MAY 10-13, 2024 || GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALBERTA
MAY 10-13, 2024 || GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALBERTA
Congratulations on the completion of your script! Regardless of what the future holds, you have already accomplished something very big. Few people start to write a play and fewer still finish one.
Now, let’s get your play staged! TGCPS exists specifically to help you make that happen. This page tells you everything you need to know to get the most out of your Showcase at this year's conference and includes links to helpful resources.
Keep abreast of the latest conference news and funding opportunities by subscribing to ACT NOW! The newsletter also carries critical insight from the perspectives of varied theatre profiles and other influential community members.
TGCPS Playwright Pass includes:
Decide how you want to showcase your scene out of three choices, with a forth choice for musicals and operas.
There are two ways to guarantee your Showcase Spot at TGCPS '24.
You can submit at any time before or after buying a TGCPS Playwright Pass OR paying the Confirmation Fee.
Script Submissions are free until March 1, 2024.
Reading your own work is by far the cheapest way to showcase at TGCPS. As an individual artist, you may be eligible for funding from associations, guilds, and unions.
You are welcome to bring actors to present your script. However, the actors must have a TGCPS Pass if they would like to attend the events.
TGCPS is not responsible for any meal, travel, or accommodation expenses of your actors or anybody else accompanying or working for you. Join the TGCPS Group for tips and contacts.
Local, Grande Prairie-area performers (and directors!) are a great option for playwrights looking for a simple solution that doesn't require transportation or hotel for the performers.
Local volunteers enjoy a complimentary TGCPS Pass, courtesy of our generous sponsors..
Play on! Please dazzle us with an unplugged version of your best tune, a medley of the show's pieces, an aria, or a duet. There won't be space or time for a large ensemble; you can bring pre-recorded instrumental music, one or two musicians, or the pieces can be performed a cappella.
Yes! A TGCPS Playwright Pass includes one Showcase Confirmation.
CHECK THE SCHEDULE FOR IMPORTANT DEADLINES
Playwrights should submit their script as soon as possible. By submitting you are under no obligation to register or Showcase. Your submission can be updated at any time.
There are limited Showcase Spots available, and Confirmations ar
Yes! A TGCPS Playwright Pass includes one Showcase Confirmation.
CHECK THE SCHEDULE FOR IMPORTANT DEADLINES
Playwrights should submit their script as soon as possible. By submitting you are under no obligation to register or Showcase. Your submission can be updated at any time.
There are limited Showcase Spots available, and Confirmations are open until capacity is filled. The last deadline for Script Submissions and Confirmation Fee payment is April 15, 2024.
CHECK THE SCHEDULE FOR UPCOMING DEADLINES
CHECK THE SCHEDULE FOR ALL DEADLINES
As Showcase Submissions are matched with the Confirmation Fees (or purchase of a TGCPS Playwright Pass), unconfirmed playwrights who have submitted will be periodically updated on the number of available spots.
Scripts are selected on a
first-come-first-served basis.
Follow these steps to guarantee your opportunity to showcase your work in front of people who can help your career and get your work produced.
Passes, hospitality packages, and Confirmation Fees go on sale i
Scripts are selected on a
first-come-first-served basis.
Follow these steps to guarantee your opportunity to showcase your work in front of people who can help your career and get your work produced.
Passes, hospitality packages, and Confirmation Fees go on sale in December with limited-time discounts for Early Birds.
The second part of your showcase is the staging of the ten-minute scene from your script. Either you are thinking about what you want that to look like or have already decided. Keep in mind that the 10-minute time limit is very strict.
But before the audience watches your scene, you have a maximum of three minutes to introduce it. Take this opportunity to provide some context for the audience, perhaps in a very brief synopsis of the story and/or some background that explains the motivation for the scene we are about to see.
It is very important that you are well-prepared for this short speech. The time limit is very strict. You are clearly capable of writing an excellent introduction to your scene, and you can be equally confident in your presentation skills when you have practiced your presentation many times.
If you are reading your own script or are acting in your scene, you may ask another registered delegate to read your speech for you. You can post your need and/or availability to return the favour (as well as other conference-related topics and discussions) in the TGCPS group on LinkedIn and TGCPS Connect on Facebook.
You will be asked to submit the items on the following list for the online and printed programs. Delay caused by an incomplete submission may result in the loss of your Showcase spot, as they are limited.
CHECK THE CALENDAR FOR ALL DEADLINES
Please send all the text documents together on a single PDF file and the images on one or two jpeg or png files.
YOUR SCENE
Your scene should be in standard Canadian stage script format, including font and margins. The cover page should have the title of the play, playwright's name, year it was written, and contact information for you or your agent/publisher/manager/representative.
PLAYWRIGHT BIO & HEADSHOT
Written in the third person, your bio can include studies, writing credentials, personal information like place of birth, theatrical and writing influences, and so on. Please send a professional headshot.
LOGLINE
A logline is a one-sentence summary of your play. Sometimes referred to as, "vomiting into a thimble," the logline tells us who the protagonist is, the inciting incident, the protagonist’s goal, and the central conflict (although not necessarily in that order).
STORY IMAGE
Please submit your image as a jpeg or png file. Please be aware that a portion of your image may be cropped. If the image quality is poor you may be asked to submit another image or an image may be provided for you.
If your play has been staged before and you have permission, you can send a photo from the performance, of the cast, or the poster, etc. Otherwise, you can send a mockup of a poster or any image that illustrates your story.
Answer each question in a paragraph of about a hundred words to stay within the 300-500 word over-all limit for the synopsis of your play. Use the simple present, as if the action occurs while it is being read.
Who is the protagonist?
Tell us who your main character is before the conflict disrupts their life.
How do they deal with the problem at first?
Tell us how the conflict erupts and how the main character attempts to deal with it.
How do their choices make things worse?
Tell us what goes wrong, what new problems emerge, and how the stakes are now higher.
What is the climax?
Tell us what final challenge the main character is forced to face. Describe the final battle.
How is the end different from the start?
Show us that the end links to the beginning. And tell us how your protagonist’s world has changed since the first paragraph.
Yes! First of all, anything you write that is original is automatically considered your legal property. Second, publication is one form of proof of authorship.
Of course, there are steps you can take to register your work. The title and author can be registered at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office for $50 CDN and the entirety of th
Yes! First of all, anything you write that is original is automatically considered your legal property. Second, publication is one form of proof of authorship.
Of course, there are steps you can take to register your work. The title and author can be registered at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office for $50 CDN and the entirety of the work can be filed with the U.S. Copyright Office for $50 US. Although it may be advisable to register your work regardless, it is not necessary for Showcase Submissions nor unsafe to submit unregistered work.
Yes! This is an industry standard.
Your showcase audience is made up of decision-makers who might want to stage your play, not travellers picking out a last-minute choice before a long flight.
Show these producers, artistic directors, agents, publishers, department heads, and board members that you have written a strong ending to a comp
Yes! This is an industry standard.
Your showcase audience is made up of decision-makers who might want to stage your play, not travellers picking out a last-minute choice before a long flight.
Show these producers, artistic directors, agents, publishers, department heads, and board members that you have written a strong ending to a compelling story. This will make them eager to see your skills with dialogue and character development during your Showcase. If all goes well, you will be asked for a full copy of your script.
Yes. Please label your files with your name. It would be helpful to add descriptions like "headshot" or "poster," for example, after your name.
It's also a good idea to include your name and email address at the top or bottom of every page on your PDF.
Please use standard fonts, margins, and so on in your text. This is especially important for the pages of your scene.
Yes! However, your Showcase Spot will not be confirmed until the Confirmation Fee is paid or the playwright has purchased a TGCPS Playwright Pass.
One PDF file with
One or two JPEG or PNG files with:
PLEASE NOTE: Individual files cannot exceed 10 MB. Multiple files cannot exceed 15 MB in total.
PLEASE NOTE: When both your Script Submission and the Confirmation Fee have been received, you will receive a confirmation by email. Please use the same email address and/or name to quicken the confirmation process.
Submission notes:
TGCPS Passes and Hospitality Packages go on sale. Get yours with holiday spirit and a 30% discount until the New Year.
Stretch your money and AuntHill.ca gift cards an extra 20% when you purchase your TGCPS Pass and Hospitality Packages before March.
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Showcasing your work can be a daunting experience and unlike the rest of the theatre community, us playwrights often live in rural areas where the ratio of writers to "normal people" isn't very high. Writing can be lonely, but you are not alone. Participate in the TGCPS discussion group on LinkedIn and TGCPS Connect on Facebook, join us for How To webinars, and watch this space for special invitations to transformational sessions with the sharpest minds in writing, producing, and otherwise making a living.
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