Each of the prize-winning plays will receive a rehearsed reading, publicly presented in the Ottawa Little Theatre’s Janigan Studio in the spring of 2011. Actors will be drawn from Ottawa Little Theatre’s company of performers. As part of the rehearsed reading process, playwrights that win one of the prizes will have the opportunity to work on developing and revising their winning script with a professional dramaturg.

Each eligible submission will be read by at least one adjudicator. The identity of the adjudicator(s) will be withheld until the awards are announced. A blind submission process will be used; the adjudicator(s) will not know the names of the authors until after the winners have been selected.

Each play entered into the competition must be accompanied by an entry fee of $25. If the playwright wishes to receive a written critique of his or her play from the adjudicator, he or she may opt to pay an additional $25 to receive this feedback.

Submission Process

1.   The play must be an original one-act stage play in English with a maximum playing time of sixty (60) minutes and a minimum playing time of twenty-five (25) minutes. The play must either be previously unproduced, or produced for the first time during the year 2010.

2.   The manuscript must be printed on one side of the page only and double-spaced. A page showing only the title of the play and the author’s pseudonym must cover the manuscript. Include a list of characters before the first page of dialogue. Number the first page of dialogue page 1.

3.   A stamped, self-addressed envelope of an appropriate size is required for each play submitted if you wish to have your script returned. Otherwise, all scripts which do not place in the competition will be destroyed. Scripts which win one of the prizes will be placed in the National Archives of Canada as part of the Ottawa Little Theatre archive collection.

4.   Each entry must include a sealed envelope containing the entry fee and a completed entry form. Entry forms may be downloaded from the Ottawa Little Theatre’s website. ENTRY FEE: $25. Payable by cheque, money order, MasterCard, Visa, or American Express. Please include credit card information on the entry form.

5.     Entrants who are under the age of 18 as of October 15th, 2010(the Competition closing date) are required to submit a signed Parent/Guardian Acknowledgement Form along with the Entry Form. 

6.   CRITIQUE FEE: $25. The playwright may opt to pay an additional $25 which will entitle him or her to receive a written critique from the adjudicator about the play submitted. This is an optional service and is not a requirement to enter the competition.

7.   A contestant may make multiple entries of up to three plays, but must use a different pseudonym for each entry.

8.   The appearance of the playwright’s name or any other identification mark on the

manuscript will disqualify the manuscript.

9.   Prize-winning plays in any previous year of the Ottawa Little Theatre’s National One-Act Playwriting Competition are not eligible.

10.   Musicals or any manuscript where song or dance is the focus of the material will not be eligible for entry.

11.  Manuscripts may be submitted from May 3, 2010 to October 15, 2010. Those

postmarked later than October 15, 2010 will not be eligible for the Competition.

12.  Please address manuscripts and all correspondence to:

Canadian One-Act Playwriting Competition

Ottawa Little Theatre

400 King Edward Ave.

Ottawa, Ontario

K1N 7M7

Competition Entry Form PDF

13. The decision of the adjudicator(s) of the Competition is final. The identity of the adjudicator(s) will be withheld until the awards are announced.

14. The Competition is open to professional and non-professional Canadian playwrights residing in Canada, including landed immigrants.

Adjudication Criteria and Guidelines

All plays will be evaluated on a blind basis, and the name of the writer will not appear on the scripts received by the adjudicator(s). Each play submitted will be given a score of 1-4 for each of the following elements on a scale where 1= poor, 2=adequate, 3=good, 4=excellent:

Concept/Theme: The idea behind the story.

What the play is about. Does it work as a stage play? Will it hook and hold an audience? Is it revealed effectively

through plot, character and visual elements?

Structure: Acts, Scenes, Interludes, Episodes, the framework for the script.

Does the structure enhance the story, helping to drive it forward? Does the initial scene draw in

the audience?

Plot: The actions, events and turning points of the story that move it forward.

Is it effective and believable and a good fit in the context of the world created by the play? Does it show, not tell, the story? Does it present interesting dramatic conflict? Is there a clear climax and an effective wind-up of loose ends? Does it show originality? Is it predictable or does it offer some surprises?

Pacing: The timing of the actions, plot-line and character development.

Does the story-line move forward quickly enough to keep the audience interested and focused? Do the revelations of plot and character development help build the story towards its climax? Is there enough variation in pacing for actors and audience to sustain momentum?

Characters: The antagonist, protagonist and other personalities that inhabit the world of the play.

Do the characters have distinctive personalities? Do they have clear and active goals? Are they full, multi-layered depictions of people the audience can believe in and/or do they fit the style and concept of the play?

Dialogue: The lines delivered by the characters to propel the plot forward.

Does the dialogue flow naturally and/or fit the style of the play? Does each character have a distinctive voice? Is the dialogue articulate and is language used effectively? Does the dialogue create/drive the action rather than describe it?

Style: Overall Quality of writing.

Is there a consistent style of writing? Is it distinct/unique? Does it effectively convey an

atmosphere or mood for the play? Are tools such as allegory, sub-plots, or multi-layering used effectively?

Audience Appeal: Ability to draw in today’s audience.

Does the play involve the audience? Is the play accessible to modern audiences of varying levels of sophistication? Does it have characters to which an audience can relate? Is there an emotional reaction which can enhance its marketability?

Potential for Success: Easy to produce.

Is the play ready to be produced? Is it ready for a workshop? Will it be easy for theatre companies to meet its production and technical needs? Are the roles playable by actors of average skill?

Innovative/Unique Elements: An exceptional and/or distinct quality in the play.

Is there something that makes this play stand out? Or that will make it particularly memorable? Or that makes it a particularly interesting piece to produce?

Competition Entry Form PDF  

Parent/Guardian Form PDF