Winners are chosen by the preeminent playwrights of our time. Edward Albee served as the Series' inaugural judge (2007-2008), followed by Sir David Hare (2009-2010), John Guare (2011-2012), Marsha Norman (2013-2014), Nicholas Wright (2015-2017), and Ayad Akhtar (2018-2019). Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Paula Vogel will serve as judge for the upcoming 2021 and 2022 competitions.
The Yale Drama Series is funded by generous support from the David Charles Horn Foundation.

Submissions for the 2021 competition must be submitted no earlier than June 1, 2020 and no later than August 15, 2020. The submission window closes at midnight EST.

To enter the competition, please return to this site during that period. 

RULES AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

The Yale Drama Series is seeking submissions for its 2021 playwriting competition. The winning play will be selected by the series' current judge, Paula Vogel. The winner of this annual competition will be awarded the David Charles Horn Prize of $10,000, publication of their manuscript by Yale University Press, and a staged reading at Lincoln Center’s Claire Tow Theater. The prize and publication are contingent on the playwright's agreeing to the terms of the publishing agreement.

There is no entry fee. Please follow these guidelines in preparing your manuscript:

1.This contest is restricted to plays written in the English language. Worldwide submissions are accepted.

2. Submissions must be original, unpublished full-length plays, with a minimum of 65 pages. Plays with less than 65 pages will not be considered. Translations, musicals, and children's plays are not accepted. 

3. The Yale Drama Series is intended to support emerging playwrights. Playwrights may win the competition only once.

4. Playwrights may submit only one manuscript per year.  Only manuscripts authored by one playwright are eligible.

5. Plays that have been professionally produced or published are not eligible. Plays that have had a workshop, reading, or non-professional production or that have been published as an actor’s edition will be considered.

6. Plays may not be under option, commissioned, or scheduled for professional production or publication at the time of submission.

7. Plays must be typed/word-processed, page-numbered, and in the Professional Play Format.

8. The Yale Drama Series reserves the right to reject any manuscript for any reason.

9.  The Yale Drama Series reserves the right of the judge to not choose a winner for any given year of the competition and reserves the right to determine the ineligibility of a winner, in keeping with the spirit of the competition, and based upon the accomplishments of the author.

For more information about the Yale Drama Series, please visit: 
yalebooks.com/drama
dchornfoundation.org
or email us at yaledramaseries@yale.edu

TECHNICAL SUPPORT
For technical support, please email support@submittable.com or call (855) 467-8264 ext 2.