Rocket City Playwrights’ Series

2026 Rocket City Playwrights Series
10th Anniversary Celebration

For ten years, the Rocket City Playwrights Series has been shining a spotlight on original short plays written by North Alabama storytellers.

What started as a small showcase has grown into a beloved annual event celebrating local creativity and giving audiences a front-row seat to the future of theatre right here in Huntsville.

Each year, playwrights submit original 10-minute plays, and a panel of judges selects six finalists through a competitive submission process.

Those plays are brought to life on stage for the first time in front of a live audience.

After the performances, the audience becomes the judge—voting for their favorite play, with cash prizes awarded to the winners.

Calling Local Playwrights

Submissions are now open for the 2026 Rocket City Playwrights Series.

Local writers are invited to submit original 10-minute plays for consideration.

Selected playwrights will have their work performed for a live audience and compete for cash prizes.

Plays must be written using the theme bridges and barriers,

We are now accepting submissions for the 2026 Rocket City Playwrights’ Series.

Play Submission Guidelines

We are seeking original plays that can be performed in 10 minutes or less by North Alabama writers on the theme of bridges and barriers.

  • Applicants must be at least 14 years old and reside in North Alabama.

    • Applicants must submit a play that can be performed in approximately 5-10 minutes

    • Plays should fit into the theme of bridges and barriers

    • Read your play aloud prior to submission to ensure it fits into the allotted time frame. Plays that are too short or too long may be disqualified.

    • No musicals or children’s theatre

    • Plays must have 2-4 characters 

    • Light or no profanity

    • One submission per playwright

      • The winner from the previous year may not submit. 

    • Plays should be an original work - no adaptations 

  • All original 10-minute plays should be emailed to playwriting@theatrehsv.org by May 31, 2026 in the following format:

    • File type: pdf, doc, or docx

    • A separate cover sheet with contact information

    • The body of the play should include:

      • Title of the play

      • Author’s name

      • List of characters

      • Character descriptions

      • Any notes or special instructions about the play

      • A separate cover sheet with contact information

    • The cover sheet should include:

      • Author’s Name

      • Play Title

      • Author’s Email

      • Author’s Phone

      • Author’s Biography

    • Author’s headshot (any upper body photo will work)

  • All original works must be emailed to Rocket City Playwrights’ Series by May 31, 2026 to be considered.

    • 10 Minute play in pdf, doc, or docx format

    • Cover sheet

    • Author headshot

    • Submitted by May 31, 2026 at midnight.

    • You will receive an email from Theatre Huntsville within 48 hours of submitting your entry confirming that we have received your work. If you do not receive our email, we have not gotten your play. If this happens, please email our Marketing Director Larkin Plaks at Larkin.plaks@theatrehsv.org.

A Special 10th Anniversary Event

This milestone year brings two nights of storytelling:

Friday, August 14 – Tournament of Champions
A special one-night event featuring short plays written by past Rocket City Playwrights Series winners.

It’s a celebration of the talented writers who helped build the series and a chance to see some of the program’s most exciting voices return to the stage.

Saturday, August 15 – The 2026 Playwrights Showcase
Six brand-new 10-minute plays by North Alabama playwrights take the stage for their world premiere readings.

After the performances, the audience will vote for their favorite play of the night.

Tickets will go on sale closer to the event.

What Is Readers’ Theatre?

The Rocket City Playwrights Series is presented in a readers’ theatre format.

In readers’ theatre, actors perform with scripts in hand—without costumes, props, or elaborate set design.

The focus stays exactly where it belongs: on the words, the performances, and the power of the story.

Our Mission

Every great playwright started somewhere, with one script, one performance, and one audience willing to listen.

The Rocket City Playwrights Series exists to amplify new voices and give local writers a chance to shine on stage.

Theatre Huntsville and Evil Cheez Productions are proud to support original work by North Alabama theatre artists,

encouraging bold creativity and fostering a thriving local arts community.

2025 Finalists

These six new works by North Alabama playwrights selected in 2025 were:

  • Exit Interview by Justin Miller

  • A Modern Fairytale by Robin Maise

  • Nyx by Ash Burhans

  • Smarvelous by Karlton Stephens

  • The Sorry-Not-Sorry Gameshow by Victoria Rich

  • Wrong Number? by Kimberly Breeze

2025 Winners

The top plays selected by audience vote in 2025 were:

  1. Wrong Number? by Kimberly Breeze

  2. Nyx by Ash Burhans

  3. A Modern Fairytale by Robin Maise

Presented By

Theatre Huntsville
A nonprofit, volunteer-driven community theatre producing a wide range of plays and performances at the Von Braun Center Playhouse in Huntsville, Alabama.

Evil Cheez Productions
Founded by Wayne Miller, Evil Cheez Productions creates top-notch original works for the stage, page, and screen.