call for submissions

Submissions due by Mar 10

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Good news Playonwordsians, past, present and future: We’re currently accepting submissions for our April 11th show at Cafe Stritch. We need you!

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POW Cast members Michael Weiland, Keenan Flagg, Arcadia Conrad, Ivette Deltoro, Laurel Brittan, Melinda Marks and Julia Halprin Jackson at our January 2018 show. Photo: Leo Alvarez.

Submission Guidelines

We accept works of fiction, nonfiction, theater and poetry. While our aesthetic tends toward the funny, unusual, thought-provoking and absurd, more than anything we want to read work that surprises us and pops off the stage. We cap submissions at 1500 words, though there is some wiggle room with works of theater.

To submit, email an attachment of your work to playonwordssj@gmail.com. Use this opportunity to tell us a little bit about yourself and how you see this piece being performed.

Haven’t been to a show? Check out our YouTube channel and our podcast to learn more about the work we produce.

Deadline Extended to October 15

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Call for Submissions Alternate DE

Good news, Playonwordsians: We are extending the deadline for the chapbook that we are producing in conjunction with the fabulous Flash Fiction Forum. You’ve got until October 15 to send 500 words of fiction, nonfiction, poetry or theatre to activistchapbook@gmail.com.

Not sure where to start? Here’s a brief recap of recent headlines that might trigger a response:

  • Last week, Trump announced that he plans to rescind the DACA program, which will affect approximately 800,000 students and their families who are working and studying legally in the United States.
  • Hurricanes like Harvey and Irma displace thousands of families, many of whom may have been previously displaced by Katrina in 2005.
  • Charlottesville–August 12, 2017, and the rise of neo-Nazism.
  • Trump’s July announcement to ban transgender citizens from serving in the military.

There are lots of ways to resist and show solidarity with communities whose livelihoods and basic civil rights are at risk. We’re hoping to provide a platform for writers to speak up and speak out.

We look forward to reading your work.

Call for Submissions: Activist Chapbook

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Attention poets, playwrights, and other creative writers!

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Community activists from Play on Words and Flash Fiction Forum are producing a chapbook and want your fiction, poetry, works of theater and creative nonfiction work about activism.

Specifically, we’re interested in the complexities of activism (humorous, tragic, inspiring, or all three), situations that call for activism, pitfalls and rewards of activism, and above all, the personal, unexpected, and inexplicable. We’re interested in stories that move but don’t preach, and shed light on communities or causes that may not make it to the news every day. Help us prove that our words matter–perhaps now more than ever.

In addition to publishing a chapbook in collaboration with Flash Fiction Forum, Play On Words will select a number of the accepted pieces for a corresponding performance in early 2018.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION:

  • Deadline for submission is August 31, 2017.
  • Please limit submissions to 500 words.
  • Email submissions to activistchapbook@gmail.com

ATTENTION ARTISTS:

  • We are also seeking black and white artwork that speaks to these themes. Submissions can be emailed to activistchapbook@gmail.com. 

 

Call for Submissions for Spring Show!

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image_12014 was a big year for Play On Words. We had two amazing shows in San Jose and a wonderful San Francisco premiere last fall. For the last few months we’ve been hunkering down in the Play On Words bunker, trying to nail down new venues and juggle busy schedules. We’ve got news, though, and it involves you: We’re working on our spring show, tentatively scheduled in late April or early May, and we need submissions!

SPRING CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: DEADLINE MARCH 20

We need quality theater, fiction, nonfiction and poetry. If you’ve seen our shows or checked out our YouTube page, you’ll know that we like work we can stage, preferably in under 10-15 minutes. We like funny, we like sincere, we like gorgeous, we like absurd, we like surprising; we like imaginative work. Previously published or staged works are fine too.
If you’re submitting prose, try to keep it under 2000 words. We can be more flexible with acts of theater, as they tend to read faster. If you have something you’re proud of, or something you’d love to see performed aloud, please send it along.
All submissions can be sent to playonwordssj@gmail.com. Please put “Submission for Spring 2015 Show” in the subject line.
Spread the word! We can’t wait to read your work and see you at our next show.