The Billie Holiday Theatre and the Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop are selecting five new comedic plays for a virtual reading series running February through June 2027. The series renews a partnership between the two companies that began in 2016. All styles of comedy are welcome: absurdism, dark comedy, farce, romantic comedy, satire, and everything in between. Readings take place online on Sundays from 4:00 to 6:30 PM Eastern. Each play is read by professional actors and followed by a structured critique. The program ends with an in-person reading of one of the five plays at The Billie Holiday Theatre.
Submissions are free and open November 6–25, 2026. Selected playwrights will be notified by January 4, 2027.
We welcome one-acts and full-length comedies of 40 to 90 pages in standard play format (12-point Times New Roman or similar, 1-inch margins), with a cast of no more than 8 actors. Musicals and solo shows are not eligible. Scripts that run longer than 90 pages in standard format may not be considered.
Questions? Email support@thefsww.org.
Presented by The Billie Holiday Theatre. Curated and produced by the Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop.