At the 2007 Festival, MTA announced the first MTA Playwriting Competition for Adults and in 2008 MTA announced the first MTA Playwriting Competition for Youth.  Both competitions are designed to recognize and promote the works of Mississippi playwrights and is open to all Mississippi writers, either in state or abroad.

The winning play in the adult competition receives a staged reading at the MTA Festival/Conference and a $500 cash prize. The winning play in the youth competition receives a stage reading a the MTA Festival/Conference and a $250 cash prize.

MTA also maintains a listing of plays submitted to the competition on our Playwrights Directors.  This directory lists the author, contact information and information about the play.

Call For Submissions — April 1 – October 17

Competitions:

• Submit to the 2013 adult competition
• Submit to the 2013 youth competition

Resources for Playwrights:

• “HONE” YOUR PLAYWRITING SKILLS!

Are you a playwright (or an aspiring playwright)? We want to support you – and beyond encouraging you to submit to the MTA Playwriting Competition, we want to provide resources to help you with your development as a playwright. We want to help you strengthen your playwriting abilities… so here are some tips on how to “HONE” your skills.

• Insights for Playwrights
• Mississippi Writers Guild:  The Mississippi Theatre Association is pleased to be partnering with the Mississippi Writers Guild.  We encourage playwrights and writers to get involved with the Writers Guild.  They have sections located around the State. For more information visit their website.

Past Competiton Winners:

Below is a listing of the first place winners of the competitions. We plan to continue hosting these events and look for new playwrights.

Adult Competition

• Letting It Ride by James Pfrehm, Jackson, MS — 2008 Winner
• See Jane Quit by Beth Kander, Jackson, MS — 2009 Winner
• Thanks To Mama by Kevan Jenner Brown, Gulfport, MS – 2010 Winner
• Fishbowl by Suehyla El-Attar, Atlanta, Ga (formerly Starkville, MS) — 2011 Winner

Youth Competition

• Blame the Fool by Kirsten Bankston, Biloxi High School — 2009 Winner
• His and Hers by Steven Mockler, Ocean Springs, MS — 2010 Winner
• Patience Tolerance Kindness by Dayton Williams, Pass Christian, MS — 2011 Winner

Division Chairs:

• Janice Weaver — janice.weaver@rcsd.ms