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Information and Submission Instructions for Playwriting Competition

Darknight Gallery V - 2008
Before you proceed please note: Thank you for your interest!

Darknight Theatrical Productions is a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit theatre company.
Our goal is to produce thought-provoking, discussion-generating work with
a tale that resonates with our audience.

The Darknight Gallery playwriting contest is an annual event in which we
produce an evening of NEW (NOT previously produced) scripts reminiscent
of Rod Serling's Night Gallery and The Twilight Zone.

Cash prizes for the winning plays:
  • $400 to the script that receives the most votes in the one-day event
  • $200 to the second place script
  • $100 to the third place winner

    A chance to see your work produced for the full run in Darknight Gallery V!

    •

    Below you will find information and tips regarding the specific genre we are looking for, our criteria for selecting the winning scripts, and instructions on how to submit your play. Please read over this information carefully to ensure that your script has the best chances of being produced in our 2008 production of Darknight Gallery V!

    Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Our email address is darknight_theatrical_productions@yahoo.com.

    THE GENRE
    Rod Serling's television programs, Night Gallery and The Twilight Zone
    often told stories of characters struggling with mankind's most primal emotions:
    fear, greed, pride, or their own mortality. The stories were told in a setting
    that resembled our world in almost every way, yet in every episode the characters
    encountered something unfamiliar and had to learn how to face it using their limited
    (and often terrified) human understanding. It is our intention to excavate the inner
    mind and explore such emotions and such experiences as paranoia, isolation, insanity,
    and horror from the safety and comfort of our theatre.

    WHAT WE WANT:
  • Scripts about the human condition that could scare an audience, yet leave them contemplating who we are as human beings.
  • Good dialogue combined with characters taking actions that gets to the point and tells a complete story in 45 minutes or less.
  • Strong Characters
  • Socially Conscious Themes
  • Dramatic Tension that intertwines with Suspense

    • OUR IDEAL PROTAGONIST:
    M. Night Shymalyan is a contemporary author who writes in this genre. His movies The Sixth Sense and Signs are eloquently executed in the vein of Rod Serling's programs.

  • Your protagonist should be someone who the audience can RELATE TO, he/she is the advocate of action.
  • He/She is driven by a series of events that lead him/her to evaluate the seemingly familiar territory that surrounds him/her.
  • Events (not just conversation) should be leading the protagonist closer to the truth.
  • Tension increases until he/she rushes towards an inescapable conclusion: a conclusion that the audience is afraid to know, yet NEED to know!

    • WHAT WE DO NOT WANT
    NO Slasher scripts.
    We also want to avoid scripts that are situational rather than plot driven.
    i.e. if two (or more) characters spend their stage time working out
    issues or rehashing an old dispute....we can't really use it.

    Avoid characters who debate a reality that they previously failed to acknowledge.
    (i.e. we don't want characters that do very little but talk MUCH!)
    The main characters that we are in search of use actions to overcome or resolve a dilemma rather than hashing it out with words.


    Each script we receive goes through the following process:

    EVALUATION ROUND
    Three Tiers of Evaluation:

  • I-Does the scripts fit the genre and follow the guidelines?

  • II-Does the script have strong dialogue, characters, and is the plot clear?

  • III-Does the script make you think, what are the human interest aspects of it?
     (The 6 Strongest Scripts go on to the Finalists Round)

    • Playwrights selected for The Finalists Round will be notified by email

    The 6 FINALIST playwrights will then be invited to participate in the
    Darknight Gallery V - One Day Finalists Event!

  • Each playwright will be asked to create a shortened version (a taste if you will) of their script.
  • Directors and actors will then be selected to participate in this shorter version for the one-day event.
  • On May 31, 2008, the actors and directors will come together in the morning to rehearse the shortened script.
  • That evening, the 6 pieces will be performed for an audience. The audience will vote for the scripts they would like to see produced in their entirety.
  • The 3 scripts with the most votes are the winners of the Darknight Gallery V playwriting contest!

    • WINNERS CIRCLE
    The three winning playwrights will then begin a collaborative journey with a director
    to transform the script from page to stage! Darknight Gallery V will run for 5
    weekends beginning July 18 and closing August 17, 2008.

    Follow these guidelines and you may see your words debut on stage in July 2008!

    A FEW TIPS:

  • Write something that is PRODUCIBLE!
  • Save those western gun fights and explosions for your Hollywood screenplay!
  • We want scripts that can be produced and staged within a modest budget and theater space.
  • While you are writing, consider a minimal number of locales (even if it's only 1 -
    we prefer it!)
  • Plausible costumes, and moderate set pieces are a HUGE plus!
    • Consider the GENRE!
  • A creepy or twisted tale propelled by a protagonist who uses actions to resolve the conflict. That's what we want to read! (See our description of the genre and make sure your script fits our mold.)

    • Keep it DIRECT and to the point!
    45 minutes may seem like little time once you get the wheels turning and start
    writing, but do keep the script focused and clear. 30 pages is the best goal to
    aim for when you are writing.

    HAVE A PLOT!
    Make sure your script has a clear beginning, middle, and end.

    A plot should involve a character who takes actions that unveil
    information as the suspense builds.

    We are NOT interested in producing scripts that are "situational",
    in which the protagonist debates the events that have already taken place.
    Let them discover as they act!

    They should have a clear arc in their character. i.e. figure out where you want
    them to start and where you want them to end up. Make this decision clear to the
    audience. Make sure you have the proper FORMAT! Although there are variations,
    you should have your play written in proper script format: A brief explanation
    or set-up of scene, description of characters, and exchanging of dialogue with
    minimal stage direction. You can use any published play as a guideline for format.

    SUBMITTING YOUR PLAY:
    Before you submit, PLEASE check to make sure that your script:

    1. Fits the genre we are looking for
    2. Would run 45 minutes or less (20 to 30 pages)
    3. Is written in proper play format
    4. Please submit your script as a Microsoft's WORD or ADOBE file.
      That's a "doc" file or "PDF" file
    5. Can be produced by a modest theater within an equally modest budget
    6. Please be certain to put all pertinent information on the cover page only.
      - we've had many scripts in the past that we couldn't
      contact the playwright because there wasn't a cover page.

    If your script fits the above criteria then please submit the completed
    script along with a COVER PAGE THAT INCLUDES YOUR NAME, PHONE NUMBER,
    HOME ADDRESS, AND EMAIL ADDRESS so that we can keep in touch with you.
    This cover page is crucial as it not only helps us to get in touch with you,
    but it also assists us in our anonymous judging of the scripts.

    PLEASE DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ON ANY PAGE OTHER THAN THE COVER PAGE.

    We would love to know how you heard about us! Please include a comment
    on your cover page telling us how you were informed of the Darknight Gallery V
    playwriting contest.
    Thanks!

    Please feel free to submit as many scripts as you would like...
    as long as they meet the format and genre requirements.

    Please EMAIL your submission to darknight_theatrical_productions@yahoo.com.

    Please do not use the postal service to submit your scripts!
    Once we receive your completed submission, we will email you
    a confirmation that your play is with the committee for review.
    The playwrights selected to participate in the Darknight Gallery V -
    One Day Finalists Event will be notified by email.

    THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIVING SUBMISSIONS IS
    MIDNIGHT APRIL 13, 2008.

    Thank you for your interest and Good Luck!