Burien Little Theatre is seeking submissions of unproduced, unpublished plays by Washington state playwrights for the 2011 Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival.

Winning scripts will be staged April 8 through May 1, 2011, as part of the company's 2010-2011 season. In addition to being produced, winning plays will also receive monetary prizes. Additional scripts of merit may receive readings.

The submission deadline for all scripts is Sept. 30. 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.burienlittletheatre.org.

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

The festival was named to honor Bill and Peggy Hunt's dedicated service to theater and their devoted involvement with Burien Little Theatre.

Peggy Hunt joined Burien's 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 the board of directors, 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 Little 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. Previously produced plays are not eligible. Staged readings and workshops are not considered productions.
3. The festival provides 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.
4. Submit two copies of the script via 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 September 30, 2010.
5. Judging will be blind. Do not show your name, address, or any identifying information on any page or on the cover of your script. Instead, download entry form from www.burienlittletheatre.org or request one by contacting info@burienlittletheatre.org or 206-242-5180. Complete and sign the entry form and attach with paper clip to play submitted
6. All submissions must be in a standard professional play format. Format guidelines can be obtained from Samuel French or found at http://www.vcu.edu/artweb/playwriting/format.html. Failure to comply will result in rejection from competition.
7. If your play is a musical or requires music, the music must be sent in on CD.
8. Submissions should be sent regular mail to: Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival, Burien Little Theatre, P.O. Box 48121, Burien, WA 98148.
9. 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.
10. Playwrights are asked to participate in discussions with the audience following each performance.
11. Submissions will not be returned. Burien Little Theatre will not be responsible for any loss or damage to entries.
12. Winners will be announced December 30, 2010. Plays will be staged April 8-May 1, 2011.
13. Questions? Contact info@burienlittletheatre.org or 206-242-5180.

Live theater has been a tradition in Burien since 1955. Incorporated in 1980, Burien Little Theatre (BLT) has been a leading producer of live theater serving residents of the Seattle and south Puget Sound areas.

BLT is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity and operates on revenue from ticket sales, donations, grants, sponsorships and volunteers.