The Drama League Directors Project Opens 2027 Applications

The Drama League has opened applications for the expanded and enhanced 2027 Fellowships, Residencies, and Assistantships of The Drama League Directors Project.

Among the highlights announced alongside the application opening today:

• In a unique partnership with Chautauqua Theater Company, The FutureNow Fellowships now welcome a pair of theatrical collaborators – a director and a playwright working in tandem to develop a new play – for the FutureNow New Plays Labs, presented as part of the public 2027 CTC season. (LINK)
• For the first time ever, The Drama League will welcome two nationally-renowned Artistic Directors as their Directing Mentors for the 2027 Irene Gandy Directing Assistantships. Jaime Castañeda, the Artistic Director of Dallas Theater Center, and Ben Villegas Randle, the Artistic Director of San Francisco's New Conservatory Theatre Center, will welcome Drama League Assistant Directors onto productions they direct during the season. Titles and dates will be announced at a later date, and applications open today. (LINK)
• In its Workshop Series, The Drama League will feature classes, talks, and events with world-renowned artists including Louisa Proske (The Met's Macbeth), Jamie Lloyd (Evita), Tony Phelan (Majesty), Heath Cullens (It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia), Marcia Milgrom Dodge (Ragtime), and more.
• All of The Drama League's Directing Residencies – the Beatrice Terry Residency for women and nonbinary writer/directors, the Next Stage Residency for new play development, the (Re)Envision Residency for classical reinterpretations, and the (Re)Engage Residency for returning Drama League Alumni – will enjoy increased artist stipends, collaborator fees, and additional production personnel. The Next Stage Residency is a partnership with New York Stage and Film, while the remaining three are partnerships with Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education. (LINK)
• International opportunities will take a front seat this season, building on the success of the Rose Directing Fellowship, in partnership with London's Rose Theatre, and the International Directors Exchange, which has enjoyed opportunities this season in Poland, Lithuania, and the United Kingdom. In 2027, after successes in New York City and Sofia, Bulgaria, The Drama League will present its fourth International Directors Summit in Tbilisi, Georgia, partnering with the Movement Theatre and the Tbilisi International Theater Festival. (LINK)

Applications are now available to the next generation of directors at www.dramaleague.org/apply.

The Stage Directing Fellowships, which is a two-year program, is currently underway and will reopen applications for its next cycle in September 2027.

Also announced:

• The Television and Film Directing Fellowship will continue to offer shadow directing opportunities on major network television episodes in 2027 and expand with online and in-person production workshops with award-winning directors Tony Phelan (Gray's Anatomy, Fire Country) and Heath Cullens (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia).
• Further expansion of The Drama League's Director Services, which include its Studio Space, offered for artists to rent at $10/hour, due to the generous support of The New York State Council on the Arts; Director Referrals, where producers and leaders can identify and connect with directors nationwide for future projects; Pathway Chats, a new career development strategy service for directors seeking counsel, guidance, and coaching; and The Gatherings, one-of-a-kind community building opportunities for directors to share resources, expand networks, and enhance skills.