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 The Trading Post. The newsletter also carries critical insight from the perspectives of varied theatre profiles and other influential community members.
Decide how you want to showcase your scene out of three choices, with a forth choice for musicals and operas.
Before you pay your registration fee, check with your association, guild, or union to see if they have a discount code for you.
You can submit at any time: even before you've paid your registration fee.
Reading your own work is by far the cheapest way to showcase at TGCPS. If you choose to read your ten-minute scene at TGCPS and you are a member of the Playwrights' Guild of Canada, you may be eligible for funding to help offset travel expenses.
You are welcome to bring actors to present your script. However, the actors are subject to the registration fee 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 more tips and contacts. Keep your eyes open for the TGCPS Roster
The Showcase Players is a local, Grande Prairie-area group comprised of one director and a number of actors. Led by the Head of Northwestern's Drama Department, Misha Alberta (MFA), the Showcase Players are a great option for playwrights looking for a simple solution that doesn't require transportation, hotel, or registration for the performers.
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! As a playwright, your registration includes one Showcase Spot.
If you are considering showcasing at TGCPS this year, you should submit your script as soon as possible. By submitting you are under no obligation to register or Showcase.
Script Submission alone does not guarantee a Showcase Spot. Playwrights must also register or purcha
Yes! As a playwright, your registration includes one Showcase Spot.
If you are considering showcasing at TGCPS this year, you should submit your script as soon as possible. By submitting you are under no obligation to register or Showcase.
Script Submission alone does not guarantee a Showcase Spot. Playwrights must also register or purchase a TGCPS Showcase Extra Spot to ensure their opportunity to present their work to the decision-makers at the conference.
There are 24 Showcase Spots available, and registration for playwrights is open until capacity is filled. The last deadline for Script Submissions and Submission Fee payment is April 15th, and the next deadline is April 1st.
The free-submission deadline was March 1st. Between April 2nd & April 15th, the Submission Fee is $50. Pay your Submission Fee before April 1st & SAVE $30.
As Showcase Submissions are matched with the Submission Fees and the playwrights' Registration (or purchase of a Showcase Extra Spot), unregistered playwrights who have submitted will b
The free-submission deadline was March 1st. Between April 2nd & April 15th, the Submission Fee is $50. Pay your Submission Fee before April 1st & SAVE $30.
As Showcase Submissions are matched with the Submission Fees and the playwrights' Registration (or purchase of a Showcase Extra Spot), unregistered playwrights who have submitted will be periodically updated on the number of available spots.
Playwrights who have paid the Submission Fee or who submitted before March 1st will be notified before those who submitted after that date and have not paid the Submission Fee.
Until April 1st, the Submission Fee is $20.
Now that the deadline for free submissions has passed, playwrights must complete 3 separate steps to ensure their Showcase Spot at TGCPS.
By registering, you guarantee your opportunity to showcase your work in front of people who can help your career and get your work produced.
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 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.
Your Showcase Submission and your Conference Registration are two different things, although your registration fee includes one spot on the Showcase calendar during the conference. 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.
First Deadline: March 1, 2023 ~ FREE
Second Deadline: April 1, 2023 ~ $20
Final Deadline: April 15, 2023 ~ $50
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, if your synopsis is published on a web site before a copy-cat tries to steal it, 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 registere
Yes! First of all, anything you write that is original is automatically considered your legal property. Second, if your synopsis is published on a web site before a copy-cat tries to steal it, 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 submission will not be accepted until the registration fee is paid. If the registration fee is paid before the First Deadline on March 1, 2023, then your Showcase Submission will be accepted at no charge. Registration fees paid during the month of March will be subject to a $20 submission fee, and those paid after April
Yes! However, your submission will not be accepted until the registration fee is paid. If the registration fee is paid before the First Deadline on March 1, 2023, then your Showcase Submission will be accepted at no charge. Registration fees paid during the month of March will be subject to a $20 submission fee, and those paid after April 1 are subject to a $50 Showcase Submission fee. The Final Deadline for Showcase Submissions is April 15, 2023.
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.
THE DEADLINE TO PAY SUBMISSION FEE FOR THE 2ND INTAKE IS APRIL 1ST
PLEASE NOTE: You can pay the Submission Fee HERE. When both your Script Submission and the Submission Fee have been received, you will receive a confirmation by email. Please use the same email address and/or name name to quicken the confirmation process.
All those who submitted before the March 1st deadline have received notification.
Submission notes:
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.
Copyright © 2023 The Great Canadian Playwright Showcase - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by Curiosity and Imagination
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.