VSA Playwright Discovery Program

Scholarship Value: $1,000
Awards Available: 3

Young writers with disabilities (generally, ages 14-19) enrolled in high school are invited to submit a 'ten-minute script'. Entries may be the work of an individual student or a collaboration of two students that includes at least one student with a disability. A panel of theater professionals selects division winners.

Writers are encouraged to craft short (10 minute) works from their own experiences and observations through the creation of fictional characters and settings, writing realistically, metaphorically or abstractly about any topic, including the disability experience.

Writers must be enrolled in high school (generally, ages 14-19) and must have a disability. Please read the eligibility for participation.

Multiple winners will receive exclusive access to participate in professional development activities provided by the Kennedy Center. Winners will work with industry professionals in further development of their own script, as well as participating in networking opportunities.

Eligibility:

To be eligible to enter the VSA Playwright Discovery Program applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • The competition is open to U.S. and international applicants. However, all pieces must be submitted in English or ASL; pieces submitted in other languages will not be accepted.
  • Can be either an individual or co-author. Co-authorships of up to two students are accepted, but both authors must fulfill eligibility requirements and at least one must be a student with a disability. Co-authors do not have to be in the same grade level. The application must include information for both authors.
  • Entrants must be a student with a disability or a co-authorship that includes a student with a disability.
  • Authors must be students enrolled in senior high school (generally, ages 14-19) on Wednesday, January 4, 2023 in order to apply.
  • Previous applicants are eligible to reapply in subsequent years until they win or age out of the competition. Any applicant may win only once.
  • Winners must be present for the VSA Playwright Discovery Program professional development events (virtual dates TBD, in-person dates April 19-23, 2023) in order to be eligible for the award.

If selected as a finalist, applicants are required to provide proof of age and disability, and must be willing to publicly disclose that they have a disability for all materials and public appearances associated with the VSA Playwright Discovery Program.

Selection Process:

An advisory panel of distinguished professionals and educators will assist with the selection process.

Submission Rules:

  • All applications must be submitted through the online application form.
  • Provide a synopsis of your script (up to 250 words) in the provided text box.
  • To request application materials in a different format, please email vsainfo@kennedy-center.org

Script Rules

  • Pieces must be submitted in English or ASL; pieces submitted in other languages will not be accepted.
  • All entries that are scripts must be in the ten-minute play format. A ten-minute play is a play with at least two characters. It is not a scene, skit, or sketch. Structurally, it should have a beginning, middle, and end, just as any good one-act or full-length play. Since we only have ten minutes to bring the story full circle, a dramatic conflict should be posed as quickly as possible. The resolution of that conflict is what plays out across the remaining pages. The true success of a ten-minute play is reliant on the writer’s ability to bring an audience through the same cathartic/entertaining experience that a good one-act or full-length play accomplishes. Ten-minutes means eight or nine pages, but certainly no more than ten pages. Read your play out loud to see how long it takes.
  • Pieces may be submitted as written scripts, video, or audio files (if applicable).
  • Authors may submit only one script, whether under their name, a pseudonym, or as a co-author.
  • Entries must be original, unproduced, and unpublished at the time of submission. Pieces with previous readings or workshops are acceptable, as long as they were not produced for a paying audience and have not been publicly reviewed.
  • If an entry includes any material that is copyrighted or otherwise owned or controlled by someone other than the authors (including but not limited to, poetry, music and/or lyrics, characters originally created by others in any medium, and/or stories based on real people and/or other people’s lives) the author must provide proof of written permission to include such material in the script.
View Scholarship

Sallie Mae "No Essay" Scholarship

Deadline: Sep 30, 2023
$2,000
The $2,000 Sallie Mae Scholarship is only open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and any US Territory age 17 or older at the time of entry, and who meet one (1) of the four (4) following eligibility requirements at the time of entry:A parent who currently has a child enrolled in an accredited...

Big Future Scholarship

Deadline: Sep 30, 2023
$40,000
The Scholarship Program is open to seniors in high school who meet the eligibility requirements. If you are an eligible student, by completing a college planning step using your College Board account, you will automatically earn a chance to win a $500 scholarship and an additional chance to win a $40,000 scholarship.There are no essay, minimum GPA, test score, or...

Be Bold Scholarship

Deadline: Oct 01, 2023
$25,000
The "Be Bold" Scholarship is a no-essay scholarship that will be awarded to the applicant with the boldest profile. It takes less than 2 minutes to apply.To us, boldest does not mean "best", or "most accomplished". Being bold means being:A) EarnestB) DeterminedC) MovingThe scholarship will be awarded to the student whose profile is most bold, according to these characteristics.Furthermore, the...

ScholarshipOwl No Essay Scholarship

Deadline: Sep 29, 2023
$1,000
ScholarshipOwl is your source of relief from the dreaded application process. We put students on the fast-track to success by providing direct access to the scholarships they need the most. Take the hassle out of financial aid and maximize your chance at a free ride in college. No matter how much funding you need for school, we have the opportunities...

$25,000
Covering the cost of college expenses for four years without writing a single essay? Sounds too good to be true.It isn't with Niche. We are giving one student $25,000 to help pay for tuition, living expenses, books, and other educational expenses.Who Can ApplyAll high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in...

SP Scholarship

Deadline: Sep 30, 2023
$2,500
The SP College Scholarship program was created to help students win scholarships without the hassle of filling out paper applications and writing dozens of essays.To be eligible for the Scholarship you must be:A) At least 13 years old and enrolled or will enroll in a college or university in the US.B) A legal resident of the U.S. or Puerto Rico.Thus...

Back to School Scholarship

Deadline: Sep 30, 2023
$2,000
Since 1995, our mission has been to help connect students with the right schools for them. Carnegie Dartlet, the organization that houses CollegeXpress, is an educational publisher and higher education marketing agency. Every year, thousands of students across the United States and around the world discover their colleges using our websites, magazines, and services.To be eligible for the Scholarship you:A)...

Cappex Easy Money Scholarship

Deadline: Sep 30, 2023
$1,000
The Cappex scholarship application is fast and easy.Scholarship Eligibility: This scholarship is open to high school sophomores, juniors, and first semester senior students for all majors and schools. We will judge this scholarship based on other criteria such as volunteer work, extracurricular activities, special circumstances, etc.About the sponsors of the scholarship (EAB and Cappex):EAB is the market leader in helping colleges...

Niche 2K No Essay College Scholarship

Deadline: Sep 30, 2023
$2,000
Niche is the market leader in connecting colleges and schools with students and families. With in-depth profiles on every school and college in America, over 140 million reviews and ratings, and powerful search and data tools, Niche helps millions of students and families find and enroll in the right school for them. Who Can ApplyAll high school and college students, as...

10 Words or Less Scholarship

Deadline: Nov 15, 2023
$1,000
Scholarship Eligibility:A) Anyone who is between the ages of 14-25 who will be attending school in the Fall of 2024.B) This scholarship is provided by StudentScholarships.org. In order to apply for our scholarship follow these instructions:1. Go to www.facebook.com/myscholarships and place a comment on any post you see answering the question:In 10 words or less, tell us why you deserve...