Plays & Publishers

NOTE: Even though a play is published by one of the endorsed publishers, this does NOT mean that every play on these publishers' lists is "automatically approved" for entry in the UIL One-Act Play Contest. If the play you are considering does not appear on one of the approved lists which follow, then it must be submitted to the office of the State Drama Director for the play appraisal committee's approval prior to the December 14 deadline.

"Various Dramatizations" or from "Recommended Publishers" does not mean that plays which are by nature dramatic monologues, duet acting scenes, reader’s theatre, musical theatre or which are predominantly narration, choral speaking or not interactive  may be used. Please check carefully.

Directors are not required to submit plays on the approved lists for approval. However, if you are planning to do a play that IS NOT already on one of the approved lists, you will need to SUBMIT YOUR PLAY FOR APPROVAL

An Approved List of Short Plays for Contest 2018-19

The following plays are approved provided they comply fully with Section 1033 (c) (1) (H) Standards. Directors shall eliminate profane references to a deity and obscene language or scenes from the approved production. Directors shall revise or reject all material within approved plays which in any way fails to meet these requirements. The administration of the producing school is charged with the responsibility of assuring that the director complies with these requirements and that the play does not offend the moral standards of the community. When a script and production are examined and approved by the administration of the producing school, the production is eligible for presentation at any contest site. These plays must also meet all other requirements of the One-Act Play Contest Rules.

In addition to those listed, all other plays written by Chekhov, Ibsen, Molière, George Bernard Shaw, Eugene O'Neill, Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus (translations only), and Shakespeare (cuts from original text only) are approved. This blanket approval does not include any adaptations of these authors' works unless they appear on the Approved List as such.

4m-3f3m-4fx - Extras
1 - Double casting necessary as per Section 1033 (c) (2) (C)
2 - Reduced royalty not available
3 - These plays are still available for production, though they are no longer listed in the Dramatic Publishing Company catalogue.
4 - Out of print - available in manuscript.

Note: Dramatic monologues (any play that is written for only one onstage actor) are not eligible for entry in the one-act play contest. [Section 1033 (c) (1) (F)].

Permission must be obtained from the League to make "off-stage voices" judgeable characters in the One-Act Play Contest (e.g., The Shadow Box, Voices, Voice of the Prairie, etc.), and they will be approved only if such characters appear in view of the audience. Adding or changing characters listed in the acting edition of an approved play is restricted by Section 1033 (c) (2) (C). Permission usually cannot be obtained to produce scenes from or acts of any full-length play by Edward Albee, Samuel Beckett, Ketti Frings, David Mamet, Elmer Rice, Peter Shaffer, Neil Simon and Peter Weiss. The same is true of Thornton Wilder, V. Glasgow Koste and Eugene Ionesco except those on the approved short list which are under review.