FESTIVAL OF UNFINISHED WORK
Our fourth annual Festival will take place in June 2025 and feature six short scenes from original full-length plays currently in process, written by Chicago-based playwrights.
Submissions Now Closed
Details
During the Festival, the audience will have the opportunity to vote on which pieces they are most interested in seeing developed further. This voting process will impact which pieces will be given a workshop and public staged reading by Bramble at a future date.
Your submission will be read and evaluated by Bramble Theatre Company’s FOUW Literary Manager and Literary Committee. We will notify you by the end of March 2025 if your work has been selected to be produced in the Festival or not. Playwrights will be given a $50 stipend for their script's inclusion in our festival.
Submissions will officially open at 10am CST on Friday, Nov 15th and will close at 10pm CST on the same day.
What We’re Looking For…
We are looking specifically for original new work currently in development that is passionate, nourishing, challenging, and inspires hope and empathy.
We will not consider ten-minute plays, one acts, musicals, or adaptations. Plays that have already been published or fully produced are not eligible; readings and/or workshops are fine.
What to Submit
A single scene (or cut of a scene) that is 10-15 pages long from an original unfinished full-length play. Max number of four actors needed for the scene submitted.
The current full draft of the play from which the scene comes.
Resume (optional)
To Submit:
This will be a blind submission process, so please be sure to remove your name from the attachments you submit (other than your resume). The application form will ask you for the following:
Name
Pronouns (optional)
Email
Title of Piece
Logline (1-3 sentences)
Number of actors needed
Character breakdown
PDF or Word Doc of your scene. Pages must include a title page (playwright name omitted) and a full casting breakdown. Note: title page does not count towards the 15 page limit.
PDF or Word Doc of the current full draft of the play. It does not have to be finished! We just want to see where the script is currently at in its development.
Website link (optional)
Playwright resume (optional)
“You can expect a little taste of everything at the Festival”
— Spencer Huffman, FOUW Literary Manager (2021-2023)
What people are saying about the Festival of Unfinished Work
Audience Member
Leaves you wanting more and really looking forward to the plays that are fully produced!
Cassie E.
Audience Member
I absolutely love the loft space, the hospitality of the staff, and the talented artists that are showcased!
I will be back!
Heather S.
Playwright
To be at a table with Bramble's artists during rehearsals for the Festival of Unfinished Work, absorbing their keen insights on this screwed-up play and its screwed-up characters, was so thrilling and a perfect reminder of why I love writing for the stage.
Skyler T.
Audience Member
A fast-paced and delightful dip into theatre-to- be!!!
Lucia M.
Audience Member
This was my first time at the Festival of Unfinished work, and I had a blast! New play development is one of my favorite types of theater, and Bramble delivered.
Morgan K.
Audience Member
This is a fantastic way for playwrights to see what they have - what works, what doesn’t.
Shariba R.
