The Fertile Ground Festival of New Works at HART will be back April 2027

HILLSBORO ARTISTS' REGIONAL THEATRE Presents:

2027 Fertile Ground Festival of New Works at HART

HART will be proud to once again represent the Westside as a premiere official venue of The Fertile Ground Festival of New Works in 2027. It will be a celebration of bold, original voices and emerging playwrights. We will be announcing a line up of writing classes and a new pathway to get your voice heard as a New Work.  Keep checking back for further details as we post them.

 

NOW TAKING SUBMISSIONS

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Fertile Ground 2027 at HART: Submission Guidelines

Hillsboro Artists' Regional Theatre (HART) is now accepting submissions for Fertile Ground 2027, a festival celebrating new theatrical works by emerging and established playwrights. Selected plays will receive staged readings as part of the festival, providing writers with the opportunity to hear their work performed before a live audience and receive valuable audience feedback. In addition, one full-length work may be selected for a future HART mainstage production, offering playwrights the opportunity to develop their work beyond the festival.

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Submission Window
Opens: July 15, 2026

Closes: September 1, 2026, or upon receipt of the first 50 eligible submissions, whichever occurs first.

Late submissions will not be accepted.

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Eligibility
Only one (1) submission per playwright will be accepted.

In lieu of a single play, playwrights may submit a series of linked short plays totaling no more than 90 pages. The works must be connected by a common story, characters, setting, theme, or other unifying element and be intended to function as a single theatrical experience.

Scripts must be 10–110 pages in length.

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NOTE: The submitted work must not have been previously produced or publicly performed in its current form. The playwright must be the creator of the submitted work or otherwise own all rights necessary to submit and present it. The creative writing and dramatic content of the submitted work must be the playwright's own original authorship and must not have been generated by artificial intelligence. Playwrights retain all ownership and copyright of their work.

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Selection Process
Submitted scripts will be reviewed by a volunteer reading committee using an established scoring rubric. While submissions from throughout Oregon are welcome, additional consideration is given to playwrights who reside in Hillsboro or within approximately 10 miles of Hillsboro as part of HART's mission to foster and develop local artists.

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Selected works will be presented as staged readings during Fertile Ground 2027.

Staged readings utilize music stands, director's chairs, minimal props, and limited lighting and sound. Please keep this presentation format in mind when submitting your script.

HART will market the festival, sell tickets, and operate the box office and concession stand.

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Playwright Responsibilities
By submitting your work, you acknowledge and agree that:

You are responsible for securing a director and cast for your staged reading. HART will gladly assist with recruitment and facilitate connections whenever possible but cannot guarantee placement.

Your work will be presented as a staged reading rather than a fully staged production.

You will disclose any significant technical considerations or limitations during the submission process.

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If your play is selected, no substantial revisions will be made to the submitted script without prior discussion with the Fertile Ground Committee at HART.

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Potential Mainstage Production
Each year, HART may select one Fertile Ground submission for a future mainstage production.

To be eligible for this opportunity:

• The submission must be a full-length play or a linked series of shorter plays capable of being presented as a full evening of theatre.

• The production must fall within HART's technical, budgetary, and production capabilities.

• The submitted script should be substantially production-ready.

• The playwright agrees to collaborate with HART's artistic and creative team on any reasonable revisions necessary to prepare the play for production.

• Selection for the Fertile Ground Festival does not guarantee consideration for a future mainstage production.
   

Compensation
Participation in Fertile Ground 2027 is voluntary.

Playwrights retain all ownership and rights to their work. HART retains all proceeds from ticket sales, concessions, and box office revenue to help offset the costs of producing the festival and operating the theatre. No royalties, licensing fees, stipends, or additional compensation will be paid as part of this event.

 

Thank you for sharing your work with us. We look forward to discovering new voices, celebrating the art of playwriting, and bringing original stories to life on the HART stage.

 

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