Atlantic Theater Co Commissions Lily Houghton & Brian Otaño

Atlantic Theater Company announces its 2019-2020 Launch Commission writers Lily Houghton and Brian Otaño. Launch commissions are offered to early career playwrights who have not yet had an Off-Broadway production and have fewer than three commissions from mid to large size theater companies. Previous recipients include Paola Lázaro, Jocelyn Bioh, Amy Staats, Abby Rosebrock, and Sanaz Toossi. Lázaro, Staats and Rosebrock have had productions at Atlantic since receiving their commissions.

On the Launch Commissions, Atlantic Theater Company's Artistic Director Neil Pepe said "The Launch Commission has been an incredibly successful program for us. Not only has it brought several new writers and relationships to Atlantic, it also brought us three additional plays from these writers (Tell Hector I Miss Him, Blue Ridge, and Eddie and Dave) that found productions on our stages. We look forward to continuing to invest in early career writers through Launch and our other play development initiatives."

"My goal as a young artist has always been to find an artistic and supportive home for myself, a place that I feel truly hears my individual voice and produces material that thrills me," said Lily Houghton. "I am so lucky to have found that home at Atlantic, a theater I have admired since I was a young girl growing up in New York City."

"Atlantic has been an artistic home to so many heavy hitters who've inspired me to find my voice and be a daring playwright," added Brian Otaño. "Atlantic was the first company to give my work a public reading (What We Told the Neighbors, Atlantic's Latino MixFest), so I am beyond thrilled to be working on something new with them! Stay tuned."

Atlantic's new play and musical development activities are made possible by leadership support from the Howard Gilman Foundation, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, and The Tow Foundation, with additional funding from the Axe-Houghton Foundation, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, and the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Special thanks to The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation for its dedicated support of Launch.

Atlantic productions and programs are also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, as well as the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best Featured Performer in a Play - Top 3

1. Laurie Metcalf - Death of a Salesman

8.2% of votes

2. Danny Burstein - Marjorie Prime

5.9% of votes

3. Ben Ahlers - Death of a Salesman

5.1% of votes

Vote Now! View Live Stats