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New Play Contest

Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 contest!

First Place:

POZ (Mark Keller)

Mark Keller is a graduate from York University's acting conservatory. He recently wrote the comedy series, Womb Envy, now streaming on OUTtv and AMI, which received multiple selections, nominations, and awards from local and global webfests. A queer writer and performer, one of his favourite roles was in Theatre Topikos' production of 5 Guys Chillin', a verbatim play about queer chem sex. It was a near sold-out run that facilitated a Q & A after almost every performance so community discussion could be held each night. Mark is thrilled to be a part of his first Fringe Festival.

Second Place:

Her 29th Birthday (Kelise Fullerton)

Third Place:

Gringas (Mercedes Isaza Clunie)

Honourable Mentions:

Wind (Cullen McGrail)
the titty play (Sydney Scott)
Battle of Saratoga (M.J. Kang)
CLEFT (Ron Fromstein)
Lorraine (Steven Elliott Jackson)
HORSES (Thea Fitz-James)
ox considers finding love (or starting an onlyfans) (Anthony (Ani) Palermo)
Iphigenia in Dreaming (Cassandra Marcus Davey)
Blue Passage (Mosa McNeilly)
As the Bell Rings (Brandon Pereira)
The Eulogy (Morgan Frey)
Patty Picker (Evan Bawtinheimer)

Contest Information

Applications are now closed for the 2024 New Play Contest. Applications for the 2025 contest will open in Fall 2024.

The New Play Contest is an annual juried contest for playwrights with a new, previously unproduced play. The winner receives a bursary, as well as a free performance slot in the upcoming Toronto Fringe Festival (July 3-14, 2024). 

Prize

The winner of the New Play Contest will receive a free performance slot in the upcoming Toronto Fringe Festival as well as a bursary.

Application Fees

$ 10/20/30 application fee including HST, paid by credit card through the online application form.

(*Non-Sufficient Funds: If fee is returned the applicant will be informed and have 24 hours to pay the fee as well as any service fees incurred)

The application fee contributes towards the administrative costs of these contests. If this fee presents a barrier to you, please reach out to us via email to suzanne@fringetoronto.com. 

Play Contests Terms & Conditions:

  1. All applicants must be a permanent resident of Canada and based in Ontario.
  2. More than one entry per playwright/composer is permitted.
  3. All works must be submitted in English.
  4. All entries must be original, unproduced works. Works that have had a workshop for the purpose of creation and development are eligible.
  5. The playwright may have received funding to create or workshop this piece.
  6. All plays must have a performance time of 90 minutes or less.
  7. Playwrights who enter a contest may also enter the Fringe lottery.
  8. If selected, the winner must produce the play that was submitted to the corresponding contest for the next soonest Toronto Fringe Festival. It is understood that the piece will be subject to revisions/dramaturgical changes in the usual course of continued development.
  9. The winning production will also be required to recognize the Toronto Fringe on all their marketing materials (program, posters, brochures, press release, website, etc). Specific details of this recognition to follow.
  10. The winning production will also be required to recognize all sponsors/partners of the competition on all their marketing materials (specific details of this recognition to follow).
  11. The winner must provide a short post-festival report on the contest, production, and festival experience.
  12. The winning plays will be announced each year at the Fringe Festival Lottery Party held in December.

Application Materials

The application consists of a short, online form where you can upload materials and pay the application fee. If an alternative application method is required, please email suzanne@fringetoronto.com.

  1. Completed script with all pages numbered.
  2. The first phase of the assessment process is anonymous, please ensure that the playwright’s name is not on the script.
  3. Show Title
  4. Estimate running time (a maximum of 90 min)
  5. Brief statement about your producing experience, producing team and why your play would be successful at the Toronto Fringe. (only visible to the assessment committee on phase 2 of the adjudication process)
  6. An application fee of either $10, $20 or $30, paid by credit card through the online application form.

Selection Process

This contest is adjudicated by approximately four assessment committee members and undergoes two rounds of adjudication. Due to the specific requirements of a slot in the upcoming Fringe Festival, the second adjudication round will not be anonymous and producing experience will also be considered by the assessment committee. Round 1 will be adjudicated anonymously and be based on the script and music samples provided.

Round 1: All applications are divided equally between the jurors. Each juror selects a shortlist of which applications
to advance to round 2.

Round 2: Each application in the shortlist is reviewed by every committee member, and they come together in a final meeting to select the winning application. To give the winning piece the best possible chance of success, in this round, the committee will take into consideration the whole company experience behind the show

Each application is assessed against the following criteria:

Access

The Toronto Fringe is committed to equality, diversity, and prioritizing accessibility. We warmly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour communities, 2SLGBTQ+ identified persons as well as Deaf, Mad and disability-identified persons.

If you require any accommodations, please do not hesitate to contact Suzanne Wilkie (suzanne@fringetoronto.com).

Past Winners

"Maggie Chun's First Love and Last Wedding" by Helen Ho (2023)
"My Korean Canadian Friend" by Ngọc Hân (Rebecca) Tran (2021, Digital New Play Contest)
"9428" by Amin Kheirollahizadehshirazi (2020, deferred to 2022)
“Checkpoint 300” by Michelle Wise (2019)
“Women of the Fur Trade” by Frances Koncan (2018)
“The Seat Next to the King” by Steven Jackson (2017)
“Cam Baby” by Jessica Moss (2016)
“Rukmini’s Gold” by Radha Menon (2015)
“Potosi” by Alexander Offord (2014)
”The Oak Room” by Peter Genoway (2013)
“Help Yourself” by Kat Sandler (2012)
“Kim’s Convenience” by Ins Choi (2011)
“Short Story Long”  by joel fishbane (2010)
"A Singularity of Being” by T. Berto (2009)
“Wake” by Rachel Blair (2008)
“Expiry Dating” by Alison Broverman (2007)
“Love Songs from Unlikely Places” by David Egan (2006)
“Bella Donna” by David Copelin (2005)
“Stealing Freedom” by Stephanie Nickerson (2004)
“That Boy” by Paul Gibson (2003)
“Fish/Wife” by Rick Roberts (2002)

2024 New Play Contest Jury Members