As of Monday, November 14, there is an amazing opportunity for Kean students and alumni who want their written pieces to gain exposure. Organized by Premiere Stages, The Bauer Boucher Playwriting Award is open for submissions from the Kean community. 

The Bauer Boucher Playwriting Awards made its first appearance in 2014 due to the support and initiative of W. John Bauer and Nancy Boucher. This award looks to accept original, unproduced works from Kean students. The deadline for this year’s award is Monday, December 12.

“The Bauer Boucher Award is designed to provide financial and artistic support specifically to Kean students and alumni,” said Premiere Stages Education and Play Festival Manager Nick Gandiello. “It's a significant monetary prize and also it's a chance to get in a rehearsal room and collaborate with a professional director and actors.”

In addition to providing students and alumni with a chance to submit their plays, monetary and experiential rewards will be granted to the winners. Awarded playwrights will also have the opportunity to develop their play with professionals. 

“One current student will receive a $1000 award and one alumnus will receive a $2000 award; both will receive one-day developmental readings of their new plays with professional casts and directors. Additional playwrights may be selected as finalists and awarded $100,” said Premiere Stages. 

Writers can choose to submit an original play whether it is completed or in progress. They may also choose to use the prompt provided by Premiere Stages. If students decide to use the prompt, they should adhere to the guidelines as found on the Premiere Stages website: 

• The play must be able to be performed by no more than 5 actors, though more than 5 characters can be included.
• The play must include the use of a pair of binoculars as a prop.  
• The play must contain at least one event in the environment around the characters that impacts their actions.
• The play must contain the line “I wish I’d seen this before.”  
• The play must be no more than 25 pages. 

If Kean playwrights are submitting an existing original play without using the prompt, they should refer to the submission guidelines on the Premiere Stages website.

All submissions should include a brief synopsis of the play, a character breakdown, and the playwright’s resume. Submissions can be submitted as a PDF to pfsubmit@kean.edu.

“Following the guidelines is important, but the thing to keep in mind is that we truly want to hear the stories that the Kean community wants to tell," stated Gandiello. 

Premiere Stages encourages Kean students and alumni to submit their work whether it is already written or needs to be jotted down. To learn more about the Bauer Boucher Playwriting Award, students can visit the Premiere Stages website.