2025 Rocket City Playwrights’ Series

Theatre Huntsville and Evil Cheez Productions are now accepting submissions for the 9th Annual Rocket City Playwrights’ Series, an annual program to support local writers' creation of new theatrical works.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

We are seeking original plays that can be performed in 10 minutes or less by North Alabama writers.

Who Can Submit

  • Applicants must be at least 14 years old and reside in North Alabama

Play Submission Guidelines

  • Applicants must submit a play that can be performed in approximately 5-10 minutes

  • Read your play aloud prior to submission to ensure it fits into the allotted time frame. Plays that are too short or too long may be disqualified.

  • No musicals or children’s theatre

  • Plays must have 2-4 characters 

  • Light or no profanity

  • One submission per playwright

    • The winner from the previous year may not submit. 

  • Plays should be an original work - no adaptations 

How to Submit Your Entry

All original 10-minute plays should be emailed to playwriting@theatrehsv.org by May 31, 2025 in the following format:

  • File type: pdf, doc, or docx

  • A separate cover sheet with contact information

  • The body of the play should include:

    • Title of the play

    • Author’s name

    • List of characters

    • Character descriptions

    • Any notes or special instructions about the play

    • A separate cover sheet with contact information

  • The cover sheet should include:

    • Author’s Name

    • Play Title

    • Author’s Email

    • Author’s Phone

    • Author’s Biography

  • Author’s headshot (any upper body photo will work)

Submission Deadline

All original works must be emailed to Rocket City Playwrights’ Series by May 31, 2025 to be considered.

Submission Checklist

  • 10 Minute play in pdf, doc, or docx format

  • Cover sheet

  • Author headshot

  • Submitted by May 31, 2025 at midnight.

  • You will receive an email from Theatre Huntsville within 48 hours of submitting your entry confirming that we have received your work. If you do not receive our email, we have not gotten your play. If this happens, please email our Marketing Director Larkin Plaks at Larkin.plaks@theatrehsv.org.

Questions about submitting your work?

Please email us at playwriting@theatrehsv.org.

ABOUT THE EVENT

Now in its 9th year, The Rocket City Playwrights Series will feature six ten-minute plays selected by our panel of judges and presented to the public in a readers’ theatre* format. Audiences vote for their favorites, which are awarded cash prizes.

This annual event features six original ten-minute plays by North Alabama authors. Our panel of judges selects the plays, which are presented to the public in a readers’ theatre format*. Audiences vote for their favorite plays, which are awarded cash prizes.

* Readers theatre =when actors present dramatic readings with no costumes, props, scenery, or special lighting. They stand on stage with scripts and use only their voices to tell the story.  

The 2025 date and location will be announced later this year. The event will take place in the fall.

Purpose

At some point, every famous playwright was an unknown, struggling to get that first play read, produced, and published. Someone had to take a chance on the unknown, and that is what the Rocket City Playwrights’ Series is all about!

We believe that locally written and created productions can be a unique cultural opportunity, providing a direct lens into the identity of our local community and the surrounding communities of North Alabama. Theatre Huntsville & Evil Cheez Productions are committed to investing in and supporting our local storytellers and theatre artists who are interested in creating new live works.

2024 Finalists 

Winner: Frenemies and Footspas by LeeAnn Treece

Runner-Ups:

  • How Do You Feel About That? by Haley Loveday

  • Message from Mother by Joy Whitt and Juan E Bedolla

Finalists:

  • Backstabbers by Sarah Sizemore

  • Chrysalis by Sarai Moon

  • The Beach by Andy Cayse

Theatre Huntsville is a community theater in Huntsville, Alabama, driven by volunteers showcasing a diverse range of shows at the Von Braun Center Playhouse.

Evil Cheez Productions is the home base for writer/director/producer Wayne Miller, providing top-notch entertainment for the stage, page, and screen.