Winning scripts staged May 1-24, 2015

Burien Actors Theatre is seeking submissions of unproduced, unpublished plays by Washington State Playwrights for the 2015 Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival. Both one-act and full-length plays are sought.

Winning scripts will be staged May 1 through May 24, 2015 as part of the company’s 2014-15 season. In addition to having their plays produced, winning playwrights will also receive monetary prizes. Additional scripts of merit may receive readings.

The submission deadline for all scripts is Oct. 22, 2014. To qualify for the Festival, all submissions must follow Playwrights Submission Guidelines detailed below. The guidelines and entry form can also be found at www.burienactorstheatre.org.

About the Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival

The mission of the Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival is to encourage, promote and showcase previously unproduced theater works written by Washington state residents.

The festival was named to honor Bill and Peggy Hunt’s dedicated services to theater and their devoted involvement with Burien Actors Theatre (BAT). Peggy Hunt joined Burien’s active theater scene in 1960 with a leading role in the play Harvey. Over the next 35 years, both Bill and Peggy Hunt appeared in and directed plays, designed and built sets, served on BAT’s Board of Trustees, and were involved in some aspect of every theater project.

Originally from Canada, the Hunts were familiar with Canadian play competitions and were instrumental in igniting this idea locally. The first staged competitions were theatrical, aimed more at fostering play production instead of writing, with entries from the greater Seattle area. In the early 1970s, these competitions were held as part of Burien’s Arts Festival.

Later, Peggy Hunt suggested establishing a playwriting competition with winning shows to be produced by Burien Actors Theatre. The company has been producing this unique festival every two to three years since 1999.

Playwrights Submission Guidelines

1. Open to any person residing in the State of Washington.
2. Scripts may be either one-act or full-length.
3. Previously produced plays are not eligible. Staged readings and workshops are not considered productions
4. The Festival provides more of a workshop environment for basic production, so excessive production requirements may result in disqualification. Legal clearance of materials not in the public domain is the full responsibility of the playwright.
5. Submit two copies of the script via snail (regular) mail. No electronic copies accepted. Bind entries securely. Include title page, synopsis (no more than one-half page in length), character list (including gender, age range and features such as skin or hair color necessary to script), setting (time and place), and number of scenes. Entries must be postmarked by Oct. 22, 2014.
6. Judging will be blind. Playwrights should not show their name, address, or any identifying information on any page or on the cover of their scripts. Instead download entry form from www.burienactorstheatre.org or request one by contacting info@burienactorstheatre.org or 206-242-5180. Complete and sign the entry form and attach with paper clip to play submitted.
7. All submissions must be in a standard professional play format. Format guidelines can be obtained at http://www.samuelfrench.com/submissions. Failure to comply will result in rejection from competition.
8. If submitted play is a musical or requires music, a recording of the music on a CD must accompany the script.
9. Submissions should be sent via snail (regular) mail to: Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival, Burien Actors Theatre, P.O. Box 48121, Burien, WA 98148.
10. The Festival is designed to be a collaborative process involving the playwrights, directors, and performers—facilitating a transition of each work from page to stage. As such, playwrights are encouraged to be involved in the production and rehearsal of their scripts. Playwrights will be encouraged to attend a production meeting with the director and producer, at least one rehearsal and all performances.
11. Playwrights are asked to participate in discussions with the audience following performances.
12. Submissions will not be returned. Burien Actors Theatre will not be responsible for any loss or damage to entries.
13. Winners will be announced January 2, 2015. Plays will be staged May 1 through May 24, 2015.
14. Questions? Contact info@burienactorstheatre.org or 206-242-5180.
About Burien Actors Theatre
Exciting live theater has been a tradition in Burien since 1955. Incorporated in 1980, Burien Actors Theatre has been a leading producer of quality live theater serving residents of the Seattle and south Puget Sound areas.
BAT gives audiences an intriguing and invigorating theatre experience with unusual and fantastical productions they can’t get on a DVD or see anywhere else. The company’s mission is to treat audiences to productions of the highest artistic integrity that excite, engage and involve both the local and expanding theatrical communities in the Puget Sound region.
BAT is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity and operates on revenue from ticket sa