Local Playwright Resources
Here are some great local playwriting collectives for finding resources for established or beginning Playwrights.
We will add to this as we find more resources for you.
The Angels Theatre Company in Lincoln, and Shelterbelt Theatre, and Great Plains Theatre Commons in Omaha have a regular season, mentoring for Playwrights and play development, new play festivals, and mentoring programs for Actors that give Monologue feedback.
The Omaha Fringe Festival have an annual festival. Submitted plays are chosen by a lottery system.
We have podcasts available from these resources that you will want to check out!
Angels Theatre Company Playwrighting Collective
Lincoln, NE
Click on the image to their website for more info.
The mission of the Angels Playwriting Collective is to foster local playwrights in the development of new work. Playwriting is a solitary and lonely endeavor. The Collective brings interested writers together for peer support to exchange meaningful feedback on works in progress. The Collective gives playwrights the opportunity to hear how their work is perceived by others and allows for a detailed information exchange. The Collective includes workshops and monthly meetings.
The Angels Theatre Company has a Salon Reading Series, which is a staged reading of new plays that have gone through development. Their Solo Tales and Ales are original monologues performed by Angels Theatre Company artists. They have a regular season of three plays each season as well as a common theme.
Find Out More!
Here are our recent podcast with Jamie Bullins who is the Director of the Playwrighting Collective:
https://platteriverbard.podbean.com/e/jamie-bullins-artistic-director-of-the-first-flight-festival-by-angels-theatre-co/
Great Plains Theatre Commons
Omaha Area
Click on the image to their website for more info.
Besides a regular season, Great Plains Theatre Commons has many ways for Playwrights to connect. Their program, First First Draft, supports individuals who are committing to writing a full-length play for the first time. They also have events dedicated to silent writing called Silent Write. GPTC also has a residency program called Four Directions Native Playwright Residency that takes place in four different parts of the country over a years' time. They also have a Young Dramatists Fellowship Program for high-school age Playwrights. They also help mentor actors by conducting free monologue/scene study mentoring for Actors.
Find Out More!
Here is our most recent podcast with Quinn Corbin at GPTC:
https://platteriverbard.podbean.com/e/s5-ep-11/
Omaha Fringe Festival
Click on the image to their website for more info.
The Omaha Fringe Festival is THE destination for new and original works in and around the Omaha community and could very well be the launching point for your show!
*See our most recent podcast with the Omaha Fringe Festival: https://platteriverbard.podbean.com/e/s6-ep-20/
Shelterbelt Theatre
Omaha's Home for New Plays
"Shelterbelt Theatre is Omaha's home for new plays. Our mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment in which to focus the development of original work and to provide for the practical education of writers, performing artists, creative and technical staff, and the general public in the art and science of moving an idea from the mind to the stage.
The objective of the Shelterbelt Theater is to develop, workshop and produce new works by local and regional playwrights. They love to present world premiere work that engages and inspires their audience.
Shelterbelt is rooted in the belief that theater can make a difference and change the world, no matter how big the stage. They have a diverse reading committee dedicated to finding scripts that fulfill our mission, and inspire and entertain our audience.
Shelterbelt hosts an annual reading series, Before the Boards with four slots that offer local playwrights an opportunity to hear their play in front of a live audience in a staged reading, before it hits a full production. From one-acts to slam poetry, imagination is the only limit."
Area Playwrighting Important Dates and Information:
Omaha Fringe Festival
Application Window 1/1/25-2/15/25
(PAST)
If you are a performing artist of any kind: a dancer, musician, theatre maker, comedian, improver, the Omaha Fringe Festival wants to give you the spotlight at the Omaha Fringe Fest 2025.
Apply here: https://forms.gle/Q7vNrMff9j22aBRz8.
Great Plains Theatre Commons Play Submission
(PAST)
Application Window: September 1 - October 15, 2024.
GPTC New Play Festival: May 25-31, 2025
OmniArts Nebraska
Yuletide Frightfest
(PAST)
Application Window: Now until October 18th, 2024.
OmniArts Nebraska is accepting submission from local writers to be produced with talented local performers. Submit your work here: https://forms.gle/7sPzJSNjwRBZD3P36.
Submissions may be scenes or monologues. Scenes/short plays are limited to 15 minutes and three characters or less. Monologues are limited to 5 minutes. Everything should be able to be fully realized with minimal set, costumes and effects. All submissions should be spooky, whatever that means to you, but should remain PG-13. See more information at: https://omniartsnebraska.org.
Screenwriting Competition:
KU Film and Media Studies
(PAST)
Application Window: Scripts due Oct. 2nd, 2024.
Pitches Due Oct. 9th, 2024.
Oldfather Productions Club is having a Screenwriting Competion! Anyone can enter their 5-10 page script by October 2nd (pitches due Oct 9). The winning script will be made into a film by the club!
More details on the Oldfather Productions Instagram page.