The KCACTF National Ten-Minute Play Award
photo by Susan Shaffer
Each region establishes submission criteria for its regional ten-minute play festival. Selected playwrights work with a director, dramaturg, and actors to develop a staged reading of the play, followed by a response session with guest
respondents during the regional festival. All colleges and universities with at least one Participating or Associate Entry in KCACTF may enter the Ten-Minute Play Festival at no additional charge. Submissions from schools with no entries
in Festival should consult regional websites for entry information.
PLEASE CHECK YOUR REGIONAL WEBSITE FOR SUBMISSION DEADLINES FOR YOUR REGION.
All nominated regional ten-minute plays will be submitted to the Kennedy Center by the NPP Regional Chairs before each festival; after each festival, the NPP Regional Chair will notify the National Office of the top two ten-minute plays in that region and/or submit revised drafts of those plays to the KCACTF Artistic Director Gregg Henry ([email protected]).
A judging panel will read the sixteen regional nominees (national semi-finalists) and pick the award-recipient play and three additional national finalists to invite to the national festival in April (four playwrights in total).
At the national festival, those four plays will again be presented as staged readings in the Kennedy Center Theatre Lab with casts made up of professional actors from the Washington, DC area.
- The outstanding Ten-Minute Plays from each region (eight regions, sixteen plays) may be published by Dramatic Publishing Company.
- A first place cash award of $500 will be given to a playwright selected from the sixteen national semi-finalists designated by the regions.
- Dramatists Guild Award. All national finalists of the Ten-Minute Play Award will be provided with active membership in the Dramatists Guild.
For more information on entering a ten-minute play, contact your NPP Regional Chair.
respondents during the regional festival. All colleges and universities with at least one Participating or Associate Entry in KCACTF may enter the Ten-Minute Play Festival at no additional charge. Submissions from schools with no entries
in Festival should consult regional websites for entry information.
PLEASE CHECK YOUR REGIONAL WEBSITE FOR SUBMISSION DEADLINES FOR YOUR REGION.
All nominated regional ten-minute plays will be submitted to the Kennedy Center by the NPP Regional Chairs before each festival; after each festival, the NPP Regional Chair will notify the National Office of the top two ten-minute plays in that region and/or submit revised drafts of those plays to the KCACTF Artistic Director Gregg Henry ([email protected]).
A judging panel will read the sixteen regional nominees (national semi-finalists) and pick the award-recipient play and three additional national finalists to invite to the national festival in April (four playwrights in total).
At the national festival, those four plays will again be presented as staged readings in the Kennedy Center Theatre Lab with casts made up of professional actors from the Washington, DC area.
- The outstanding Ten-Minute Plays from each region (eight regions, sixteen plays) may be published by Dramatic Publishing Company.
- A first place cash award of $500 will be given to a playwright selected from the sixteen national semi-finalists designated by the regions.
- Dramatists Guild Award. All national finalists of the Ten-Minute Play Award will be provided with active membership in the Dramatists Guild.
For more information on entering a ten-minute play, contact your NPP Regional Chair.
Previous Award Recipients
2013 Tattoo You by Lisa Kenner Grissom, Lesley University
2012 Starf*cker by Adam Pasen, Western Michigan University
2011 Nancies by Adam Groff, Florida State University
2010 Girls Play by Masha Obolensky, Boston University
2009 Armed with Peanut Butter by Dana Lynn Formby, Ohio University
2008 Without Parachutes by Erik Levitz, Johns Hopkins University
2007 Mammals, by Ryan Dowler, University of Texas-El Paso
2006 By Design, David Eames Harlan, University of Idaho
2005 Region One: TATOO by Donna Keegan, Boston University
Region Two: THE FREEZING PHENOMON by Emily Hawe, New York University
Region Three: FOR AND AGAINST by Mark Witteveen, Ohio University
Region Four: BELLEROPHON'S FALL by James Houk, Middle Tennessee State University
Region Five: THE HOLLOW by Mary Barile, University of Missouri-Columbia
Region Six: THE RED ZONE by AE Edwards, University of Arkansas
Region Seven: DIGGER by Jessi Sundell, University of Wyoming
Region Eight: HEART by Ross Canton, Loyola Marymount University
2004 STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN by Gregory Fletcher, Boston University
2003 The Crossing by James Garcia, Arizona State University
2002 YOUR TYPICAL, EVERYDAY, LIGHTHEARTED, ROMANTIC COMEDY by Valerie Johnson, University of Northern Iowa
2001 Region One: Life, Love and a 7-11 by Lindsay Joy, University of New Hampshire, Durham
Region Two: The Lot War by Morgan Mitchell, Carnegie Mellon University
Region Three: Jon Haller by Lusona, Beloit College Beloit, Wisconsin
Region Four: Broken Blinker by Maggie Anderson, James Madison University
Region Five: Because I Was Sitting Here by Sarah Pottorf, Emporia State University
Region Six: Clouds by Kathy Doss, McNeese State University
Region Seven: Vowels by Stephen Austin II, Western Washington University
Region Eight: You’re It by Jennifer Kollmer, San Francisco State University
2000 The Individuality of Streetlamps by Anna K. Gorisch, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro
1999 Region One: Edna by Joanna Nadler, Brandeis University
Region Two: Language Lessons by Julia Cho, New York University
Region Three: Comfortable Breakfasts by Joseph Barnett, Miami University, Oxford
Region Four: Love with Dick and Jane by Joe Waechter, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Region Five: Party Favors by Jeffrey Carrillo, University of Missouri, Columbia
Region Six: A Little Crazy by Michael Johnson, Tarrant County Junior College, NE Campus, Fort Worth
Region Seven: Why Don't We Fish by Tamara Shores, Boise State University
Region Eight: 45 by John Aceves, Humboldt State University, Arcadia
2012 Starf*cker by Adam Pasen, Western Michigan University
2011 Nancies by Adam Groff, Florida State University
2010 Girls Play by Masha Obolensky, Boston University
2009 Armed with Peanut Butter by Dana Lynn Formby, Ohio University
2008 Without Parachutes by Erik Levitz, Johns Hopkins University
2007 Mammals, by Ryan Dowler, University of Texas-El Paso
2006 By Design, David Eames Harlan, University of Idaho
2005 Region One: TATOO by Donna Keegan, Boston University
Region Two: THE FREEZING PHENOMON by Emily Hawe, New York University
Region Three: FOR AND AGAINST by Mark Witteveen, Ohio University
Region Four: BELLEROPHON'S FALL by James Houk, Middle Tennessee State University
Region Five: THE HOLLOW by Mary Barile, University of Missouri-Columbia
Region Six: THE RED ZONE by AE Edwards, University of Arkansas
Region Seven: DIGGER by Jessi Sundell, University of Wyoming
Region Eight: HEART by Ross Canton, Loyola Marymount University
2004 STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN by Gregory Fletcher, Boston University
2003 The Crossing by James Garcia, Arizona State University
2002 YOUR TYPICAL, EVERYDAY, LIGHTHEARTED, ROMANTIC COMEDY by Valerie Johnson, University of Northern Iowa
2001 Region One: Life, Love and a 7-11 by Lindsay Joy, University of New Hampshire, Durham
Region Two: The Lot War by Morgan Mitchell, Carnegie Mellon University
Region Three: Jon Haller by Lusona, Beloit College Beloit, Wisconsin
Region Four: Broken Blinker by Maggie Anderson, James Madison University
Region Five: Because I Was Sitting Here by Sarah Pottorf, Emporia State University
Region Six: Clouds by Kathy Doss, McNeese State University
Region Seven: Vowels by Stephen Austin II, Western Washington University
Region Eight: You’re It by Jennifer Kollmer, San Francisco State University
2000 The Individuality of Streetlamps by Anna K. Gorisch, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro
1999 Region One: Edna by Joanna Nadler, Brandeis University
Region Two: Language Lessons by Julia Cho, New York University
Region Three: Comfortable Breakfasts by Joseph Barnett, Miami University, Oxford
Region Four: Love with Dick and Jane by Joe Waechter, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Region Five: Party Favors by Jeffrey Carrillo, University of Missouri, Columbia
Region Six: A Little Crazy by Michael Johnson, Tarrant County Junior College, NE Campus, Fort Worth
Region Seven: Why Don't We Fish by Tamara Shores, Boise State University
Region Eight: 45 by John Aceves, Humboldt State University, Arcadia