What's Happening!

  • OUR NEXT OPEN APPLICATION COMMISSION IS NOW LIVE!

    Every year Clubbed Thumb invites playwrights to propose plays inspired by a particular prompt. The application is free and open to all; the anonymous proposals are read by a panel of theater artists. The winning proposal(s) receive (or split) a $15,000 award and development support. (Read more about our new approach to play submissions HERE.)

    This year, thanks to the gift of an anonymous sponsor, we are pleased to announce our next submission opportunity: Anthropology of the Workplace – a Margaret Mead Commission.

    READ MORE & SUBMIT HERE

  • THE FAMILY DOG WILL RETURN IN 2027!

    Summerworks 2026’s sold-out, hit production of THE FAMILY DOG by Bailey Williams, directed by Tara Ahmadinejad and starring the original cast will return for FOUR WEEKS ONLY, February 9 – March 6, 2027 at New York Theatre Workshop. Tickets will go on sale in a few weeks – sign up for our EBLAST to get updates, early access and special ticket deals!

  • THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR GALA A GREAT SUCCESS

    Thanks to everyone who joined us to honor Josh Silverman, and to everyone who contributed to make it a truly special night.

    It’s not too late to contribute to the Josh Silverman Fund! DONATE HERE

  • MEET OUR 26/27 GROUP COHORTS!

    A very warm welcome to the incoming writers and directors taking part in Clubbed Thumb’s Early-Career Writers’ Group and New Play Fellowship!

    Directors Cricket Brown, Marissa Joyce Stamps and Jillian Jetton will work on plays by Daniel Holzman, Aaron Ricciardi and Nikhil Mahapatra respectively – stay tuned for a Winterworks announcement.

    And we’re looking forward to getting to know Agyeiwaa Asante, Ida Cutler, Carlin Feck, Fiona Gorry-Hines, Salwa Meghjee, Derick Edgren Otero, Jacob K. Robinson and Amy B. Tiong in this year’s writers’ group!

  • THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SUMMERWORKS 2026

    Whether it was your first Summerworks or your 29th, we are so pleased you could join us. CLICK HERE for photos, essays and press from this season.

    We’ll be spending the summer incubating and planning for the fall, but we have lot of news to share, so watch this space!

  • OUR NEW ANTHOLOGY - ON SALE NOW

    We’ve been eager to put out a second anthology since Funny, Strange, Provocative was published in 2007, and the last year finally provided us with the time to take on this long-awaited project. We are thrilled to announce that Unusual Stories, Unusually Told, published by Bloomsbury/Methuen, is now available!

    In it you’ll find seven Clubbed Thumb plays that span 18 years of our history, as well as essays and interviews about the work, and the often atypical processes that led to their productions.

    Read more about the book and get your discounted copy (and our first anthology) HERE

PLAY SUBMISSIONS

Updated November 6, 2026

For many years, we have tried different approaches to ensure that our open-submission portal was an efficient, authentic point of entry for playwrights. Literary associate after literary associate (once we had them) have suggested that the Biennial Commission is the most organic and effective tool we have to identify both scripts and writers with whom we might have affinity, rather than the unwieldy open submission process.

To better create access and opportunity for writers, we are embarking on an experiment for the next few years. We will only accept script submissions in the very specific context of the open application commissions. However, instead of offering this opportunity every other year, we will offer this opportunity every year, always with a different panel of adjudicators, and often with collaborative partners.

We are hopeful that this recalibration will help us more robustly connect with playwrights and their work, and feel it represents a thoughtful enhancement rather than a retrenchment of both our commitment to access and our support for playwrights.

We are now accepting submissions for our 2026 open application commission.

READ THE PROMPT AND SUBMIT YOURS HERE

ABOUT OUR WORK

Clubbed Thumb develops and produces plays that are funny, strange and provocative. If you’ve not seen our work, then look through our production history and read some of the plays we have produced (in our anthologies or published elsewhere) before submitting.

Beyond our aesthetic criteria, Clubbed Thumb will only accept play submissions that fall within these basic guidelines:

  • Has at least three roles
  • Includes substantial and challenging roles for women
  • Running time of 90 min or less
  • Intermissionless
  • Unproduced in New York City

Do not send, for example: 

  • Two-handers or solo shows
  • Tragedies
  • Adaptations 
  • Plays that are over 110 pages (unless it reads really fast!)
  • Do not re-submit plays we have responded to; only submit one play please