(Click here to listen to a Radio Interview
about the Contest on WXKS, mp3)

THE AWARD

The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance is pleased to announce the establishment of the annual Frances Paul Lyons / Almas Paul/ Lillian & Varnum Paul Playwriting and Screenwriting Award, a $10,000 prize to be awarded for the first time in 2007 for a new play or screenplay based on Armenian themes.

One award of $10,000 will be made annually to the winning script. The award will be presented publicly at events on both the west and east coasts. The award will be administered by the Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance which will establish a panel of noted theatre and film professionals to select the winning script.



GUIDELINES

Plays and screenplays must be based on an Armenian subject, although there are no restrictions on style, location, or time period. Authors need not be of Armenian ancestry. We welcome entries from non-Armenian writers as well as those of Armenian descent. Submissions must be full-length original works or adaptations, written in English (no translations). Submitted plays and screenplays should not have had a professional production and may not be under option for professional production at the time of submission. (Workshop or college productions and staged readings are acceptable.)Writers are welcome to use the ALMA oral histories posted on our website as source material for their scripts. No scripts will be returned. The paper will be recycled. All Rules and Regulations must be followed and the material below submitted for eligibility.

RULES

1) All submissions must be postmarked by Feb 15, 2009. ADAA accepts no liability whatsoever for loss or non-receipt of any script.

2) Submitted plays and screenplays must be previously un-produced, not optioned, and wholly original work of the writer(s). Adaptations or works based upon an underlying work are accepted. ADAA will not accept unsolicited updated drafts or revised pages of any plays or screenplays or any additions after they have been received.

3) Each person can submit a maximum of one full-length script per year. Plays and screenplays written by more than one person are eligible for entry; however, only one prize will be given for the winning selection. 

4) One prize in the form of $10,000 in cash will be awarded annually.  The prize will be awarded to either a stage play or a screenplay at the sole discretion of Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance and its judges.  The winner of the award will be responsible for any and all tax liabilities associated with the prize. 

5) All writers of submitted material must be at least 18 years of age or older.

6) With respect to submitted materials to the competition, such materials must be free of any incumberances, not subject to any arrangements or agreements that would preclude the development or production of the material. Writers are required to notify ADAA immediately if material submitted for consideration under the terms and conditions of this competition is optioned during the judging period.

7) Writers need not be of Armenian descent. Writers from any country or ethnicity are eligible. The $10,000 award will be in U.S. dollars. Scripts must be on Armenian themes.

8) Plays and screenplays must be in English, printed - - on 3-hole white paper with the pages numbered. Scripts should be fastened with 2 or 3 brads with the title, name of writer(s) and contact information on the title page ONLY. Scripts should be between 90-130 pages and in standard screenplay or stage play format.  With respect to stage plays, the font should be 12-point Courier or Times New Roman.  For screenplays, font should be 12-point Courier, Courier New or Courier Final Draft.

9) All submissions must contain the following:

-Three (3) copies of a properly formatted stage or screen play. 
-A completed application form signed by all writers.
-Resume
-Non-refundable entry fee of $45.00 (check or money order only ) made out to the Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance.
-A one paragraph synopsis of the script.

PLEASE NOTE: Name and contact information must only appear on title page otherwise script will be disqualified. Submissions must be mailed to the ADAA/CONTEST address: 20 Concord Lane, Cambridge MA 02138 by regular mail or UPS that does not require a signature.  The entry fee is $45.00.  Checks should be made out in the name of “The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance.” No electronic submissions will be accepted.  No more than one screen play or stage play submission per person is allowed per calendar year.

10) Employees, contractors, or Board of Director Members of ADAA may not submit scripts.

11) Please read and understand all rules and regulations. Failure to adhere to these guidelines will result in disqualification and forfeiture of the entry fee. Failure to adhere to correct formatting will also result in disqualification. Phone calls regarding the contest will not be returned. If you have any further questions after reading the rules, you may contact ADAA at the general email address at adaa@armeniandrama.org with ”Contest” inquiry written in the subject line.

12) Judging will be performed by trained readers and/or industry professionals and/or principals of the Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance.  The top three (3) selected finalists will be read by the panel of finalist judges. The judges’ decisions will be final and you must abide by the decision of the judges with regard to all matters.

13) Entry fees are nonrefundable. No entry will be read until the entry fee is received.

14) The Winner of the competition will affix the “DEVELOPED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF (ADAA LOGO)” to the work and provide for the following credit in any contract for the development or production of the work: “DEVELOPED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF (ADAA LOGO).”  In addition, this credit will be provided on the title page of all printed materials of future readings, workshops, productions, recordings, and publications of their projects and in the case of productions, to include the “DEVELOPED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF (ADAA LOGO)” as part of the credit sequence.  In addition, upon acceptance of the first place price, the winning author(s) shall grant to ADAA the nonexclusive right to use the name, likeness and approved biography of all authors of the work for use in the development and promotion of ADAA activities. 

15)The ADAA and the Sponsor reserves the right to modify or cancel this contest at any time.  In the event of a cancellation prior to the first prize being awarded, the ADAA shall return all entry fees unless unable to do so due to a natural disaster.  By participating in this contest, each person submitting material hereby releases and agrees to hold harmless the ADAA, its affiliates, partners, subsidiaries, officers, directors, agents, employees and all entities associated with ADAA from and against any liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees) arising from the development, promotion and exploitation of such persons submitted materials.  

16) I understand that any disputes shall be submitted to arbitration in Boston, Massachusetts, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the American Arbitration Association then in effect. The arbitrator’s decision shall be controlled by the terms and conditions of this agreement and shall be final and binding, and shall provide for each party to bear his or its own costs of arbitration and attorneys’ fees.

 
TO ENTER:

Please submit the following materials:

• 3 copies of your script, with your contact information on the title page ONLY
• A completed entry form -ENTRY FORM - CLICK HERE -
• A $45.00 entry fee made out to “The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance”
• A resume
• A brief synopsis (one page maximum)
• A character breakdown
  
  

POSTMARK DEADLINE

Feb 15, 2009



ANNOUNCEMENT

Winners will be announced by August, 2009.