The American Playwriting Foundation

The American Playwriting Foundation The largest annual cash prize in American theater awarded to playwrights in recognition of a new play All submitted materials will be evaluated anonymously.

Submissions are officially open for the 2022 Relentless Musical Award, in honor of Adam Schlesinger. We are looking for musicals that:
-are challenging.
-exhibit fearlessness.
-exude passion.
-are relentlessly truthful. Even the final judges will have no knowledge of the identity, gender or race of a work’s creators. Our criteria for submission casts a wide net of eligibility, but we especially en

courage submissions by first-time composers, lyricists, and book writers of all identities. Our goal is to discover and promote new works from people whose voices have been historically under- or un-represented in musical theatre. Prize:
-The creators of the winning submission will receive $65,000, the largest prize in -American theater presented to an unproduced musical.
-The winning musical, along with finalists and semifinalists, will also receive development opportunities through a series of staged readings at Theatre Row as well as at some of the top regional theaters in the country. Deadlines:
-Submissions will be accepted until March 1, 2022. Eligibility/Criteria for Submission:
-Only full-length works of musical theatre are eligible for the 2022 Relentless Musical Award.
-The work must be unproduced and cannot have had a previous professional production or a current production commitment.
-Applications are limited to shows by writers with United States citizenship, those who possess a green card, or currently reside in the United States and have lived here for at least four (4) years.
-Musicals that utilize extant music not written by the applicant(s) (e.g. “jukebox musicals” or musicals with parody lyrics) are ineligible.
-Writers must be at least 21 years old.
-Works may be based on underlying material, in which case proof of authorization or right to adapt the underlying material must be uploaded with the application if it is not in the public domain.
-We welcome and encourage musicals that include non-English languages, but in recognizing the current limitations of our reading committees, request that an English translation be included for any non-English text.
-Writers and composers who have had a show produced on Broadway or the West End are ineligible.
-Musicals considered to be “Theatre for a Young Audience” are ineligible.
-Shows may only be submitted for consideration ONCE; if submitted for the 2022 -Relentless Musical Award, the show will be ineligible for future Relentless Musical Awards. HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR MUSICAL:

Follow instructions and use the link provided at

http://www.americanplaywritingfoundation.org

We're thrilled that the 2026 Pipeline Awards have recognized three incredible musicals that were also Relentless Musical...
06/11/2026

We're thrilled that the 2026 Pipeline Awards have recognized three incredible musicals that were also Relentless Musical Award honorees- 2025 Honorable Mention Bludline: A Hip Hop Odyssey by Peter White and Fermin Suero Jr., 2025 Finalist Francois & the Rebels by Jaime Cepero, and 2022 Honorable Mention Eddie the Marvelous by Kate Kilbane and Dan Moses. Congrats to these talented writers- we love these three shows and are so excited to watch them grow.

What happens when hiding becomes ingrained in your identity? For Carlo Albán, childhood meant knowing that explaining to...
06/05/2026

What happens when hiding becomes ingrained in your identity? For Carlo Albán, childhood meant knowing that explaining too much put himself and his family at serious risk.

This is your LAST WEEKEND to experience Carlo's story- see it before June 7!

https://bfany.org/theatre-row/shows/intringulis/

06/03/2026

Today’s word of the day is:  intríngulis! But what does it mean? It’s a snag, a complication, a complex web. The grey areas of a story that refuses to be black and white, a knot you can’t easily untangle.
 
What does it mean to Carlo Albán? You’ll have to see the show to find out. Intríngulis closes THIS WEEKEND, and you don’t want to miss it.

For many, acting is a source of joy and creativity. For Carlo and his family, it was a vital source of protection.See In...
05/28/2026

For many, acting is a source of joy and creativity. For Carlo and his family, it was a vital source of protection.

See Intríngulis, a solo show with music about Carlo's family's path to U.S. Citizenship, now through June 7.

https://bfany.org/theatre-row/shows/intringulis/

05/26/2026

15 years after its NYC premiere, Intríngulis is more relevant than ever. A recent statistic shows that 54% of Americans support mass deportation. Whether you’re part of that 54% or the other 46%, we hope you’ll join us for this beautiful and extremely human show.
 
Intríngulis previews begin tonight at Theatre Row! For the first time in 15 years, Carlo’s play returns with a new urgency. See it now through June 7.

Home: to many, a place of origin, identity, belonging. To Carlo and his family, a place you try as hard as you can not t...
05/22/2026

Home: to many, a place of origin, identity, belonging. To Carlo and his family, a place you try as hard as you can not to lose.

Carlo's breathtaking solo show Intríngulis tells the story of his family's journey to U.S. citizenship through humor, rage, and music. See it May 26- June 7 at Theatre Row!

https://bfany.org/theatre-row/shows/intringulis/

05/20/2026

With less than a week until the first preview, we’re thrilled to share this sneak peek into Carlo Albán’s fearless solo show, Intríngulis. Returning for the first time in 15 years with a new urgency, Carlo’s play traces his family’s immigration journey and the long path to legalization, all while he was hiding in plain sight as a child actor on Sesame Street. Don’t miss this scathing, joyful, musical show, playing May 26- June 7 at Theatre Row.

Huge thanks to Gothamist and WNYC for this thrilling deep dive into The Verbatim Salon! It's been such an honor and priv...
05/15/2026

Huge thanks to Gothamist and WNYC for this thrilling deep dive into The Verbatim Salon! It's been such an honor and privilege to work with the Verbatim team on these monthly events for the last year, and we're so grateful to all who have attended and so thoughtfully engaged with their complex, deeply human stories. We hope you'll join us for the next Verbatim Salon on May 19th at Theatre Row.

Ps, if you've enjoyed the Verbatim Salons, we know you'll love Intríngulis, another deeply personal story of interacting with the US immigration system. See Carlo Albán’s remarkable solo show at Theatre Row May 26- June 7

Actors channel the lives of immigrants in the monthly Verbatim Salon.

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