The Castillo Theatre announces the launch of the third annual Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Play Contest. Castillo is seeking new scripts for the stage that engage the political/social/cultural questions impacting on the world today. The purpose of the Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Play Contest is to encourage the writing of such plays and to provide a stage for scripts that, due to their progressive/radical and/or experimental vantage point(s), would not otherwise be produced.

While Castillo recognizes that, in the broadest sense of the word, “all theatre is political,” the contest is seeking politically progressive plays that expand or connect or open up the conflicts they explore beyond the isolated relationship or family unit to a larger social/historical perspective. Castillo also encourages scripts that experiment with form and seek new ways of seeing and new ways of experiencing theatrical performance. That said, the plays submitted to the Fratti-Newman Contest may be written in any style, set in any historical time, geographic or fanciful location, contain any number of characters and be of any producible length. The plays must be in English and, due to production limitations, no musicals can be considered.

All scripts should be submitted in hard copy. No scripts will be considered that have previously received a full production or that have won other contests. Only one script per playwright will be accepted.

The winner (or winners, the number varies from year-to-year) of the Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Play Contest will receive a reading and/or a full production at the Castillo Theatre in New York City sometime during the theatre’s 2010-2011 Season.

The contest is judged by a team of Castillo theatre artists and activists along with a distinguished group of outside readers from the progressive and experimental theatre world. The final selection of the winner(s) will be made by a committee consisting of Mario Fratti, Fred Newman, Castillo’s dramaturg Dan Friedman and Castillo’s managing director Diane Stiles.

All scripts submitted must be accompanied by:
• Brief synopsis of the play;
• Character breakdown, including specific gender, age and ethnic requirements;
• Set requirements, including how many sets and any special effects needed;
• Statement of the political/social/cultural questions that the playwright believes she or he is engaging with the script;
• 100-word biography of the playwright;
• Stamped, self-addressed post card, which will be mailed back to the author to acknowledge receipt of the script.

Please note, that scripts will not be returned. All scripts must be received by November 15, 2009. The winner(s) will be announced at the Otto René Castillo Awards for Political Theatre to be held in New York City on May 23, 2010.

Send all submissions to:
Castillo Theatre
Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Play Contest
543 West 42nd Street
New York, N.Y. 10036.

Questions and inquiries should be addressed to contest producer Madelyn Chapman at madelynchapman@hotmail.com, 212-356-8485.