We’re doing it again. Pat the Dog Playwright Centre will be hosting our second annual 24-Hour Playwriting Contest from 4:00 PM Friday, October 1st to 4:00 PM October 2nd, 2010.

Fire up the computer, grab your lucky mug and jump into your pjs because this year all contestants write offsite. Hit the keys at home, in a coffee shop, on a bus… the location is up to you. There’s no entry fee and no restrictions on length. All you have to do is write an original script in 24 hours. How easy it that?

Not very. But the rewards could be great. Last year’s winner, You Know I Love You Still by Maggie Clark is slated for a full production as part of Tottering Biped‘s 2011 season. Third place winner, Aftershock by Evan Tsitsias, is playing until August 14th in Toronto at Summerworks to rave reviews in Now Magazine and the Toronto Star.

Rules & Regulations:

  1. The contest is open to anyone living in Ontario, except contest Jurors. Space is limited to the first 30 entrants, accepted on a first come, first served basis. To enter you must download and email a completed 24-hour Entry Form-2010 to the email address listed on the form.
  2. Entrants can work from a page of prepared notes, but all plays are to be original works.
  3. The script must include, in some form, the three secret words we select. These words will be emailed to the participants at 4:00 on Friday, October 1st, 2010.
  4. Participants must email their play to scripts@patthedog.org no later than 4:00 PM on Saturday, October 2nd.
  5. Scripts must be in electronic format (acceptable extensions include .doc .rtf .pdf or .txt), written in 12 point Arial, Courier or Times Roman, double-spaced between speaking parts, and formatted for 8 1/2” X 11” paper.
  6. The title page should contain the title of the play, your name, contact number and email. The play itself must NOT contain your name, but have a header with the play title and page numbers.

Prizes & Notification:
Winners will be announced on our website on Monday, October 4 at 4:00 PM.

Prizes will be awarded as follows:

  • First place prize will be $500, a public staged reading of the winning script and full bragging rights. We’ll also feature you on our website in a Q&A.
  • Second place: a reading
  • Third place: a reading

Photo © DeaPeaJay. Published under a Creative Commons License.