ACANSA / ACT
10 Min Play Showcase
September 13–15, 2026
ACT II Sharon Heflin
Performing Arts Center
The ACANSA 10-Minute Play Showcase returns in 2026 through a new partnership between ACANSA and Argenta Contemporary Theatre, celebrating original short plays by Arkansas writers and the local artists who bring them to life. The showcase originated in 2018 as a joint production of ACANSA and The Yarn, founded and produced by Hilary Trudell.
Produced by ACT Artistic Director Coburn Goss and Executive Director Jeremy Williams, this fast-moving showcase invites audiences into the thrill of new work: fresh characters, unexpected turns, big laughs, sharp questions, and stories still discovering what they can become.
Selected plays will be rehearsed and performed in ACT II’s intimate black box setting, where the focus is on the essentials: the writing, the actors, the room, and the spark between artists and audience.
For playwrights, it’s a chance to test a new idea. For directors and actors, it’s a creative sprint. For audiences, it’s a first look at what Arkansas theatre makers are dreaming up next.
News
Playwrights
Submission Deadline: Sunday, August 2
ACANSA and ACT are seeking new, unproduced 10-minute plays by Arkansas playwrights, high school age and older. Writers of all experience levels are encouraged to submit.
Plays should be written for a workshop-style black box setting, with simple technical needs and minimal scenic, prop, lighting, and sound requirements. Ideal submissions will feature 1–3 characters, though plays with up to 5 characters may be considered.
Bring us a new idea. A bold first draft. A strange little comedy. A sharp conversation.
A story that needs ten minutes in front of an audience.
Learn more and submit your play below.
Directors & Actors
Submission Deadline: Sunday, August 2
ACANSA and ACT are seeking new, unproduced 10-minute plays by Arkansas playwrights, high school age and older. Writers of all experience levels are encouraged to submit.
Plays should be written for a workshop-style black box setting, with simple technical needs and minimal scenic, prop, lighting, and sound requirements. Ideal submissions will feature 1–3 characters, though plays with up to 5 characters may be considered.
Bring us a new idea. A bold first draft. A strange little comedy. A sharp conversation.
A story that needs ten minutes in front of an audience.
Learn more and submit your resume & photo below.