2026 Midwest Dramatists Conference

The 2026 Midwest Dramatists Conference is coming to Olathe, Kansas on October 7-10. Fifty-four playwrights from around the country will convene at the Hilton Garden Inn to have their ten minute plays presented by professional local actors and adjudicated by performing arts luminaries from New York City, Palm Springs, and Louisville. 

 

The conference will also include the second annual Inge Forum celebrating the life and work of Kansas playwright William Inge, author of Bus Stop, Picnic, and Come Back Little Sheba. The events below are free for the public to attend and will take place on the second floor ballroom of the hotel.

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October 7-10, 2026

Hilton Garden Inn: 12080 S Strang Line Rd, Olathe, KS 66062

Adjudicators

• Palm Springs playwright/director/teacher Luke Yankee (www.lukeyankee.com);
• New York City playwright Mel Nieves (www.melnieves.com)
• Louisville, Kentucky playwright Michelle Tyrene Johnson (www.playwright-michelle-tyrene-johnson.com)
• New York City producer/director/actress Jessica Ryan (www.jessicaryancreative.com).

 

Attendees

Click here for a list of the conference attendees and their bios. 

 

Schedule

THESE EVENTS ARE FREE FOR THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND.

 

The reading schedule will be announced closer to the conference. 

 

Thursday, October 8

• 9:00am-12:15pm: Readings
• 12:15pm: Lunch break
• 1:15pm-4:30pm: Readings

Friday, October 9

• 9:00am-12:15pm: Readings
• 12:15pm: Lunch break
• 1:15pm-2:45pm: Inge Forum. Reading of People in the Wind, the short play that was the genesis of Bus Stop by Kansas playwright William Inge. We will have a discussion led by our two Inge scholars, Luke Yankee and Philip Middleton Williams. 
• 3:00pm-5:00pm: Inge Forum continues with insight as to how this play evolved to Bus Stop and then to the 1956 film version starring Marilyn Monroe and Eileen Heckart, directed by Joshua Logan.

Saturday, October 10

• 10:45am-12:15pm: Readings
• 12:15pm: Lunch break
• 1:45pm-4:30pm: Readings

MDC Conference Scholarship Application

From the playwrights selected for the 2026 Midwest Dramatists Conference, two scholarships for the full cost of registration will be offered for playwrights who demonstrate financial need and provide reasons why attending the conference will benefit them as a playwright. MDC has decided to move up the scholarship application deadline to July 24 so that the two selected playwrights can be notified on July 27 and have more time to plan for the conference.

 Click here to complete the scholarship application.

2026 MDC Conference Submissions Ending

Thank you all for your submissions so far. Submissions end at 11:59 pm CST today (June 1, 2026), and we will not be accepting any more after that. We look forward to seeing your work and figuring out this summer who will be joining us for Fall feedback and fun!

Seeking Submissions for the 2026 Midwest Dramatists Conference

 

The Midwest Dramatists Center (MDC) is excited to announce the seventh annual Midwest Dramatists Conference on October 7-10, 2026, in Olathe, Kansas. The conference is a place for playwrights to network, learn, and have their work shared and critiqued. We invite playwrights to attend from across the country, and we encourage a diversity of voices and viewpoints.

Some of the events planned for accepted playwrights include: an evening reception with questions for the guest adjudicators, adjudicated play readings of the accepted playwrights, readings and talks as part of the William Inge Forum, breakout sessions with adjudicators, and some meals provided, including the ending gala dinner.

Adjudicators include: Palm Springs playwright/director/teacher Luke Yankee (www.lukeyankee.com); New York City playwright Mel Nieves (www.melnieves.com); Louisville, Kentucky playwright Michelle Tyrene Johnson (www.playwright-michelle-tyrene-johnson.com); and New York City producer/director/actress Jessica Ryan (www.jessicaryancreative.com).

To be selected for the conference, submit a 10-minute play with no more than three characters and a brief bio. Each accepted playwright will be given a directed reading of their play by professional actors and receive adjudicator feedback. The play must be unpublished, but previous productions or readings are acceptable. One submission per playwright. The submission window will remain open until June 1 or until we have received 125 applications. Selected playwrights will be notified by July 1.

Submit your 10-minute play and bio of no more than 150 words to director@midwestdramatists.org

Once you are accepted, the conference registration is $275. 

Playwrights whose plays are chosen are required to attend the conference in order to have their plays read. The conference will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Olathe, Kansas, 12080 S Strang Line Road. The hotel is offering a discounted rate for attendees. 

More details about the conference will be announced at www.midwestdramatists.org.

From the playwrights selected for the conference, two scholarships for the full cost of registration will be offered for playwrights who demonstrate financial need and provide reasons why attending the conference will benefit them as a playwright. Click here to complete the scholarship application.

Interview with MDC President Vicki Vodrey

The meeting featured a conversation between Kyle Ament and Vicki Vodrey, a playwright and screenwriter based in Kansas City. They discussed Vicki's journey from acting to writing, her experiences producing plays and screenwriting, and her involvement with the Midwest Dramatists Conference. Vicki shared insights into her writing process, emphasizing the importance of listening, acting training, and drawing from personal experiences. They explored the challenges and rewards of pursuing a career in the arts, with Vicki advising persistence, networking, and following one's passion. The conversation also touched on Vicki's work with Spinning Tree Theater as a mentor for young writers and her current projects, including a screenplay about a mother-daughter relationship.