Submissions For Main Season (see bottom of page for Spectrum Submissions)

Submissions are accepted from January 1 through November 30th for possible inclusion in the next seasons productions. Playwrights must live in the St. Louis Region (St. Louis City and the surrounding Missouri and Illinois counties) and available during the preparation and rehearsal period if the script is select for production. Scripts must be unpublished and unproduced in their present form.

Each submission will consist of

• One separate contact sheet (Only one is required for each submission.)
• Four hardcopies of each script without playwrights name or contact information
• a softcopy of the script in either Microsoft Word, Acrobat PDF, Rich Text Format, or plain text. The softcopy can be sent to our Email address.

The submission should be mailed to

First Run Theatre
5215 Winona Ave
St. Louis, MO 63109. 

If you are sending a submission for a musical, please enclose one CD of the music. Each script should have the following.

• A title cover sheet. Do not put your name or contact information on the cover sheet of the play or any headers or footers. The cover sheet should just contain the name of the play and any description you wish to make. Put your name and contact information on a separate sheet.
• A Cast of Characters page.
• A Setting Page
• All pages numbered

Download sample format file (PDF 63K)

First Run Theatres Play Development Process

Scripts will be read anonymously by the Play Selection Committee, which consists of qualified readers. A confirmation letter or email will be sent to the playwrights.

The authors’ scripts will be tentatively accepted or notified of non-acceptance in late January of the next year. The letter of tentative acceptance shall also contain the standards the committee uses in assessing scripts.

Play Selection Reading Festival

As usual, First Run Theatre will hold its annual Play Selection Reading Festival in either late January or early February. Typically, First Run Theatre reads 3 two-act plays and 3 or 4 one-act plays from which the company can choose to produce.

The public will be invited and each play will be followed by audience feedback during a facilitated discussion.

Full Production

If the play is selected for production that season the playwright will meet with the production team (producer, director, technical director, incidental music composer) and the Dramaturge to discuss the planned production and any revisions needed. The director and other production personnel shall be selected by nomination by any Board Member of the company with the review and consent of the Board of Directors.

Through this selection process, the full production will be staged at De Smet High School, in Creve Coeur, on a schedule agreed upon the school and First Run Theatre. The playwright will be available after the performance for any questions or discussions by audience members. Feedback forms will be provided.

Submissions for Spectrum Short Play Festival

Script submission for the Spectrum short play festival is similar to the main season except they are accepted in a shorter time period during the year. Dates of the submissions may vary but generally are from March till June with the festival going up in October. Playwright requirements are the same as the main season though the playwright need not be present for development purposes. Spectrum scripts are performed as is and not developed.

The submission must be a short play from 10 to 20 minutes in length.
The playwright must be from the Greater St. Louis region.
All scripts must be unpublished and unproduced at time of submission.

Format requirements of the scripts are the same as in the main season. Unlike the main season, softcopy of scripts emailed to us is preferred though we will accept hardcopy.

Each Spectrum submission will consist of

• One separate contact sheet (Softcopy or hardcopy, only one is required for each submission.)
• A softcopy of the script in either Microsoft Word, Acrobat PDF, Rich Text Format, or plain text. The softcopy can be sent to our Email address.
• (optional)Three hardcopies of each script without playwrights name or contact information mailed to

Spectrum Festival
First Run Theatre
5215 Winona Ave
St. Louis, MO 63109.