Halley Feiffer Named Mentor Playwright for Cycle 2 of Terrence McNally Recovery Commissions

Playwright, television writer, and showrunner Halley Feiffer has been named the Mentor Playwright for Cycle 2 of the Terrence McNally Recovery Commissions, a signature program supporting playwrights in recovery from substance use conditions. In conjunction with this announcement, the Foundation has extended the application deadline for Cycle 2 to February 2.

The Terrence McNally Recovery Commissions award two $10,000 new play commissions—one to an early-career playwright and one to an established playwright—each identifying as being in recovery. Reflecting the spirit of sponsorship and artistic fellowship that defined Terrence McNally’s own recovery journey, the commissioned artists engage in a yearlong process that includes a writing retreat, a residency, and a culminating public presentation in New York City. As Mentor Playwright, Halley Feiffer will serve as an artistic resource to the commissioned writer, offering guidance, support, and insight throughout the development process.

“Halley writes with bracing honesty and a ferociously open heart,” says Santino DeAngelo, Executive Director of the Terrence McNally Foundation. “Her voice, generosity, and lived experience as a writer in recovery make her an ideal mentor to carry on the second chapter of this special program. We could not be more thrilled to be supporting her work.”

The inaugural recipients of the Terrence McNally Recovery Commissions were Jake Brasch and Craig Lucas, whose participation helped establish the program as a rare and meaningful space for playwrights to create new work while openly honoring recovery as part of the artistic process. Cycle 2 will continue this mission, centering care, rigor, and creative ambition.

Applications for the Terrence McNally Recovery Commissions Cycle 2 are now open, with the deadline extended to February 2. Full application guidelines and eligibility requirements can be found on the Terrence McNally Foundation’s website. www.terrencemcnally.org 

ABOUT Halley Feiffer

Halley Feiffer is a Drama Desk-, Drama League- and Outer Critics Circle-nominated playwright. Her plays include How to Make Friends and Then Kill Them (World Premiere: Rattlestick Playwrights Theater), I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard (World Premiere: Atlantic Theater Company), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (World Premiere: MCC Theater), Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow (World Premiere: Williamstown Theater Festival, NY Premiere: MCC), and The Pain of My Belligerence (World Premiere: Playwrights Horizons). Her plays have been produced around the country, in the U.K. and South Korea. She is under commission by Manhattan Theatre Club and Sand & Snow Productions. 

She is also a WGA-nominated television writer and showrunner, most recently showrunning and executive producing “American Horror Story: Delicate,” writing all nine episodes. She is currently developing "The Crisis" with A24/Netflix, a family drama with Dylan Clark Productions/HBO Max, a true crime series with Shoot to Midnight/Hulu, a darkly comedic drama with Skydance, and a family crime show with Poison Pen Studios. She is also developing a feature with Bellestrist/Pressman Film. She has developed shows for Apple, Amazon, FX, Hulu, Netflix, TNT and Freeform, and has written for myriad television shows, including FX’s “Impeachment: American Crime Story,” Showtime’s “Kidding” and Apple TV'S "Roar." 

Halley started as an actor and occasionally still acts. She has appeared in films like “The Squid and the Whale,” “Materialists,” and "He's Way More Famous than You," write she also co-wrote, and in series like HBO’s “Bored to Death” and “Mildred Pierce.” She was nominated for her second Drama League Award as an actor for her performance in her own play, The Pain of My Belligerence, and won the Theater World Award for her performance in the Broadway revival of The House of Blue Leaves.