The Ebell Women’s Club of Los Angeles Play Writing Prize - deadline December 1, 2014

About The Prize

Applications for the 2015 Prize are now being accepted!
The Mission

The Ebell Women’s Club of Los Angeles was founded in 1894 “to interest women in the study of all branches of literature, art and science, and the advancement of women in every branch of culture.” Our motto: “I will find a way or make one — I serve.”
The Prize

The Ebell held a playwriting contest in 1928. Today we continue that tradition with the Ebell Playwright Prize, founded to encourage and celebrate California women playwrights. The first-prize winner is awarded $6,000 and a staged reading, followed by supper at the historic Ebell of Los Angeles. Second-prize winner receives a $1,000 award. Third-prize winner receives a $500 award. We look forward to many years of honoring women writers.

2014 winners

2015 Judges
TBA

2015 Advisory Board
Jeanie Hackett • Allison Janney • Jessica Kubzansky •
Michael Learned • Kamala Lopez • Laurie Metcalf •
Ellen Sandler • Laurie Scheer • Peregrine Whittlesey

2015 Director
Susan Isaacs
The Ebell Of Los Angeles

To learn more about the historic Ebell Club, visit their blog.

Eligibility & Details

Below you will find an overview of eligibility requirements, judging process, prize presentation and a timetable of events. When you are ready to submit your play, go to the Submission page. NOTE: Submissions for the 2015 prize open July 1, 2014.
Eligibility Requirements

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
The contest is open to FEMALE RESIDENTS of CALIFORNIA only.
Ebell club members may submit to the competition.
Ebell club members may not serve as readers or judges.
Ebell Board Members may not submit to the completion, nor may they serve as readers or judges.
Employees of the Ebell may not submit to the competition, nor may they serve as readers or judges.
Members of the Ebell Playwright Prize Advisory Board may not submit to the competition.

WHAT IS ELIGIBLE?
Play must be full-length and in English, but must not exceed 85 pages.
Plays must be formatted per standardized playwriting rules (please use Courier font).
Play must not have been previously published in print, online or in any public forum.
Play must not have received (or be scheduled for) a professional production before April 16, 2015.
Play must not have received an option for development with any theater company or organization prior to April 16, 2015.
Play may be submitted concurrently to other competitions unless:
If money from the other competition secures the rights to the play, then it is ineligible.
If any other contest requires the winner to sign an option or any professional agreement, the play is ineligible for the Ebell prize.
If a play wins another competition and is presented to the public prior to April 16, 2015, the play is ineligible for the Ebell competition.
Playwright may continue to market and promote their plays without regard to their status in the Ebell contest, unless one of the above occurs.
Collaboration: Play must be the original work of one playwright or two equal collaborators. A collaboration is NOT:
If X creates the story and Y writes the play, the work is not eligible.
If X creates the story and X & Y write the stage play, the work is not eligible.
If X writes a novel and Y (or X & Y) write a play based on the novel, the work is not eligible.
One collaborator may complete the application. Once the play is submitted, Partner must verify the collaboration. Verification may be submitted after the entry deadline, but the entry will not be processed until verification is complete.
Musicals, screenplays, children’s plays, translations are not eligible.
Adaptations of any work (other than entrant’s own) are not eligible. The intent of the Contest is to identify new playwrights and new works.
Judging
Judges Panel and Advisory Board

The Ebell Playwright Prize’s judges are women actors and directors who have distinguished themselves in their theatrical community. To avoid a conflict of interest, no playwright may sit as a judge. The Advisory Board is comprised of women industry professionals representing a wide spectrum of interests and perspectives in the theatrical community. Advisory Board members have no voting power and do not take part in selecting the winning play; their primary purpose is to provide a breadth of industry insight to help us further the Prize’s core mission of encouraging and celebrating California women playwrights.
Process
Each correctly submitted play is assigned a number, and its title page placed in a safe. Our readers and judges never see the title or author of the play. This guarantees anonymity and objectivity in evaluation.
All plays are read at least twice in the first round.
Our first-round readers are men and women working in theater, theater education, development and/or production. They may receive a modest fee to cover their costs and expenses.
Between five and ten finalists will be selected based on readers’ scores and evaluations.
An all-women panel judges the Finalist plays.
After reading the finalist plays, judges convene discuss, vote and select the winner.
To ensure there is no conflict of interest, Ebell club members, employees, and Board of Directors of the Ebell cannot serve as a reader or judge.
The Reading

The prize-winning play and playwright will be honored with a staged reading and supper at The Ebell of Los Angeles on Sunday, April 19, 2015. The Chair of the Ebell Playwriting Contest will choose a director for the staged reading. Casting will be at the sole discretion of the director. Our dramaturg will work with the playwright and may suggest revisions during the rehearsal period. Presentation will follow the format of a staged reading: actors seated with scripts in hand. Supper follows the reading. The prize winner receives four complimentary tickets to the reading and supper
Timetable
July 1, 2014: Submission Opens. Entrants may apply online at this site.
December 1, 2014 12 noon PST: Submission Closes: no applications accepted after this date.
December 2014 — February 2015: Reading and judging in progress.
February 16, 2015: Winning play announced.
April 19, 2015: Winning play and playwright are honored with a staged reading and supper at The Ebell Club of Los Angeles.
The Fine Print
The Ebell of Los Angeles reserves the rights to the first presentation of the winning play, but that play shall remain the sole property of its author.
The Contest reserves the right to reject any manuscript for any reason.
In the event that no submitted material is deemed worthy, The Ebell of Los Angeles reserves the right to not award a prize for the 2014-2015 year.
The Ebell of Los Angeles reserves the right to present the first staged reading of the winning play, but that play shall remain the sole property of its author.
The Ebell of Los Angeles is a 501(c)(3) California non-profit organization. Monetary donations to the Playwright Prize are fully tax deductible.
Ready to submit? Have more questions? Visit our Submission Details page.