North Carolina Folk Play Project

Have a North Carolina Story To Tell? We’re Listening.

PlayMakers Repertory Company announces a call for new short plays by and about North Carolinians. 

Whether you’re an experienced writer or a first-time playwright with a story you’ve always wanted to tell, we welcome you to submit. You might see your play read in Chapel Hill next February!

SUBMISSION FORM

We’re looking for short plays (10-20 minutes) that capture authentic North Carolina flavors and experiences. These plays may be anything from a small family drama that takes place in Kannapolis, to a workplace comedy in Research Triangle Park, to a mythic musical fable set in the hills of Cherokee, to a historical tale on the beaches of Hatteras or a fabulous farce set in Fayetteville.  The most important thing is to “write what you know” —  we want to hear your voice!  

  • Submission period opens Sept. 1, 2026, and closes November 15, 2026.
  • A large selection of works will be featured in readings presented in Chapel Hill February 17-21, 2027, as part of Carolina Performing Arts’ All. Together. Now. Festival.
  • A smaller selection of plays will be fully produced for a state-wide tour as part of PlayMakers’ 2027/28 season.

Why this Project Now?

Over a century ago, UNC Chapel Hill Professor Frederick H. Koch proposed a new “native form” of theatre, recognizing that “if we speak for the human nature in our own neighborhood we shall be expressing for all.”  

An audience watches a performance of Paul Green's Lost Colony in 1940.

An audience watches a performance of Paul Green’s Lost Colony in 1940.

For decades, the Carolina Playmakers birthed and performed original plays based on “real, ordinary people’s lives, rooted in place, and shaped by their own background.” Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright Paul Green and esteemed authors like Thomas Wolfe and Betty Smith were just a few of the writers who emerged through this burgeoning movement. The plays toured across the state and the southeast from the 1920’s through the 1960’s.

For its 50th Anniversary season, and the UNC Department of Dramatic Art’s 90th, PlayMakers Repertory Company reaches back to its roots in search of the newest North Carolina folk plays. The project opens a call for original short plays from every corner of the state in hopes of representing the vast mosaic of our life here in the 21st century.

Recent Examples of North Carolina stories produced at PlayMakers

Regional Premiere of Fat Ham by James Ijames

World Premeire of The Christmas Case of Hezekiah Jones by Howard L. Craft and Mike Wiley

World Premiere of The Game by Bekah Brunstetter


The Details

  • There is no entry fee.
  • Submissions must be original works rooted in North Carolina, with running times between 10 and 20 minutes. No translations or adaptations of existing works by other writers will be accepted.
  • Submissions including songs or music are welcome (but the total running time should still not exceed 20 minutes). No need to include recordings — simply write lyrics or song titles into the script.
  • Plays written in languages other than English are welcome (but must include English translations as part of the submission).
  • Plays must not infringe upon the copyright of any other work, or violate the rights of any other person or entity, or defame any other person or entity.
  • Only one submission per playwright (or team of writers) is allowed.
  • Please note in the submission if the play has already been professionally produced or published elsewhere.

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS

Electronic submissions are encouraged, and will provide you with confirmation of a successful receipt. Submissions will close at 11:59pm on November 15, 2026.

Use the electronic form to enter the title of your play, your name and your contact information (including address, phone number, and email address).

The manuscript must be submitted in PDF format. The title page should include the play’s title, a 2–3 sentence plot synopsis, and a list of characters with any relevant character descriptions (age, gender, ethnicity, etc). 

SUBMISSION FORM

SUBMISSIONS BY MAIL

Mail a hard copy of the script to:
PlayMakers Repertory Company
Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art
120 Country Club Road CB 3235
Chapel Hill NC 27599-3235

Please do not send the only copy of your play. Plays cannot be returned after the competition. 

The North Carolina Folk Play Project is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the support of patrons of PlayMakers Repertory Company.