THINK FAST
A virtual short play competition March 1,2,3, 2024
(2025 guidelines below)
AT RIGHT: Video introductions by some of our finalists
2024 FINALISTS
Nominees and awards
MATTERING
by Donna R Boyd, Berkeley Heights, NJ
THE REAL HOUSEHUSBANDS OF VERMONT
by David Carkeet, N. MIddlesex, VT
THE HIGH PRIESTESS AND THE FOOL
by Elle Collins, Aotearoa/New Zealand
MY NEW ASSIGNMENT
by Bruce Deveau, Amesbury, MA
BAAD NEWS
by Abigail Espinal, Union, NJ
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU MELONS
by Kimberly Ferse, Seattle, WA
STOCKED
by Serena Norr, Mount Kisko, NY
CLEAN
by Emmett Spaw, Manhattan, KS
Special thanks to tech director Griffin O'Connor, THINK FAST producer Joseph Vitale, and coordinator KIm Mecca.
The nominees for best director are
· Kimberly Ferse, WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU MELONS
· Emmett Spaw, CLEAN
· Bruce Deveau, MY NEW ASSIGNMENT
Winner: Emmett Spaw, CLEAN
The nominees for best actor are
· Eric Burger, STOCKED
· Patrick Kearney, WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU MELONS
· Mike Pingree, MY NEW ASSIGNMENT
Winner: Mike Pingree, MY NEW ASSIGNMENT
The nominees for best actress are
· Abigail Espinal, BAAD NEWS
· Jackie Romankow, MATTERING
· Alaine Tasker, THE HIGH PRIESTESS AND THE FOOL
Winner: Abigail Espinal, BAAD NEWS
AUDIENCE FAVORITE: MATTERING, by Donna R.Boyd
The nominees for the Judges Prize and the $500 cash award are:
· CLEAN by Emmett Spaw
· WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU MELONS by Kimberly Ferse
· MY NEW ASSIGNMENT by Bruce Deveau
WINNER: MY NEW ASSIGNMENT by Bruce Deveau
Congratulations to everyone who participated -- it was a pleasure working with you!
TO APPLY FOR 2025
Plays are accepted in October-November '24 for the '25 event.
Submission Instructions
- Electronic submissions only
- No fee to submit
- Plays are accepted for six weeks each fall
- Only one entry per author
- E-mail your short play to: OneActFest@TheTheaterProject.org
- Include in the Subject line: “Submission + The Title of Your Play.”
- Email submissions must contain this sentence in the body of the email: “If my play is accepted and I choose to take part in the festival, I understand that I will be responsible for the casting and rehearsal of my play and that I will be charged a $100 participation fee.”
If Your Play Is Selected
- The Theater Project will supply a stage manager/technical director to oversee the Zoom recording process
- Individual productions supply the actors, directors and make their own agreements with actors and directors regarding compensation
Production Fee
Playwrights will be charged a $100 fee to cover the $500 prize as well as the cost of hiring the stage manager/technical director.
The Theater Project does not charge a submission fee for its THINK FAST one-act festival. We do, however, charge a $100 production fee to help cover the cost of the $500 prize as well as the hiring of a stage manager/technical director to work with the productions on their technical needs as well as supervise a rehearsal and record the final performance on TTP’s Zoom platform.
Although we would rather not charge a production fee, the reality is that without help from participating playwrights, we would not be able to offer this showcase for new works.
About the Competition
The Theater Project’s annual short play competition awards the winner for Best Play a $500 prize. The contest is open to adult playwrights, 18 and up. There is no fee to submit your play for consideration, but there is a participation fee for the finalists who present (see below). Plays are accepted in the fall for a virtual event in March. Eight to ten short plays are selected for three prerecorded broadcast performances.
At each performance, the audience will vote for their favorite play. After the final performance, judges will award: Best Play ($500 prize), Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Audience Favorite (play) certificates.
Plays can be either dramas or comedies but must be no more than 15 minutes running time. This restriction is absolute and plays that exceed 15 minutes will not be considered. Sets, lighting and sound requirements must be simple. No elaborate props or effects. Playwrights invited to participate must have plays that are ready-to-perform and supply their own actors and directors who are recorded via Zoom by The Theater Project.
ALL ARE WELCOME
The arts have brought people together for thousands of years, and The Theater Project is a small part of that proud tradition. We strive to make everyone—audience, artists, and technicians—feel welcome and seen, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or presence of a disability. We aim to provide opportunities for the open exchange of ideas as our contribution towards a more inclusive and compassionate society.
Explore
Connect
These programs are made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey Arts & Culture Renewal Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation, the Essex County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and by the generosity of our many sponors and donors.
Please visit OUR SUPPORTERS for a complete list of sponsors, donors and funders.
