The CCT Writers Project (CCTWP) is a venture by the Chickasaw Civic Theatre (CCT) whose purpose is to solicit original non-musical works from playwrights to premiere on the CCT stage.

General Play Guidelines

  • The play must be an original non-musical, full-length play that has not been previously presented and is not scheduled to be presented at any other venue.
  • The play may consist of one or more acts. The script should be sufficiently long to expect a performance time greater than an hour.
  • Subject matter and language of any plan chosen by the CCTWP Committee must be suitable for the CCT audience in the judgment of the Play Committee. Specifically, CCT avoids profanity, graphic sexual content, nudity, and similar issues.

Play Submission

  • A Request for Submissions is posted publicly on October 1 of each year.
  • Once the submission total is reached for the cycle, no further play submissions will be accepted, even if that limit is reached before the December 31 close of the cycle.
  • Submissions are due by December 31 of that same year and should be emailed to cctwritersproject@gmail.com.
  • Only one play will be accepted per playwright per year.
  • A $25 submission ee is due at the time of submission. Use this link to submit your entry fee: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35331/store/products/100204
  • A play will be considered entered into the contest only after an acceptable play and the entry fee have both been received.
  • The identity of the playwright is hidden from the reviewers. As such, we ask writers not to have identifying information on their script submission beyond a separate cover sheet.
  • Number the pages of the script, and start a new page for each new scene and act.
  • To protect anonymity do not post publicly or to share with anyone that you have submitted a work for review until after the committee completes the review process.
  • If a submitted play is not accepted and it is not produced elsewhere in the interim, it may be submitted again in a future cycle.

Play Selection

  • All submissions are reviewed by the CCTWP Committee.
  • The Play Committee may or may not choose a play to present from the project during each season cycle.
  • If a work is accepted for production, the playwright is notified by the following April 1.

Play Performance

  • If a play is selected for performance, the Play Committee will offer a specific schedule slot in the upcoming season (August—June) for the accepted work.
  • If the playwright agrees to have the play produced, the Play Committee will decide on the number of performances on the CCT stage.
  • The director for the new play will be chosen by the Play Committee, which may solicit input from the playwright.
  • The sets, costumes, props, and other production-specific materials created for the play will remain the property of CCT.

Play Compensation and Production Costs

  • If a play is accepted, CCT will NOT compensate the playwright for the right to present the work.
  • Rather, CCT will bear all costs of producing the play, drawn from the entry fees. Those costs cover the use of the theatre for the performance, for the weeks of rehearsal required, and for whatever set and costume needs there may be. The playwright will not be responsible for this cost; it will be borne by CCT.
  • The remaining income from ticket sales for the performances will be divided equally between CCT and the playwright. Thus, the playwright will earn one half of the income from ticket sales. The other half will remain with CCT. As an example, a play that sells a total of 100 seats for four performances, at an average cost of $15 per seat, will garner $1500. CCT will split the $1500 equally between the theater and the playwright, gaining the playwright $750. However, if 200 seats are sold for the run of the show, under the same conditions, there will be a $3000 income, with the playwright earning $1500. While there is no way to predict the success of a show, each of our contest winning productions to date has seen over 300 patrons.
  • After the completion of the run of the production at CCT, all rights and control of the play revert to the playwright. CCT will retain no control or ownership of the play once the premiere run closes. CCT will retain the rights only to photos, videos, or other media used from the performance.
  • The sets, costumes, props, and other production-specific materials created for the play will remain the property of CCT.

Questions

For submissions or for questions, contact CCT at cctwritersproject@gmail.com