Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest

To encourage the development of quality theatrical materials for the educational, community and children’s theatre markets, Pioneer Drama Service is proud to sponsor the annual Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest.

This is an ongoing contest, with a winner selected by June 1 each year from all eligible submissions received the previous year.  All eligible plays accepted for publication will be considered contest finalists, from which the winner will be selected.  The contest winner will receive a $1,000 royalty advance in addition to publication.

Contest entries must meet all general guidelines and submission requirements.

Individuals currently published by Pioneer Drama Service are not eligible for this contest.  Pioneer Drama Service employees and their families are also excluded.

If you are a faculty member at an accredited K-12 public or private school in the US or Canada, you may also qualify for our A+ Playwriting Contest for Teachers.

Check out our list of past contest winners for examples of desirable submissions.

About Shubert Fendrich and
Pioneer Drama Service

Shubert Fendrich founded Pioneer Drama Service in 1963 and was the heart and soul of the business for more than twenty-five years.  Starting the company as a hobby, Shubert used a spare printing press to fill what he thought was a void in materials available to community theatres, in which he was actively involved in Cody, Wyoming.  The company eventually became a full-time profession for Shubert and his wife, Anne, and has grown tremendously ever since.

Pioneer Drama is one of the largest full-service play publishing companies in North America.  We carry both plays and musicals, both one-act and full-length shows, both children’s and adult fare, both comedies and dramas.  True to its western roots, Pioneer Drama Service also publishes the largest collection of melodramas available anywhere, many written by Shubert himself.

Though Shubert Fendrich passed away in December 1989, Pioneer Drama Service continues to be family owned and operated by his son, Steve, and his daughter-in-law, Debra.  Shubert was a great publisher, editor, playwright, friend and family man.  We are proud to carry on his legacy as Pioneer Drama Service continues the tradition of publishing quality theatrical material for educational, children’s and community theatres.