Mon-Thu: 7:00 am - 4:00 pm
Fri: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Overview of Language and Literature
The Language and Literature Department offers a variety of courses from freshman composition to literature, from American Sign Language to Spanish, and creative writing to public speaking and interpersonal communication. Knowledge of the English language as well as speaking another language are skills required in many aspects of life, including one’s employment; consequently, many MCC courses, programs, and degrees require competency in English composition and oral communication. The Language and Literature Department takes seriously MCC’s mission “to prepare students in critical thinking, communication, and long-term learning skills for the changing challenges of the future” and to prepare students for successful transfer to four-year colleges and universities.
10-Minute Play Festival
Submission Guidelines
- Submission to Muskegon Community College’s Ten-Minute Play Festival will be accepted after November 7, 2026.
- Deadline for submission is February 7, 2027.
- Top Five Plays will be read on the MCCs Overbrook Stage on April 2, 2027 from 7:30PM – 9:00PM.
- Submission fee is $10 for each play, limit of two per playwright. Payment must be submitted by check made to Muskegon Community College. Address the envelope to Muskegon Community College. Attn. Sean Colcleasure. 221 Quarterline Road. Muskegon, MI 49442. Or through Paypal—see link above.
- Plays should be 10-15 typed pages following a generally accepted script format (double-spaced with play title and page numbers on each page) and must be e-mailed to sigmakappadelta@muskegoncc.edu
- Plays must be sent as a Microsoft Word document or PDF. They MUST NOT include the name of the playwright anywhere on the script as we conduct the festival using “blind” judging. (If selected for publication, you will be asked for a Word version of your play for re-formatting purposes.)
- Comedic or dramatic plays of all types fitting this year’s theme of Isolation and Connection will be accepted.
- Plays must have 2-4 characters (no more, no less to be considered).
- Plays are judged by the English Honors Society and the Theater Department (including four professors.)
- Playwright bios are accepted during the application process but are not required. Top Five playwrights will be asked to submit short recorded bio within two weeks of the performance to be shown before each play is read.
- If available, we request the playwrights of the Top 5 chosen plays to attend the performance—either in person or through ZOOM—to see their plays read and take part in a brief Q&A with the audience.
- FIVE chosen plays will be selected for live STAGED reading performances (chairs and scripts in hand) on the Overbrook Theater stage at Muskegon Community College, and the overall winner will be published by the English Honors Society in the annual River Voices Magazine. We may invite more plays for publication.
- One play will be selected as the “Audience Favorite” (voted by the audience in attendance at the Festival performance) and will receive $100 cash prize. This is not a “winner” or “best” award, but simply the play voted on by the audience in attendance. Casting, mood of audience, and even placement within the line-up affect audience reaction…this is meant to engage the audience and give them a feeling of investment.
- Remember, the competition will be based on STAGED readings of the scripts, and plays will be read and directed by MCC theater students and actors.
- To make a payment: follow this link: https://www.paypal.com/myaccount/transfer/homepage. Once there, search for Sean Colcleasure: @seancolcleasure or Sean.Colcleasure@muskegoncc.edu and proceed.
