Fifty years as one of the leading play publishers for the educational market has taught us that some of our best-selling shows are written not by professional playwrights, but by teachers who create a play based on the specific needs of their drama program.  Once published, these plays are quickly embraced by other teachers who share the same opportunities, challenges and limitations that seem universal in schools.

We want to encourage the development of quality plays written specifically by teachers and other educators.  Our A+ Playwriting Contest for Teachers is open to all teachers employed at an accredited K-12 public or private school in the US or Canada.  All plays submitted through this contest must have been produced within the past two years at the school where the playwright teaches.

Submissions will be accepted on an on-going basis with a June 30 cutoff each year.  All qualifying manuscripts accepted for publication will be considered contest finalists.  The contest winner, selected from contest finalists and announced September 30, will receive a $500 royalty advance and a one-time $500 donation to the school theatre program where the play was first produced.

Contest Rules

• Only entries submitted in accordance with all rules will be eligible for consideration.
• Playwright must be a current or retired faculty member at an accredited K-12 public or private school in the US or Canada.
• Only entries submitted with an Official Contest Entry Form will be considered.
• Only entries that have been fully staged at the teacher’s school no more than two years prior to the submission date will be considered.  We encourage you to take advantage of this production to revise your script as needed before submitting your manuscript.
• All entries must be accompanied by proof of production in the form of a copy of the program, a newsletter or newspaper article, a review, a photo or a letter from the school principal.
• Contest entries must meet all Pioneer Drama general guidelines and requirements for play submission, which can be found at pioneerdrama.com/playwrights/submit.asp.
• Individuals currently published by Pioneer Drama Service are not eligible for this contest.  Pioneer Drama Service employees and their families are also excluded.

All manuscripts submitted for this contest will automatically be simultaneously considered for our annual Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest, which is open to all individuals not previously published by Pioneer Drama Service.  See pioneerdrama.com for more details.

Questions?  Contact us by email or by calling 800-333-7262.