School of Media Studies

Over 83 million people worldwide have contracted Covid-19. Close to 2 million have died. In the United States alone, over 340,000 have succumbed to this deadly virus, and counting. With no end to the pandemic in sight, the “new normal” involves lockdowns, social distancing, face masks, fear, and political strife. 

More than any other creative genre, drama has suffered the hardest during the Covid-19 pandemic. With the closure of theaters worldwide as in plagues of the past, playhouses have been forced to find new ways to reproduce the magic of live theater by going virtual. For smaller venues lacking the resources, many have closed temporarily or permanently shuttered. For playwrights, this reality translates to fewer opportunities to showcase their work, and the virus places in peril the future of live theater and new works. 

We seek an anthology to showcase works by playwrights examining Covid-19 in all its permutations. We are looking for dramatic works (short plays, performance pieces, monologues, etc.) from diverse playwrights worldwide that speak to the deaths, isolation, social, political, and economic upheaval that have followed in the wake of this pandemic. We are committed to having the completed anthology reflect the voices of our diverse world, so female and BIPOC playwrights, as well as those from traditionally marginalized groups are encouraged to submit. The anthology will be published by FlowerSong Press in Spring 2022.

To submit, send new and un-produced scripts as attachments of no more than 25 pages to covidanthology@gmail.com by August 1, 2021. Include a 50-75 word 3rd-person bio in the body of your email. Plays that have had readings or workshops are acceptable. Format scripts as Microsoft Word or PDF documents only, and include a title page with contact information. Simultaneous submissions are okay but please notify us asap if accepted elsewhere. All accepted playwrights will receive a copy of the anthology upon publication. 

Meet the editors: 

Robert Paul Moreira, Lecturer in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, earned his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Texas-Pan American, and his Ph.D. in Literature from the University of Texas at San Antonio. His plays include Roses From Castile, Miriam’s Song, Proxima b, Dick Tea, and Kiki. Malinalli, a musical in collaboration with Josiah Esquivel, will be published by FlowerSong Press in 2021. 

Philip Zwerling, formerly Associate Professor of Creative Writing and Director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, earned his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of New Orleans, and his Ph.D. in Theatre from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Scenes from his plays are anthologized in One on One: The Best Women’s Monologues for the Twentieth First Century, One on One: The Best Men’s Monologues for the Twenty-First Century, and Duo: The Best Scenes for the Twenty First Century, all by Applause Books. His coauthored full length play Locked will be published by Lamar University Press in 2021.