Zornio Award

The Anna Zornio Children's Theatre Playwriting Award

Online Registration Form

Details

The University of New Hampshire’s Department of Theatre and Dance is pleased to announce the playwriting contest for new children’s plays and musicals. The University is offering 1) a cash prize, up to $500, to a winning playwright(s), and 2) a public production by the UNH Department of Theatre & Dance's Outreach Program, either on campus or as part of our children's tour.

This award was created to honor the late Anna Zornio, an alumna of the University of New Hampshire, for her dedication to and inspiration of children’s theater playwriting.

Contest registrations are due by March 2, 2012. The award will be administered by the Director of the UNH Theatre Education Program. The Department of Theatre and Dance will reserve the right to withhold the award if, in its opinion, no submissions merit the award. The award will be announced on or after December 15, 2012.

Production of the prize-winning script will be scheduled by the UNH Department of Theatre & Dance's Outreach Program within the 2013-2014 season.  Though this is not the only factor affecting evaluation, please keep in mind that marketability will be a consideration when choosing a play to be presented within our department season of productions.

Rules for Entry

1. The contest is open to all playwrights residing in the United States and Canada.

2. All ages are invited to participate.

3. The contest is for new plays, with a maximum length of 60 minutes and suitable for young audiences. Adults will perform for children.

4. Plays submitted must not have been: previously published; previously produced as a full production by any theatre company, though it may have been workshopped or done as a staged reading for the purpose of revision; previously produced winner of an award or prize in another playwriting contest; and must not be under contract for publication before UNH’s announcement of the award winner; DOES NOT EXCEED A SIXTY-MINUTE RUN TIME. A statement stipulating all of the above items MUST be included on the registration form.

5. Playwrights may submit more than one play, but not more than three.

6. Hard copies will be accepted, but ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE FIRST SUBMITTED IN DIGITAL FORM. An electronic version (in Microsoft Word format) may be submitted via email (mike.wood@unh.edu) or send CDR discs and appropriate registration materials to the below address. ANY MUSIC OR OTHER NON-TEXT FILES MAY BE SUBMITTED AS PDF / MP3 FILES.  Each online submission should include:

• the Registration Form as the first page of the play submission
• cast list
• description of characters
• a statement of design/technical considerations (the producers particularly need to know if you intend a multi-location set or unit set design motif)
• a statement that the play is not published, under publication, contract, produced, received a prize or award (see rule #4)
• for musical submissions a separate cassette or CD of scored music WITH LYRICS SUNG should be sent to:

Zornio Submission
c/o Michael Wood
UNH Theatre & Dance Dept.
30 College Rd.
Durham, NH 03824

7. THE AUTHOR’S NAME SHOULD NOT APPEAR ON ANY OTHER PAGE THAN THE REGISTRATION FORM. YOU MAY PUT THE TITLE ON EACH PAGE, BUT THE COMPETITION DOES BLIND EVALUATIONS. READERS SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE AUTHOR AT ALL.

8. Hard copies may be sent as well. When mailing a submission IN ADDITION TO electronic media, playwrights should include a self-addressed, stamped postcard for acknowledgement of receipt of entry.

9. Deadlines are due in the UNH Theatre & Dance office no later than March 2, 2012. ANY LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

10. If return of a hard copy submission is requested, a self addressed, stamped appropriate-sized envelope must accompany the entry. (If you have sent a hard copy, floppy, CD and/or audio tape, please send an envelope big enough with exact postage to handle all contents.)

11. Entries that do not meet the above requirements will not be considered.

12. The winner of the Anna Zornio Memorial Children’s Theatre Playwriting Award will be announced on or after December 15, 2012. All candidates will be notified of the contest results.

Previous Winners