Cortez’s Sunflower Troupe has announced its third biennial “Sunflower Shorts: A 15-Minute Play Festival” for 2025 and is seeking playwrights to enter short plays to be considered.
Original plays that are 15-minutes in length can be submitted to be reviewed and selected by a panel of judges. The chosen plays will be performed and will compete for People’s Choice recognition.
“It’s great because it's a short play, so a lot of local volunteers who would like to act but are intimidated by a full-length play will come out and test the waters with a 15-minute play. That’s really exciting, to get more people in the community involved in pushing their envelope a little and discovering talent that maybe they weren't really aware that they had,” said Sunflower Troupe member Heidi Brugger.
Playwrights, authors and collaborators must be from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico or Utah to enter, and their works must be original and take place in a hotel room. Other than the hotel room stipulation, there is no other limit on theme or content.
The only genres that are not eligible are musicals and children’s theater works, as well as work that has already been presented to a paying audience in any Four Corners area venue.
The submission deadline is Jan. 31, 2025. There is no submission fee, and authors can submit up to two works.
“The short play format gives actors, directors, and playwrights an opportunity to try something different, to stretch their skills, and to have a little fun. Playwrights have an opportunity to meet directors and actors and gear audience response to their work,” Brugger said. “The format also provides audiences with a smorgasbord of material, sort of something for everyone.”
Six plays will be chosen by the judge panel by Feb. 28, and production will take place in August of 2025. The most popular play will receive an award, and will be determined by an audience vote at each performance. The winner will be announced on KSJD radio and social media.
“We are very excited to offer this opportunity for the community to come together to create and produce original works on stage,” Kim Welty, executive producer for the Sunflower Troupe said. “The festival plays an important role in expanding live performance in our area.”
The entry form and detailed list of guidelines can be found by emailing sunflowershorts@gmail.com.
