Please read carefully before filling out your application.
PARTICIPATION
Plays are chosen for the Chain Winter One-Act Festival based on originality, inspiration, and innovation. The background or experience of the playwright is taken into consideration, but submissions will be judged on the quality of the play. All themes or genres are welcome. One-Act Play runtime must be no shorter than 10 minutes and no longer than 1 hour. Shows will be performed in person.
NON UNION shows will have the ability to LIVE STREAM for at least one performance.
Chain Theatre is curating the event, not producing it - each production is responsible for staffing their own director, design team and cast.
PLEASE INFORM US IN THE APPLICATION IF YOU PLAN ON APPLYING FOR EQUITY SHOWCASE. All Equity Showcase paperwork is the responsibility of the producer, not the Chain Theatre. It is crucial that we have this information in advance because it affects our scheduling of the productions for streaming. If you do not plan on applying for Equity Showcase you cannot use Equity Actors.
You will assign a contact person for the piece; that person will be considered your play’s producer should it be part of the Festival. That person will receive all information and is responsible for passing it onto the rest of your team.
Though we will be doing overall festival promotion, you are responsible for the marketing of your piece.
Your entire team must be from the Tri-State area (New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut). We will not be accepting playwrights from any other areas of the country.
APPLICATIONS
The deadline for submitting to the 2025 Chain Winter One-Act Festival will be Dec 1, 2024. There are no submission or participation fees for the Chain One-Act Festivals. Complete the following application and you will be directed to information on submitting your play.
After completing the application form you will need to email a PDF (no Word, Pages, or Final Draft files, please!) of the script, and a brief cover letter explaining your goals for the play.
Applications ask for a contact name, address, phone, and email. Show contacts will be the one contact point between Chain Theatre and your production. The email given will be the sole email address that Chain Theatre will use to contact you regarding acceptance, any issues regarding participation, and festival communications.
We will need an estimated running time of your piece that will be factored into the programming. As such, we will enforce this time limit. If during your dress rehearsal or performance the play runs significantly over, we may insist that you revise or forfeit your participation in the festival and any ticket split revenue.
Applications that are not complete will not be accepted. No materials will be returned.
ONLY ONE SUBMISSION WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR EACH PLAYWRIGHT.
If any false information is given in the application the Chain Theatre will not accept any future submissions from the applicant. Your address, email, name must be accurate.
ACCEPTANCE
Notification of acceptance status will be sent by email on or about Dec 8, 2024.
If you are accepted into the festival, your email will inform you of the location of the organizational meeting to be held on Dec 12, 2024 at 6:30pm. IT IS REQUIRED AND MANDATORY THAT SOMEONE REPRESENTING YOUR SHOW BE AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING. This meeting is where you will receive your performance schedule and meet your fellow participants.
Each accepted ONE ACT show will be given 5 free hours of rehearsal space at one of the Chain Theatre rehearsal rooms. Availability and scheduling of these hours is at the Chain Theatre’s discretion. They must be used to rehearse the show in the festival and cannot be gifted, sold or used for other purposes. Additional rehearsal hours/locations are the production’s responsibility. If you choose to rehearse at one of the Chain Rehearsal studios you can book subsidized rehearsal space for this production for $10 an hour.
Each accepted show will receive a code for ticket tracking. Each show will receive 20% of the net box office for every ticket purchased using their code. (Code use for online sales is mandatory to receive this box office split. No exceptions.)
SCHEDULING
Each One-Act show will be guaranteed at least three performances. The precise number of shows is TBD, based on number of submissions and running lengths. However, depending on the schedule there may be more. Performance blocks will be at 6:30pm and 8:30pm during the week and will run throughout the weekend between 12-10pm.
There will be limited time between shows for changeovers. Keep in mind that when you are striking or setting up your show, another show is also likely striking or setting up. Minimalism rules. PLEASE FACTOR THIS TIME INTO YOUR TECHNICAL PLANS. Houses will be opened 5 minutes before the start time and will start promptly.
BOX OFFICE and TICKETING
Chain Theatre handles all aspects of ticketing and box office. Tickets will be $22.
TECHNICAL
You will need to keep the technical requirements of your show very simple. There will be no projection in shows. The Chain is equipped with a full light board and sound system, however the board will be shared by several shows and we will maintain a standard rep lighting plot. Keep light and sound cues as simple as possible. No show will be able to refocus lights. Each company will have only one cue-to-cue technical rehearsal in the venue which will be run by a Chain Theatre hired PSM. The Chain Theatre PSM will be running lights and sound for all shows at no cost to participants. Storage space/dressing room space is also limited and will be shared by all shows. You will be given a small, unlocked area to store your props, set pieces, and costumes, which must be completely cleared at the conclusion of your performances.
Any additional equipment your show requires should be listed on your application and will be need to be approved by Chain Theatre. Chain Theatre has the right to disqualify any shows that bring in unapproved technical elements. If approved, this equipment will be provided for your show by you. Chain Theatre assumes no liability for this equipment; it is your responsibility.
PUBLICITY
Chain Theatre will publicize the festival and coordinate overall press relations, including interviews and critic attendance. You may be asked to submit publicity photos and PR materials. You are also responsible for publicizing your own show through your own press releases, mailers, handbills, busking and/or posters. Should a critic accept your invitation to see a performance, this information must be forwarded to Chain Theatre so we may coordinate this. Chain Theatre will provide a blanket press kit to help all shows promote.
EXCLUSIVITY
If you are accepted to the Chain Winter One-Act Festival, part of our agreement prohibits the performance of your show anywhere in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut any time from acceptance into the festival through April 2026. Please keep this restriction in mind when accepting other invitations to perform your show during these months, particularly before you have received acceptance status notification from Chain Theatre. Chain Theatre is making an investment in you and your production. We are not previewing your show to take to other festivals and want our mutual efforts of promotion to bring an audience to this production.
If you can no longer participate in the Chain Winter One-Act Festival, you must notify us before Dec 1, 2024. If the production drops out after you are accepted, you will be disqualified from participating in future Chain Festivals.
WHAT TO DO NOW
1. Choose your show.
2. COMPLETELY fill out the application form.
3. REVIEW your completed application to make sure it is complete and correct.
4. EMAIL PLAY as per instructions received upon submitting application. Make sure that the PDFs of your script and cover letter are included in your submission email.
If there are technical issues, contact us at info@chaintheatre.org to discuss them.
5. Include the title of your show in the subject line of the email and on all relevant materials.
Should they become separated, this is how we will reunite them.
CONTINUE TO APPLICATION
If you still have questions, we are available to help you in advance of the deadline at info@chaintheatre.org. You may want to print and keep or bookmark these instructions and your original application for your reference.