TWFest ONE-ACT PLAY Contest 2026-2027

The 2026-2027 TWFest One-Act Judge is Justin Maxwell.

Justin Maxwell teaches playwriting in the Creative Writing Workshop at the University of New Orleans. His playwriting book The Playwright’s Toolbox was published by Applause Books in May 2024. Currently, he’s adapting the Tennessee Williams novel Moise and the World of Reason into a full-length play. His “100 MDQs for Plays of Praise” was presented as part of Erik Ehn’s 100K project. His play An Outopia for Pigeons is out from Original Works Publishing, and Your Lithopedion is out from Next Stage Press. His play Palimpsests of Agrippina Minor was awarded at ATLAS-BoR Grant in 2020-21. His prose has appeared in multiple journals including Theatre/Practice, Eleven Eleven, The Fourth River, Minnesota Playlist, Contemporary Theatre Review, American Theatre Magazine, and others. He is a former Co-Chair of the Playwriting Symposium at the Mid-America Theatre Conference.

Grand Prize

• $1,500
• Professional Staged Reading at the next Festival
• VIP All-Access Festival pass ($600 value) for the next Festival
• Publication in Bayou Magazine
• Photo and bio on our website for approximately one year
• Interview feature in our newsletter and social media pages

 Finalists

The top finalists will receive a LitPass ($100 value) to the Festival. Their photos and bios will be published on our website, in our newsletter, and our social media pages.          

Eligibility 

• This contest is for emerging or previously unpublished playwrights. Published books include any book with an ISBN, including self-published. Those who have published books in other genres besides playwriting remain eligible.
• Only plays not previously published, professionally produced, or performed are eligible. 
• Plays submitted to this contest in previous years that did not place are eligible.
• Plays that have won and/or placed in any other playwriting contest are ineligible.
• Students and faculty of the University of New Orleans Film & Theatre Arts Graduate Program and Creative Writing Workshop are ineligible.
• Unlimited entries allowed. One script per submission.
• Simultaneous submissions accepted; please withdraw your submission and notify the Festival if it is accepted elsewhere.
• Plays may not be under option, commission, or scheduled for professional production or publication at the time of submission.
• If the play was staged for the purpose of providing the author with feedback, such as in a workshop, student showcase, or staged reading connected with a writing program, this is acceptable.
• Musicals are not accepted.

 Guidelines 

• Plays should run no more than one hour in length (one act or approx. 60 pages.)
• The playwright’s name must not appear anywhere on the script or in the file name.
• Please use a standard font, either Times New Roman or Arial in 12 point font size.
• Submissions must be typed in English, and pages must be numbered. 
• Do not use bold or italics unless necessary to the script. 
• Do not include a cover page. Include your title on the first page of the manuscript.
• Please do not include professional resumes or biographies with your entry. Entries are judged anonymously; the judges only consider manuscript quality.
• Play content is NOT limited to Tennessee Williams or New Orleans-related themes.
• Revisions or edits will not be accepted once submitted for judging. Writers wishing to submit a revised manuscript must re-enter and pay the submission fee again.
• We recommend Samuel French formatting guidelines. That guideline can be found at https://www.dramatistsguild.com/sites/default/files/2020-01/General-SFI-Formatting-Guidelines-Complete.pdf
• Include a cast of characters and character descriptions.

Failure to follow these guidelines may result in entry disqualification.