A.E. Hotchner Competition: 2024 Submission Instructions

About the Competition

Endowed by alumnus, novelist, poet and playwright A.E. Hotchner, this annual playwriting competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students at Washington University. Many past "Hotch" plays have gone on to full production in the PAD season and around the country.

All Washington University undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to submit.  All selected plays will be workshopped over a two-week period with a professional guest dramaturg, WashU actors and a PAD faculty director in Fall 2024. The workshop process will culminate in public readings of each play during two days of presentations. All plays selected will receive a cash award (full-lengths, $100; short plays, $25). 

PLEASE NOTE THIS COMPETITION IS FOR WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ONLY!

Submission Procedure

Submission Procedures for 2024

PLEASE NOTE THIS COMPETITION IS FOR WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ONLY!

 1.   Scripts must be unproduced and unpublished. Full-length plays, one-acts and ten-minute plays ARE ALL ELIGIBLE. Plays may contain no more than 7 characters.

  2.    All currently enrolled Washington University undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. 

  3.    All submissions must be typed and submitted as a pdf.

  4.   Please name your pdf file with the title of your script.  If your title is quite long, use the first three words from the title.

  5.    The adjudication is a "blind" process, therefore, the author's name should not appear anywhere on the script.  Please be sure that:

  • The first page contains your play's title only. 
  • Your script begins on the second page and does not include your name.

  5.    Scripts must be submitted using your current "@wustl.edu" email address.

  6.    Scripts must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, February 4, 2024.

  7.    The winning playwrights will be announced by April 30, 2024.

  8.    For any further information contact The Performing Arts Department at 314-935-5858. 

Click Here to Submit Your Script

 

Still have questions?

Email the Performing Arts Department at pad@wustl.edu or call 314-935-5858