Open Eye Theater Announces Submission Window for Summer Shortcuts XVI

MARGARETVILLE — The Open Eye Theater in Margaretville, will accept ten-minute play submissions from March 9-14, 2026. Six plays will be selected for production in Summer Shortcuts XVI, with performances to take place Thursday through Sunday, August 20-30 at The Open Eye Theater, 960 Main Street, Margaretville,

New York.

Comedies or dramas on any subject or theme, style or genre, up to ten-minutes in length are of interest. Plays should be suitable for a diverse audience and appropriate for stage, radio, or online production. The theater welcomes scripts requiring minimal staging, with roles for all ages. There is a special interest in roles for senior adults. Plays with a cast of 2-4 characters, or monologues are usually preferred. Catskill Mountain playwrights are especially encouraged to submit.

Playwrights may submit up to two plays to scripts@theopeneyetheater.org. Subject line: Summer Shortcuts XVI. Scripts must be either Word documents or PDF. Please include all contact information on the title page: Name, mailing address, e-mail address, and phone number. Please number the script pages. No hardcopy submissions will be accepted. Only scripts that are submitted during the window from March 9-14, 2026, will be accepted and considered for Summer Shortcuts XVI.

Selected playwrights will be contacted by early July. A modest stipend will be paid for selected plays. For further details and information, check the website at www.theopeneyetheater.org. 

The mission of The Open Eye Theater is to produce high quality theater performances and other educational programming for a diverse population in the Catskill Mountain Region and beyond - enriching the quality of life for theater artists, students, and audiences of all ages.

This program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. It is also made possible by generous grants from The A. Lindsay and Olive B. O’Connor Foundation, the S. Irving and Anne Nevard Sherr Foundation, the Nancy Friday Foundation, the Hobson Lucas Family Foundation, Hudson Valley Foundation for Youth Health and generous contributions from many businesses and individual contributors.