This one-of-a-kind competition recognizes the most outstanding, unproduced Canadian plays with a Jewish focus. There is a grand Prize of $1,000 and an eight-hour Equity workshop with a director and up to six actors. This workshop concludes with a public reading. Generously supported by The Asper Foundation.
Originally a program run by an independent group of dedicated volunteers, The Toronto Jewish Theatre Committee, the Canadian Jewish Playwriting Competition was founded in 1989 and operated out of the Bathurst JCC in North Toronto.
In 1999, the MNjcc adopted this program and ran it with a group of jurors from the professional theatre community. Before 2006 there was an average of six plays submitted each year. With more publicity and exposure, up to 20 plays are submitted from six Canadian provinces, the United States and Israel each contest year. The competition is now a bi-annual program.
ELIGIBILITY:
• Playwrights do not need to be Jewish but must be Canadian (dual citizenship is acceptable).
• Play content must have a Jewish focus, depicting a prominent theme or aspect of Jewish life.
• Plays must be no less than one hour and no more than two hours in length.
• Novel, short story or poetry adaptations are accepted, but the playwright must have the rights to the original source, or the source of the adaptation must be in the public domain.
• Musicals are eligible. Please submit lyrics and/or musical tracks with your play.
• Plays must be in English.
Call for submissions is now open. Deadline September 5, 2023. Click here for eligibility and guidelines.
Generously supported by The Asper Foundation.
Partners The Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, The Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company, and The Segal Centre for the Performing Arts.
