The Next Draft process consists of 6-8 rehearsals over the course of three months with actors, a director, and a new play development dramaturg assembled to help the playwright experiment with their script. The rehearsals are spaced with time for the playwright to conduct rewrites and meetings with their dramaturg in between sessions. This culminates in a public workshop reading at the end of the process. All involved creatives receive a stipend, which during our 2026 cycle was $150.

The Next Draft selection process works in three progressive stages: sample review, full draft review, and finally, playwright interviews. During each review stage, a panel of Avalanche ensemble members will read and discuss each application to recommend which scripts advance to the next round. Out of all the initial applications, we will select up to 24 full drafts for review, and of those 24, up to 6 scripts will be in final consideration.

All scripts submitted to Next Draft must meet the following requirements:Must not have been fully produced professionally, and must not have any productions plannedMust have at least one completed draftMust be full-length (at least 60 minutes)Must require at least 2 and no more than 8 actorsMust not be a musical, dance piece, improvisational piece, or play that requires extensive puppetryThe writer(s) must be based in Chicago

In round one of review, readers will be evaluating your 10-page script sample and your development goals. Scripts that advance to round two will be evaluated using the full script and development goals.

Avalanche is not looking for the 'best' or most polished plays—we're looking for plays that are ready for three months of collaborative development. Your development goals are an integral part of helping us understand if your script is the right fit for this process. We are looking for you to get specific about how you would explore your script with eight rehearsals and a full team at your disposal. There are no wrong answers!To get you started, the following questions can help you investigate your development goals:What element of the script are you most curious about? Do you have questions about the story, some of the characters, the structure, or the tone?When working on the script, where do you feel the most confused/blocked/anxious? Is there an element that is keeping you away from returning to the page?Which parts of your play do you think would benefit most from “lab work” with additional collaborators (actors, directors, etc), and how would their involvement further help you answer questions about your play?What elements of the play have you received feedback on in the past that you’d like to continue investigating?

Once the application window closes, playwrights will receive an email confirming receipt and timeline for review. We aim to provide all applicants with an update on their application status by September 12th.

Up to three scripts will be selected for development in spring 2027.

The minimum requirement for application is at least one completed draft of your script.

Our priority is finding scripts we are excited by and that we believe would benefit from three months of hands-on development. With that in mind, we have no restrictions around theme; we accept works exploring all manner of the human experience. However, as a company, we often gravitate towards works that are:Character-drivenClear and specific authorial voiceOutside of the bounds of realismDarkly comedic

At this time, applications are limited to one script per playwright.

Yes. Though we would prefer to spend time with your latest work, we do accept scripts that have been previously sent for review. We do ask that the work has been significantly revised, which means that substantial changes to the story and its telling have been made since it was last shared with us. Please tell us about the changes you’ve made in the script in the development goals section of the application.

Avalanche Theatre is committed to the development of local Chicago theatre makers and will only accept applications from Chicago-land residents.

Yes. We accept adaptations and translations, provided that the rights to any material not in the public domain are granted in writing and that a copy of this permission is shared with Avalanche.

At Avalanche, we employ new play dramaturgs as a routine part of our development process. Many theatre professionals have encountered what is known as a production dramaturg, which is a dramaturg whose primary focus is research, continuity, and building the world of the play through production elements. In a process with a production dramaturg, you’ll usually receive a research packet of some sort, and can contact them about questions regarding the time and place the play is set in. New play dramaturgs, however, primarily function as the play’s first audience member and a playwright’s confidant in the writing process. Through feedback and discussion about plot, character, and structure, new play dramaturgs collaborate closely with the playwright to ensure their story is told as clearly and effectively as possible.

Avalanche Theatre is exclusively interested in written works created by humans, and requires all applicants to verify that no generative AI was used in the creation of their script or application materials. In return, we guarantee that no AI will be used in our review process or in the marketing of the works we produce. Our promises include, but are not limited to:We promise all applications will be evaluated solely by the humans on our review committee.We promise that all written communications and guidelines from Avalanche will be composed by humans (including this FAQ and everything on the application form).We promise that no submitted scripts will be input into any AI software.We promise that all written application feedback will be composed by humans.We promise that all graphics and copy used to promote selected scripts will be created and written by humans.This is a non-exhaustive list. If there are any further steps in the process not addressed above that you would like us to speak to, please contact us at plays@avalanchetheatre.com.

Please contact us at plays@avalanchetheatre.com with the subject line “Next Draft Application Q”. We are a small, volunteer-led team, so please give us a few days to get back to you. Thank you for your patience!