The Mr. & Mrs. Frank J. McGuire International Playwriting Competition

Deadline for submission:  September 1, 2009

Competition Rules

Terms and Conditions

• All applicants must be Irish citizens or legal residents of Ireland or Northern Ireland.
• Employees of the Irish Classical Theatre and all those involved in any aspect of the application or review process are not eligible to enter.
• Scripts must be original full length dramas or comedies (running time no less than 1 hour and 30 minutes).
• Only scripts in the English language will be accepted.
• Each script must include a list of characters or a cast breakdown.
• Cast number should not exceed 10 actors (with limited doubling of roles acceptable).
• No musicals, children’s plays, translations, screenplays or one-act plays will be accepted.
• Plays submitted must not have been previously published or produced, must not have been optioned, and not have won any other playwriting competitions.
• Plays that have received public readings or workshops are eligible.
• Only one script per author will be accepted.
• Standard play script layout should be used.
• A one-page synopsis of the plot must accompany each application.
• The playwright must own the copyright, which will remain with the playwright throughout.
• Selection process will be anonymous, as professional adjudicators will not be informed of the identity of the dramatists, but will be provided with a pseudonym.
• A nominal processing fee of 15 Euro must accompany every application to cover postage, photocopying etc.  NOTE:  For your convenience, a link to PayPal will appear as you submit your application.
• The Irish Classical Theatre Company will produce the world premiere of the winning play as part of the company’s 2010-2011 Twentieth Anniversary season.
• Winning playwright will grant the Irish Classical Theatre Company first right of refusal for producing his or her play for a two year period from the 1st of January following the world premiere production.
• Scripts will be accepted for submission from February 2009 through September 1st 2009.  Please note that scripts will not be accepted after September 1st 2009.
• No hard copies of submitted scripts will be accepted. All submissions must be made electronically to the Irish Classical Theatre Company at: MIPWC@irishclassical.com
• Since scripts will be read as anonymous submissions, the title pages on all copies of the play must include only the name of the play.  The name of the author must not appear anywhere on the script.
• All scripts will be adjudicated by a panel of professional and artistic directors both in Ireland and the USA.
• Authors of the plays that have been shortlisted will be notified in October 2009.
• The winning script will be announced on January 1st, 2010. The winning author will be notified directly prior to public notification.
• Receipt of submissions will be acknowledged by e-mail.
• We regret that no correspondence can be entered into at any stage of the judging process.
• All entries will be read in their entirety at each phase of the adjudication process, but entries that do not conform to the Terms and Conditions will be excluded.
• Decision of the judges in all matters regarding to these rules and the Mr.& Mrs. Frank J. McGuire International Playwriting Competition are final.