Call for Playwrights
Write us a real one.
Full-length plays about real Black American heroes, developed on tour before HBCU campuses, regional theaters, and culturally-focused museums.
Submissions open Sun, Nov 1, 2026 ยท Close Fri, Jan 15, 2027
New Day Theatricals, Inc. invites submissions for New Pages! Heritage Tours™.
We are looking for experienced emerging playwrights — writers with production history who have not yet had a national platform — and for plays willing to change in front of an audience.
Submissions open November 1, 2026 and close January 15, 2027. Selections announced March 2027; first tour leg fall 2027.
No fee to submit. No exclusivity required. Playwrights retain their work.
What We’re Looking For
The material.
- A full-length play, 70 minutes or longer, centered on a real Black American figure — historical or living, nationally known or locally revered.
- A cast of eight or fewer, with a touring company of four to eight in mind.
- A one-page synopsis and a one-page statement on why this figure, and why now.
- A development history: readings, workshops, or productions to date.
- A short note on what you would want an audience in that figure's home community to tell you.
- No fee to submit. No exclusivity required. Playwrights retain their work.
Who should apply.
- Playwrights with production history seeking a national platform
- Writers drawn to real lives and public history
- Writers who want an audience in the room during development
- Writers with a figure they have wanted to dramatize for years
What we cannot take.
- First drafts with no development history
- Musicals, operas, and adaptations of existing plays or screenplays
- Fictional protagonists in historical settings
- Plays requiring casts larger than eight
Submit
Send us your play.
Full-length plays only, 70 minutes or longer. Musicals and operas are not eligible. Submissions go through our secure online form and go directly to our reading team.
Before you begin, have these ready.
- A one-page synopsis
- A one-page statement on why this figure, and why now
- Your development history: readings, workshops, or productions to date
- A share link to your script (Google Drive, Dropbox, or WeTransfer), set so anyone with the link can view
After You Submit
What happens next.
The call opens November 1, 2026. Submissions received before that date will be held and read in order. Everything that arrives before January 15, 2027 will be read, and you will hear from us either way — no one who submits will be left waiting without an answer.
Your submission is logged and will be read. We are reading everything that arrives before January 15, 2027, and we will announce selections in March 2027.
If your contact information changes, or if your play has a production announced between now and March, write to us so we can update your file.