The Crowbait Club 

Theater Deathmatch Guidelines version 1.0, April 2026

Overview.

The Theater Deathmatch is a monthly event involving cold-reads of original short plays by casts of randomly selected willing actors.  The event is intended to provide a supportive venue for playwrights and actors both new and established, as well as to foster social interaction and community among the theatergoing public. The following guidelines are subject to change if necessary.

Guidelines for playwrights:

1. Playwrights must arrive with printed scripts. 

   1. The number of copies shall equal the number of actors needed in the play, optionally plus one copy for the playwright’s reference during the performance and one copy to be left with the Crowbait board. Example: If there are four characters in the script, the playwright shall bring four, five, or six printed copies. 

   2. Scripts shall not be distributed digitally and shared amongst actors on stage. 

   3. For the convenience of the actors, it is strongly encouraged that the text be at least 12-point font Times New Roman or Arial, the pages be printed single-sided and numbered, and the respective parts be highlighted on each script for the actors. 

   4. The winning playwright of the night shall leave one copy of the script with the Crowbait board at the end of the event; this may be a clean copy or one of the copies used for the actors or playwright’s reference. 

2. No repeat performances:

   1. Playwrights may submit a script that has not been performed at any previous Crowbait event. 

      1. A previously performed script that has been revised or rewritten will not count as a new script.

   2. If a playwright submits a script and it is not performed, they are welcome to submit the same script again at a future Crowbait where it also suits the new theme. 

   3. If a playwright submits a previously performed script and it is chosen, their script will be ineligible for Best Play. 

3. Playwrights must bring their script to the event on time, between 6:30-7:00 pm. Late scripts will not be accepted. 

4. Playwrights may submit a script that has been performed in any venue other than Crowbait.

5. Playwrights may bring a script that aligns with the theme chosen by the host. How they decide to adhere to the theme – through dialogue, characterization, setting, and more – is entirely up to them. 

6. Playwrights must offer a content warning for a script when it is chosen, as a guide to the potential actors and audience members. 

   1. Example: “Content warning: a gunshot sound, mention of suicide.”

   2. If there is uncertainty on whether the subject matter of the play warrants a content warning, please refer to this source.

7. Playwrights are welcome to bring prop pieces for their play.

8. Chairs and stage blocks will be available as set pieces, and playwrights are permitted to bring and move their own set pieces. Crowbait officers reserve the right to refuse additional set pieces that are too difficult to store.

Guidelines for event:

1. Admission to the event is $10. Only cash or Venmo transactions are accepted. 

   1. Crowbait officers may reduce the price of admission for attendees to ensure access to the club for all.

2. A total of 10 plays, maximum, will be chosen at random. 

   1. A maximum of 5 plays will be presented in each of Acts I and II. If fewer than 10 plays are submitted, all plays will be chosen and performed: half (rounded up) in Act I and the rest in Act II. 

   2. There is no limit to the number of plays submitted at each event. 

3. When a play is chosen, the playwright shall choose actors at random from a pool of willing participants. 

   1. To maintain inclusivity and encourage participation from actors, the playwright must work with the actors chosen regardless of identity (gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, age, etc.). 

      1. Example: If a playwright writes a script that has two parts written for men, and two female-presenting actors are chosen to perform it, those actors will perform it. 

   2. If the playwright offers a content warning and a chosen actor is unwilling to perform, a new actor shall be chosen and the previous actor’s name shall be returned to the pool for selection in a later play.

   3. If a minor is selected in a play that includes adult content, the playwright may draw for an adult actor if they wish. 

4. The playwright will have no more than 2 minutes to discuss the play with the actors. Once the 2 minutes is up, the actors must go perform. The performance begins after the host introduces the play. 

5. Chairs and stage blocks will be available to establish a set for the play.

   1. The playwright is responsible for setting up and striking the set. 

      1. They are responsible for having their play set up as preferred during the two minutes. They are welcome to have the host and/or Crowbait members help set up during the two minutes or as soon as the play is drawn. 

6. The performance of the play cannot exceed 10 minutes, as timed by the host or a designated Crowbait officer. When a play reaches 10 minutes and 1 second, the performance will end with an audible signal from the time-keeper, and the play will be removed from consideration for Best Play. (The traditional signal is a duck call, but the time-keeper may use any other sound.) 

   1. When the time-keeper signals the time is up, the play must end immediately. 

7. Voting for Best Play

   1. Three votes total

      1. At the end of each act, a vote will occur for Best Play of the act.

      2. After the winning play of each act has been chosen, a vote will occur for Best Play of the event, between the two act-winning plays. 

   2. Eligible voters

      1. Everyone in the audience is allowed to vote. 

      2. Playwrights who submitted a play are allowed to vote, and may vote for their own play. 

      3. The host of the evening is allowed to vote. 

      4. Crowbait board members are allowed to vote.

   3. Tie votes

      1. In the event of a tie, a revote will take place. The choices for this revote shall be limited to those plays that tied for the most votes. 

      2. If the vote for Best Play of the event is still a tie after the revote, the two plays will share the award of Best Play.  

Guidelines for the host:

1. Selection process: Crowbait officers will choose a host for the next Deathmatch event no later than the end of the current month’s event. 

2. Duties of the host:

   1. Choosing a theme and announcing it at the end of the current month’s event. If the next month’s host is not present to announce, they shall tell the theme to a Crowbait officer who will announce it. 

   2. Buying prizes for the winners of Best Play and Best Actor. (The traditional prizes have been two gift bags.) Crowbait officers will give prize money ($25 as of March 2026) to the new host in advance, in the month before their hosting duties. The host may spend more on prizes at their expense.

   3. Facilitating the event, which involves:

      1. Welcoming folks when the house opens. 

      2. Introducing the event when the show begins, covering the rules and guidelines for the evening. 

      3. Choosing each play at random. 

      4. Introducing the play when the 2 minutes between the playwright and actors is up. 

      5. Announcing promotional events before Act II. 

      6. Nominating at least 2 actors for the Best Actor prize and soliciting a vote by the audience. (The traditional method is by holding Lulu the stuffed crow over each actor’s head to initiate the applause contest.) 

      7. In tandem with a Crowbait board member or other designated attendee, counting the votes for Best Play once the contenders are narrowed down to two plays – one from Act I and II respectively.

      8. Closing the evening, then announcing and welcoming the host for the next Deathmatch event. 

Guidelines for the musician: 

1. Each month, the Crowbait board will choose a musician to play music for the event. The musician is responsible for the following:

   1. In advance of the event, planning and preparing the music to play; the musician may choose to align the music with the theme of the event (for example, when the theme is “Bad Play”, the music might include “Bad to the Bone” and “Bad Company”).

   2. Setting up their own equipment and music. 

   3. Playing any music of their choice – original or favorite hits. They will play music throughout the evening for every time a play is chosen – up to ten 2-minute intervals, when the playwright is preparing their show with the actors. 

2. After the event, the Crowbait board will give the musician an honorarium payment, out of the event’s admission fees, in an amount agreed on in advance. This honorarium does not make the musician an employee of the Crowbait Club.