Play Submission

Steppenwolf Theatre Company accepts full length scripts year-round from literary agents and theatre professionals with whom we have an existing professional relationship. In recognition of our commitment to fostering local voices, we invite unrepresented writers in the Chicagoland area to submit a query consisting of a brief bio, short synopsis, and ten pages of sample dialogue during the months of July and August only. These queries will be accepted via a form on this page. We encourage electronic submission if at all possible. If you are unable to submit electronically, we will provide a mailing address. Please check back in June for further submission details.

Unsolicited queries that do not meet these criteria are not read and are deleted (if electronic), returned (if accompanied by a stamped envelope) or recycled (if an envelope is not provided).

This policy allows us to serve playwrights by creating a transparent, authentic process. We are committed to discovering new voices, and do so by building robust partnerships with new play development organizations, playwrights' centers, literary agencies, and other theaters nationwide. By collaborating with colleagues whose primary focus is the identification and cultivation of new writers, we reduce the time we spend duplicating others' efforts and evaluating work inconsistent with our mission. This allows us to focus on our new play development activities.