You are invited.

A student-initiated, student-run, non-competitive festival that presents seven completed campus productions on June 25 and 26, 2027. Campus teams produce their own plays during Spring 2027. The festival brings them together at the Frederick Loewe Theatre at Hunter College.

Current undergraduate students at the seven participating CUNY colleges are eligible and warmly invited to submit an original play. Recent graduates from those colleges are also welcome to submit if they graduated in Spring 2025 or later.

No. Eligible applicants from any major are welcome. If you are not a theatre major or minor, you must partner with a theatre major or minor from your college before production starts. You may submit while still looking for that partner.

Nothing. There is no submission fee.

Submit one original play running 20 to 25 minutes, written toward Dreams & Magic. Interpret the theme in your own way. Prior campus or public presentation is welcome and does not disqualify your play.

Write for a running time of twenty to twenty-five minutes.

Upload your script as a PDF and complete the production questions in the submission form. They ask why your play matters, who it serves, and your theatre major or minor and partner status. Eligible graduates also complete a team-plan section. You do not need to upload a separate production-sheet document. Google sign-in is required for the PDF upload.

Submit one play. Send us the one you most want to see onstage.

The Play Selection Committee reads and ranks submissions with the college visible and identifying details hidden. The Executive Producer, Artistic Director and Co-Producer interview finalists. Those three and each college's two committee members make the final choice for that college together.

Yes. Anyone who graduated from one of the seven participating colleges in Spring 2025 or later is also welcome to submit. If selected, the graduate becomes the play's playwright-producer and chooses one currently enrolled undergraduate from the same college as a core production partner. Together they recruit the rest of the 5-to-10-person same-college team and produce the play. The partner may be chosen after selection.

You are also welcome if you completed a degree at one of the seven listed CUNY colleges in Spring 2025 or later. Current graduate-school enrollment by itself does not establish eligibility.

Each selected play gathers its own campus team to produce the work during Spring 2027. Teams have up to 10 people across cast and crew, plus one required faculty advisor who does not count toward that cap. Performers are enrolled undergraduates from the college represented. A graduate-led team has 5 to 10 people including the graduate playwright-producer and 4 to 9 enrolled undergraduates from that same college. Productions must be ready by the end of May, attend tech June 21 to 24, and perform on June 25 and 26.

Yes. A play may have been presented at your college or elsewhere, or it may debut at the festival. Prior presentation does not affect eligibility.

Every production uses the festival-provided shared set kit. Its final inventory will be shared before production begins. Use approved props, closet-first or team-made costumes, and no more than five light cues and five sound cues. Do not buy new costumes. Open flame, violence toward the audience and explicit sexual content are not permitted. Venue technical and safety rules apply.

Yes. You retain copyright. The participation agreement will set out the limited performance and documentation permissions needed for the June 2027 festival.

No. The reading process hides your name, year, major and contact details. Readers see your college, script and production sheet.

Visit Careers for nine openings across seven roles. No experience, portfolio, reel or work samples are required. Send a cover letter and resume to Danilo@cunytheatrefestival.org. Roles are hybrid, with flexible hours of 5 to 15 per week depending on workload. They are currently unpaid, and future pay is not guaranteed.

No. This is a non-competitive festival. Seven plays are selected, one from each participating college.