I did not come from a playwriting background by any means. The only experience I had ever had in writing was a couple of short stories I wrote during high school and stories I had made when I was younger. I’m not entirely sure what possessed me when I decided to show up for the playwriting workshop for the 10 minute play festival. Since then, I’ve completely fallen in love with that portion of the theatre community.
There are so many opportunities for students of all levels of experience to get involved in playwriting. Even though I wasn’t selected for the 10 minute play festival, I ended up being chosen to direct one of the shows. It’s amazing how welcoming everyone is, no matter where you come from. Here are some of the opportunities you can take as a student to get involved in playwriting!
- The 10 Minute Play Festival: This was my first introduction to the playwriting community at the 5Cs, and it was an incredibly welcoming experience. Once a year, there is a playwriting festival that anyone can submit to. The only rules for the competition are that the plays fit within a topic that’s been chosen by the judges and that the plays have a runtime of 10 minutes or less. The plays that win get to be put on and performed by students! Whether or not your play gets selected, it’s a great way to gain experience writing plays with a topic to focus on and feedback from the board that’s evaluating submitted shows. It’s a fun and very welcoming experience!
- The 24 Hour Play Festival: This is not specifically a playwriting festival, but there are playwriting opportunities within it! The 24-hour play festival is a fun opportunity where students come together to write, direct, and put on a play over the course of 24 hours. It’s a very frantic and fun activity, so your level of experience is honestly irrelevant. It’s a lot of fun, and a great way to try out writing with a timeline and a lot of help from peers!
- Green Room and Spotlight submissions: The Green Room and Spotlight Musical Theatre, two student-run theatre groups, both accept student-written play submissions throughout the year! It’s very low-pressure, and a great way to workshop your piece and get the possibility to put it on with a team of your peers.
- Playwriting Classes: This is a more simple approach, but you’re interested in getting in writing, there are specific classes for that! Professor Christina Hurtado-Pierson is the professor most involved in playwriting in general, and she teaches a playwriting class that I have lots of friends in. If you’re interested in the more academic and educational approach to playwriting, this is definitely the way to go!
- Playwriting Competitions: Throughout the year, there are often playwriting competitions — sometimes with a monetary prize! These are often put on by the Green Room or other student-run theatre groups. The first semester of this year, the Green Room and Spotlight Musical Theatre teamed up for a Mamma Mia jukebox musical playwriting competition. This is a great way to get a bit of money and a lot of experience and notes from your peers!
I can’t stress enough that playwriting is a very welcoming community within the 5Cs. Whatever your level of expertise, there are so many ways to get involved. If you’re looking into it — break a leg!