The SE Texas Festival of New Plays is a one of a kind event in southeast Texas, seeking new and original plays to be performed live at the Betty Greenberg Center for Performing Arts, home of the Southeast Texas Stages! Creating some of the most multi-cultural diverse programming in Southeast Texas, the organization is the only nonprofit community based performance organization providing year round programming and educational services in the area.

1 Full length Play will be selected and receive a week's rehearsal with local actors and a director culminating in an Enhanced Staged Reading performance on August 23rd 2025! There will also be a CASH PRIZE for each playwright! The THEME of the show must be an interpretation of the following: America 2025

Past winners have gone on to stage performances across the country, including “Tracy Jones” in The Williamston Theatre in Michigan, which won the 2018 SE Texas New Plays Festival award! You don't want to miss this opportunity to get your work in front of an audience!

We are accepting submissions for the festival from February 28th - May 16th 2025.

1 Full length play will be selected and receive a week's rehearsal with local actors and a director culminating in an Enhanced Staged Reading performance on August 23rd 2025!

Enhanced Staged Readings feature minimal blocking, some stage effects and actors will carry scripts.

There will also be a CASH PRIZE for each playwright!

1. Plays must reasonably fit the theme of "America 2025".
2. Plays must be in English
3. Plays must be a full length play (at least 90 minutes long)
4. Plays should only include characters 16 years of age or older
5. Musicals will not be accepted
6. The play must be a previously unpublished and un-produced new work (meaning, not performed in front of an audience), written by those who are 18 years or older, including co-authored material.
7. Authors (or co-authors) must not have professional literary/talent representation.
8. Plays are subject to copyright laws and submissions that break those laws will not be submitted (so save your Bridgerton musical’s for TikTok)

We ask that the content be PG-13 and not be excessively violent or very sexual in nature.

Entry into the contest is $8 per entry and contestants may submit multiple entries in this contest. If you would like feedback, the price will be $16. The feedback will be sent after the festival takes place, regardless if your selection is picked or not, via email.