The League's One-Act Play Contest, founded in 1927, is the largest high school play production contest or play festival in the world. More than 14,000 Texas high school students in more than 1,200 plays participate in 400 plus contests, which take place from the February through the 48-production State Meet One-Act Play Contest. The One-Act Play Contest is supported by more than 300 members of the Texas Theatre Adjudicator and Officials Organization. The League's theatre program is considered by historians to be the foundation of educational and community theatre in Texas. It continues to be a major factor motivating increasing numbers of schools to offer theatre arts as an academic subject.
The UIL One-Act Play contest is a competition where similarly sized Texas schools present an 18-40 minute play and may be adjudicated by a panel of three judges or a single judge. The contest is held on a single day and open to the public. There are six possible levels of competition: Zone, District, Bi-District, Area, Region, and State. At each level of competition a judge awards individual acting awards as well as selecting three productions to advance to the next level of competition up to the Regional Level where only two will advance to the State Level. After the awards are announced a Judge gives an oral critique to each of the schools. Because of the wide participation and diversity of plays produced certain rules and guidelines have been adopted by the State One-Act Play Office. These rules are in place to ensure safety, allow for equity, satisfy legal standards, and make the running of the contest practical.
DANCING AT LUGHNASA by Brian Friel has been removed from the list of UIL Approved Long Plays.
The agent has denied any cutting for this title. Schools can contact Dramatists Play Service with any questions.
August 28, 2023Please read the following carefully before submitting your UIL internal cuts and change requests:
Broadway Licensing titles (which includes all Dramatists Play Service, Playscripts, and Broadway Licensing Musicals)
If you are making ANY internal cuts, removing expletives, obscenities, or profanities, any such cuts must FIRST be approved by Broadway Licensing.
You must submit your detailed requests for internal cuts/changes to Broadway Licensing, so that they can forward them on to the authors and/or their representatives for approval.
Please note that ALL requests must be submitted prior to UIL’s submission deadline of December 10 th . Broadway Licensing cannot guarantee approval of your request after this date. Please allow at least two weeks turnaround time for approval.
Approval from UIL does not mean your cuts/changes requests are approved by Broadway Licensing. Broadway Licensing cannot guarantee author approvals for your cut/change requests will be granted, even if UIL approves of your selection. Broadway's authors and their representatives have sole discretion over any alterations made to their work, under US copyright laws.
Teachers, if you have questions please email:
dpsnonpro@broadwaylicensing.com for DPS (Dramatists Play Service) titles
playscriptsinfo@broadwaylicensing.com for Playscripts titles
blmusicals-nonpro@broadwaylicensing.com for Broadway Licensing Musicals
February 03, 2023Schools holding a performing license for the plays of Lauren Gunderson have permission to make cuts at their discretion, as needed, for UIL OAP competition.
Broadway Licensing has updated their internal policy to approve any Lauren Gunderson title cut requests as of this week. If you have any questions regarding your license, please contact Broadway Licensing directly.
Please do not contact the playwright. All communication regarding any Lauren Gunderson play must be directed to Broadway Licensing.
January 09, 2023To Kill a Mockingbird, the version by Christopher Sergel, has been removed from the UIL Approved Long Play List. Due to legal issues, Dramatic Publishing is no longer allowed to permit the script to be cut for any reason.
Schools can contact Dramatic Publishing with any questions.
If your high school plans to compete
in One-Act Play for the 2024-25 contest year
then the OAP director needs to ENROLL
for Participation
HIGH SCHOOL Deadline
December 6, 2024
JUNIOR HIGH Deadline
45 days before contest
