Submitted plays are read blind; readers will not see playwright names attached to scripts. Submitted plays go through two rounds of readers. In the first round, a group of readers scores on a simple rubric intended to assess whether the play complies with the above criteria and feels producible as a BTM play. In the second round, a group of readers scores plays according to how strongly they are compelled by the work and would want to see it produced in the Marathon. First round readers are mostly internal to BPT; second round readers are a combination of BPT staff and outside artists. Both rounds will always include BIPOC readers. After play selection, each year’s readers will be published on our website and in the BTM program.
Each year, BPT also extends invitations to a small group of writers whose work we admire to contribute a play to the marathon. These artists will be designated in the BPT program as “Invited Writers,” and we are delighted to celebrate their work alongside the plays selected through blind submission.