EMERGING PLAYWRIGHTS
2027 Applications Are Available Now
Write a play, see it produced and win $1,000!
The competition is open for the 2026–27 school year for high school students in Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton counties. Judges will select five scripts in May 2027. Each of the authors will receive a $1,000 cash prize and have their winning plays presented at Riverwalk Theatre in the summer of 2027.
Timeline:
• September 1, 2026 - Applications available
• February 17, 2027 - Submission deadline: applications and scripts must be received by 5 p.m.
• February–April 2027 - Scripts reviewed by judges
• May 1, 2027 - Winners announced and all applicants notified; all applicants will receive feedback from judges
• Summer 2027 - Prizes presented at the annual Riverwalk Theatre Barney Awards in June. Plays cast and rehearsed in July, for presentation in August at the Emerging Playwrights Play Festival at Riverwalk Theatre.
Eligibility:
• Participant must be a high school student (grades 9–12) in Ingham, Eaton,
or Clinton county, enrolled for the 2026–2027 school year.
• Participant must be sponsored by a teacher who will act as a liaison between the student and the Emerging Playwrights committee.
• Application form must be submitted along with script.
• Signatures of sponsoring teacher and a parent or guardian are required.
• There is no fee to enter the competition.
• Five finalists will each receive a cash award of $1,000
All Scripts Must:
• Be the student’s original work.
• Include 1 to 4 characters.
• Be 12 pages maximum length. This does not include a character/description page and a title page.
• Be submitted in a Microsoft Word document, with pages numbered. NO student names on the scripts. Please use Arial font, 12 pt, and 1 inch page margins.