Play Submissions

ReOrient 2026 Call for Short Plays

Think you know the Middle East? Think again!

Golden Thread Productions is seeking short plays for consideration in ReOrient Festival of Short Plays 2026. ReOrient Festival showcases the diversity of voices and aesthetics from the Middle East and its worldwide diaspora in a curated festival of short plays produced biennially in San Francisco.

Submission Guidelines:
Length: 10-30 minutes
One submission only per playwright
Deadline: Apr 30, 2025

Eligibility:

• Playwrights of Middle Eastern heritage writing about any topic
• Playwrights of all backgrounds writing about the Middle East
• The plays must be in English (Translations of plays originally written in other languages are also welcome)

Areas of Interest include:

• Plays that engage with urgent contemporary issues, reflecting the social, political, and cultural landscapes highlighting the Middle East and its diaspora
• Plays that center Palestine and the Palestinian diaspora
• Plays that experiment with non-realistic forms, non-linear or physically-based storytelling and innovative performance styles
• Comedies
• Plays that explore and demonstrate aspects of daily or family life
• Adaptations of classical texts and or historical figures
• Exploration of Middle Eastern performance traditions

Production Expectations:

• 5 to 7 plays will be selected for development and production in the fall of 2026.
• Each play is supported by a director and a dramaturg. 
• All plays are performed as part of one evening with an ensemble that is shared amongst different productions. 
• The design elements for all plays are handled by one design team.

UPLOAD SUBMISSION VIA THIS FORM

For questions, please email:
submissions@goldenthread.org
Subject Line: ReOrient 2026

Golden Thread Productions, founded in 1996, is the first theatre company in the United States focused on the Middle East. We produce passionate and provocative plays from or about the Middle East that celebrate the multiplicity of its perspectives and identities. Every play serves as an invitation to discover unexpected connections and engage in deeply moving conversations that last well beyond the life of the play. We are a developmental catalyst and vibrant artistic home to artists at various stages of their careers. We bring the Middle East to the American stage, creating treasured cultural experiences for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. goldenthread.org