VSA Playwright Discovery Program

Scholarship Sponsored by Kennedy Center

Overview
Each year the Access/VSA Playwright Discovery Program invites exceptional young writers with disabilities from across the globe to take part in an intensive playwright development experience. Participants, who are typically secondary school students (roughly ages 14–19), receive monetary stipends and join a structured script development sequence that includes specialized workshops and industry exposure.

Focus and selection
The program centers on developing ten-minute plays. A panel of theater professionals will choose multiple winners.

Program components
Winners will take part in:
- Virtual and in-person script development meetings
- One-on-one dramaturgy sessions with a professional dramaturg
- A trip to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., culminating in a rehearsal-style session with professional actors and designers that simulates a first-day rehearsal
- Workshops that address important business and industry topics
- Opportunities to network with theater practitioners

Eligibility
To apply, you must meet all of the following requirements:
- Open to applicants from the United States and other countries. Submissions must be in English or American Sign Language (ASL); works in other languages will not be accepted.
- The author must be a student with a documented disability.
- The author must be enrolled in senior high school on Wednesday, January 7, 2026 (generally ages 14–19).
- Previous applicants may reapply each year until they either win or age out; any individual may win only once.
- Winners are required to attend every scheduled Access/VSA Playwright Discovery Program workshop to remain eligible for the award. Virtual session dates: March 28, April 25, May 30, and June 27, 2026. In-person dates: July 12–16, 2026.
- Finalists will need to provide proof of age and disability and must agree to publicly disclose their disability in program materials and at public appearances related to the Access/VSA Playwright Discovery Program.

Selection process
An advisory panel made up of established theater professionals and educators will support the evaluation and selection of winners.

How to submit
- Complete and submit the online application form.
- Enter a script synopsis of up to 250 words in the designated text box.
- If you need application materials in an alternative format, request them by emailing vsainfo@kennedy-center.org.

Script requirements
- Submissions must be in English or ASL; other languages are not accepted.
- Entries must be ten-minute plays: they should include at least two characters and be structured with a clear beginning, middle, and end (not a scene, skit, or sketch). Because the piece must resolve within roughly ten minutes, a dramatic conflict should be established quickly and resolved within the play’s duration. A typical ten-minute script runs about eight or nine pages and must not exceed ten pages. Read your piece aloud to check timing.
- Submissions can be provided as written scripts, or as video or audio files where appropriate.
- Each applicant may submit only one piece, whether under their legal name or a pseudonym.
- Works must be original, unpublished, and unproduced at the time of submission. Scripts that have had readings or workshops may qualify so long as they have not been produced for a paying audience and have not been publicly reviewed.
- If your script includes material owned by someone else (for example, poetry, music, lyrics, characters created by another author, or narratives based on other people’s lives), you must supply written permission from the rights holder to include that material in your entry.

Formatting instructions (required)
- Include a cover sheet that lists the title and the cast/character list. IMPORTANT: Do not place your name, address, or any identifying information on the cover sheet or anywhere within the submitted pages.
- Use 12-point Arial type.
- Number every page of the script (do not number the cover sheet).
- Use portrait page layout (no landscape).
- Before uploading, rename your file to the TITLE OF YOUR SCRIPT.

Deadlines and receipt confirmation
- Application deadline: Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
- After you submit, the system will receive your application immediately and you should receive a confirmation email within 24 hours. Please check your spam or junk folder for that message. If you do not receive confirmation, email vsainfo@kennedy-center.org.

Funding disclaimer (for U.S. applicants)
For domestic applicants, this program was developed with support from grant H421F240164 from the U.S. Department of Education. The Department does not prescribe or endorse the practices, models, or other activities described here. The program content may reference or link to materials created by other organizations; the Department does not guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of such external content. The program content does not necessarily reflect the Department’s policy or views, and it should not be taken as endorsement by any federal agency. (EDGAR 75.620)