Walnut Outreach Playwriting Competition

Calling all playwrights! Walnut Street Theatre is searching for bold new voices to introduce students to the artform of live theatre with an inspirational and thought-provoking story that speaks to them directly.  For over 40 years, our Touring Outreach company has brought high-quality, professional theatre to over 60,000 students annually across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware schools. Now, we’re inviting playwrights nationwide to help shape our upcoming season with fresh, original work.

Each year, Walnut produces 4 touring shows that bring theatre directly into schools and community spaces. These plays spark conversations, support curriculum goals, and make the magic of live performance accessible to young audiences. We’re looking for original plays or musicals (max. 50 minutes) that are age-appropriate for K–6 school audiences.  The Walnut utilizes a multicultural cast made up of 2 men and 2 women, and shows engage with themes including:

• Bullying.
• Social-emotional learning (SEL) and character development.
• Emergent reading and literacy.
• Black history and cultural celebration.
• Fairy tales and classic literature reimagined for today’s students.

Whether your work is funny, moving, musical, or magical—we want to hear from you.

PRIZES
Grand Prize Winner – $1,500 cash advance against a royalty of a guaranteed professional production in the 2026–2027 Walnut Street Theatre Outreach Season. The winning playwright will also have the opportunity to participate in rehearsals in Philadelphia (or over Zoom, if not local).

Developmental Honorable Mentions – Complimentary staged reading of the show at Walnut Street Theatre, with feedback from our artistic team.

KEY DATES

Submission Deadline: Friday, December 12, 2025
Winner Announced: January 9, 2026

GUIDELINES

• Entries must be original, unpublished, unproduced plays or musicals of no more than 50 minutes.  Co-authorships are permissible.
• Cast size must be 4 actors.
• Entries must be written in English and follow standard play script format.
• No entry fee.
• Adaptations and translations are welcome.
• Walnut Street Theatre reserves the right not to award a first-place prize if submissions do not meet artistic criteria.  Walnut Street Theatre also has the right to use the author’s name, photograph, and title of any award-winning entry for publicity about the competition.
• Each award winner shall, in connection with future publication, production, publicity, programs, posters and advertisements about an award-winning entry, designate that the play is an “Award Winner of Walnut Street Theatre’s Outreach Playwriting Competition”

HOW TO SUBMIT

Submit your script(s) electronically through our online form.
All communication and questions can be conducted via email to [email protected]. No phone calls, please.

Information also on our website - https://www.walnutstreettheatre.org/about/literary.php