read the play out loud to obtain an accurate time estimate.
- Check the Calendar to identify a meeting date when sufficient time is available. Note that the calendar times for each play reading include the critique session.
- Email bowserbarrett@hotmail.com and provide:
o Desired reading date.
o Play title.
o Time required for the actual play reading. Do not include the critique time.
Once you schedule a reading, you can obtain your own actors (and person to read stage directions) or utilize Playwrights’ Platform’s Actors in Residence program. This group of talented actors helps playwrights develop new plays by reading their works. In the event that a playwright is unable to find enough actors to read, members of the audience are usually willing to fill in as readers.
Do you have any guidelines about what kinds of work you read?
Playwrights’ Platform does not have any restrictions on style, subject matter, length, or number of characters. However, reading times are in demand, and the calendar usually fills up several months in advance, especially for full-length plays.
How do I get my play produced by Playwrights’ Platform?
Playwrights’ Platform is not a producing theater company. However, members do have the opportunity to submit their work for consideration to the Playwrights’ Platform Festival of New Plays.
However, if your play is accepted into the Festival, it’s your responsibility to obtain actors, a director, rehearsal space, and everything else you will need to get the play ready for the stage. Playwrights’ Platform will assist you in these tasks to help ensure the success of the play.
Will Playwrights’ Platform supply actors, director, and rehearsal space for the festival?
No. Playwrights’ Platform supplies the venue for the festival, the publicity, lighting, sound crew, and a festival stage manager. The rest will be up to you. That said, we have many contacts in the Boston theater scene, as well as access to resources that will help you to find the people you need to realize your play on stage. Our Actors-in-Residence (AIR) program is a great place to start making connections.
Do you only accept ten-minute plays?
No. We accept plays of any length for our readings. It’s harder to find time on our reading schedule for longer plays, of course, so please plan ahead and request that time sooner rather than later.
Once a play is on the reading schedule, can it be revised or altered between that time and its reading?
Absolutely! Our organization is devoted to the development process, so there’s no worry about that. Readings aren’t performances, and you should feel free to revise your script up to and including the moment of the reading.
How much does it cost to become a member of Playwrights’ Platform?
Go to MEMBERSHIP for more information about the yearly membership fee.
If you submit a play to any festival, must it be registered or copyrighted? How do you register a copyright?
You automatically hold the copyright on anything you create, whether you register it or not. Registration is largely a formality, unless you want to a bring a suit for someone infringing on your copyright.
To register a copyright, visit the U.S. Copyright Office website, set up an account, and upload your PDF. The cost is $35. You get an emailed receipt immediately, and you will receive your copyright certificate in about 9 months. For more information, go to: