INTRODUCING
THE NEW
READING SERIES
Iron Crow Theatre invites playwrights to submit new, unpublished plays and/or musicals for Iron Crow Theatre’s New Reading Series, a program dedicated to elevating queer-centered voices. In alignment with our mission, “to produce queer theatre for a queer city celebrating the renegade and unorthodox in all of us”, we seek plays that embrace theatrical risk, challenge conventional forms, and illuminate the breadth of the queer experience.
Selected submissions will be assigned a director and given a staged reading with professional actors at Iron Crow Theatre’s new permanent home in Baltimore’s Remington neighborhood, followed by an audience feedback session. All participants will be compensated for their participation in the series, and the playwright may be invited to develop the piece further with the company.
Eligibility & Thematic Focus
We welcome submissions from queer and/or queer-allied playwrights, whether published or emerging, whose work engages with queer identities, queer narratives, or texts that may be considered “queer in construction.” This includes works that explore non-traditional dramaturgy, fragmentation, embodiment, adaptations of foreign work/public domain, or stylistic experimentation.
Preferred submissions include:
Plays by queer and/or queer-allied authors
Plays featuring queer characters, relationships, or communities
Plays that are stylistically adventurous, theatrical, or formally innovative
Works that resonate with Iron Crow Theatre’s mission and aesthetic: “A contemporary queer performance aesthetic rooted in intimacy, immersion, striking visual composition, emotional immediacy, and fearless theatricality.
Not eligible for consideration:
Purely autobiographical works
Solo performance pieces performed by the author
Plays under 45 minutes
Cast sizes over 12 actors
Incomplete scripts
Length, Format & Development Stage
Full-length (2-act structure) plays and musicals with complete scores no longer than 90 minutes are preferred; however, one-act plays of at least 45 minutes will also be considered.
Cast size: Maximum of 12 actors
Scripts must be in one of the following development stages:
Revised draft
Unproduced
Ready for a staged reading
Geographic Requirement
Playwrights ordinarily reside within 100 miles of Baltimore, Maryland, as their attendance at the reading and audience Q&A is required. Looking to feature Baltimore-area playwrights for this first season. Housing and transportation are not provided.
Participation Expectations
Selected playwrights will be required to:
Meet virtually or in person with the director assigned to the reading
Participate in an audition and short rehearsal process (no more than 5 rehearsals)
Participate in a public reading
Join a moderated audience feedback session immediately following the reading
Submission Materials
Please be prepared to submit the following materials using our online application.
Questions? Email us at readingseries@ironcrowtheatre.org
FULL SCRIPT
Please upload a PDF version of the full script and score if applicable.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Including doubling possibilities
playwright’s statement
Provide a statement describing how you feel the play fits Iron Crow Theatre’s mission and aesthetic.
PLAYWRIGHT HEADSHOT
A hi-resolution photo in jpeg or png format.
SHORT SYNOPSIS
Please provide a 50 - 100 word synopsis.
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY
Include all relevant workshops, readings, or productions.
PLAYWRIGHT BIOGRAPHY
Please provide a 150 - 200 word professional biography written in the third person.