ALBANY, N.Y. (September 8, 2025) Irish and Irish-American history is full of playwrights, giving voice to – and capturing - the imaginations and experience of both the Irish and Irish-Americans. The Irish American Heritage Museum (IAHM) is launching a search for original, new Irish or Irish-American plays, in a special competition that will result with the production and showing of this new work in IAHM’s beautiful performance space.
“IAHM is proud to announce the Museum’s inaugural One-Act Play Competition,” said Margaret Lasch Carroll, Ph.D., Member of IAHM’s Board of Directors, Chair of IAHM’s Program Committee, and humanities professor emerita at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. “There is so much untapped talent in Irish and Irish-American communities. IAHM has the perfect venue to produce one-act plays. We invite playwrights to share their work with us.”
The one-act play competition is open to all. One submission per author is allowed. Scripts must be original, unpublished and not-yet produced, and must be with an Irish or Irish American theme. The scripts must be 20 – 35 minutes long, with a minimum of six actors. Settings should be simple, with a single compelling conflict. A variety of genres are welcome, including comedy, tragedy, drama, magical realism, myth, romance, satire, and musicals. The only genre not eligible is children’s plays. The winners will be responsible for casting and production of their respective plays; IAHM will provide access, date/s for show/s, and refreshments for attendees of the performances.
“Just as there could be a variety of genres of plays, there could be any theme,” Carroll said. “I could name themes all day, but some suggestions are Irish culture, Irish-American culture, historical events, myths, family dynamics, immigration, identity or social issues.”
The schedule for IAHM’s One-Act Play Competition is:
• December 1, 2025 (Close of Business): Deadline for submissions.
• February 1, 2025, Winners of Competition announced.
• May 2026, winner’s works performed at the Irish American Heritage Museum’s Flanagan Theater.
Judges from IAHM’s Board of Directors, Programs Committee and the region’s theatrical/literary community will review all entries. The judges’ decisions will be final.
“The Flanagan Theater at the museum is the perfect venue for a new playwright to showcase their work,” said Michael C. Clarke, IAHM’s Executive Director. “We have seen such remarkable regional talent at IAHM’s traditional music sessions, Irish Talent Salons, and other events. Anyone who has had a play idea, the urge to create and show, or who has a finished work sitting in a drawer somewhere – is invited to submit your work.”
MEDIA CONTACT FOR THE ONE-ACT PLAY COMPETITION:
Margaret Lasch Carroll, Ph.D.
Chair, Programs Committee
Irish-American Heritage Museum
MOBILE: 518.526.9528
EMAIL: Margaret.Carroll@irish-us.org