VTA Playwriting Competition

In an effort to encourage student written works, the Secondary Division of the Virginia Theatre Association proudly announces the 2022 VTA Playwriting Competition. For 2022, only high school writers are invited to compete. We will consider expanding to middle school in the future. 

High School Playwriting Rules and Regulations

• There are two categories of plays. 

• Students may submit to one or both categories, but may submit only one play per category.

  • 10 Minute Play 

  • One Act Play

• Entries are to be the sole work of a singular student enrolled in grades 9-12 at a Virginia School.

• Entries are to be the original work of a singular student.

• Adaptations of other works are not being considered for 2022. Adaptations will be disqualified.

• Students must be registered as a VTA member by the first day of the conference, but do not necessarily need to attend the conference. 

  • Membership will be verified with the VTA Conference Manager at the start of the conference.

  • Non-members will be disqualified.

• Writers should follow a consistent format in their writing, but there is not a specific format required. 

• Entries should be submitted as a singular PDF with two cover pages.

  • Cover Page One should include the following

    • Student Name

    • Student School

    • Name of theatre director/teacher or sponsoring teacher

    • Name of Play

    • Category(10 Minute Play or One Act Play)

    • This cover page will be removed before scoring

  • Cover Page Two should include

    • Name of Play

    • Category(10 Minute Play or One Act Play)

  • The first cover page is for the Secondary Division leadership only and will be removed to maintain anonymity in scoring.

• Deadline: October 15, 2022 11:59PM

  • This will allow plays to be judged before conference begins

  • Entries submitted after the deadline will not be considered

• Judging and Awards

  • A panel of judges will use the rubric to score and provide feedback to plays

  • The following awards will be given in each category

    • Best Play Medallion

    • Runner Up Medallion

    • Honorable Mention Certificates

  • Awards will be announced the High School Theatre Festival Awards Ceremony

  • Judges comments and scores will be shared with teachers, directors, sponsors, etc. in the weeks following the festival.

• Submissions are to be uploaded at: https://tinyurl.com/VTAwrites2022 

  • Plays should be submitted by a teacher, director, or adult sponsor.

  • Teacher, director, or adult sponsor must have a Google Drive account(free) to upload content.

  • Submission indicates that a teacher, director, and/or adult sponsor has read the play being submitted.

    • Adults should ensure the play meets any standards set forth by the school administration for content. VTA will not edit or judge the appropriateness of content. Content deemed appropriate by the school meets VTA criteria.

    • Teachers, Directors, Sponsors(employed by the school) have a legal obligation as mandatory reporters. Should the content of the play indicate that a student is in danger or a danger to themselves or others, the mandated reporter must report to appropriate school officials. Submission indicates any such reporting has been undertaken if needed.