KAPLAN PRIZE 2025
Questions can be directed to Christine Ernst, Kaplan Playwrights Competition Administrator, at [email protected].
We are thrilled to announce this years winners:
1st Place The Island of Beyond by Michael McGarty, prize $1,000
2nd Place Top Gallant by Paul Wolf
3rd Place A Thing of Beauty by DW Gregory
Congratulations to all participants this year, gifted playwrights and generous readers, both. We deeply appreciate your talent and input. We look forward to opening the 2026 contest next spring.
KAPLAN 2025 GUIDELINES
Qualification Guidelines
We accept full-length play manuscripts (musicals may be considered IF a recording of the songs is also provided) for consideration as a qualified submission. Plays that have been previously produced will not be considered for this competition. Prior readings of the work are allowed.
Qualified Submissions MUST have a direct connection to Cape Cod & the Islands. An example of a direct connection may include:
- A play written by an author with a strong Cape Cod & the Islands connection (resident, previous resident, summer resident, artist in residence, etc.)
- A play with Cape Cod & the Islands settings, major characters, and/or major occurrence which impacts the narrative.
These rules ARE subjective and are subject to the interpretation of the Competition Administrators. A $25 administrative fee will apply to all submissions. Submissions are not considered complete without payment. Scholarship opportunities are available and are based on need.
Adjudication
All plays will receive blind readings by a team of theater professionals. Up to 12 plays will be selected to advance as finalists. Readers’ scoring sheets will be available upon request.
Finalists are encouraged to make any rewrites if they so desire. The final submissions will be read and judged by an advanced theater team, and a winner will be selected.
The playwright chosen as having submitted the best script will receive a $1,000.00 cash prize and a staged reading production.
File Upload Specifications
- PDF file format
- 10pt font or larger
- 1 inch margins
- Your name should not appear anywhere within the document, including cover sheet, title sheet, headers, and footers
- Uploaded file title should be the name of your play only
Previous Winners
The 2007 winner ~ Meridian Summer by Candace Perry
The 2008 winner ~ Sequel by David Kucher
The 2009 winner ~ Eucatastrophe by Andy Reynolds
The 2010 winner ~ This Verse Business by A.M. Dolan
The 2011 winner ~ To Be in the Game by Tom Gotsill
The 2013 winner ~ A Talented Woman by James Dalglish and Lynda Sturner
The 2014 winner ~ Fifteen Men in a Smoke Filled Room by Colin Crowley
The 2015 winner ~ The Final Say by Meryl Cohn
The 2016 winner ~ Bruno by Raymond van Over
The 2017 winner ~ Colonel of Reason by Tom Gotsill
The 2018 winner ~ Office Noise by Bob Dutton
The 2020 winner ~ Touched By War by James Marlow
2022 winner – The Tempest-Tost Theater by Jonathon Ward
2023 winner – Just Walking by Kristin Stewart
2024 winner – Now What? by Peter Snoad
2025 winner-The Island of Beyond by Michael McGarty
New Playwrights/New Plays: the Jeremiah Kaplan Playwriting Competition would like to thank the following for their support:
The Jeremiah Kaplan Foundation
