Applications Now Open for The Drama League's 2023 Next Stage Residency

The Drama League will offer a second Next Stage Residency in 2023, through a Regrowth and Capacity Grant from the New York State Council on the Arts. This grant will support the organization's celebrated umbrella of service programs, collectively called The Directors Project.

The responsive funding of NYSCA is providing nearly 1000 organizations with over $13 million in recovery support in FY23, as part of their historic FY93 $90 million in grant making and $150 million in multi-year capital support.

"This unprecedented funding continues our investment into the vital role that the arts contribute to the health of our economy, our communities and our citizens," said Governor Kathy Hochul. "As we continue our comeback, we applaud the strength and innovation of arts organizations across the state and are all the better for their hard work and dedication."

"NYSCA applauds Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature for their historic investment of $240 million for the nonprofit arts and culture sector," said Mara Manus, Executive Director of NYSCA, "As we continue rebuilding the arts across our New York, The Drama League will play a vital role in the renewal of our state's economy and creative ecosystem. Congratulations on your award from the entire NYSCA team."

"Council congratulates The Drama League on their grant award! These grants are from the people of New York State, for the future of New York State," saidKatherine Nicholls, Chair, NYSCA. "Arts and culture are crucial to the health of our citizens and the economic vitality of our communities, and we recognize the contributions of NYSCA grantees to the lives of all New Yorkers."

The Drama League recently opened the 2023-2024 applications for The Directors Project. These programs, which for the last four decades have provided unparalleled industry-leading production opportunities, career development, and professional growth, give early and mid- career directors paid fellowships, residencies to develop new works, and assistantships at major theatrical institutions.

As the nation's only full-time creative home for directors, The Drama League's program portfolio, which was reimagined for the 2022-2023 application cycle, expands, deepens, and accelerates field-wide support for directors in the post-pandemic professional theater landscape, in an effort to address systemic inequity and pay disparity in the field of directing.

Applications for the Fellowship and Assistantship programs are now available at

dramaleague.org.

The 2023-2024 Directors Project Programs include:

The Drama League Directing Assistantships

Each season, The Drama League partners with established BIPOC/Global Majority stage directors to provide assistant directing opportunities on productions across the United States to the next generation of early-career BIPOC/Global Majority directors, sharing knowledge, access, and creative energy in production processes. For each recipient, The Drama League pays the assistant director's salary, and reimburses housing, travel and health care costs. For the 2023-2024 cycle, Directing Assistantships will be paired with four nationally-renowned directors: May Adrales, Tatyana-Marie Carlo, Desdemona Chiang, and Dawn Monique Williams. Theaters participating this cycle include Manhattan Theatre Club in New York City, and Trinity Repertory Company (Trinity Rep) in Providence, RI. The full program description can be found at https://dramaleague.org/directing-assistantships.

The FutureNow Fellowship

A professional immersion experience for early and mid-career stage directors, in partnership with the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY, and TheaterWorksUSA. Three recipients will be supported by a scholarship prize of $850/week for directing and professional development at The Drama League and Hangar Theatres in Summer 2023, plus an additional paid contract to direct a TheaterWorks USA touring production, as well as up to $1500 in health care insurance reimbursement. The FutureNow Directing Fellowship allows directors to practice their craft and explore directorial leadership, focusing on works for communities and young audiences. While in residence at the Hangar Theatre, FutureNow Fellows direct the Second Stage season of the company, including productions for adults (The Wedge FutureNow Festival) and young audiences (KIDDSTUFF Series). This year, the Wedge FutureNow Festival will focus on site-specific and promenade practices, while KIDDSTUFF will remain in a traditional theatrical venue. In these works, the Fellows direct the Hangar Performance Fellows and collaborate with Hangar Design and Production Fellows. At TheaterWorksUSA, the Fellows remount a repertory production for TYA audiences that tours nationally for the season. The FutureNow Directing Fellowship offers production experience, career development, mentorship, and intimate access to the processes of major theatrical institutions. The full updated FutureNow program description can be found at https://dramaleague.org/futurenow-directing-fellowships.

The Beatrice Terry Residency

Designed for early or mid-career stage directors who are ALSO the writers of their own work (that is, artists that identify as writer-directors, who most often write the productions that they direct), this residency offers a $10,000 stipend to support the writing of the work and the production of a workshop, thirty hours of rehearsal time to develop the script, and a final open rehearsal or staged reading for a public audience. The Beatrice Terry Residency is open to women and nonbinary people. The Residency seeks to make space and resources for this community, who often encounter barriers as creators when they choose to both write and direct simultaneously. The full program description can be found at https://dramaleague.org/Terry-Residency.

The Next Stage Residency

Designed for mid-career or established directors in exploring a work for possible production, this residency offers a $10,000 stipend to support the writing of the work and the production of a workshop, thirty hours of rehearsal time to develop the script, and a final open rehearsal or staged reading for a public audience. The full program description can be found at https://dramaleague.org/next-stage-residency.

Educational Initiatives

The Drama League's after-school program for high school students New Visions/New Voices also opens its applications today for New York City-area young people. Students, under the guidance of Teaching Artists, will write and direct scenes and monologues to be performed with working professional artists. This immersion into "how one makes art" broadens and refines their own aesthetics, builds confidence and public speaking skills, and introduces the possibilities of a career in the professional arts sector. All students will have the chance to see their work realized in a work-in-progress showing. More information on each can be found athttps://dramaleague.org/new-visions-new-voices.