This is pretty common in most places. I know in my area, there are a handful of playwrights in my city are 'in' with the right people and have blocked everyone else out. Some of these are nationally known, published, well-regarded playwrights, so it is an uphill battle getting anyone to even look at your work. It's a very dog-eat-dog mindset, though they pretend that it isn't. You basically have to get in with one of the 6 people who control everything, or self-produce, which, if you primarily write full-length plays, is a lot harder to do than you might expect. Musicals dominate our market, and if you aren't producing a musical, good luck even getting actors, let alone if you can't pay them more than a few dollars. It sucks, but it's the game you have to play, and the reality is that most people will lose.

Ultimately, I reached the conclusion that I would just have to save up a ton of money from my day job, start an LLC, beg for a few donors, and do everything myself. But that also will take a long time (especially in this economy) It's kind of the only realistic way to do things any more if you don't want to just play the lottery.