No. Just straight plays of no more than 90-minutes in length.

Yes, you may. But please understand that if you are from out of the area, this means housing your cast and crew. Southern Connecticut is a stone's throw from NYC with an abundance of talented actors. And the area hosts a plethora of local theatre.

No. Only unproduced works are eligible to participate. Shows that have had readings or been workshopped ARE eligible. Shows that have sold tickets to past performances ARE NOT eligible.

We created BBTF as a festival in the truest spirit of that word. Veering away from the standard competition format, which pits playwright-against-playwright, BBTF fosters an environment of support and friendship as well as cultivating the spirit of cooperation between participants by encouraging them to work for and with each other. Collaboration is one of our cornerstones. Once accepted into BBTF, playwrights become part of something much bigger than just themselves and their plays. They are provided with one-on-one dramaturgy, multiple workshops and roundtable talkbacks discussing their shows. All of this creates a constructive, encouraging environment between fellow playwrights and a creative community accepting of all, exclusive of none. We are most proud of the support we at BBTF give our playwrights.

Our critiquing rubric consists of two main categories: Plot Development and Character Development and how well you did with both. Unfinished or unclear work will most likely not be accepted. But we do have a third category: non-prescriptive advice on how to make your play stronger. Based on all these assessments, we divide the plays into finalists and those that need much more work.

Scripts of straight plays may not run under 60 minutes or over 90 minutes. In terms of page count, experience tells us that under 45 pages is equivalent to 60 minutes of stage time. And 75 to 80 pages would equate to 90 minutes. Scripts that do not meet or exceed the page count will be automatically returned.

Scripts should follow standard format. If you have any concerns over script formatting, please visit the following link. Improperly formatted scripts will be automatically returned.

The cost of producing in the 2025 Festival has reduced from years past when we were hosting our festival in New York City. As a festival, we are dedicated to keeping production costs down. According to our calculations, you should be able to produce your show for between $2500 to $5000, if you follow our advice. If you're interested in this festival, it's because you are willing to become a producer and the champion of your own show and enjoy the fruits of your labor by seeing your show live and in person on a professional stage. In the past, BBTF has long utilized the crowdfunding format for its participants who cannot cover the costs of their production. There are many options for this and rather than looking at this as asking people for capital, please view it as building your play's fan base and cultivating future investors.

BBTF and TPNC are responsible for marketing the festival as a whole and will prominently feature all participating shows in its marketing material. That said, each individual production must take responsibility for attracting their own audiences and make efforts to market their show. This is part of the self-production process.

BBTF presents rich and intriguing works from playwrights from across the continent. Out-of-state and international playwrights are welcome to submit to BBTF using the same blind submission process as any other applicant. Do remember all participants are responsible for travel expenses and accommodation.

BBTF expects participants to decide what they want to get out of this festival experience and proactively pursue this. Be specific about what you want to get out of BBTF. If you know what you want you can shape your festival experience to be its most beneficial. And we are here to help.