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Thank you to all who participated in the inaugural Clive Awards! Submissions are now closed. Semi-finalists will be alerted in November 2023.

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Overview

What are the Clive Awards?

The Clive Awards is a new playwriting competition presented by Fellowship for Performing Arts to encourage the writing of new works that advance FPA’s mission to produce theater from a Christian worldview to engage a diverse audience. FPA is excited to connect with literary artists who are inspired by our history of producing smart, imaginative, multilayered stories and adaptations.

What is Fellowship for Performing Arts?

Founded by award-winning actor, Max McLean, FPA is a not-for-profit New York City-based production company producing theatre and film from a Christian worldview to engage a diverse audience. FPA has a special interest in the works of C.S. Lewis and his contemporaries and has produced new theatrical adaptations of The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce as well as a play and film about Lewis’ spiritual journey called The Most Reluctant Convert.

FPA told the story of Martin Luther and Katie von Bora on stage in Martin Luther on Trial by Chris Cragin-Day and Max McLean. The company also premiered a contemporary theatrical retelling of Paradise Lost by Tom Dulack and has produced revivals of great plays like Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons and William Nicholson’s Shadowlands, which delve into such issues as pain and suffering, freedom and conscience.
Previous FPA Productions
FPA Highlights

Prizes

FPA intends to award two prizes:

  1. First Prize Winner will receive $25K total. At the announcement of the prize, the First Prize winner will receive $10K. An additional $15K will be distributed to the First Prize Winner during a collaborative development process during which the winning play will receive at least one live or virtual staged reading.
  2. The Second Prize winner will receive $15K total. At the announcement of the prize, the Second Prize winner will receive $5K. An additional $10K will be distributed to the Second Prize Winner during a collaborative development process during which the winning play will receive at least one live or virtual staged reading.

FPA shall reserve the right not to award winners for any reason.

Deadline for Submissions
August 31, 2023
Judging Period

September – December 2023

Semifinalists alerted: November 2023

Finalists alerted: December 2023

Announcement of Prizes
January 2024

Submission Requirements

Submission requirements:

  • Submissions will be restricted to unpublished, unproduced, full-length plays with approximate run times between 60 and 100 minutes. Cast lists will be capped at 6 actors maximum.
  • All material must directly reflect FPA’s mission of producing theatre from a Christian worldview to engage a diverse audience.
  • Submitted plays may be original or adapted. If adapted, the source material must either be in the public domain or the playwright must be able to prove that they own any underlying or third party rights.
  • Playwrights may submit up to two (2) plays per contest. Submitted scripts must not currently be under option or commissioned by another theatrical entity. Plays that have received previous readings will be considered.
  • Submissions from any country of origin are welcome, but the script must be submitted in the English language and writers must accept the contest rules and conditions.
  • There is no entry fee.

Playwrights must submit one single PDF file to include:

  • A cover page with name, address, email, phone number and brief bio (1 page).
  • A brief summary that includes cast breakdown, setting and story synopsis as well as disclosure of any readings or other development activity that the script has previously received (1-2 pages).
  • A typed script, written in English, with numbered pages.
  • If your script contains any copyrighted material, please also include a signed letter from the authors and underlying rights representative stating that you have secured underlying rights. Alternately, you may provide a copy of your contract with all financial information redacted. The following information should be made clear:
    • Length of agreement and standards for renewals/extensions
    • List and definitions of all parties involved
    • Indication of who has artistic control over the piece and what approvals are needed at what stages

When submitting your file, please include the playwright’s first and last name and the title of the play in the file name, as in: FirstNameLastName-TitleOfPlay.pdf

Rules and Conditions
Submission Guide

FAQs

Submissions will be accepted starting January 31, 2023 and must be submitted no later than August 31, 2023.

Playwrights must submit typed, electronic submissions in the Submit Your Entry area of the Clive Awards website. Paper scripts will not be accepted. Please refer to the Submission Guide for help with how to format your submission. Writers should note the submission requirements when uploading and will also be required to accept the rules and conditions.

There is no entry fee for The Clive Awards.

Each contestant may submit up to two (2) plays, but the plays must be submitted separately and the rules and conditions must be accepted separately.

Submissions will be considered if they are full-length plays with approximate run times between 60 and 100 minutes and no more than 6 actors maximum in the cast (roles may be doubled if necessary). 

All material should directly reflect FPA’s mission of producing theatre from a Christian worldview to engage a diverse audience. Plays should not contain profanity or material that is considered obscene or offensive. 

No – As long as the play is written to reflect FPA’s mission, any time period or setting is acceptable. 

If the play is an adaptation of existing material, the source material must be in the public domain or the playwright must be able to prove that they own any underlying or third party rights. For more specific information, please review the rules and conditions and the submission guide.

No – Only plays will be considered this year.

Yes – Playwrights who reside outside the U.S. and its territories may submit their work as long as they agree to the rules and conditions.

Semi-finalists will be notified in November 2023, finalists in December 2023 and prize winners announced in January 2024. Winners will receive phone calls/emails and winners will be announced on the FPA and Clive Awards websites.

No.

The first prize winner will receive $10K upon announcement of the award and the second prize winner will receive $5K. FPA will work with the writers to hone their scripts in preparation for staged readings, which will take place within one year of the awards announcement. The remaining $15K (first prize) and $10K (second prize) will be paid to the playwrights at the times of the staged readings.

FPA commits to presenting a live or virtual staged reading of each winning play. It is the hope of FPA that the winning plays will later develop into full FPA productions, but there is no guarantee of such. 

Further inquiries may be addressed to: [email protected]