Welcome to The Burry Man

Since 1997, The Burry Man Writers Center has been a primary source of research information and freelance job leads for working professional and talented beginning writers. The Burry Man is a space where writers visit from 158 countries and every state in the U.S. The Resource Pages are a guide to more than 4,000 first generation Internet sites from the US, Scotland, England, Ireland, Australia and Canada, as well as Asia, Europe, Africa and around the world, to help you in your quest.

Script Submission & Theater Resources:

NEWLY UPDATED FOR 2023


Contests, reading series, competitions calendar ($ = entry fee)

Many local and regional theaters have closed or are under severe restrictions due to the turmoil of 2020. Please be patient, check guidelines carefully, and support your local theater company.
Canada UK Scotland Australia Ireland
JANUARY    
Dreamcatcher Rep NJ
Playfest Orlando Shakes new play initiative*
FEBRUARY 
Durango Arts Center 10-Minute Play Contest Colorado $
East Valley Children’s Theatre must be suitable for children to perform for children; Mesa AZ *
Heartland Theatre Ten Minute Play Festival Bloomington IL  
Summer Shorts Theatre Workshops of Owensboro KY $
Trustus Playwrights’ Festival Trustus Theatre, South Carolina $
Valley Playwrights Award $1000 for original plays by residents of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine
MARCH
Blank Theatre Company Young Playwrghts Festival 
British Theatre Challenge Cambridge $  
Carrollwood Players One Act Festival 
Charles M. Getchell New Play Contest Greensboro NC
Portland Stage Clauder Competition
Primus Prize awarded to an outstanding female playwright recognizing a single script. From the American Theatre Critics Association $  
Theatre Odyssey 10-Minute Play Fest
Woodward/Newman Drama Award full-length plays; $3,000 and full production first prize Bloomington, IN $ (waived for Dramatists Guild members)
APRIL 
John Gassner Memorial Playwriting Award from New England Theatre Conference, CT $
Heartland Theatre Co Midwest One-Act Festival Lebanon, PA
Paines Plough Women's Prize for Playwriting
Tarragon Theatre Play Reading Series Canadian writers only; Toronto
The Players New Play Festival Sarasota FL  
Transformation Theatre DC area

MAY
9Thirty Theatre Company full length and one-act, plays and musicals Astoria NY
Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights plays must be written by an Appalachian playwright (New York State to Alabama) or the plays must contain Appalachian settings and themes. Abingdon, VA *
Aurand Harris Memorial Playwriting Award new full-length plays for young audiences CT $  
One-Act Playwriting Competition from the Little Theatre Alexandria VA $
Signature Theatre ocassional calls VA
United Solo one-person shows NYC
Weathervane Playhouse 8x10 Play Festival $
JUNE
Fred Ebb Award recognizes excellence in musical theatre songwriting by a lyricist, composer, or songwriting team that has not yet achieved significant commercial success, includes a $50,000 award
Madlab Theatre Theatre Roulette full-length plays
North Park Playwright Festival from the North Park Vaudeville and Candy Shoppe Theatre; 15 minute or less scripts. San Diego CA
Playwrights Association of New Zealand one-act play competition
The Naples Players One-Act Competition Naples FL
The Seven Fusion Theater NM
Theatre Odyssey One-Act Play Fest

JULY
American Blues Theater Blue Ink Playwrighting Award
Maxim Mazumdar New Play Competition Buffalo NY $
New Works of Merit NYC $  
Portland Stage Little Festival of the Unexpected
Spotlight Playfest Young Playwrights’ Competition Glendale AZ
AUGUST
A is For scripts about reproductive justice *      
The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop 
Center Stage South Carolina New Play Festival
The City Theatre National Award for Short Playwriting Miami FL *   
RBC Tarragon Emerging Playwrights’ Competition Canadian only
Theatre Oxford National 10-Minute Play Contest Oxford MS $ *
Yale Drama Series 1st prize of $10,000 New Haven CT
SEPTEMBER
Alumnae Theatre New Ideas Festival juried, three-week festival of new writing, works-in-progress and experimental theatre. Toronto  
Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation grants for individual creative artists working in musical theatre. NYC   
New American Theatre One Act Play Fest Culver City CA *
Panowski Playwriting Competition Northern Michigan Univerity  
Premiere Stages Play Fest Kean University NJ   
Theatre Three Festival of One-Act Plays Port Jefferson NY
TNT's Production of Original Plays (POPS) Fort Worth TX $
OCTOBER   
Ensemble Studio Theatre Marathon short plays NYC
FutureFest from the Dayton Playhouse  
Showoff! 10 Minute Playwriting Festival San Juan Capistrano CA $ *
Tennessee Williams Fest One-act Competition $1500 first prize plus production New Orleans

NOVEMBER 
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Project new works delving into how we view and are affected by the scientific world NYC
Ashland New Play Festival

Boston Theater Marathon New England writers only
Humana 10-minute Play Fest
Lakeshore Players Ten-Minute Playwrighting ContestWhite Bear Lake MN 
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference $
Snowdance 10 Minute Comedy Festival Racine WI  
Stage Door Productions One-act Festival Fredericksburg, VA  


DECEMBER 
The Griffin Award $
InspiraTO Playwriting Contest Toronto  
New American Theatre One Acts *   
Playwrights' Revolution from Capital Stage  
Theatre Odyssey Ten-Minute Play Festival Longboat Key FL $  
Western Michigan University Activate: Midwest un-produced full-length plays from playwrights living in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana or Wisconsin.
ONGOING READING SERIES, COMPETITIONS
Ars Nova Out Loud Reading Series NYC     
Dixon Place Reading Series NYC writers only  
Grants to Individual Theatre Artists from the Canada Council for the Arts
Irish Repertory Theatre readings NYC
Jewish Plays Project new Jewish plays from all denominations and faiths *
Key City Public Theatre local reading series Port Townsend WA
Little Festival of the Unexpected public readings of new works Portland ME
Long Beach Playhouse ongoing new works festival, revolving around Sep 30 deadline
Manitoba Arts Council individual artists grants deadlines  
Monarch Theater Monday reading series NYC  
New American Theatre One Act Competition Culver City CA
New Playwrights Awards Scottish writers, Glasgow *
New Welsh Playwrights Sherman Cymru Theatre
New York Theatre Workshop  
Patrick White Playwrights' Award Australian writers only
Pittsburgh New Works Virtual Readings *
Playwrights' Center of San Francisco Reading Series
Playwriting Australia Postcript    
Rogue Theater Festival NYC *  
Shelterbelt Theatre  Omaha NE
Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest from Pioneer Drama Service   
United Solos Virtual Shows one-person shows *
Urban Stages Emerging Playwright Award NYC

Theatre submission guidelines


NYC AREA 
5th Wall Productions
ARS Nova   
Bread and Water Theatre Rochester  
Clubbed Thumb plays with "a reasonable representation of women"   
The COOP
Emerging Artists Theatre
The Flea Theater
Geva Theatre Rochester
Horse Trade Theater Group 
Lark Play Development Center
Less Than Rent   
Lincoln Center Theater Newhouse Theater and Claire Tow Theater
MCC Theater
New Jersey Repertory Company
New York Theatre Workshop
Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey
Prospect Theater Company new musicals
Rattlestick Playwrights Theater New Voices New Works
Roundabout Theatre Company
Second Generation Asian American writers    
SheNYCArts    
SOHO Playhouse
The New Group 
Urban Stages   

CALIFORNIA
Actors Art Theatre Los Angeles
Blank Theatre Company Living Room Series and Future of Playwrighting Prize Los Angeles  
Gary Marshall Theatre New Works Festival      
Marin Theatre Mill Valley  
New Village Arts Carlsbad
Santa Monica Playhouse Santa Monica CA
South Coast Repertory several submission opportunities; Costa Mesa CA  
Theatre Of Note LA
TheatreWorks Palo Alto CA
Victory Theatre Center Burbank CA
Wily West Productions San Francisco writers only

CANADA 
Canadian Stage Toronto
Centre Segal Montreal
Factory Theatre Script Submissions open to Canadian writers only; Ontario
Great Canadian Theatre Company Ottawa ON
Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre
Roseneath Theatre work for young audiences Ontario
CHICAGO
Adventure Stage young audiences  
Fine Print Theatre Co  
Goodman Theatre Chicago
Northlight Theatre Illinois only
Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
Stage Left plays to raise debate on political and social issues, Chicago  
TimeLine Theatre Company Chicago

THE SOUTH
Alliance Theatre Submissions Atlanta's own theater
Barter Theatre Company Abingdon VA  
Empire Stage comedies. Ft. Lauderdale FL
Florida Studio Theatre reading series and staged Sarasota FL  
Horizon Theatre Atlanta   
Magnetic Theatre NC

MIDWEST 
Cleveland Public Theatre
Detroit Repertory Theatre
First Run Theatre Missouri
History Theatre treatment and sample first St. Paul MN
Milwaukee Repertory Theater   
Portland Stage Portland MN
Purple Rose Theatre Company Chelsea, MI  
Repertory Theatre St Louis
Shelterbelt Theatre Nebraska/Ohio playwrights, Omaha NE
Unicorn Theatre Kansas City MO

UK, IRELAND & SCOTLAND
Abbey Theatre Dublin
BBC Writers Room Submissions
Bush Theatre Shepherds Bush
Cork Arts Theatre Carroll's Quay, Ireland $
Druid Theatre Company Galway
Everyman Liverpool Playhouse  
Finborough Theatre London
Fishamble Dublin    
Hampstead Theatre London  
Live Theatre  Newcastle
Menagerie Theatre Company Cambridge
National Theatre London
National Script Reading Service, Scotland  
National Theatre of Scotland
Paines Plough London
Sherman Theatr Cardiff, Wales 
Theatre503 London     
Traverse Theatre Edinburgh  

THE REST  
Arena Stage a place for BIG plays; Washington DC
Arizona Theatre Company
Azuka Theatre Philadelphia
Babes With Blades New Play Development   
Barrington Stage Pittsfield MA
Berkshire Theater Group Pittsfield, Mass   
CENTERSTAGE Baltimore MD
Childsplay Tempe AZ
City Theatre Pittsburgh     
Gamm Theatre Pawtucket RI  
Gloucester Stage Company Massachusetts
Griffin Theatre Kings Cross NSW    
InterAct Theatre Company Philadelphia
Intiman Theatre Seattle WA       
National Latinx Playwrights Award Arizona   
No Strings Theatre Company Las Cruces NM
NU Sass 25 minute plays, DC area writers only Washington DC
Off Square Theatre Jackson WY   
Oregon Contemporary Theatre
Port Tobacco Players La Plata MD     
Single Carrot Theater Baltimore      
Silverthorne Theater Co MA
The Rose monologues DC
The Wilma Theater Philadelphia writers     

Boards & Forum Listings   
Fund for Women Artists great newsletter with submission possibilities — and investigate the rest of the site   
Latebreaking Performance script opportunities    
The Playwrights' Center competition, fellowships and grant programs  
The Playwrights' Noticeboard markets, competitions, meetings and production opportunities   
Play Submission Helper Blog weekly newsletter for playwrights

Publisher submission guidelines - please contact any publisher before you submit to ask about royalty agreements     

Broadway Play Publishing  
Currency Press
Drama Source  
Eldridge Plays & Musicals community theater and school market
Heartland Plays Professional, Community, Summer Stock, College, High School, and Theatre for Children and Youth
Heuer Publishing educational and community theatre markets
JD Drama Publishing school, speech tournament market      
Original Works Publishing play publishers offering booklet-type "Acting Editions" (click "submissions")
Pioneer Drama Service   
Playwrights Canada Press
Theatrical Rights Worldwide musicals
Youthplays one-act plays and full-length plays for teen actors and audiences

Playwriting & Theater Resources

African American Playwrights Exchange
Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights
American Association of Community Theatre the national voice of community theatre
Applied and Interactive Theatre Guide for those who use theatre techniques for other or more than arts or entertainment purposes
The Alliance for Jewish Theatre
Austin Script Works
Bunraku Japanese puppet theater - a lifetime to master
The Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society
Chicago Dramatists
Community Theater Green Room "articles, tips, tricks, and a way to share information"
Copenhagen Theatre Circle
Drama League of Ireland
The Dramatists Guild of America the only professional association for playwrights, composers, and lyricists
Federation of Scottish Theatres everything you need to know about Scottish theatre
Footlight Notes theater and music hall entertainment during the 1850s to the 1920s
Glossary of Technical Theatre Terms now when somebody says "we could really use a gobo on that fresnel in the fly" you'll know what it means
Independent Theatre Council
International Centre for Women Playwrights
Internet Broadway Database the official database for Broadway theatre information
The Internet Theatre Database searchable archive of theatre past, present, and future for Broadway and London's West End
La Comedia de Campana (Argentina)
Literary Agents US, UK, Canadian and Aussie-New Zealand agents and the playwrights they represent
Marketing On The Cheap good tips for self-producing playwright too
Melbourne Writers Theatre
Metro Arts funding opportunities, Brisbane
New Musicals Inc
New York Theatre Wire news from Broadway and beyond
North West Playwrights develop and promote new writing for the theatre in the North West of England
NYCPlaywrights a collective of writers to develop new work through weekly, informal, script-in-hand readings
New Writing South open to all dramatic writers in South East England
Playbill Online among other things, lists of theater companies 
Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre
Playwrights Cafe San Francisco group, including list of local theaters
The Playwrights' Center Minneapolis, MN writing workshops
Playwrights' Center of San Francisco
Playwrights Guild of Canada
Playwrights Horizons a theater whose mission is the discovery and development of new and distinctive American writers, and accepts unsolicited full-length manuscripts
Playwrights Platform Boston area writers
Playwrights Project research and development facility for stage and screenwriters
Playwrights' Studio Scotland
Playwrights' Workshop Montreal a professional theatre centre dedicated to developing contemporary work and new writers for the Canadian stage
Playwriting101 explains the basics
The Puppetry Home Page news of productions, history, festivals - highly recommended
Scottish Community Drama Association over 1,200 individuals and theatre clubs throughout Scotland, including Britains largest competition for new short plays
Scottish Society of Playwrights
Script Formats free templates for stage and radio scripts, from the BBC
Southwest Scriptwriters, Bristol
The Stage news from the UK theatrical world
Theatre Australia
Theatre in Wales
Theater Services Guide international theater, educational and tv station listings
UK Theatre Web guide to professional and amateur performing arts
Western Australian Playwrights' Consortium promoting the development of playwrights and performance writing
Women Playwrights' Initiative to encourage the development of women playwrights, primarily in the Southeast
Woodstock Fringe Playwrights Unit
Working Title Playwrights Atlanta  
Writers Guild of Ireland 

The Real Burry Man

The Burry Man has a special place in Scottish tradition and folklore. Every August, for centuries, the Burry Man has walked the streets of South Queensferry, Scotland, a village near Edinburgh. The residents believe he will bring luck to the town if they give him whisky and money. We chose to name our center after him to honor this ancient tradition, and the generations of townsfolk who have kept it alive. Burry Man Day is the second Friday in August. Our thanks to Andrew Taylor, John Nicol, Alan Reid, James "Kitter" Magan, John "Jacko" Hart, Sam Corson, Arne Fredricksen, Judith McPhillips (the Wee Burry Man, 1948) and all the other stout men, robust lads and charming lassies who have taken on the mantle of the Burry Man.