The NotaBle Acts Theatre Company is seeking submissions for its twenty-fifth annual provincewide playwriting competition. Contest winners will have their work featured as part of the 2026 NotaBle Acts Summer Theatre Festival, to be held in Fredericton, July 23-August 1.

New Brunswick playwrights have the opportunity to submit work in three main categories, one for 7-10 minute short plays, one for 30-60 minute one-act plays, and another for 10-20 minute site-specific plays. Two additional categories of the contest are specifically for young playwrights in New Brunswick Middle and High schools.

Winning playwrights will also receive a cash prize and script mentoring from a professional playwright.

The contest rules and guidelines, as well as instructions on how to submit scripts, are available at http://www.nbacts.com. Questions about the contest can be directed to lfalken@unb.ca or (506) 458-7406. The contest deadline is May 1st, 2026.

That’s a wrap! NotaBle Acts closed the 24th annual edition of our Summer Theatre Festival on Sunday. Once again, our hearts are full. Over 70 NB playwrights, actors, directors, designers, and technicians came together to stage 16 amazing, funny, powerful, moving, and one-of-a-kind new New Brunswick plays over 11 days, to the delight of large and enthusiastic audiences. This was one of our best attended festivals in recent memory, for good reason, as the shows were all fantastic!

We have many people to thank, including our funders and sponsors City of Fredericton Government, Arts Culture NB, artsnb, Canadian Heritage, UNB Fredericton, and Downtown Fredericton, as well as our in-kind and venue partners Beaverbrook Art Gallery, The Charlotte Street Arts Centre and UNB Fredericton – Faculty of Arts.

Thanks also to all the amazing artists who contributed such fantastic work to making our 2025 festival such a success, and to all of you who attended the shows. We’re already looking forward to next year!

Photos: Kyle Albright, Kelly Baker & Barry McClusky