Drama League Stage Directing Fellowships

The Drama League Stage Directing Fellowships are two-year fellowships for emerging stage directors, awarded to two directors every other year through a partnership with Berkeley Rep, Lincoln Center Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York Stage and Film, the Playwrights' Center, Red Bull Theater and Carnegie Mellon. Fellows receive $100,000 ($50,000 per year), up to $10,000 in health insurance reimbursement, and rotate through embedded engagements at the partner theaters, including Directors Project Week, the CMU directing retreat, co-directing Red Bull's Short New Play Festival, and a culminating DirectorFest staged reading. The next application opens September 2027 for the 2028 cycle.

Emerging directors; two fellowships offered every other year; see Drama League FAQ for full eligibility. Recipients are not employees.

Founded 1982 as the Fall Fellowship (later New York Fellowships). 2026-28 fellows: Tatiana Baccari and Emilia Lirman. Two tracks: MTC/NYSAF or LCT/Berkeley Rep, plus Playwrights' Center residency, Red Bull Short New Play Festival, CMU Directors Retreat, DirectorFest.