2026/2027 Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition

2026-2027 Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition

Alliance Theatre invites you to participate in the Alliance/Kendeda competition for graduate playwriting students in their final year of study of playwriting. The winning play will receive its world premiere produced by the Alliance Theatre in the 2028-2029 season. The application deadline is Monday, October 5, 2026. Decisions will be made and writers notified in March 2027.
Application Guidelines
- Submissions can be plays or musicals. There are no restrictions on subject matter, format, cast size, or style. We are interested in reading what you consider to be your best work.
- The play must have no prior professional productions and must be available for its world premiere in the 2028-2029 season. Previous university productions, workshops and public readings at professional theaters are all acceptable.
- If the work is selected for a professional world premiere at another theater before notification of the results of the competition, please contact Amanda Watkins (Amanda.Watkins@alliancetheatre.org) at the Alliance Theatre immediately to discuss submitting an alternate script. Failure to contact the Alliance if the world premiere rights are no longer available will result in automatic withdrawal.
- Works for elementary and middle-school audiences are welcome in this competition for the Alliance Theatre’s season for young audiences. Works for teen audiences that could be performed by a teen ensemble will also be considered.
- If the work submitted is an adaptation of another work, the writer must provide written proof of public domain status or permission to adapt the material.
Writer Guidelines
- The playwright must graduate from their graduate program between December 1, 2026, and July 31, 2027. No applications will be accepted from writers who have not yet reached the final year of their programs or who have graduated prior to December 1, 2026.
- All members of a writing team must be eligible for the competition. All writers must be final year graduate playwriting students in the same program.
- Each writer or writing team may send only one work to the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition. Members of a musical theatre writing team may not also apply separately to the competition.
- If you have applied to the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition in the past but are attending a subsequent invited school, you are once again eligible. Previous finalists are eligible. Previous winners, however, are ineligible.
- If selected as a winner or finalist, the Alliance asks that you make yourself available for all Alliance/Kendeda activities throughout the 28/29 season.

Name

First NameLast Name
Script Title
Playwright's Contact Information

If the play is a collaborative work, please list one primary contact, but list the names, schools and graduation dates for all writers below. All writers must be final year graduate playwriting students in the same program.
Email
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
University and/or Graduate Program
Expected Date of Graduation (Month and Year)
Does this project have multiple writers?
Please list the names, graduate programs, and expected dates of graduation for all other writers here.
All writers must be final year graduate playwriting students in the same program.
I verify that the above information is true and that the submitted work is entirely my own and available for a world premiere production. I release the submitted work to the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition at the Alliance Theatre and authorize the company to distribute copies as necessary for the proceedings of that competition. Please note that if your play is selected for production, the Alliance Theatre will negotiate a production contract with you in good faith, including attention to subsidiary rights and billing in the programs of future productions.
Playwright's Signature
Work Submission
Please be sure to include the following mandatory items:
1. ONE PDF copy of the script, with pages numbered (if the title appears on every page that is easier, but is not necessary). Include a cover page with the play’s title, but please be certain that your name does not appear on any page of the script, including the cover page. This competition will be conducted anonymously so that the reader/evaluators will not know who the writer of a particular script is or which school the playwright attends. Include a cast list with an estimated number of actors needed. The electronic date stamp should be on or before Monday, October 5, 2026.
2. If your play is a musical, please include as one music file attachment, individual MP3 tracks matching the sequence of the script. If a written score is available, please submit one PDF copy as a separate attachment with the play's title, but without the writer’s name.
3. One PDF copy (as a separate attachment) of a statement of the play’s development history listing all readings, workshops, and any university or non-professional productions.
4. One PDF copy of a one-page personal statement describing yourself as a playwright and your artistic/professional goals. Please be certain that your name does not appear anywhere on the personal statement. This statement will not be evaluated with your script but will enable the Alliance Theatre to become better acquainted with you as a writer.
5. If the work submitted is an adaptation of another work, include one copy of written proof of permission to adapt it or of the material’s public domain status. A photocopy of such proof is acceptable.
If you have questions about the application materials, please contact Kendeda@alliancetheatre.org or Amanda.Watkins@alliancetheatre.org.
Play Script (must be in PDF format)

Make sure that your name does not appear on any page of the script, including the cover page.
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Music File (for musicals only)

Combine individual MP3 tracks into ONE file attachment, matching the sequence of the script.
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Written Score (for musical only)

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Statement of Play's Development History (must be in PDF format)

Include all readings, workshops, and any university or non-professional productions.
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Please provide any content advisories.
Note: This is requested out of consideration for the readers, and will not affect your play's eligibility for the competition.
Personal Statement (must be in PDF format)

A one-page personal statement describing yourself as a playwright and your artistic/professional goals. Please make sure your name does not appear anywhere on this on this personal statement.
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Written Proof of Permission to use Copyrighted or Adapted Material

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Should be Empty:

2026-2027 Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition

Application Guidelines

Writer Guidelines

Playwright's Contact Information

Work Submission