Playwriting Competition

Overview

Hart House Theatre is dedicated to supporting U of T student playwrights.

Playwriting Competition Criteria

The following criteria will be used by the judges to score each entry.

FAQs

The following FAQs have been assembled by the Theatre’s Work Study Team.

• Where can I submit my script? How should it be formatted?

  All scripts must be accompanied by a submission form. Scripts can be submitted through the form or emailed to the Work Study Team account within the duration of the competition, using the subject heading "Playwriting Competition Submission". Submissions should be saved as a PDF, with the format YourName_Submission Title. Please number your pages and include your name and title on the page headers. Please include a list of content warnings at the beginning of the script.

• What is the competition timeline?

  The contest is open between 12:00 am on October 1, and 11:59 pm on February 1. The official public announcement will be made at The Dougies (The Annual Drama Coalition Awards). The winners will be contacted the week prior to the awards ceremony. Results will be posted online following the event.

• How long does my play have to be?

  There is no minimum or maximum length for contest entries. However, we recommend that plays be no shorter than 15 minutes and no longer than 2.5 hours.

• Does the play have to be original? Are adaptations of existing works of art, literature, media accepted?

  Yes. Only original works written by current University of Toronto students are accepted. Past contest winners have included creative adaptations of existing works. However, you must give credit for your specific inspiration (if you have used one) on the contest submission form.

• If my play is chosen for the Hart House U of T Drama Festival, is it still eligible for the Hart House Theatre Playwriting Competition?

  It is indeed! Feel free to submit your play(s) to both competitions.

• Can I submit more than one play?

  Absolutely. As long as none of the scripts have been produced before, and all are original, there is no limit to the number of scripts that may be submitted by any one playwright.

• Are plays with more than one author accepted?

  Yes! You are welcome to submit your co-written scripts, as long as both authors are current University of Toronto students.

• Is the deadline firm?

  Yes. No late entries will be accepted, so make sure you send us your entries before 11:59 pm on February 1, 2025.

• What are the prize amounts?

  First place will be awarded $500. Second place will be awarded $150. Third place will be awarded $100.

• Will I receive feedback from the panel?

  Depending on the volume of submissions, Hart House administration may choose a shortlist of plays to send to the panel. In this case, only these shortlisted plays will receive feedback in order to create a manageable workload for the jurors. When applicable, playwrights will be contacted sometime in March 2024 with news on whether their play made the shortlist.

Winners