How would you characterize the audience for NC 10 by 10?
Chapel Hill, which borders Carrboro, is a university town, so there are a lot of well-educated people around. Theater-goers in the area support Playmakers Repertory Company, touring professional shows at the Durham Performing Arts Center and a range of amateur and professional theater groups in the area. Audiences for NC 10 by 10 include a large proportion of older adults.
Can my play include adult language and themes?
With the characterized as above, you can expect that they are interested in comedies and dramas that appeal to adults. Plays involving contemporary social issues have been a mainstay of the festival. We don’t require “family friendly” scripts. With that said, we do occasionally get complaints from audience members if a script has “adult” language, so discretion is advised. As well, we’ve never produced a script requiring nudity.
Can I submit a play written for children?
Our acting company for 2021 will comprise only ten actors. It’s unlikely a child or two will be in the cast, so plays with young characters will probably be presented by someone who’s not a child. On the other hand, a play written to entertain children, presented by adults, is acceptable, although the script would have to interest adults, since there will be very few pre-teens in the audience.
What limitations are there on staging?
The stage of The ArtsCenter is about 25 feet wide at the front but narrows as it goes back, since it’s in the corner of the room. The audience area is large, with up to 300 seats spreading out in a 90 degree configuration. There is no curtain that can be drawn at the front of the stage. Since 10 plays are presented, set pieces need to be minimal. A play with more than one scene is hardly ever selected for the festival.
Can I submit a play that has been done online or on the radio?
Yes, our only requirement is that your play have no history of being fully staged in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area. If it’s only had a staged reading that’s also fine.
Can I submit a holiday themed play?
Yes, absolutely, if it shows your writing at its best and fits the other submission criteria. Bear in mind that it will stand a better chance of being selected for the festival if it touches on timely themes, rather than JUST the glory of that holiday.
I have a great 14-minute play that I trust you to whittle down to ten minutes. Is that okay?
You’ve timed your play, that’s good. Please do the cutting yourself and send us a ten-minute version.
Are monologues accepted? What about plays with very large casts?
Most of the plays will have between 2-5 characters. We will consider monologues and plays with larger cast sizes (up to 10 is possible), but there will likely be a maximum of one of each of these included in the final festival.