PLAY DEVELOPMENT

There are three ways in which we accept script submissions.

1. Fighting Words: This is our new play development program. It is an opportunity to have actors, directors, and select audiences weigh in on what you have written. Learn more about Fighting Words.

2. Joining Sword & Pen: JS&P is BWBTC’s international playwriting competition, founded in 2005, initially to increase the number of quality scripts featuring fighting roles for women. As our mission statement has expanded, so have the stories we tell through Joining Sword & Pen.  Since its inception, JS&P has been sponsored by Fight Master David Woolley, SAFD. There are very specific parameters for submissions including dates and writing prompts. Learn more about JS&P.

A group of women in uniforms stand ready for a fist fight between one another

3.  Production-ready scripts: Submissions for production consideration. Some scripts are complete; they don’t want  tweaking, just a straight-up ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on production with the Babes. These scripts are strong proponents of the Babes’ mission as well as being finely crafted and honed. While we don’t insist on world premieres, we do like to show original work in our region. Submissions accepted year-round.If you have a script that is beyond the development process, you can send it to artistic@babeswithblades.org.

BWBTC Script Submission Requirements

Babes With Blades Theatre Company is proud to offer a truly open script submission process.  We are committed to maintaining this openness as a means of reducing barriers to entry for emerging playwrights.  However, we are also a small storefront company with no paid staff, and in order to help us manage our submission volume, all scripts submitted to us must adhere to these requirements.

All submissions must be accompanied by a cover e-mail that includes:

  • A specification of whether you want the script to be considered for production as is or for development via our Fighting Words program.
  • A brief description of how the play fits our mission/why you think this script is suited to us.
  • A brief description of the type of stage combat used (i.e. unarmed, sword and shield, found object) and page numbers where fight sequences may be found in the script (ex. “slap pg. 23, rapier and dagger duel pg. 56-57, found object brawl pg. 71”).
  • A character breakdown by gender (characters, not actors), ex. “Characters: 4 female, 1 nonbinary, 2 male.” If it is relevant to the story that a character is cisgender or transgender, please specify this. Characters described simply as “male” or “female” will not be automatically assumed to be cisgender. “Open gender” is also an option.
  • If you wish to submit a synopsis/bio/artist statement, include it at the end of your cover e-mail; do not send it as an attachment.

Requirements for the script file itself:

  • Scripts must be submitted in .pdf format.
  • The filename must start with the title of the play (ex. “Patchwork Drifter – J. Mickelson 5-9-19.pdf”). If the title of the play begins with “the,” “a,” or “an,” please place that article at the end of the title (ex. “Last Daughter of Oedipus, The – J. Mickelson 12 Jan 2020.pdf”).
  • The first page of the script must include the title of the play, the playwright’s name, and the playwright’s contact information.
  • If it is relevant to the story that a character is of a particular racial/ethnic background (including white), please specify this in your character list. Characters of unspecified racial/ethnic background will not be automatically assumed to be white.

Submissions that do not follow these requirements will not be read.

Things to consider:

  • We do not accept or produce musical scripts.
  • Both our venues and our budgets tend to be small.
  • If your play does not pass the Bechdel Test, it is unlikely to fit our mission.
  • If your play does not include stage combat, it does not fit our mission.
  • Characters fight as a realization of high narrative stakes. Scenes of characters training to fight are usually lacking in stakes.
  • If your script includes sexualized violence, consider whether the sexualization is truly necessary to the story. Sometimes it is; often it’s not.
  • The Joining Sword & Pen competition has different requirements and a specific, limited time frame for submission. Please visit the JS&P page for details.