Make a Submission

Submission Rules & Guidelines

Ten-mintue plays and Five-minute monologues (personal narratives) addressing the following prompt are being accepted for Stethoscope Stage 2024 now through May 31, 2024:

With unsettling statistics around maternal mortality rates in the United State of America and stories such as those of Kyira Adele Dixon, Serena Williams, and most recently Kate Cox at the forefront of press and national conversations, the SS 2024 festival theme reflects on maternal health and effective — or ineffective — communication between women and their healthcare providers. Write a narrative in the form of a ten-minute play or five-minute monologue that explores this timely subject.

Medical professionals and members of the general population are encouraged to submit. You do not have to be a professional playwright to share your story. We want the raw, true, authentic you. That said, there are a few requirements to keep in mind:

  • Ten-Minute Plays
    • Page Length: 8 – 10
      • Tip: This is based on standard stage play format. Not familiar with stage play format? No worries! Simply time yourself reading your work in a natural cadence to make sure it does not exceed 10 minutes.
    • File Format: Word Doc or PDF. Other file formats will not be accepted.
    • Font: 12pt. Times New Roman in black ink
    • Text Spacing: Single
    • Characters: Two minimum, four max
    • Your play submission should include:
      • Title Page: Include play title, author full name, and author primary phone number and email address. Also, include a 150 word bio. Please list your medical title and place of employment if applicable.
      • Character Description Page: List the name of each character along with a brief character description. Be sure to include specifics such as age, gender, and race if pertinent to your story. With the exception of identifying yourself in your own monologue or play (if you choose to do so), use of actual names of real-life individuals is strictly prohibited. Examples:
        • STEVEN: Doctor. Easygoing and kindhearted. Always takes copious notes in a small notepad. Extremely tall. Biracial. Male. 35.
        • STANLEY: Patient. Nervous. Stutters. Frail small frame. Caucasian. Male. 70.
      • Full Text of Play
  • Monologues
    • Page Length: 2 -3
      • Tip: This is based on standard stage play format. Not familiar with stage play format? No worries! Simply time yourself reading your work in a natural cadence to make sure it is at least three minutes but not exceeding five minutes.
    • File Format: Word Doc or PDF. Other file formats will not be accepted.
    • Font: 12pt. Times New Roman in black ink
    • Text Spacing: Single
    • Characters: One
    • Your monologue submission should include:
      • Title Page: Include play title, author full name, and author primary phone number and email address. Also, include a 150 word bio. Please list your medical title and place of employment if applicable.
      • Character Description Page: List the name of your character along with a brief character description. Be sure to include specifics such as age, gender, and race if pertinent to your story. With the exception of identifying yourself in your own monologue or play (if you choose to do so), use of actual names of real-life individuals is strictly prohibited. Example:
        • STEVEN: Doctor. Easygoing and kindhearted. Always takes copious notes in a small notepad. Extremely tall. Biracial. Male. 35.
      • Full Text of Monologue

Stethoscope Stage 2024 is being hosted by the TCU Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine in the fall. Announcement of monologues and plays selected — semifinalists, finalists, and official selections — for the 2024 festival should be announced by September 2024. One or more works will have the chance to be published in the TCU Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine HuMed Journal.

Submit Here

Click here to complete the submission form and upload your work.

Note: You must be logged into a Google account to complete the form. If you do not already have a Google account, creating one is free and simple. Be sure to read the festival website prior to proceeding with submission.