IBTC announces national Black playwriting competition, $7,500 prize

The Indianapolis Black Theater Company (IBTC) launched a new playwriting competition focused on Black stories.The Black American Playwriting Competition, which is open to playwrights from across the country, features a grand prize of $7,500 and a production and development deal for the IBTC’s 2025 season. IBTC’s competition is accepting submissions for original, unpublished works that amplify diverse voices and stories that “explore and celebrate the depth and richness of the Black experience,” according to a press release.“What we wanted to do is really pour our focus back on the writers because that’s where it starts,” Ben Rose, founding director of IBTC, told the Recorder. “We give a lot of attention to today and the performance and once we see it and touch it, but all this stuff starts in the mind of individuals, and we really kind of forget to support those writers.”It can be difficult to put on new works, Rose said, because when people have not heard of a show, they might want to come out and spend money on something they are not sure if they will like.READ MORE: Power Plant Grants awards $60K to Indianapolis artistsThrough the American Black Playwriting Competition, both emerging and established playwrights...