7 Plays in 7 Days
A festival of new plays and staged readings.
September 19 – September 25, 2011
General information:
7 World premieres will be presented from Monday, September 19 through Sunday September 25, 2011.
The plays will be either fully mounted productions, or fully rehearsed staged readings.
Tickets for the event will be $14 per performance or $50 for all access to all the plays.
Season pass holders can use their punch card to attend any of the performances or if they have no punches available, they may simply present the card and purchase the tickets at ½ off!
While the plays presented during the festival will be selected by MBS Productions, each individual playwright will coordinate the casting, rehearsals, and productions of the plays.
Submission guidelines:
MBS Productions specializes in "New Theatre": World Premiers, New Translations, or New Adaptations. We are currently looking for "New" full length plays/musicals for consideration for our 2008/2009 season.
To be considered "New" the play as written must not have been performed in front of a paying audience, unless:
+ It was in an academic setting such as a school or university.
+ If the work in a shorter format has been performed but it has been developed and expanded substantially since its initial performance. You will be asked to submit the initial version to verify this.
+ The play was billed as a "Staged Reading"
If you have a "New" translation or "New" adaptation of an established literary work we would also encourage you to send it in. For translations and adaptations, please be sure all rights have been cleared with the original playwright before submitting to us.
To submit please email to scripts@MBSProductions.net the following:
1) A synopsis of the plot of the play no longer then 500 words.
2) Please list the basic production requirements such as all characters, their ages, and description along with the minimum number of actors needed. The set and costume requirements. The number of Acts and Scenes.
3) The play must be at least 1 hour in length and no longer then 2 ½ hours. If the play is longer then 90 minutes it must have an intermission.
4) Do you plan on mounting the show, or just doing a staged reading?
5) Lastly, and most importantly: Please be sure to include your name, a contact telephone number, your address, your e-mail, and your resume of any past works produced, if any.
The deadline for submissions is April 1, 2011.
Please keep in mind we will give priority to plays that will receive a full staged production versus simply a staged reading. All fully staged productions will be presented at least twice during the run of the seven days.
Staged readings will only get the one performance allotment. If there is space on the schedule they may get a second presentation.
The selection of plays will be made by the MBS Productions “reader” committee. You will be notified of your acceptance prior to May 1, 2011.
We may chose one or two “understudy” scripts should a problem arise in any of the plays selected.
Production requirements:
The Stone Cottage Theatre is a small venue that seats approximately 65 people.
The stage area is a 22 feet wide by 16 feet deep. There are only 2 entrances/exits to the stage.
There is no backstage area to store large set pieces.
There is one small area to store props and costumes (3 feet by 5 feet).
There is one small dressing room that is shared by men and women.
The cast cannot be more then 12 people.
The lighting is general lighting composed of 12 flood lights. We can only do simple lighting designs since there will be no time to change and adjust the lights between shows.
All sound design elements must be burned on to a CD with tracks clearly labeled. You must also clear any rights to any copyrighted music or sound you use.
It is highly advisable you see an MBS Productions show in the Stone Cottage to get a full sense of how the space can be utilized, what the lighting capacity is, the backstage area, etc.
If your play is selected, thing you must plan for and decide:
1) Do you want it to be a staged reading only? If so, you will need to find your own cast, and if needed, a director for the production. MBS Productions may be able to assist you in this area. You will need to present your staged reading to MBS Productions at least a week prior to moving in to the theatre.
2) Do you want it to be a fully mounted production? You must have a cast, a director, and a stage Manager. You will need to make sure all professional stage requirements are met: Actors are all off book, fully rehearsed and costumed. All props and set pieces are procured. You will have to present your play as it is to be performed at least one week prior to the festival starting. A representative from MBS Productions may attend one or two rehearsals prior to the final presentation to insure it is meeting MBS Production standards. Failure to meet our standards will reclassify your play as a “Staged Reading.”
3) You must provide all the necessary information to build a program for your play three weeks prior to your “opening” night.
4) Do you want your play considered for a full run in a future season?
5) If we end up utilizing the “understudy” script, you must be ready to produce your play. If the time frame is too short to do a fully successful production, MBS Productions will mount the stage reading on your behalf.
6) You must attend all production meetings scheduled by MBS Productions.
Performance requirements:
All actors and tech must be present 1 hour before curtain time.
Each show must be able to fully set up within 30 minutes prior to the house opening, which is 30 minutes before curtain time.
Each show must be able to fully strike within 30 minutes after the performance.
Each play will have at least one evening performance at 8 PM.
A few things to look at before you submit it:
+ Can it be physically produced on a stage? Bringing a tractor trailer onto the stage and demolishing the set is not quite feasible nor having a live ostrich follow stage directions.
+ Can the play be cast? Asking for the character to be tall is one thing, but requiring the actor to be 7 feet makes it hard to cast. Requiring 70 people on a stage is also quite impossible. Even Broadway shows shy from such requirements.
+ The title. Does the title make sense with the play, and will the general public be able to understand what it means or even pronounce it? Uxmal’s Huitzilopochtli is a hard play to sell to a potential audience, let alone pronounce it.
+ If submitting a musical can the musical requirements be met? Very few singers have a 5 octave vocal range. It is also hard to find people that play the Oud, Cura Saz, or other lesser known musical instruments. We do not have the physical space to house a full orchestra.
For more questions or information:
Contact Mark-Brian Sonna at 214-477-4942 or at info@mark-briansonna.com
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