FORT WAYNE — The Fort Wayne Civic Theatre has established a playwright festival encouraging emerging and professional playwrights to submit their unproduced and unpublished one act or full-length plays to be presented as a reading or production March 18-26.

When the imagination is free to explore, not knowing any boundaries, and without intimidation, self-esteem and confidence matures in developing one’s craft. Being a playwright requires soul searching, risk taking, courage, research, readings, feedback, and lots of rewriting that will hopefully lead to a fully staged production.

Applicants must be a current or former resident of Indiana or within a 90-mile radius of Fort Wayne and must be 19 years of age or older. Unproduced and unpublished plays only (no musicals). There is a suggested set and a cast limit of 10. Only one submission per person allowed.

The submission should be 10 single-sided pages of script, a one page synopsis, a playwright bio and contact information. The playwright’s name should only appear on the title page and not on the subsequent pages of the script. 

Prizes: First place — $750, second place — $500, third place —$250 and possible stage reading and/or production March 18-26.

The deadline for applying is Sept. 1 and there is no entry fee. To enter, visit the Civic Theatre’s website.