Paid fellowships, residencies, development programs, and staff fellowships for theatre artists.
BroadwayWorld’s Theatre Fellowships Database collects US paid fellowships, residencies, play-development programs, retreats, and staff fellowships for working theatre artists — playwrights, directors, designers, stage managers, administrators, and more.
These are career-development programs, not short-term internships and not college scholarships. Browse current job listings for internships and open positions, or the Theatre Scholarship Guide for student financial aid. Always confirm eligibility, stipend, and deadlines on the organization’s website before you apply.
168 programs
1/52 Project GrantThe 1/52 Project, founded by scenic designer Beowulf Boritt, awards stipends of up to $17,500 to theatrical designers from historically excluded groups, funded by Broadway designers who donate one week of additional weekly compensation. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents or visa holders with at least three years of professional design experience and not currently enrolled in training programs; an independent panel of designers selects finalists for recommendation letters and Zoom interviews. The 2026 cycle accepted applications February 1 to March 15, with recipients notified by Labor Day. |
The 1/52 Project | New York, NY | Cash fellowship | March |
2050 Administrative FellowshipNew York Theatre Workshop's 2050 Administrative Fellowship, which replaced NYTW's internship program, is a yearlong paid part-time fellowship (20-30 hours per week at $20 per hour, September to June) for emerging administrators underrepresented in theatre administration. Up to eight fellows are placed in Artistic Workshop, Development, Education & Engagement, or Marketing, work directly with department heads, develop a personalized fellowship plan, and take on day-to-day and long-term projects, supplemented by a two-day orientation intensive, monthly seminars, brown bag lunches with staff and guests, and networking events. Applications for 2026/27 closed March 27, 2026; fellows must relocate to the NYC area at their own expense. |
New York Theatre Workshop | New York, NY | Staff fellowship | March (Mar 27, 2026 for 2026/27) |
2050 Artistic FellowshipNew York Theatre Workshop's 2050 Artistic Fellowship is a year-long program for early-career theatremakers representing a multiplicity of perspectives, historically supporting playwrights, directors, designers and solo performers with stipends, artistic community and access to NYTW's development resources. The 2025-26 cohort (Jasmine Sharma and Jean Carlo Yunen Arostegui) served as a prototyping year, and NYTW is not accepting 2026-27 applications while it re-conceives the program with more financial resources. A separate 2050 Administrative Fellowship for staff roles continues. |
New York Theatre Workshop | New York, NY | Development program | Unknown (historically fall preliminary round; program being redesigned) |
7-Year ResidencyNew Dramatists' 7-Year Residency gives playwrights a long-term artistic home in New York City with free play development resources, including readings, workshops, the Playwrights Lab and a community of roughly fifty resident writers, though no cash stipend. Any U.S. citizen or legally authorized resident playwright may apply by submitting two full-length plays (read blind) and a bio during a summer window capped at 700 applications; a rotating seven-person panel reads over ten months and selects about five new residents each June. The organization aims for a 70/30 mix of NYC-area and national residents; the 2026 window closed after reaching its cap on August 3, 2026. |
New Dramatists | New York, NY | Residency | August (2026 window: July 27 - Aug 10) |
Acting ConservatoryChautauqua Theater Company's Acting Conservatory is a summer training ensemble of primarily graduate-level actors, founded by Michael Kahn and now led by Producing Artistic Director Jade King Carroll. Conservatory members are cast in CTC mainstage productions, new play workshops and the FutureNow New Play Labs, take master classes with faculty, and live in company housing on the Chautauqua Institution grounds with a travel stipend and gate pass. The 2026 company of nine actors, drawn from programs such as Juilliard, NYU and Yale, is posted on the page. |
Chautauqua Theater Company (Chautauqua Institution) | Chautauqua, NY | Residency | Unknown (auditions typically winter) |
Alan Schneider Director AwardThe Alan Schneider Director Award, administered by Theatre Communications Group, recognizes exceptionally talented mid-career freelance directors whose work is well established in a particular U.S. region but who are not yet widely known nationally. Recipients are chosen by nomination and highlighted at the TCG National Conference; past winners include Anne Kauffman, Liesl Tommy, May Adrales and, most recently, Seema Sueko (2022). TCG's page states applications are not currently being accepted and future funding cycles have not been announced. |
Theatre Communications Group | New York, NY | Cash fellowship | Unknown |
Allen Lee Hughes Fellowship (Costume, Lighting, Sound, Multimedia Design tracks)Arena Stage's Allen Lee Hughes Fellowship, founded in 1990 and named for the lighting designer who began at Arena as an electrician, is a full-time professional training pipeline for emerging theatre professionals, particularly those from underrepresented communities. Fellows spend 38-43 weeks (August to May) embedded in a department such as costumes, lighting, sound, or multimedia design, with a supervisor, a senior mentor, and a training programs manager, and receive a $700 weekly stipend, professional development workshops, monthly meetings with leadership, and complimentary tickets. Recent graduates and career changers are encouraged to apply; housing is not provided. |
Arena Stage | Washington, DC | Staff fellowship | March |
Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting CompetitionThe Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition solicits scripts from leading MFA playwriting programs across the U.S. and selects four finalists and one winner each year. The winning play receives a full production in the Alliance Theatre's regular season in Atlanta, and all finalists receive development support including staged readings with industry professionals in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. The program is intended to move student playwrights into the professional theatre; alumni include Tarell Alvin McCraney, Mike Lew and Meg Miroshnik. |
Alliance Theatre | Atlanta, GA | Development program | Unknown |
Artist Grants (Production, Workshop, Family)The Jim Henson Foundation's Artist Grants fund the creation of new, full-length works of live contemporary puppet theater in the United States. Three categories are offered: Workshop Grants ($4,000) for mid-process development, Production Grants ($10,000) for works premiering in the coming year, and Family Grants ($5,000) for new work aimed at children and families. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations or individuals with a fiscal sponsor, and the process runs through Submittable in two stages: a two-page letter of intent (due March 3, 2026 for the 2027 cycle) followed by an invited full application due September 9, 2026. |
The Jim Henson Foundation | New York (national), NY | Cash fellowship | March (Letter of Intent; 2027 cycle LOI due March 3, 2026; full application Sept 9, 2026) |
Artistic and Administrative ApprenticeshipThe Playwrights' Center's Artistic and Administrative Apprenticeship in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is a year-long, in-person, part-time position (25 hours per week at $20 per hour, August 3, 2026 to August 31, 2027) for four aspiring playwrights, directors, dramaturgs, or arts administrators. Apprentices provide administrative support to the Professional Resources and Education department (updating the website and opportunities database, reading and analyzing scripts for feedback programs, front-of-house support) and serve as stage manager for roughly 13 new play development workshops and public readings. Applicants send a resume and cover letter by email; the priority deadline was March 13, 2026, with applications reviewed until filled, and apprentices cannot be enrolled in school during the term. |
Playwrights' Center | Saint Paul, MN | Staff fellowship | March (priority Mar 13, 2026; rolling until filled) |
Artists in Residence (incl. Makers Lab)Ars Nova's Artists in Residence program is a ten-month, development-focused residency in New York City for early-career performing artists, including generative artists (writers, composers, choreographers, comedians) and interpretive artists such as directors, dramaturgs, curators and creative producers; individuals, duos and trios may apply. Residents receive a monthly stipend, a project development budget, individualized support from the artistic team, rehearsal and theater space, workspace, complimentary tickets and opportunities for readings, workshops and public showings, and take part in monthly cohort gatherings from September through June. The 2026-27 application closed July 6, 2026 and the application page has since been taken down. |
Ars Nova | New York, NY | Development program | July (2026-27 cohort deadline July 6, 2026) |
August Wilson Fellowship in Theatrical Production, Design, and Theatre TechnologyThe August Wilson Fellowship in Theatrical Production, Design, and Theatre Technology, created by the College of Fellows of the American Theatre with the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, gives one student of color a summer residency (late May to mid-August) at the O'Neill in Waterford, Connecticut. The fellow is integrated into the O'Neill's professional and summer staff across its four summer conferences, working with resident and guest designers in their specialization (lighting, sound, scenic, technical direction, production or stage management). The fellowship covers travel, housing, all meals, and a $300 weekly stipend, and is open to students at accredited U.S. universities and training programs, with HBCU candidates especially encouraged. |
College of Fellows of the American Theatre with Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival | Waterford, CT | Residency | February |
Baryshnikov Arts Residency ProgramThe Baryshnikov Arts Center Residency Program offers performing artists in dance, music, theater and multimedia one or two weeks of exclusive studio space in Manhattan (up to 48 hours per week), a $2,000 stipend, an optional invited work-in-progress showing, and professional video and photo documentation. Applicants must be at least 22, not enrolled in school, and may come from anywhere, though travel and housing are their own responsibility. Applications for 2027 residencies are open August 31 to October 2, 2026 with decisions by December 19; an invitation-only Artist Labs program supports alumni projects further. |
Baryshnikov Arts Center | New York, NY | Residency | October (2027 residencies: apps open Aug 31, close Oct 2, 2026) |
Bay Area Playwrights FestivalThe Bay Area Playwrights Festival, established in 1976 by Robert Woodruff and run by Playwrights Foundation in San Francisco, is one of the oldest new-play festivals in the United States. Selected playwrights receive two readings of their play over two weeks, each preceded by a week of rehearsal with a director, dramaturg and actors; the second reading takes place during a Theater Professionals Weekend that draws producers and literary staff from around the country. The festival now runs biennially with applications in even years; alumni include Annie Baker, Nilo Cruz, Samuel D. Hunter, Lauren Yee and Rajiv Joseph. |
Playwrights Foundation | San Francisco, CA | Development program | October (submissions August - mid-October) |
Berkeley Rep Fellowship ProgramBerkeley Rep's Next Generation Fellowship program is a full-time, 11-month immersive training program covering the art and business of producing theatre, with administrative tracks including the Bret C. Harte and Peter F. Sloss Artistic fellowships, Company Management, Education and Community Engagement, and Marketing and Development, alongside a range of production fellowships. Fellows are mentored by departmental supervisors and senior leadership, shadow other departments, attend professional development workshops and field trips, and receive a $1,250 monthly stipend, shared housing with utilities, a travel reimbursement, and complimentary tickets. The program seeks applicants with basic training in their field, with emphasis on underrepresented communities; 2026/27 applications are closed. |
Berkeley Repertory Theatre | Berkeley, CA | Staff fellowship | Unknown (2026/27 applications closed) |
Berkeley Rep Fellowship Program (Artistic/Directing track)Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Fellowship Program is an 11-month, full-time early-career training program in artistic, administrative, production and education roles; the artistic track (the Bret C. Harte and Peter F. Sloss Artistic fellowships) offers mentored work in season planning, producing, casting, dramaturgy and rehearsal-room support. Fellows receive a monthly stipend, housing in Berkeley Rep's Medak Center, and regular seminars with guest speakers and senior staff. A dedicated directing-only fellowship slot could not be confirmed for 2026-27; Berkeley Rep is also a host partner for the Drama League Stage Directing Fellowships. (from search snippets) |
Berkeley Repertory Theatre | Berkeley, CA | Staff fellowship | Unknown (2026-27 applications closed by spring 2026) |
Berkeley Rep Next Generation Fellowship - Production TracksBerkeley Rep's Next Generation Fellowship offers full-time, 11-month immersive training in production disciplines including costumes, lighting/electrics, production management, properties, scenic art, scenic construction, sound (the Harry Weininger fellowship), and stage management. Fellows work alongside professional staff and visiting designers, receive mentorship and shadowing opportunities, professional development sessions, a $1,250 monthly stipend, shared housing with utilities, a travel reimbursement, and complimentary tickets. The program targets people who already have basic training in their field and are ready to move into professional theatre, with emphasis on applicants from underrepresented communities. |
Berkeley Repertory Theatre | Berkeley, CA | Staff fellowship | March |
Berkeley Rep Next Generation Fellowship - Stage ManagementThe Berkeley Rep Next Generation Fellowship is a full-time, 11-month program in Berkeley, CA offering hands-on training across production and administrative departments; the Stage Management fellow joins AEA stage management teams on three to four LORT productions per season, from production meetings through tech, runs and understudy rehearsals. All fellows receive a $1,250 monthly stipend, shared housing with utilities, up to $250 travel reimbursement, complimentary tickets, workshops and mentorship from senior staff. Stage management, company management and production management fellows begin in late July; applications for 2026/27 are closed. |
Berkeley Repertory Theatre | Berkeley, CA | Staff fellowship | March |
BIPOC Critics LabThe BIPOC Critics Lab, founded in 2020 by cultural critic Jose Solis, is a free training program for emerging Black, Indigenous, and People of Color theatre journalists that has been hosted by The Public Theater since the 2023-24 season, after earlier stints with the Kennedy Center and the Stratford Festival. For 2026-27 the Lab is co-hosted bi-coastally with The Old Globe in San Diego, running 10 weekly sessions in the fall followed by monthly sessions in the spring in a hybrid format with optional in-person activities at the home theatre; participants who meet attendance requirements receive a paid commissioned piece, and The Public has committed to commissioning all current and alumni writers. Applications for the upcoming cohort are closed, with offers expected in August and sessions beginning after Labor Day. |
The Public Theater (co-hosted 2026-27 with The Old Globe) | New York and San Diego (hybrid), NY | Development program | Spring/summer (offers made in August for September start) |
Black Theatre Coalition Fellowship (Design and Stage Management tracks)Black Theatre Coalition (BTC), now operating as Building The Change, runs paid fellowship and apprenticeship programs that place emerging, mid-career and career-changing Black and diverse professionals alongside Broadway and theatre industry leaders in creative, producing, executive and administrative areas. The original 2021 fellowship offered a $50,000 salary across 20 offstage categories including set, lighting, costume and sound design and stage management; the program has since been restructured as an apprenticeship embedding participants on Broadway productions, with the spring 2026 cycle closed and 2027 details forthcoming. Applications are handled through the BTC SurveyMonkey Apply portal. |
Black Theatre Coalition | New York, NY | Staff fellowship | Unknown |
Career Accelerator ProgramNew Jersey Theatre Alliance's Career Accelerator Program is a six-month paid fellowship (January through June) that develops emerging theatre leaders, with a focus on professionals from historically underrepresented communities. Fellows complete three two-month placements rotating between professional member theatres (recent hosts include McCarter Theatre Center, Jersey City Theater Center, and Vanguard Theater) and the Alliance itself, gaining practical training in theatre administration and management alongside professional development seminars and mentorship. Fellows receive paid work experience plus travel and living stipends; the 2026 cohort of three was chosen from more than 30 applicants. |
New Jersey Theatre Alliance | Morristown, NJ | Staff fellowship | Unknown (fall, for January start) |
Charlie Blackwell Symposium ScholarshipsThe Charlie Blackwell Scholarships, named for the pioneering Broadway stage manager, award five scholarships annually to stage managers of color to attend the Broadway Stage Management Symposium with registration fees waived. Each scholarship is adjudicated by a Broadway stage manager of color (Narda E. Alcorn, Lisa Dawn Cave, Beverly Jenkins, Kenneth J. McGee and Cody Renard Richard) with distinct criteria such as being a Black student, an HBCU student or alum, or a career changer, and recipients get a one-on-one meeting with their adjudicator. Travel and housing are not included; the 2026 application deadline was February 28. |
Broadway Stage Management Symposium | New York, NY | Development program | Unknown |
Chautauqua Theater Company Design FellowshipsChautauqua Theater Company offers summer Design Fellowships to early-career and graduate-level designers in scenic, lighting, sound, costume and projection design. Fellows assist the mainstage designers, serve as the design teams for readings and the FutureNow New Play Labs, and live in company housing on the Chautauqua Institution grounds. The ten-week engagement carries a $4,500 stipend, CTC-covered housing and a $250 travel stipend; applications go through SlideRoom with a cover letter, resume and portfolio, with a January 15 deadline. |
Chautauqua Theater Company / Chautauqua Institution | Chautauqua, NY | Residency | January |
Clubbed Thumb New Play Directing FellowshipClubbed Thumb's New Play Directing Fellowship pairs three early-career directors with playwrights (drawn from its Early-Career Writers' Group) to develop newly commissioned plays with a company of emerging actors over several months. The fellows are mentored by established directors (Anne Kauffman and Tara Ahmadinejad for 2025-26) and present their work publicly at Clubbed Thumb's Winterworks festival in January. The program has run annually since 2015-16. |
Clubbed Thumb | New York, NY | Development program | June (applications typically open in June for the following season) |
Collaborative Connections MentoringCollaborative Connections is the Stage Managers' Association's mentoring program, through which SMA members at any level can request to be paired with an experienced professional stage manager for a one-time conversation or a longer mentoring relationship, including guidance on specific genres such as touring or particular geographic markets. Members log in to the SMA website to submit a Request a Mentor form, while experienced stage managers volunteer via a Serve as a Mentor form; the program is free with SMA membership rather than a stipended fellowship. The SMA also runs Operation Observation and the Ask a Stage Manager service. |
Stage Managers' Association | New York, NY | Development program | Rolling |
Colt Coeur Residency (Play Hotel / Residents)Colt Coeur's residency program (the CoCo Residency, launched in 2017) supports a small cohort of playwrights, directors, designers and creative producers over a year of quarterly meetings focused on new-work development and multidisciplinary theater-making. Residents receive a stipend and free rehearsal space, meet with Artistic Director Adrienne Campbell-Holt, and take part in conversations with invited leaders from the field. Play Hotel, the company's separate development arena, offers 3-10 day workshops that end in free public readings; 2026-27 residency applications closed in July 2026. |
Colt Coeur | New York, NY | Residency | July (2026: July 24) |
Commercial Theater Institute - 14-Week Program / 12-Week Deep Dive and Three-Day IntensiveThe Commercial Theater Institute (CTI), a joint project of The Broadway League and TDF, is the theatre industry's main training and professional development program for aspiring commercial producers, offering courses such as a multi-week intensive program and a Three-Day Intensive taught by working Broadway producers, general managers, and other industry experts. It is a tuition-based training program rather than a paid fellowship. CTI's own website still displays outdated pandemic-era text stating that upcoming courses are to be announced, though trade press reported fall 2025 and spring 2026 programming; prospective participants are directed to the CTI newsletter and contact page for current course dates. |
Commercial Theater Institute (joint project of The Broadway League and TDF) | New York, NY | Development program | Unknown (fall for winter program) |
Core Writer ProgramThe Playwrights' Center Core Writer program is a three-year appointment for committed professional playwrights nationwide who demonstrate a sustained body of work and distinct artistic vision. Each year four to seven new writers join a group of 25-30 Core Writers, who receive paid play-development workshops with professional directors, actors, dramaturgs and designers (with travel and housing to the Twin Cities for non-local writers), eligibility for the Center's public reading series such as PlayLabs and the Ruth Easton New Play Series, and promotion to producing theaters and universities. Applications require a resume, artistic statement, goals statement, full-length script and a recommendation letter; at least one slot per year is reserved for a Minnesota writer. |
Playwrights' Center | Minneapolis, MN | Development program | January |
Creative Capital Award (Performing Arts)The Creative Capital Award is a national open-call grant from Creative Capital Foundation that gives individual artists unrestricted project funding of up to $50,000 plus professional development services to create new work in visual arts, performing arts (including theater), film, literature, technology, multidisciplinary and socially engaged forms. Since 1999 it has funded more than 1,000 artists, and applicants to the 2026 and 2027 cycles are also automatically considered for the $10,000 State of the Art Prize awarded to one artist per state and territory. Proposals are reviewed by discipline through an external panel process; the next open call is expected in early 2027. |
Creative Capital | New York (national), NY | Cash fellowship | Spring (2027 cycle closed April 2, 2026) |
Creative Residency for Black PuppeteersPuppet Showplace Theater's Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers funds research and early-stage development of original puppetry by Black artists in Greater Boston and nationwide. Each year five artists receive $1,000 grants plus monthly Zoom cohort gatherings, guest seminars, one-on-one sessions with a project mentor, feedback from the theater's artistic team and a culminating in-person showcase in Boston in June. Projects may be at any stage and in any puppetry form; at least one award goes to a family-show project and one to a New England artist. The sixth cohort concluded in June 2026 and the next call typically opens in the fall. |
Puppet Showplace Theater | Brookline, MA | Development program | November (2026 cohort applications Oct 14-Nov 9, 2025) |
CTC Stage Management FellowshipChildren's Theatre Company in Minneapolis offers a season-long, full-time, paid Stage Management Fellowship for early-career stage managers, prioritizing those whose lived experience is underrepresented in the field. The fellow works with the production stage manager across a six-show season, serving as production assistant on several shows and second assistant stage manager on two large productions, and receives $18.73 per hour for 40 hours a week plus health, dental and vision benefits, paid holidays and vacation. The 2026-27 fellowship runs July 20, 2026 to May 14, 2027; the application deadline was March 20, 2026 via CTC's Paycom job board. |
Children's Theatre Company | Minneapolis, MN | Staff fellowship | March |
CUNY FellowshipThe CUNY Fellowship is a partnership between The Public Theater and The City University of New York that offers recent graduates of any four-year CUNY campus a seven-month paid fellowship intended to diversify the pipeline of arts leaders. Each fellow is embedded in a Public Theater administrative department in their chosen discipline (past placements include Civic Artistic Programs, Development, Government Affairs, Joe's Pub, Marketing & Communications, New Work Development, Operations, and Producing) and receives professional development, network-building opportunities, and support in building a portfolio of work. The program is supported by the Miranda Family Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts; five 2026 fellows have been named and applications are currently closed. |
The Public Theater (with The City University of New York) | New York, NY | Staff fellowship | Unknown |
Dance Lab New York Broadway Choreography IntensiveThe Broadway Choreography Intensive is a tuition-free mentorship program from Dance Lab New York for a select cohort of musical theatre choreographers. Participants gather in New York City for the Dance Lab Choreography Symposium, then complete curated choreographic challenges and exercises led by founding artistic director Josh Prince, receive one-on-one feedback from Prince and Broadway guest artists, and finish with an informal sharing. Travel, housing and per diem are not provided; applications are via an Airtable form. |
Dance Lab New York | New York, NY | Development program | February (February 20, 2026) |
Dance Lab New York Lab CycleThe Lab Cycle is Dance Lab New York's core paid residency for choreographers, structured as a process-over-product incubator with no obligation to produce a finished piece. Each choreographer receives a salary, a company of professional dancers, studio space, a rehearsal director, administrative support and digital assets, with several cohorts selected per year across winter, spring, summer and fall cycles. Alumni include Andy Blankenbuehler, Camille A. Brown and Lorin Latarro; applications are accepted through the Lab Cycle application page. |
Dance Lab New York | New York, NY | Residency | Rolling (apply via dancelabny.org/lab-cycle-apply) |
David Zinn Scenic and Costume Design Fellowship (Awake and Sing!)Manhattan Theatre Club and Tony-winning designer David Zinn are hosting a one-time dual scenic and costume design fellowship for an early-career designer on MTC's Broadway revival of Clifford Odets' Awake and Sing! at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. The fellow observes and assists Zinn's process, with access to MTC production, general management and costume shop staff, over roughly 90 flexible hours from as early as August 3, 2026 through the January 7, 2027 opening. Compensation is $3,600 and applications are accepted via Jotform on a rolling basis until filled. (from search snippets) |
Manhattan Theatre Club with David Zinn | New York, NY | Development program | Rolling |
Denham FellowshipThe Denham Fellowship, established in 2006 through a bequest from Mary Orr Denham, is an annual SDC Foundation award for women who are early- or mid-career directors, intended to further develop their skills. Applicants must be SDC Members or Associate Members with a scheduled production in mind and may apply under a fee-enhancement or self-producing plan; a committee of theatre professionals selects the recipient. Applications typically open in June with notification in September. |
Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation | New York, NY | Cash fellowship | June (applications typically open in June; notifications in September) |
DGF Fellows ProgramThe DGF Fellows program is a free, year-long New York City intensive run by the Dramatists Guild Foundation for emerging playwrights and musical theatre writers (composers, lyricists and librettists, individually or as teams). Fellows receive one-on-one mentoring from established professionals to develop their process and revise existing work, meeting as a cohort under program chairs. DGF also runs a virtual National Fellows track for writers based across the United States; both playwriting and musical theatre applications are accepted. |
Dramatists Guild Foundation | New York, NY | Development program | June (2026: June 30) |
DGF National Fellows ProgramThe DGF National Fellows Program is a free, virtual extension of the Dramatists Guild Foundation's long-running Fellows program, open to playwrights, composers, lyricists and librettists based anywhere in the United States. Fellows take part in writing workshops and mentorship sessions led by program chairs (currently Bernardo Cubria for playwriting and Christine Toy Johnson for musical theater) over the course of a year. The 2026 class includes nine writers from cities including Cleveland, El Paso, Atlanta, Seattle, Miami and Los Angeles. |
Dramatists Guild Foundation | National | Development program | July (2025: July 21) |
Directing Fellowship at The Public Theater / Public Directing GroupThe Directing Fellowship at The Public Theater is a salaried, two-year position for an early-career director, conceived and led by Associate Artistic Director Saheem Ali, that culminates in the fellow directing a fully produced mainstage production. The program also includes a Public Directing Group of three early-career directors selected by application; all participants receive guaranteed directing or associate directing work, rehearsal observation, involvement with the Public's artistic programs, and career mentorship from artistic staff. The inaugural fellow, Emma Rosa Went, directed Initiative in fall 2025. |
The Public Theater | New York, NY | Staff fellowship | Unknown |
Djerassi Resident Artists ProgramThe Djerassi Resident Artists Program provides fully funded one-month residencies on a 583-acre ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Northern California for writers, visual and media artists, composers, choreographers, filmmakers and scientists. Over 42 years it has hosted more than 2,700 artists, with room, board and studio space provided at no cost. Applications for the 2027 season are accepted September 1 through October 9, 2026 via SlideRoom. |
Djerassi Resident Artists Program | Woodside, CA | Retreat | October (2027 season: Sept 1-Oct 9, 2026) |
Doris Duke Artist Awards (Theatre)The Doris Duke Artist Awards, established in 2012, recognize individual performing artists in theater, dance and jazz with a large unrestricted cash prize plus professional support such as financial planning, career development and networking opportunities; the foundation doubled the award amount in 2023. Recipients are selected through a nomination process rather than an open application. The 2026 theater honorees were Aleshea Harris and Yara Travieso, joining past theater recipients such as Lynn Nottage, Taylor Mac and Basil Twist. |
Doris Duke Foundation | New York (national), NY | Cash fellowship | Unknown (no open application) |
Drama League (Re)Engage Directing ResidencyThe (Re)Engage Directing Residency is reserved for mid-career alumni of Drama League Directors Project programs and offers one week each August at Hubbard Hall in Cambridge, NY to develop a project the director is already engaged to direct. The recipient receives $4,000, up to four collaborators receive $950 each, and Hubbard Hall provides artist housing, rehearsal space and a production intern; the week ends with a Saturday community sharing. One residency is awarded annually; the 2027 application opens September 2026. |
The Drama League with Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education | Cambridge, NY | Residency | January (2027 application opens September 2026) |
Drama League (Re)Envision Directing ResidencyThe (Re)Envision Directing Residency supports a stage director reimagining a public-domain text for contemporary audiences during a week-long residency at Hubbard Hall in Cambridge, NY. The recipient receives $4,000, up to four optional collaborators receive $950 stipends, and the Drama League adds up to $1,000 in travel reimbursement alongside housing in Hubbard Hall's Lovejoy Artist Residency. The week concludes with a Saturday community sharing; one residency is offered annually and the 2027 application opens September 2026. |
The Drama League with Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education | Cambridge, NY | Residency | January (2027 application opens September 2026) |
Drama League Beatrice Terry Directing ResidencyThe Beatrice Terry Directing Residency is a play-development residency for women and nonbinary directors who also write or adapt the text of their own work, held for one week each August at Hubbard Hall in Cambridge, NY. The recipient receives $4,000, collaborators can receive $950 stipends, housing and up to $1,000 travel reimbursement are provided, and an optional additional $1,000 is available within two years toward a New York industry reading. Named for director-writer Beatrice Terry, the residency is awarded once annually; the 2027 application opens September 2026. |
The Drama League with Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education | Cambridge, NY | Residency | January (2027 application opens September 2026) |
Drama League FutureNow Fellowships (Directing)The FutureNow Fellowships pair a director and a playwright who apply together with a project to develop; two duos are selected each year. Directing Fellows attend Directors Project Week and the Carnegie Mellon retreat, then spend nine weeks in residence at Chautauqua Theater Company assistant directing mainstage work, joined by the playwright for five weeks that culminate in a public, designed workshop in the FutureNow New Play Labs. Directors receive $950 per week for up to 11 weeks (max $9,350) plus travel and housing; playwrights receive $425 per week from CTC. The 2027 application opens September 2026. |
The Drama League with Chautauqua Theater Company | Chautauqua, NY | Residency | January (2027 application opens September 2026; 2026 deadline was Jan 5, 2026) |
Drama League Irene Gandy Directing AssistantshipsThe Drama League Irene Gandy Directing Assistantships pair early-career BIPOC/Global Majority directors with acclaimed mentor directors as assistant directors on professional productions at theaters across the United States. Recipients receive $950 per week for the in-person rehearsal and preview period (up to seven weeks), travel if they live more than 35 miles away, partial housing reimbursement of up to $600 per week for out-of-town recipients, and lifetime Drama League membership. The 2027 application opens in September 2026. |
The Drama League | Various | Development program | January (2027 application opens September 2026) |
Drama League Next Stage Directing ResidencyThe Next Stage Directing Residency, a partnership with New York Stage and Film, gives one stage director a week-long creative residency during NYSAF's summer season in Poughkeepsie followed by a second week in New York City rehearsing a staged reading produced by NYSAF at the Drama League Theater Center. The recipient receives $5,000, up to four collaborators receive $950 stipends for the summer week, and Poughkeepsie housing and train travel are provided. It is intended for directors attached to a project for possible future production; the 2027 application opens September 2026. |
The Drama League with New York Stage and Film | Poughkeepsie / New York, NY | Residency | January (2027 application opens September 2026) |
Drama League Stage Directing FellowshipsThe 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. |
The Drama League (with Berkeley Rep, Lincoln Center Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York Stage and Film, Playwrights' Center, Red Bull Theater, Carnegie Mellon) | New York, NY | Cash fellowship | January (applications open late September; next cycle opens Sept 2027 for 2028) |
Drama League/MTC Directing Fellowship (formerly Jonathan Alper Directing Fellowship)The Drama League/MTC Directing Fellowship is a two-year program offered by The Drama League in partnership with Manhattan Theatre Club as part of the Drama League Stage Directing Fellowships. Each fellow receives a $100,000 scholarship prize ($50,000 per year), up to $10,000 in health-insurance reimbursement, and an artistic engagement at MTC where they work within the artistic department and, in year two, direct a reading or workshop of the theater's choosing. It appears to have superseded MTC's standalone Jonathan Alper Directing Fellowship; MTC separately accepts resumes from directors interested in assistant directing. |
Manhattan Theatre Club with The Drama League | New York, NY | Cash fellowship | January (via Drama League; next opens Sept 2027) |
Early-Career Writers' GroupClubbed Thumb's Early-Career Writers' Group brings together eight playwrights for a season to develop new work, build community with one another, and meet industry professionals. The cohort's works-in-progress are presented as readings during Clubbed Thumb's annual Summerworks festival in May/June. The program is supported by the Barbara Bell Cumming Charitable Trust and the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation; alumni include Sarah DeLappe, Will Arbery, Sanaz Toossi and Eboni Booth. |
Clubbed Thumb | New York, NY | Development program | Unknown |
Edith Lutyens & Norman Bel Geddes Design Enhancement FundThe Edith Lutyens and Norman Bel Geddes Design Enhancement Fund, administered by A.R.T./New York, gives grants of up to $10,000 to New York City nonprofit theatre companies to realize one specific design element (set, lighting, sound, costume, video, puppetry, props or multimedia) in a production. Applicants must be A.R.T./New York organizational members with annual non-capital expenses under $5 million; individual designers cannot apply, but the designer is named in the application and may be contacted by the panel. The FY26 cycle opened March 25, 2025 with an April 29 deadline and July disbursement. |
A.R.T./New York (Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York) | New York, NY | Cash fellowship | April |
Emerging Leader FellowshipTYA/USA's Emerging Leader Fellowship, founded in 2017, supports the career development of early- to mid-career theatre for young audiences (TYA) makers and administrators by funding domestic travel to visit and learn from an inspiring arts organization or mentor. The 2026 fellowship includes a $1,500 U.S. travel stipend, registration and $250 travel stipends for the 2026 and 2027 TYA/USA National Festival & Conferences, a peer-education cohort program, personalized mentorship from TYA/USA's executive director and other national and international TYA leaders, and support in applying for ASSITEJ international opportunities. At least 51% of support is directed to applicants from BIPOC, TGNC, and disability communities; the 2026 cohort of three fellows has been named. |
Theatre for Young Audiences/USA (TYA/USA) | National (org. based in New York), NY | Cash fellowship | Unknown (typically winter/early spring) |
Emerging Playwrights LabThe IAMA Emerging Playwrights Lab is a one-year residency for early-career, Los Angeles-based playwrights run by IAMA Theatre Company. Lab members meet in person monthly from September through July to develop a new full-length play in a peer-guided format, receive dramaturgical support from IAMA's artistic and literary staff, and get a ticket to each mainstage production; the year culminates in readings of each member's play. Applicants must live full-time in L.A., not be full-time students, and have had no more than one commercial or LORT production; submissions for 2026-27 closed July 31, 2026. |
IAMA Theatre Company | Los Angeles, CA | Development program | Summer (2027-28 Lab submissions open summer 2027) |
Emerging Professional Residencies (Stage Management, Costume Construction)Milwaukee Repertory Theater's Emerging Professional Residency (EPR) is a season-long apprenticeship program that serves as a bridge into professional theatre, with residents working alongside established professionals and learning about the business of theatre from guest artists. The residency page currently lists tracks in Acting, Directing, Education & Engagement, and Arts Management; stage management and costume construction residencies have been offered through Milwaukee Rep's job postings. Residents receive a weekly untaxed stipend, housing in a shared apartment with a private bedroom, transportation, a $200 relocation stipend, professional development workshops, and mentorship; information on 2027/28 residencies is expected in fall 2026. |
Milwaukee Repertory Theater | Milwaukee, WI | Residency | Unknown |
Emerging Professional Residency - Arts ManagementMilwaukee Rep's Arts Management Emerging Professional Residency is a pilot, customizable residency that prepares theatre makers for careers in arts administration by giving them hands-on experience across departments such as Company Management, General Management, and Human Resources at a large LORT theatre that produces 12-plus shows a season. The resident primarily works office hours (9am-5:30pm) with occasional nights and weekends and no on-call requirement, and like all EPRs receives a weekly untaxed stipend, housing with a private bedroom, transportation, a relocation stipend, professional development workshops, and mentorship. Information on the 2027/28 residency is expected in fall 2026; past applications required a resume, letter of recommendation, cover letter, and two references. |
Milwaukee Repertory Theater | Milwaukee, WI | Residency | Unknown (2027/28 info to be posted fall 2026) |
Emerging Professional Residency (EPR) - Acting ResidencyMilwaukee Rep's Emerging Professional Residency is a season-long apprenticeship program that places acting residents in understudy and ensemble roles across Rep productions while they take part in workshops, auditions for Wisconsin theaters, and one-on-one mentorship from artistic staff. Residents receive a weekly untaxed stipend, private-bedroom shared housing, transportation, a $200 relocation stipend, professional development workshops and a gym pass; directing, education and arts management residencies are also offered. Application details for the 2027/28 season are expected in fall 2026 and have previously required a resume, headshot, cover letter, recommendation and self-tape. |
Milwaukee Repertory Theater | Milwaukee, WI | Residency | March (2026-27 preferred deadline was March 9, 2026) |
Emerging Writers GroupThe Emerging Writers Group is a two-year fellowship at The Public Theater for playwrights and other generative artists at the early stages of their professional careers, with cohorts selected every two years. Members meet bi-weekly to share work in progress and attend industry panels, master classes, director meet-and-greets and financial-advice sessions. Fellows receive a $10,000 stipend, $1,000 in reimbursable ticket funds, complimentary Public Theater tickets, professional headshots, rehearsal-observation opportunities, and a culminating EWG Spotlight Series of professionally produced readings. |
The Public Theater | New York, NY | Development program | Unknown (biennial; next cohort application expected 2027) |
Emerging Writers ResidencyCircle in the Square Theatre School's Emerging Writers Residency is a new-works incubator that selects one play and one musical each year for a four-week residency with the school's student actors and faculty directors, culminating in a public reading on the Circle in the Square Broadway stage. Writers of any experience level may submit a full-length, unproduced draft during an August application window; first-round reading is blind and six finalists are interviewed. Writers must be within commuting distance of New York City and receive an honorarium ($500 per playwright; up to $1,000 per musical team), rehearsal-room and library access, and complimentary tickets, but no housing or travel. |
Circle in the Square Theatre School | New York, NY | Residency | August (2027 cycle closed Aug 17, 2026) |
FAIR Experience (Fellowships, Assistantships, Internships & Residencies)The FAIR Experience (Fellowships, Assistantships, Internships and Residencies) at Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland is a professional development program founded in 2005 for aspiring, emerging, mid-career and established artists, artisans and arts administrators. Participants work within OSF's repertory season alongside experienced professionals, attend weekly FAIR Forums and complete a capstone, with fellowship-designated tracks currently focused on directing (the Phil Killian and August Wilson Directing Fellowships) and design and production opportunities offered through assistantships and internships. Applications for the 2027 cohort are open through OSF's UltiPro job board. |
Oregon Shakespeare Festival | Ashland, OR | Staff fellowship | Rolling (positions posted summer/fall for following season) |
Festival of New MusicalsNAMT's Festival of New Musicals presents eight new musicals each October in short presentations for an audience of more than 800 industry professionals, with the aim of connecting writers to producers who can advance their shows. Writers of any background may submit complete, unlicensed musicals free of charge (a late fee applies after the early deadline); submissions are evaluated anonymously through a three-round committee process. Selected writers receive an honorarium, full NAMT production support, and ongoing alumni resources, and NAMT takes no royalties or fees. |
National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) | New York, NY | Development program | December (free) / early January (late, $40 fee) |
Four Directions Native Playwright ResidencyThe Four Directions Native Playwright Residency is a partnership among Great Plains Theatre Commons, Tofte Lake Center, Tulsa Artist Fellowship and Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Each organization hosts the selected Native playwright for a week-long residency over the course of a year, with each week in a different part of the country and a distinct focus for work on the play. The residency covers travel, room and board and pays a $1,000 stipend per week; recipients to date include Madeline Easley, Drew Woodson, Tomi Endter and 2026 playwright Dillon Chitto. |
Great Plains Theatre Commons (multi-site partnership) | Omaha, NE | Residency | Unknown |
Fred Ebb AwardThe Fred Ebb Award is an annual prize from the Fred Ebb Foundation for an emerging composer/lyricist or composer-lyricist team writing original work for musical theatre who has not yet achieved significant commercial success. One recipient is selected each year from anonymous submissions of up to four songs and receives a $75,000 cash prize (the site elsewhere cites $60,000) and is honored at a Broadway reception. Applications are accepted only between June 1 and June 30, and only finalists are contacted. |
Fred Ebb Foundation | New York, NY | Cash fellowship | June (June 1-30) |
Global Executive Arts Management FellowshipThe DeVos Institute Global Executive Arts Management Fellowship, in its 25th year in 2026, is a three-year, fully subsidized program led by Michael M. Kaiser and Brett Egan for senior executives (CEOs, executive directors, managing directors, and similar) of arts, culture, heritage, and humanities nonprofits worldwide. Fellows attend a four-week residency each July for three consecutive summers, receiving intensive training in strategic planning, leadership, fundraising, marketing, governance, HR, and financial planning applied to their own organizations, alongside peer learning across cohorts. Fellows receive travel, lodging, per diem, program materials, and visa sponsorship; applicants must lead an organization with at least three full-time staff, several years of programming, and a budget of at least $250,000. |
DeVos Institute of Arts and Nonprofit Management | Washington, DC | Development program | November (Nov 6, 2025 for 2026-28 cohort) |
Guthrie Theater Assistant Directors (Season)The Guthrie Theater hires one paid Assistant Director for each mainstage production of its season; the Guthrie states it does not run formal directing fellowships, so this is its early-career directing pathway. Assistant directors attend all production meetings and rehearsals, take notes and support the director, and are paid $4,000 per production (half at signing, half at opening). The 2025-26 posting closed April 15, 2025, and a 2026-27 posting had not been confirmed as of verification. (from search snippets) |
Guthrie Theater | Minneapolis, MN | Development program | Rolling (posted per season on Paylocity) |
Hangar Theatre Design Fellowships (Lab Company)The Hangar Theatre Design Fellowships, running since the early 2000s in Ithaca, NY, select one fellow each in costume, lighting, scenic and sound design to spend the summer in residence. Fellows design the KIDDSTUFF theatre-for-young-audiences productions in collaboration with Hangar directing fellows and may assist professional designers on mainstage shows, working closely with department heads and the production manager. Compensation is a $425 weekly stipend, housing if needed and a travel stipend; 2026 program dates were June 29 to July 26. |
Hangar Theatre Company | Ithaca, NY | Residency | Unknown |
Harold Prince/Kurt Weill FellowshipThe Harold Prince/Kurt Weill Fellowship, established in 2013 by the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music and administered by the SDC Foundation, places an early-career director or choreographer as an associate on a production of a stage work by Kurt Weill or Marc Blitzstein under a master director or choreographer. Eligible works span musical theatre, opera, operetta and dance, and the production is chosen by the Weill Foundation. SDC Members and Associate Members may apply; timing varies year to year depending on available productions. |
Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation with Kurt Weill Foundation for Music | Varies | Development program | Unknown (opens only when a suitable production is available) |
Herb Alpert Award in the Arts (Theatre)The Herb Alpert Award in the Arts is an unrestricted $75,000 prize given annually to risk-taking mid-career artists in five fields: dance, film/video, music, theatre and visual arts. Administered by California Institute of the Arts since 1994 and funded by the Herb Alpert Foundation, the award is made through a confidential nomination and panel process rather than an open application. Recent theatre recipients include Robin Frohardt, Cannupa Hanska Luger and David Thomson. |
Herb Alpert Foundation / California Institute of the Arts | Santa Clarita (national), CA | Cash fellowship | Unknown (nomination-based; announced each spring) |
HERE Artist Residency Program (HARP)The HERE Artist Residency Program (HARP) at HERE Arts Center in Lower Manhattan supports cross-genre artists working across theatre, dance, music, puppetry, visual art and new media. Each resident receives a commission, developmental support, career planning and a full production, with roughly $125,000 in cash, equipment, space and services over two to three years; a smaller URHERE track supports digital and outdoor work over one to two years. The page lists current residents but no open call. |
HERE Arts Center | New York, NY | Residency | Unknown (periodic open calls; last widely publicized call Nov 2023-Jan 2024) |
Hermitage Fellowships / Hermitage Greenfield Prize (Theater)The Hermitage Artist Retreat on Manasota Key, Florida offers multi-week residencies to accomplished artists in theater, music, visual art, literature and other disciplines, selected by a national Curatorial Council rather than by open application. Its theater-focused honors include the Hermitage Greenfield Prize (a rotating-discipline commission) and the Hermitage Major Theater Award, an annual $35,000 commission plus residency for a playwright or theater artist, whose recipients include Anne Washburn, Naomi Iizuka and Madeleine George. Campus recovery from the 2024 hurricanes means 2026 programs are being announced on shorter notice than usual. |
Hermitage Artist Retreat | Englewood (Sarasota area), FL | Retreat | Unknown (nomination-based) |
I AM SOUL Playwright ResidencyNational Black Theatre's I Am SOUL Playwright Residency, launched in 2014, supports up to three early-career Black playwrights per cycle over 18 months as they write a newly commissioned play. Residents receive a stipend, development resources and a production team, with NBT committing to produce the finished work in a future season; finalists and selected applicants also receive micro-development support through the SOUL Reading Series. The 2026 application window ran April 16 - May 22, with onboarding in September. |
National Black Theatre | New York (Harlem), NY | Residency | June (2026: May 7 - June 12) |
Jerome FellowshipThe Playwrights' Center Jerome Fellowship supports early-career playwrights with extraordinary potential who commit to a two-year professional development residency in Minnesota. Fellows are classified as part-time employees with a $25,000 annual salary and benefits including health insurance, receive $3,000 per year for customized play-development workshops, and work closely with the Center's artistic staff to develop plays and connect with producers. Applicants may not have had more than two professional productions, must spend the fellowship term in Minnesota, and become Affiliated Writers afterward; the program is funded by the Jerome Foundation and applications for the 2027-29 cycle open in fall 2026. |
Playwrights' Center | Minneapolis, MN | Residency | Fall (TBD, fall 2026 for 2027-29 cycle) |
Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship (Theater/Performance Art/Spoken Word)The Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship supports early-career artists based in Minnesota or New York City working across fields including theater, performance and spoken word, dance, film, literature, music, technology-centered arts and visual arts. Fellows receive a three-year award of $60,000 ($20,000 per year) to support flexible, self-designed plans for their creative work; the foundation favors artists who take creative risks and challenge cultural norms. Forty-five fellows were named for 2025-2028 and the application is closed until it reopens in 2027. |
Jerome Foundation | St. Paul (MN and NYC artists), MN | Cash fellowship | Unknown (next application opens 2027) |
Jim Henson Foundation Puppetry Residency at the O'NeillThe Jim Henson Foundation Puppetry Residency at the O'Neill provides space and support for an artist or company completing the final stage of a new work of puppet theater for adults that is expected to premiere within a year. Residencies last up to two weeks in spring or fall windows, accommodate up to 10 participants with full room and board, include dramaturgical support from the O'Neill's literary office, and come with a $7,500 grant from the Jim Henson Foundation, though no technical equipment or support is provided; the primary artist must be American, and preference goes to projects connected to a Henson Foundation Production Grant. Letters of intent (a project description, artist bio, and one-page visual in a single PDF) are due via Submittable by August 9, 2026, with about five finalists invited to submit full applications in mid-October and final selections made by early December. |
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center / The Jim Henson Foundation | Waterford, CT | Residency | August (2026 LOI deadline Aug 9, 2026; full applications mid-October) |
Jonathan Larson GrantsThe Jonathan Larson Grants, administered by the American Theatre Wing, are unrestricted annual awards for early-career musical theatre composers, lyricists and librettists, or writing teams. The grant is intended to support artistic endeavors and sustain long-term writing careers, and recipients decide how to use the funds; the program also provides recording support for recipients through the Saw Island Foundation. The program is permanently housed at the Wing with support from the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation and the Larson family. |
American Theatre Wing | New York, NY | Cash fellowship | September |
Kenny Leon Directing FellowshipThe Kenny Leon Directing Fellowship at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre places an early- to mid-career, Atlanta-based director as assistant director on one mainstage production for roughly 10-12 weeks from pre-production through opening. The fellow attends virtual design meetings, supports the director in rehearsal and tech, helps stage management run understudy rehearsals, has bi-weekly mentorship check-ins with Artistic Director Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, and meets one-on-one with Kenny Leon. Compensation is $3,000 plus complimentary tickets, a free professional-development class and a parking pass; housing and travel are not provided. |
Alliance Theatre | Atlanta, GA | Development program | Unknown (rolling via Airtable form) |
Kresge Artist Fellowships (Live Arts)Kresge Artist Fellowships, administered by Kresge Arts in Detroit at the College for Creative Studies, give $50,000 no-strings-attached awards plus artist support and a commissioned short film to artists living in Wayne, Oakland or Macomb counties. In 2026 the program offers ten $50,000 fellowships and ten $5,000 Gilda Awards split between two categories: Live Arts (including theatre directing, playwriting, performance art, comedy, storytelling and interdisciplinary work) and Film & Music; Literary and Visual Arts rotate in alternate years. Selection weighs artistic track record, potential for growth and impact on metro Detroit communities. |
Kresge Arts in Detroit / College for Creative Studies | Detroit, MI | Cash fellowship | January (2026 deadline Jan 15, 2026) |
Lab Company Performance FellowshipThe Hangar Theatre Lab Company Performance Fellowship in Ithaca, NY is a summer residency for college students and early-career actors, selected through a fully virtual application. Fellows are cast in multiple roles across the KIDDSTUFF theatre-for-young-audiences series and possibly mainstage productions, may assist in the Next Generation School of Theatre, and take workshops with visiting professionals while working alongside Hangar directing and design fellows. Compensation is a $300 weekly stipend, housing, and up to $200 in travel; the 2026 program ran May 27 to July 27 with an April 6 deadline. |
Hangar Theatre | Ithaca, NY | Residency | April (2026 deadline April 6) |
Leon Levy Foundation Roundabout Directors GroupThe Leon Levy Foundation Roundabout Directors Group (RDG) is a season-long cohort program at Roundabout Theatre Company for early-career directors, focused on career resources, lateral mentorship and industry knowledge rather than production assignments. Members meet monthly with established artists for workshops on topics such as moving from assisting to directing, TV/film directing, SDC, self-producing and representation, and receive tickets to all Roundabout productions, networking sessions, portfolio feedback, a headshot session and a professional-development fund. The program prioritizes directors from historically underrepresented groups. |
Roundabout Theatre Company | New York, NY | Development program | May (May 12, 2026 for Cohort 8, 2026-27) |
Lloyd Richards New Futures ResidencyThe Lloyd Richards New Futures Residency is a year-long SDC Foundation program for mid-career directors and choreographers interested in institutional leadership and committed to illuminating Black cultural experiences on stage. The resident artist receives a $50,000 grant, is embedded with an artistic leader at a host theatre to learn the workings of artistic direction, and is guaranteed a production or workshop at that theatre on an SDC contract within three years. Selection is a two-round process in which finalists apply jointly with a host theatre; SDC membership is not required for applicants. |
Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation | Varies | Residency | June (2026 cycle: applications opened May 12, due June 2, 2026) |
Lynnette Barkley FundThe Lynnette Barkley Fund, established in 2025 by director-choreographer Lynnette Barkley at the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation, gives unrestricted $5,000 awards to up to three alumni of SDCF's Professional Development Program each year. Applicants complete a brief application describing a passion project the funds would support, reviewed by members of the SDCF Board of Trustees and the SDC Executive Board. Funding is planned over at least three years; 2026 recipients are Diego Alejandro Gonzalez, Lindsey Hope Pearlman and Jaquita Ta'le. |
Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation | New York, NY | Cash fellowship | Unknown |
MacArthur FellowshipThe MacArthur Fellowship is an $800,000, no-strings-attached award given by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to exceptionally creative individuals as an investment in their potential. Fellows are chosen through an anonymous nomination and selection process across all fields; there is no application. Theatre makers are occasionally among the annual class, which is announced each fall (September 29 this year). |
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation | Chicago (national), IL | Cash fellowship | Unknown (no application) |
MacDowell Fellowship (Theatre discipline)A MacDowell Fellowship is a residency of up to eight weeks at MacDowell in Peterborough, New Hampshire, giving artists exclusive use of a studio, accommodations and three meals a day at no cost, with financial assistance available for travel and expenses such as rent, lost income and childcare. Theatre is one of seven eligible disciplines alongside architecture, film/video, interdisciplinary arts, literature, music composition and visual arts, and roughly 300 fellowships are awarded each year by anonymous discipline-specific panels judging solely on artistic excellence. The deadline for Spring-Summer 2027 residencies is September 10, 2026. |
MacDowell | Peterborough, NH | Retreat | September 10 (Spring/Summer) and February 10 (Fall/Winter) |
MAD Fellowships - Design (Lighting, Scenic, Sound, Costume, Props)Shotgun Players' MAD Fellowships in Berkeley, CA pair early-career theatre artists with a mentor designer on one mainstage production in lighting, scenic, sound, costume or props design. Design fellows commit up to 80 hours over about seven weeks, from design meetings through tech and opening, and are paid Berkeley minimum wage plus free tickets and access to rehearsals across the season; ten design fellowships are offered each year alongside directing observerships, a production management fellowship and stage management fellowships. 2027 applications opened September 4, 2026 with a November 1 priority deadline and require a headshot, resume, work sample and two recommendation letters. |
Shotgun Players | Berkeley, CA | Development program | November |
MAD Fellowships - Stage Management and Production ManagementShotgun Players' MAD Stage Management Fellowship in Berkeley, CA gives an early-career stage manager a comprehensive look at running a production at a mid-sized professional theater by serving as assistant stage manager or production assistant on one mainstage show, from rehearsal prep and line notes through backstage management for all performances. Fellows are paid Berkeley minimum wage for roughly 50 to 280 hours depending on ASM designation and are mentored by the production's stage manager; the new Production Management Fellowship (about 235 hours over May to December 2027) works alongside the Director of Production. Stage management slots are offered only when a production needs an ASM; 2027 applications have a November 1, 2026 priority deadline. |
Shotgun Players | Berkeley, CA | Development program | November |
Many Voices FellowshipThe Many Voices Fellowship, created in 1994 by the Playwrights' Center with the Jerome Foundation, supports early-career Black, Indigenous and other playwrights of color through a two-year professional development residency in Minnesota. Fellows are part-time employees of the Center with a $25,000 annual salary and benefits, $3,000 per year in play-development funds, and individualized work with artistic staff to develop plays and connect with producers. Applicants may not have had more than two professionally produced works and must commit to living in Minnesota during the term; the program has provided more than 140 fellowships since its founding. |
Playwrights' Center | Minneapolis, MN | Residency | Winter (TBD, winter 2026 for 2027-29 cycle) |
Many Voices MentorshipThe Many Voices Mentorship is a one-year Playwrights' Center program for Minnesota-based Black, Indigenous and other artists of color who are new to playwriting but show artistic potential. Mentees receive a $2,000 stipend, $850 in development funds, and free access to more than $3,000 in services including a staged reading with professional actors, multi-week classes, one-night seminars and a two-year Center membership; they become Affiliated Writers at the end of the term. Applicants must live within 75 miles of the Twin Cities during the mentorship year and must not have had any professionally produced plays; the 2026-27 deadline was December 4, 2025. |
Playwrights' Center | Minneapolis, MN | Development program | December |
McKnight Fellowship in PlaywritingThe McKnight Fellowship in Playwriting, administered by the Playwrights' Center, recognizes mid-career playwrights living and working in Minnesota who show a sustained body of work and distinct artistic vision. The year-long fellowship (July-June) includes a $25,000 stipend, $2,500 for a play-development workshop and professional expenses, and $1,400 in travel funds; fellows become Affiliated Writers afterward. Applicants must have been continuous Minnesota residents since at least January 2025 and have had at least one professionally produced play; the 2026-27 fellows are Rachel Lynett and MK Tuomanen. |
Playwrights' Center | Minneapolis, MN | Cash fellowship | Unknown |
McKnight National Residency and CommissionThe McKnight National Residency and Commission supports an established playwright from outside Minnesota with at least two professionally produced plays to write a new play developed with the Playwrights' Center. The recipient receives a $15,000 commission and up to $12,250 in workshop funds (including travel and housing) over a July-June term, culminating in a public reading, and is not required to relocate to Minnesota. Applications require a writing sample, a project proposal for a not-yet-drafted play, and a recommendation letter; the 2026-27 deadline was December 11, 2025. |
Playwrights' Center | Minneapolis, MN | Development program | December |
McKnight Theater Artist FellowshipsThe McKnight Theater Artist Fellowships, administered by Playwrights' Center with funding from the McKnight Foundation, award $25,000 to mid-career Minnesota theater artists other than playwrights, including actors, directors, dramaturgs, stage managers and designers (including puppetry). Applicants must have been continuous Minnesota residents since March 2025, and selection rests on commitment to theater, professional achievement and a sustained body of work assessed by a five-member panel; the 2026-27 deadline was March 26, 2026 and the program is not currently accepting applications. It is one of the few US fellowships that funds actors directly as individual artists. |
Playwrights' Center | Minneapolis, MN | Cash fellowship | March (2026 deadline March 26, 2026) |
Michael Maggio Directing FellowshipThe Michael Maggio Directing Fellowship is a year-long, full-time artistic-administrative position at Chicago's Goodman Theatre for an emerging Chicago-based director who has directed at least two professional productions. The fellow assistant directs mainstage productions, supports readings and workshops, reads and responds to scripts, helps produce IDEAA events with the Northwestern Directing Fellow, and is mentored by Goodman's BOLD Artistic Producer. Applications for the 2026-27 fellowship closed March 1, 2026, with virtual info sessions held in February. |
Goodman Theatre | Chicago, IL | Staff fellowship | March (March 1, 2026 for 2026-27) |
Mike Ockrent FellowshipThe Mike Ockrent Fellowship, established in 2001 by the late director's family through the SDC Foundation, places an early-career director or choreographer alongside an experienced director or choreographer on a big-budget Broadway musical or play for the full production process. Candidates must be SDC Members or Associate Members; finalists are interviewed by the mentor, who selects the recipient. The fellowship opens only when aligned with a suitable production, so there is no fixed schedule. |
Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation | New York, NY | Development program | Unknown (opens when aligned with a production) |
Miranda Family Fellowship ProgramWoolly Mammoth Theatre Company's Miranda Family Fellowship Program, run in partnership with Lin-Manuel Miranda's family fund, provides candidates from historically underrepresented communities with paid, two-year, department-specific entry-level associate positions with health insurance to build careers as arts administrators or theatre technicians. The fifth cohort, beginning August 2026, includes fellowships in Connectivity, New Work, Producing, and Production; fellows receive intra-departmental mentorship, professional development and coaching, site visits to local arts organizations, monthly conversations with industry leaders, and anti-racism training, and also join the Miranda Family Fund's Management Track (quarterly modules in year one, monthly one-on-one coaching in year two). Applications were submitted by email with an April 6 deadline; a sixth cohort is anticipated for summer 2028. |
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company | Washington, DC | Staff fellowship | April (Apr 6, 2026 for 2026 cohort) |
Morgan Jenness Experiments in Playwriting FellowshipLa MaMa's Morgan Jenness Experiments in Playwriting Fellowship gives two early-career New York City-area playwrights a year-long artistic home at La MaMa, aligned with its September-June season, with an emphasis on writers from underproduced communities including LGBTQ+ artists, people of color and people with disabilities. Fellows meet monthly with mentor Justin Elizabeth Sayre, have access to La MaMa's extensive Off-Off-Broadway archive, receive complimentary tickets to the season, and present an open reading through the Experiments Play Reading Series. Each fellow receives a $1,500 stipend; the program is supported by the Jerome Foundation and 2026-27 applications are closed. |
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club | New York, NY | Development program | Unknown |
MTF MakersMTF Makers is Musical Theatre Factory's incubator residency for individual artists and creative pairs working across disciplines to expand musical storytelling through a justice-driven, interdisciplinary approach. Makers receive paid, tailored resources including dramaturgical support, research opportunities, table reads, concerts and labs, rehearsal space at The Factory Floor, a monthly financial wellness stipend, promotional media, and mentorship from MTF's artistic leadership. In return they attend bi-monthly cohort meetings, host or facilitate at least two MTF programs, and engage with the MTF community. |
Musical Theatre Factory | New York, NY | Residency | Unknown (season applications opened March 2026) |
NAMT Festival Creative Assistantship (Directing)NAMT's Festival Creative Assistantship, a reimagining of the former NAMT Festival Observership, gives early-career professionals from underrepresented groups hands-on roles as departmental assistants in directing, script or music during the annual Festival of New Musicals. Participants work closely with the festival's directors, writers and music directors, attend all rehearsals, sound checks and presentations, and join select NAMT Fall Conference panels and networking events. Applications open in July each year. |
National Alliance for Musical Theatre | New York, NY | Development program | July/August (applications open in July) |
National Critics Institute (NCI)The National Critics Institute (NCI) at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center is a two-week residential workshop (July 1-12, 2026) for arts writers and critics, held concurrently with the O'Neill's National Playwrights and National Music Theater Conferences in Waterford, Connecticut. Directed by Chicago Tribune critic Chris Jones with associate director Naveen Kumar, the program offers workshops in reviewing theatre, film, performance, and food, storytelling and profile writing, and social media and digital practice, taught by a faculty of leading national critics, along with show and restaurant visits and networking with theatre professionals on campus. It serves writers of all experience levels with an emphasis on mid-career critics; applications (form, two writing samples, and a recommendation letter) are accepted via Airtable, and the 2026 window closed March 3. |
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center | Waterford, CT | Retreat | February-March (Feb 10 - Mar 3, 2026) |
National Music Theater ConferenceThe National Music Theater Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center selects unproduced musicals, song cycles, operettas and hybrid works from an open national submission process for a two-week, writer-driven workshop residency in Waterford, Connecticut. Each piece is paired with a director, dramaturg, music director, musicians and actors, receives about 34 hours of rehearsal, and is presented in three public script-in-hand readings. Writers receive room and board, a stipend, and a 'Dream Responder' of their choosing; applications for the 2027 conference are open September 16-30, 2026 with a $15 fee. |
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center | Waterford, CT | Development program | Unknown (fall; check theoneill.org/nmtc) |
National Playwrights ConferenceThe National Playwrights Conference, founded in 1964, is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's flagship new-play development program in Waterford, Connecticut. Each summer a small number of unproduced plays are chosen through an open, blind submission process (1,200-1,700 scripts annually, $15 fee) for a week-long, playwright-driven workshop with a director, dramaturg and professional actors, ending in two public script-in-hand readings. Selected writers also receive a multi-week residency with room, board and a stipend; the application window for the 2027 conference was August 25 - September 10, 2026. |
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center | Waterford, CT | Development program | September (2027 window: Aug 25 - Sept 10, 2026) |
National Puppetry Conference (Emerging Artist Strand, Resident Company, scholarships)The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Puppetry Conference, held each June in Waterford, Connecticut (Pre Conference May 30-June 4 and Main Conference June 5-14, 2026), gathers puppeteers from around the world to develop skills and devise new puppet theatre works under master artists. Participants choose a strand; most are tuition-based ($800-$1,675) with partial scholarships available to Main Conference participants, while the Emerging Artist strand (open only to Conference alumni, tuition waived with a $500 room and board fee) supports alumni at a critical career juncture working on a specific project with mentors, and the Resident Company strand ($750 total) has members support the Emerging Artists' projects under Jane Martineau's direction. Applications, which require a resume, headshot, artistic statement, and $15 fee, closed February 4, 2026; the conference is led by Artistic Director Pam Arciero and funded by the Jane Henson Foundation. |
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center | Waterford, CT | Development program | Early February (2026 applications Jan 21-Feb 4, 2026) |
National Vision Stage Management FellowshipThe National Vision Stage Management Fellowship at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre places one early-career stage manager in residence for a season, working as a stage manager or assistant stage manager on Hertz Stage (LORT D) and Coca-Cola Stage (LORT B) productions, often including a commercially enhanced world-premiere musical. The fellow receives at least 35 weeks of Equity LORT contracting with health and pension contributions plus a relocation stipend, and is mentored by the diverse panel of professional stage managers who select them. Candidates need an MFA in stage management or a BA/BFA with commensurate experience and must relocate to Atlanta. |
Alliance Theatre | Atlanta, GA | Staff fellowship | Unknown |
New Victory LabWorksNew Victory LabWorks is the New Victory Theater's artist development residency for New York-based makers of work for young audiences, hosted by New 42; the 2026 residency was awarded to Flying Leap Productions. The LabWorks application page now redirects to a general artist-submissions page, which invites companies to send an artistic statement, full-length video, photos, technical requirements and company history to the programming department for consideration in future seasons. Prospective LabWorks applicants should verify the next cycle directly with New Victory. |
New Victory Theater / New 42 | New York, NY | Development program | Unknown (historically winter/spring) |
New York Community Trust Van Lier Fellowship for Young Latine DirectorsRepertorio Español's New York Community Trust Van Lier Fellowship for Young Latiné Directors supports two emerging Hispanic/Latiné directors, age 30 or under and living in New York City, who have completed a theatre degree and are not currently enrolled in training. Each fellow directs two professional Spanish-language productions at Repertorio over two summers, receiving mentorship and a stipend; the 2026-27 cohort directs contemporary works in summer 2026 and Spanish Golden Age plays in summer 2027. Applications are requested by email with 'Van Lier' in the subject line. (from search snippets) |
Repertorio Espanol | New York, NY | Cash fellowship | January (January 11, 2026 for 2026-27) |
Northwestern Directing FellowshipThe Northwestern Directing Fellowship is a full-time, year-long residency at Goodman Theatre offered in partnership with Northwestern University to a recent graduate (within ten years) of Northwestern's MFA Directing program. The fellow joins Goodman's artistic staff to assistant direct productions in the Albert and Owen theatres, read and respond to scripts, participate in season planning, and co-produce IDEAA events with the Maggio Directing Fellow. Compensation is $45,000 with benefits, and the fellow is mentored by the BOLD Artistic Producer. |
Goodman Theatre with Northwestern University | Chicago, IL | Staff fellowship | Unknown |
NYSCA/NYFA Artist FellowshipThe NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is an $8,000 unrestricted cash grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts for artists aged 25 or older who have lived in New York State (or a Tribal Nation within it) for at least two years. Fifteen disciplines rotate on a three-year cycle; playwriting/screenwriting and choreography next come up in the 2028 cycle (applications fall 2027), and the award goes to originators of work rather than interpretive artists such as actors. The application is free and submitted through Submittable, with roughly 90 fellowships and 15 finalist awards made each year. |
New York Foundation for the Arts | New York (statewide), NY | Cash fellowship | January (2026 cycle closed Jan 27, 2026) |
Omaha Community Playhouse Directing FellowshipThe Omaha Community Playhouse Directing Fellowship is a season-long program (August to June) for four emerging or developing directors in the Omaha area. Fellows serve as assistant directors on at least two mainstage productions, work with the artistic director, associate artistic director and guest directors from auditions through opening, join roundtables, workshops and guest-artist sessions, and may direct an Education Department production. Fellows receive $500 per assigned production plus complimentary preview tickets; the 2026-27 application deadline was June 16, 2026. |
Omaha Community Playhouse | Omaha, NE | Development program | June (June 16, 2026 for 2026-27) |
Page 73 Playwriting FellowshipThe Page 73 Playwriting Fellowship provides a year of support to one early-career playwright who has not yet had a professional production in New York City. The fellow receives an unrestricted $20,000 award plus a development budget of up to an additional $10,000, managed with Page 73, to develop one or more new plays of their choosing. Fellows are chosen through Page 73's unified annual application; past recipients include Quiara Alegría Hudes, Heidi Schreck, Clare Barron, Hansol Jung and Sanaz Toossi, and the 2026 fellow is Adin Lenahan. |
Page 73 Productions | Brooklyn, NY | Cash fellowship | Unknown (single annual application for all Page 73 programs) |
Page 73 Writers GroupThe Page 73 Writers Group gathers a cohort of roughly eight playwrights who meet twice a month at the Page 73 offices in Brooklyn to share new pages and discuss their work with peers and with Page 73's artistic director and associate artistic director. Every member receives a $3,000 stipend, and the group is meant to open doors to the wider New York theater community. Members are selected through Page 73's single annual application alongside the Playwriting Fellowship and Workshops; the 2026 group includes Abigail C. Onwunali, Alexa Derman, Benjamin Benne and JuCoby Johnson. |
Page 73 Productions | Brooklyn, NY | Development program | Unknown |
Paul A. Kaplan Theatre Management Program - Early Career Professional TrainingManhattan Theatre Club's Paul A. Kaplan Theatre Management Program offers Early Career Professional Training positions that provide intensive on-the-job training in producing not-for-profit theatre on and off Broadway. Trainees are placed in departments such as the Artistic Office, Company Management, Learning & Community Engagement, Literary, Marketing Management, Marketing Strategy, Production Management, and Special Events, work with a supervisor and a mentor, attend an educational seminar series and career coaching, and receive complimentary tickets. Positions are full-time and in-person (35 hours per week at $700 per week with benefits), running September 8, 2026 to about May 28, 2027; the 2026-27 application is closed, with 2027-28 information expected in early 2027. |
Manhattan Theatre Club | New York, NY | Staff fellowship | Unknown (2026-27 application closed; 2027-28 info posted early 2027) |
Performance Lab / Core CompanyThe Orchard Project's Performance Lab is a self-directed summer residency in Saratoga Springs, NY for theatremakers, writers, composers, companies and ensembles with projects at any stage of development. Participants receive free rehearsal space, room and board at Skidmore College, open rehearsals for peers and industry, optional feedback from staff and fellow residents, community learning panels, and ongoing alumni support through OP Forward. There is no fee to apply or participate; submissions for all OP labs are made through a common application, with the 2026 deadline having been December 1, 2025. |
The Orchard Project | Saratoga Springs, NY | Development program | Unknown (applications typically winter via OP App) |
Pew Fellowships in the ArtsPew Fellowships in the Arts are part of The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage's panel-adjudicated grantmaking for cultural organizations and artists in the Greater Philadelphia region, alongside its Creative Project and Evolving Futures grants. Fellowships have gone to artists across disciplines including theatre makers, directors and performers, with the Center emphasizing work of excellence, care and conceptual rigor that engages multiple perspectives and audiences. The 2026 cycle opened February 3 and the letter-of-intent deadline has passed. |
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage | Philadelphia, PA | Cash fellowship | Unknown (nomination-based) |
Playwrights UnitThe Goodman Playwrights Unit is a season-long residency for Chicago-area playwrights, established in 2010. Up to four writers each year receive a $3,000 commission to write a brand-new play, meet twice monthly with the Goodman's literary staff and fellow cohort members, and are given mid-point and final readings at the theatre. Unit members are treated as artists-in-residence with invitations to opening nights, rehearsals and special events; applicants must have had at least one fully produced play and apply by email with a statement, resume and 20-page sample. |
Goodman Theatre | Chicago, IL | Development program | Unknown |
Princess Grace Awards in Theater (Directing, Design, Playwriting/Other)The Princess Grace Awards, given by the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, support and elevate extraordinary early-career artists in theater, dance and film through substantial grants and ongoing career support. Theater awards cover directing, design, playwriting and performance, with candidates nominated by theater companies or institutions in a two-round process (Round 1 due February 2, invited Round 2 due May 1). The 2026 cycle produced 18 winners and 11 honoraria across disciplines; information on the 2027 cycle will be posted in autumn. |
Princess Grace Foundation-USA | New York, NY | Cash fellowship | February |
Producing 101Producing 101 is Theatre Producers of Color's flagship tuition-free, eleven-week program (held Monday evenings on Zoom, December through March) that trains BIPOC adults in the fundamentals of commercial theatre producing. Participants study topics such as anti-racist producing practices, first hires (general managers and lawyers), raising money, pitching, creative development, nonprofit collaboration, and marketing, learning directly from the teams behind current Broadway productions, and each member develops a case study on their own project or a current Broadway show, producing pitch materials and viability analysis. The program is mentored by Tony-winning producer Sammy Lopez of P3 Productions; the most recent application round closed in fall 2025. |
Theatre Producers of Color (TPOC) | New York (virtual via Zoom), NY | Development program | October (applications open Oct, decisions late Nov) |
Producing FellowshipPlayGround's Producing Fellowship is a year-long (August through July), part-time paid program that develops next-generation theatre leaders across the company's four regions, with one fellow typically selected from each of the SF Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. Fellows work about four hours per week via Zoom at $20 per hour with PlayGround's artistic staff and national producing teams, gaining hands-on training in fundraising and grant writing, theatre management, marketing and communications, and elements of literary management and casting, with priority given to BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled applicants. Recent cycles required a cover letter with artistic statement, resume, and two references submitted via Google Form, with applications due at the end of May. |
PlayGround (SF Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago) | Berkeley (with LA, NY, Chicago placements), CA | Staff fellowship | Spring (2025-26 applications announced March 2025) |
Project WeeksMercury Store's Project Weeks give NYC-based directors, choreographers and devisers a Monday-to-Friday residency in the company's four-studio Gowanus warehouse to test an early-stage idea in three dimensions rather than around a table. Each project includes a fee for the lead artist, workspace, a company of paid actors, a materials and collaborator budget and artistic dialogue. Selection is a closed process (a meeting followed by an application) aimed at established theatre makers not currently enrolled in degree programs; the company suggests inviting staff to see a production or workshop as the way to get on its radar. |
Mercury Store | Brooklyn, NY | Development program | Rolling (invitation-based) |
Puppet Lab Emerging Artists ResidencyPuppet Lab is Open Eye Theatre's six-month developmental laboratory in Minneapolis for emerging puppet artists who have been Minnesota residents for at least a year. From October to April the cohort meets twice a month, works 20 hours with a mentor director, and each artist builds and performs an original 30-40 minute piece in a two-week festival at Open Eye. Participants receive a $2,600 honorarium, a $500 materials budget, workshops, production support and professional documentation; the program is funded by the Jerome Foundation and the 2026-27 application closes September 14, 2026. |
Open Eye Theatre | Minneapolis, MN | Development program | September (2026-27 cycle closes Sept 14, 2026) |
Resident Acting CompanyTimber Lake Playhouse in Mount Carroll, IL hires 13 emerging performers each summer for its Resident Acting Company, known as the Lakers, who are contracted for three to five musical productions and guaranteed at least one featured role. Members earn $350 per week with campus housing, two meals a day and a travel stipend, and also perform in pre-show cabarets and marketing events. Casting is through a January-February college audition tour and virtual submissions of headshot, resume, song video and dance reel, with a February 27, 2026 deadline for the 2026 season. |
Timber Lake Playhouse | Mount Carroll, IL | Residency | February (2026 deadline Feb 27) |
Resident Playwright ProgramPlaywrights Foundation's Resident Playwrights Program (RPP) is a two-year residency for four up-and-coming San Francisco Bay Area playwrights. Residents receive financial investment, tailored career support from staff, an in-person retreat, monthly cohort meetings, internal and public workshops, and local and national networking opportunities. Applicants must have lived in one of nine Bay Area counties for at least a year, written at least two full-length plays, and show career momentum through a professional production or multiple development opportunities; applications open in odd years, and the current cohort runs January 2026 through December 2027. |
Playwrights Foundation | San Francisco, CA | Residency | Unknown |
Room of One's Own (ROO) ResidencyThe Room of One's Own (ROO) Residency is a two-year program from Bechdel Project supporting the creation of a new stage or screen work that centers women and highlights untold or underrepresented perspectives. The resident receives a $5,000 award, dedicated studio space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, writing retreats in Brooklyn and Germany, curated dramaturgical mentorship and developmental workshops, an invitation to the organization's annual artist retreat, and a public reading at the end of the residency. Broadway playwright Sandy Rustin was named the 2026 ROO Resident. |
Bechdel Project | Brooklyn, NY | Residency | Unknown (2026/27 call posted January 2026) |
Roundabout Directing FellowshipThe Roundabout Directing Fellowship, established in 2017, selects one early-career director who has not yet directed at a major off-Broadway or regional theatre for a full-time, salaried, benefits-eligible season at Roundabout Theatre Company starting in late August. The fellow assistant directs two to three productions (with the aim of at least one on Broadway), supports the artistic office with script coverage, and receives space, casting and literary resources for developmental workshops of two projects, plus a professional-development fund and headshot session. The program prioritizes directors from underrepresented groups and is supported by The Tow Foundation. |
Roundabout Theatre Company | New York, NY | Staff fellowship | May (May 12, 2026 for 2026-27) |
Rufus and Margo Rose New Works Fund GrantsThe Rufus and Margo Rose New Works Fund (formerly the Endowment Fund) is Puppeteers of America's biennial grant program supporting the creation of new professional puppet productions by North American puppeteers or companies with a current PofA member. Awards generally range from $500 to $1,000; the 2025 cycle gave three $750 grants each to emerging and established artists, with recipients ineligible to reapply for two subsequent cycles. Grants cannot fund travel, tours or bookings, and recipients must complete the project and file a final report within two years. |
Puppeteers of America | Minneapolis (national), MN | Cash fellowship | July, biennial (2025 cycle closed July 10, 2025; next cycle 2027) |
Scratchpad SeriesThe Scratchpad Series is a Playwrights Realm program for early-career playwrights anywhere in the United States, created to remove geographic and economic barriers to working with the company. Selected playwrights receive a $1,000 award, paid rehearsal time, up to a week of paid development with a director, cast and Realm artistic staff, a reading (internal or public), dramaturgical feedback, and travel and housing support. Both plays and musicals are eligible, and preference goes to projects that cannot be served by the NYC-based Writing Fellowship. |
The Playwrights Realm | New York, NY | Development program | Fall |
SDCF Professional Development Program (Shadows, Observers, Fellows)The SDC Foundation Professional Development Program, formerly the Observership Program, offers early-career directors and choreographers three tiers of rehearsal-based opportunities with experienced mentors: short-term Shadows, production-long Observers, and Fellows who work as part of the artistic team. Shadows and Observers receive $600 per week and Fellows $3,000-$6,000, along with mentor meetings, SDCF staff check-ins and networking; non-members who complete the program can join SDC as Associate Members with initiation fees and first-year dues waived. Applications open two to three times per season via SlideRoom for a $5 fee, and named fellowships such as the Abbott and Ockrent run within these cycles. |
Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation | New York (placements nationwide), NY | Development program | Rolling (2-3 application cycles per season via SlideRoom; timing varies) |
Seattle Rep WHPATP Apprenticeships (Lighting Design, Production Management, Scenic Paint, Stage Management)Seattle Rep's Winky Hussey Professional Arts Training Program (WHPATP) offers season-long paid apprenticeships (about 2,000 hours, August to June) for early-career theatre workers; for 2026/27 the production tracks were Lighting Design, Production Management, Scenic Paint, and Stage Management (two positions). Apprentices are paid at Seattle minimum wage ($21.30 per hour) with paid sick time, holidays, and a transit benefit, and take part in departmental seminars, shadowing at partner theatres, management and leadership training, OSHA certification, and IATSE Training Trust classes. The 2026/27 application period closed February 26, 2026. |
Seattle Rep | Seattle, WA | Staff fellowship | February |
Seidel FellowshipThe Seidel Fellowship at 1st Stage in Tysons, Virginia, is a six-month paid fellowship (25-30 hours per week, $1,700 monthly stipend) intended to develop emerging leaders in American theatre. Each fellowship is customized to the recipient and built around fellow-led projects mentored by senior staff, plus one-on-one meetings with field leaders and networking events, with concentrations ranging from artistic direction and casting to marketing, producing, literary management, and technical direction. Two fellows are selected per season in overlapping six-month cycles; housing is not provided. |
1st Stage | Tysons, VA | Staff fellowship | Unknown |
Seven Devils Playwrights ConferenceThe Seven Devils Playwrights Conference is a two-week new-play development conference held each June in McCall, Idaho by Seven Devils New Play Foundry. Four plays are selected for staged readings with minimal props, sets and lights (including one Theatre for Young Audiences play), and one to four additional writers join the Playwrights Intensive or residency programs; invited playwrights are assigned a director and dramaturg and receive travel, housing, a car and a modest stipend. Full-length, unproduced scripts are accepted through Submittable during an August window for a $13 fee, and playwrights must be in residence for the full two weeks. |
Seven Devils New Play Foundry | McCall, ID | Development program | Unknown |
Shakespeare Theatre Company Professional Fellowships (Artistic/Directing)Shakespeare Theatre Company's Professional Fellowship program in Washington, DC gave early-career theatre makers season-long positions learning from and contributing to the running of a major classical theatre, with tracks across artistic and administrative departments and a directing/artistic fellow offered in some seasons. STC suspended the program for the 2022/23 season with a stated commitment to reinstate it in a future season; the fellowships page now returns a 404 and no evidence of a 2026-27 cohort was found. (from search snippets) |
Shakespeare Theatre Company | Washington, DC | Staff fellowship | Unknown |
Sloan Initiative CommissionsManhattan Theatre Club's Sloan Initiative, a partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation begun in 2000 with David Auburn's Proof, commissions, develops and produces new plays about math, science and technology. MTC awards an average of three commissions a year (more than 100 to date) for not-yet-written plays; playwrights apply between December 1 and March 1 with a one-page proposal describing the story and its scientific subject, plus a bio or resume. The Foundation also funds production grants for Sloan-related works, and commissioned plays are often presented in MTC's free public reading series. |
Manhattan Theatre Club / Alfred P. Sloan Foundation | New York, NY | Development program | Rolling |
Soho Rep Writer Director LabSoho Rep's Writer Director Lab, founded in 1998, supports four writer-director teams as they generate new, formally inventive theatrical projects over 12 months. The Lab is co-chaired by William Burke and Jackie Sibblies Drury and culminates in free public work-in-progress presentations. Applications for the 2026-27 cohort are expected to open in winter 2026; the program is supported by the Jerome Foundation. |
Soho Rep | New York, NY | Development program | Unknown (applications for 26-27 cohort open Winter 2026) |
Spelman Leadership FellowshipThe Alliance Theatre's Spelman Leadership Fellowship, launched in 2016 as the first mentorship partnership between a regional theatre and an HBCU, is designed to cultivate Black women and non-binary leaders for top roles in the not-for-profit cultural sector. Spelman College seniors first complete a nine-month paid leadership internship (10 hours per week at $15 per hour) rotating through departments such as arts administration, marketing, development, education, and production; current interns may then apply for a one-year, full-time salaried fellowship tailored to their interests in artistic or executive leadership. The fellowship is restricted to Spelman interns and is administered by the Alliance in Atlanta. |
Alliance Theatre | Atlanta, GA | Staff fellowship | Unknown |
Springboard to Design FellowshipThe Springboard to Design Fellowship, launched in May 2026 by Design Action under Tony-winning designers Clint Ramos and David Zinn, is a tuition-free, year-long virtual mentorship for high school students and emerging designers ages 18-25 from underrepresented backgrounds. Each fellow is paired with a professional mentor in set, costume, lighting, projection, sound or make-up design, with cohort sessions and workshops running fall 2027 through spring 2028. Applications open July 1, 2026 and close March 31, 2027, requiring short written responses, an intro video, 2-3 art samples, a reference and a $25 fee (waivable). |
Design Action (Springboard to Design) | New York, NY | Development program | March |
Stage Management ApprenticeshipGoodman Theatre's Stage Management Apprenticeship is a full-time, seasonal, non-union staff position in Chicago in which the apprentice rotates through stage management teams in the Albert and Owen Theatres, gaining experience with pre-production, rehearsals and technical rehearsals while preparing paperwork, maintaining rehearsal spaces and being on book. The most recent posting covers September 2026 to June 2027 at $18.75 per hour with health, dental, 401(k) and paid leave benefits, and encourages candidates from historically underrepresented groups. Applications are submitted through Goodman's Paycom portal with a resume and cover letter. |
Goodman Theatre | Chicago, IL | Staff fellowship | Unknown |
Stage Management FellowshipManhattan Theatre Club's Stage Management Fellowship is a six-month, full-time on-the-job training position for an early-career stage manager with training and some professional or semi-professional experience. Supervised by MTC's artistic line producer, the fellow serves as a production assistant on at least three Broadway and/or Off-Broadway productions during the 2026-27 season, working 40 to 55 hours per week on a production-driven schedule from about September 1, 2026 to as early as March 1, 2027. Applications (cover letter, resume, two references) are accepted on a rolling basis via Jotform, with first-round interviews beginning June 23, 2026. (from search snippets) |
Manhattan Theatre Club | New York, NY | Staff fellowship | Rolling |
Steppenwolf Assistant Directing ProgramSteppenwolf Theatre Company's Assistant Directing program hires early-career directors on a rolling basis to assist on each of its mainstage productions, with Chicago-based applicants (12+ months in the city) prioritized. Assistants work full time from first rehearsal through tech and most previews and may be invited to paid understudy rehearsals and other events; the per-production rate for 2026-27 is $4,120. It is not a formal fellowship but a structured paid pathway, with the 2026-27 application form currently open. |
Steppenwolf Theatre Company | Chicago, IL | Development program | Rolling (2026-27 form currently open; closes when positions filled) |
Steppenwolf Workforce Development Program - Production Apprenticeships and BIPOC FellowshipSteppenwolf Theatre Company's Workforce Development Program provides season-long paid apprenticeships for early-career professionals in both production/technical and administrative departments, giving participants a deep dive into a specific department alongside experienced staff. Apprentices earn $17.27 per hour for roughly 40 hours a week, are eligible for part-time dental, vision, paid sick time, and a pre-tax CTA transit card, and receive curated professional development seminars, mentorship, and free tickets. Applications for the 26/27 season are closed; the program has more than 500 alumni across its internship, apprenticeship, and fellowship history. |
Steppenwolf Theatre Company | Chicago, IL | Staff fellowship | March |
Studio Theatre Fellows-in-Residence Program (Production tracks)Studio Theatre's Fellows-in-Residence Program in Washington, DC is a full-season (August to June) paid training program launched in 2024 as the successor to its 18-year Apprentice Program, preparing early-career artists and administrators for professional theatre careers. Positions span production and technical areas, directing, producing, development, marketing, administration and company management; each fellow is embedded in a department, participates in mentorship, seminars and networking, and lives with the cohort in a residence about a mile from the theatre. All 2026-27 positions have closed to applications. |
Studio Theatre | Washington, DC | Staff fellowship | Unknown |
SUITE/space Residency (formerly Resident Artist Program)SUITE/space is Mabou Mines' performance residency for early-career interdisciplinary New York City artists whose practices emerge from marginalized identities and lived experience. It grew out of the Resident Artist Program founded in 1991 by Ruth Maleczech and was relaunched in 2018 under Karen Kandel and Carl Hancock Rux. Residents receive two $4,000 stipends, 80 hours of rehearsal space, technical and administrative support, artistic dialogue with the co-artistic directors, a free in-progress showing and a three-night run in the company's 99-seat theater. Applications are currently closed. |
Mabou Mines | New York, NY | Residency | Unknown (applications closed as of Sept 2026; typically winter/spring) |
Summer Conference & New Works FestivalThe Ojai Playwrights Conference is a new-play development program held each summer in Ojai, California, culminating in a public New Works Festival. Selected playwrights spend roughly two weeks in residence developing their scripts with directors, dramaturgs and actors before festival readings. Scripts are accepted through periodic open submission windows announced on the organization's website and social media (the most recent posted window was December 2023 for the 2024 conference); the 29th conference ran July 19 - August 2, 2026. |
Ojai Playwrights Conference | Ojai, CA | Development program | September (late September) |
Summer ResidenciesRhinebeck Writers Retreat hosts nine consecutive week-long summer residencies for nine musical theatre writing teams in the Hudson Valley near Rhinebeck, New York. Each team lives in a private lakefront house with piano, keyboard, recording and writing supplies, and receives a $550 stipend per writer, groceries, covered travel, and a remote peer advisor for dramaturgical feedback. Applications open annually with early (free) and late ($30) deadlines in February; the 2026 residencies run June 14 to August 16. |
Rhinebeck Writers Retreat | Rhinebeck, NY | Retreat | February (early: Feb 2, no fee; late: Feb 9, $30) |
Summer Season Artist Residencies (Founders' Award, Pfaelzer Award, Dasha Epstein Fellowship)New York Stage & Film's Summer Season residencies place selected artists at its summer developmental season (held at Marist University in 2026) to observe, incubate or work on a project. Named awards include the Pfaelzer Award, which provides a monetary prize, residency and mentorship from Johanna Pfaelzer; the Founders' Award, which gives an early-career writer a monetary award, extended residency and support for a self-curated project; and residencies for Drama League directing fellows. Recipients are chosen by panels of past honorees rather than through an open application. |
New York Stage & Film | Poughkeepsie, NY | Residency | Unknown (largely invitation) |
Summer Season Play DevelopmentCape Cod Theatre Project in Falmouth, Massachusetts develops new American plays during a summer season each July. Playwrights may submit one unproduced script per season through an online form during an open window in early September; selected plays receive 24 hours of developmental rehearsal and three public staged readings with audience talkbacks over one week. Cast sizes are generally capped at six actors (eight company members for musicals), and staff do not provide feedback on unselected submissions. |
Cape Cod Theatre Project | Falmouth, MA | Development program | September 1-15 |
Sun Valley Playwright's ResidencyThe Sun Valley Playwright's Residency (SVPR) is an Idaho nonprofit that each year selects one established playwright to receive a commission and a yearlong residency, including dedicated writing time in October at the Ernest and Mary Hemingway House in Ketchum through a partnership with The Community Library. Residents share their work with local audiences through free readings, conversations and school programs in the Wood River Valley and Boise, and SVPR also supports a New York City playwrights group that grew out of Martyna Majok's residency. Resident playwrights are invited rather than selected through an open call; the 2026-27 resident is Talene Monahon, following Stephen Karam, Max Posner, Rajiv Joseph, Martyna Majok and David Cale. |
Sun Valley Playwright's Residency | Hailey, ID | Residency | Unknown (no open application) |
Take TenTake Ten is Theater Masters' national ten-minute playwriting competition open to students at leading MFA programs. Five or six winning plays are chosen by a panel of industry professionals; the playwrights receive developmental feedback, are flown to New York City to see their plays produced with professional actors, directors and designers, and have their work presented in a public reading and published in an annual anthology by Concord Theatricals/Samuel French. Winners also take part in Wonder Week, a series of meetings with agents, literary managers and artistic directors, and receive mentorship from a National Adjudicator. |
Theatre Masters | New York, NY | Development program | February 1 |
The New Georges JamThe New Georges Jam is one of the development pathways in New Georges' Artist Platform, a set of low-pressure, workspace-centered programs for adventurous women and trans/nonbinary theater artists in New York City. The Jam is an informal generative gathering where affiliated artists experiment with new ideas in the company's permanent workspace, The Room, alongside programs such as the Audrey Residencies for play development and Supported Productions. Artists join by submitting a short Google Form; the company emphasizes getting up from the table and discovering work in three dimensions. |
New Georges | New York, NY | Development program | July, every two years (2026-28 cycle deadline July 17, 2026) |
The Prince Fellowship (formerly the T. Fellowship)The Prince Fellowship, presented with Columbia University School of the Arts, supports two emerging creative producers each year with a $10,000 stipend, a $20,000 budget to develop a new theatrical production, access to Columbia MFA Theatre Management & Producing courses, and mentorship from prominent producers. It began as the T. Fellowship, conceived by T. Edward Hambleton with Harold Prince to cultivate producers who are creative partners rather than purely financiers, and was renamed for Prince in 2021. The 2026-27 fellowship year runs September through August. |
The Prince Fellowship / Columbia University School of the Arts | New York, NY | Development program | July (2026 deadline was July 6) |
Theatrical Fellowship Program - Artistic & Literary / Directing FellowshipPlaywrights Horizons' Theatrical Fellowship Program offers paid, season-long (roughly September to June) fellowships at the Off-Broadway theater, including an Artistic & Literary Fellowship as well as stage management and other tracks. The Artistic & Literary Fellow helps run the script submission process, reads and evaluates scripts, maintains the script database and supports developmental readings and dramaturgical research for the New Works Lab, gaining direct exposure to the relationship between writers and institutions. Applications for the 2026/27 program closed March 30, 2026. |
Playwrights Horizons | New York, NY | Staff fellowship | March (2026: March 30) |
Theatrical Fellowship Program - Development FellowshipThe Development Fellowship in Playwrights Horizons' Theatrical Fellowship Program places an early-career professional on the Off-Broadway theatre's fundraising team, reporting to the Associate Director of Individual Giving. The fellow designs and tracks membership and campaign emails, develops content for the Gen PH Instagram account, processes ticket requests, helps plan member nights and the Spring Gala, staffs the Development inbox, conducts donor prospect research, and maintains donor records. The position runs 24 hours per week from September 2026 to June 2027 at $17 per hour, and all fellows attend industry seminars, receive career coaching and tickets, and complete a capstone project. |
Playwrights Horizons | New York, NY | Staff fellowship | March |
Theatrical Fellowship Program - General Management FellowshipThe General Management Fellowship in Playwrights Horizons' Theatrical Fellowship Program gives an early-career professional cross-departmental experience in the administrative and logistical life of a nonprofit Off-Broadway theatre, reporting to the Assistant General Manager. Responsibilities include tracking rental inquiries for the uptown location, contracting and paying contributors to the Almanac literary magazine, processing union benefit payments and reports, tracking production budgets, and monitoring ticket sales and house seats. The fellowship runs 24 hours per week from September 2026 to June 2027 at $17 per hour; fellows also attend seminars, receive career support and tickets, and complete a capstone project. 2026/27 applications closed March 30, 2026. |
Playwrights Horizons | New York, NY | Staff fellowship | March |
Theatrical Fellowship Program - Marketing FellowshipThe Marketing Fellowship in Playwrights Horizons' Theatrical Fellowship Program embeds an early-career professional on the theatre's marketing and content team, reporting to the Associate Director of Marketing. The fellow owns cross-promotion strategy for each production, serves as first point of contact for the general info inbox, manages online bookshop orders, designs and tracks season emails, conducts audience and industry research, supports marketing events, processes website changes, creates print and social content, and helps with expense tracking. The position runs 24 hours per week from September 2026 to June 2027 at $17 per hour, with seminars, career support, tickets, and a capstone project included. |
Playwrights Horizons | New York, NY | Staff fellowship | March |
Theatrical Fellowship Program - Stage Management FellowshipPlaywrights Horizons' Theatrical Fellowship Program offers full-time seasonal fellowships in New York, including a Stage Management Fellowship running roughly August 2026 through July 2027 in which the fellow tracks props, blocking, scheduling and script changes in rehearsal and serves on the backstage crew during tech and performances. Fellows are paid minimum wage ($17 per hour), receive unlimited MetroCards, attend a seminar series with industry professionals and complete a capstone project. Applications for 2026/27 closed March 30, 2026, with interviews in late April to mid May and offers in late May. |
Playwrights Horizons | New York, NY | Staff fellowship | March |
Theatrical Workforce Development Program (TWDP) - TechRoundabout Theatre Company's Theatrical Workforce Development Program (TWDP) Tech, established in 2016 in partnership with I.A.T.S.E., is a free, three-year paid fellowship that trains New York City residents ages 18-24 as theatre technicians. In year one fellows train at Roundabout in scenic carpentry, lighting, sound, and wardrobe at $17 per hour (about 25-29 hours a week) and are matched with program alumni and I.A.T.S.E. mentors; in year two they work as paid entry-level technicians at partner theatres and attend the USITT conference; in year three they transition into freelance work with continued support. Applicants need a high school diploma or equivalent and U.S. work eligibility, and must attend an info session to receive the application link. |
Roundabout Theatre Company (in partnership with I.A.T.S.E.) | New York, NY | Development program | Unknown |
Theatrical Workforce Development Program (TWDP) in Arts AdministrationRoundabout Theatre Company's Theatrical Workforce Development Program (TWDP) in Arts Administration is a paid, year-long career development fellowship (September 2026 to August 2027) for New York residents who are early-career professionals or career changers, with no theatre background required. Fellows work full-time (40 hours per week at $20.31 per hour with benefits) in a department such as Artistic, Culture and Engagement, Development, Education, Finance/HR, or General Management, splitting time roughly 80% on-the-job learning and 20% career development, including workshops, seminars with senior staff, mentorship, and networking. Applicants can apply to up to three departments and must attend a virtual info session; the 2026-27 application is closed. |
Roundabout Theatre Company | New York, NY | Staff fellowship | Unknown (applications for 2026-27 closed by summer 2026) |
TMT Institute FellowshipThe TMT Institute is Target Margin Theater's year-long fellowship for five artists from any discipline who have an established practice and want to radically question and disrupt it without a project or product as the goal. Fellows receive studio space, material resources and a $2,000 stipend, gather for three in-person intensives in Brooklyn plus monthly breakfasts and excursions, and share their explorations in an Open Studio weekend at season's end. Applications for the 2026-27 cohort closed July 22, 2026. |
Target Margin Theater | Brooklyn, NY | Development program | Unknown |
Tofte Lake Center Residencies (Emerging Artists Program and others)Tofte Lake Center near Ely, Minnesota hosts a set of residency programs for artists of all disciplines who want to create work in a natural setting and in community with other artists, including an Emerging Artists program, a Curated Artist Residency for local and national artists, a Family Artist Residency for Minnesota parent-artists, an Artist Educators residency, a BIPOC artist residency and an Art of Fire forest-stewardship residency. Lodging is provided and residencies run roughly a week to ten days in summer; the center has a long history with devised theatre makers and has hosted Playwrights' Center fellows for 13 seasons. Applications for the 2027 season open December 1, 2026 with notification by March 31, 2027. |
Tofte Lake Center | Ely, MN | Retreat | December 31 (applications open Dec 1) |
Travis Bogard Artist in Residence ProgramThe Travis Bogard Artist in Residence Program, established in 2015 by the Eugene O'Neill Foundation, provides a working retreat at Tao House (the Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site in Danville, California) for developing or established playwrights, scholars, artists and critics of the performing arts. Residencies of one to three weeks are available between April and October; fellows are housed off-site with meals and local transportation provided, spend their days working at Tao House, and have access to its theatre library and O'Neill archive. The Foundation asks fellows to participate in an event and to share a copy of the resulting work; a Carey Perloff Fellowship within the program supports established theatre artists transitioning into writing. |
Eugene O'Neill Foundation, Tao House | Danville, CA | Retreat | November 15 |
USA Fellowship (Theater & Performance)The USA Fellowship from United States Artists awards $50,000 in unrestricted funding to artists and collaboratives across ten disciplines, including Theater & Performance, plus access to services such as financial planning, career consulting, legal advice and personal care. Artists cannot apply directly: a rotating group of arts professionals anonymously nominates candidates each year, discipline panels select finalists, and the board approves the class. The 2026 class of 50 fellows included theater artists Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, Mei Ann Teo, Mina Morita, Tanya Orellana and Ty Defoe. |
United States Artists | Chicago (national), IL | Cash fellowship | Unknown (nomination-based; fellows announced each January) |
USITT Gateway ProgramUSITT's Gateway Program, launched in 2014 in memory of Tayneshia Jefferson, is a customizable mentorship program for people from underrepresented populations in the technical theatre and design fields. Mentees are paired with a mentor to set learning goals and career development plans, attend the USITT Annual Conference with financial support from USITT, and take part in career development curriculum and networking while building lasting professional relationships. It is aimed at current students, recent graduates, people re-entering the industry, and others who have lacked access to industry resources; mentee applications for the 2027 cohort are open July 1 to September 30, 2026, and mentor applications are accepted year-round. |
United States Institute for Theatre Technology | Liverpool, NY | Development program | September |
USITT Rising Star AwardThe USITT Rising Star Award, sponsored by LDI/Live Design, is given annually to a young professional in scenic, lighting, sound or projection design who is within their first four years of professional work after completing their highest degree. Winners receive a $2,000 cash award, complimentary registration to the USITT Annual Conference & Stage Expo, a one-year membership, a certificate, an award luncheon and promotion through USITT's podcast and channels. Candidates must be nominated through the USITT awards portal; the 2026 cycle ran September 8 to November 13, 2025, with the award presented March 19, 2026 in Long Beach. |
United States Institute for Theatre Technology (sponsored by LDI/Live Design) | Liverpool, NY | Cash fellowship | November |
USITT Stage Management Mentor Project (SMMP)The USITT Stage Management Mentor Project pairs student and early-career stage managers with professional mentors for a week of hands-on training at the USITT Annual Conference & Stage Expo, where mentees stage manage or assistant stage manage up to three conference events and join roundtable discussions on the craft. Applicants must be USITT members (or join) and be at least third-year undergraduates, graduate students, or young professionals within their first two years of paid performing arts work. Applications for the 2026 conference in Long Beach (March 18-21) are closed; the 2027 cycle is expected through the USITT awards portal. |
United States Institute for Theatre Technology | Liverpool, NY | Development program | Unknown |
Van Lier Fellowships (theatre-hosting organizations)The New York Community Trust Van Lier Fellowships are a New York-based program, funded by the Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund, that supports early-career artists of color in theater, music and visual arts through stipends, mentorship and professional development delivered by host arts organizations. Hosts and disciplines vary from year to year (the listing on the Asian American Arts Alliance site describes a 2026 visual-arts fellowship at Snug Harbor on Staten Island), so theatre applicants should check individual NYC organizations such as Rattlestick, The Clemente or Movement Research for current openings. The A4 listing is an aggregator entry rather than the fellowship's administrator. |
New York Community Trust / various NYC arts organizations (e.g., Rattlestick, Movement Research, The Clemente, Asian American Arts Alliance) | New York, NY | Cash fellowship | Varies by host (many winter/spring) |
Van Lier New Voices FellowshipRattlestick Theater's Van Lier New Voices Fellowship supports two BIPOC playwrights aged 18-30 each year with a $35,000 living stipend, a $5,000 artistic fund, mentorship from a veteran playwright, work-in-progress sharings, a week-long workshop and an invited final presentation. Applicants must live in or near New York City (or in Minnesota) and not be enrolled in a degree program during the fellowship year; applications run from late October to late December, with fellows announced in May. The program is funded by the New York Community Trust's Van Lier Fund and the Jerome Foundation; 2026-27 fellows are Stefani Kuo and Marissa Joyce Stamps. |
Rattlestick Theater | New York, NY | Cash fellowship | January |
Venturous Playwright FellowshipThe Venturous Playwright Fellowship, a partnership between the Playwrights' Center and the Venturous Theater Fund, supports formally adventurous, large-scale or boldly conceived plays that might otherwise go unproduced. Four two-year fellowships are awarded per cycle, each with a $30,000 annual stipend, more than $15,000 per year in development and artist support, and travel funds; partner theaters that commit to producing the play are eligible for production subsidies of up to $75,000. The fellowship is not an open call: roughly 50 invited playwright-nominators generate a Venturous List, and only nominated playwrights, in partnership with a producing theater, may apply. |
Playwrights' Center / Venturous Theater Fund | Minneapolis, MN | Cash fellowship | Unknown (next cycle TBD, early 2027) |
Wingspace Mentorship ProgramThe Wingspace Mentorship Program, run by the volunteer collective Wingspace Theatrical Design in Brooklyn, provides practical knowledge, expert guidance and industry connections to young designers and directors who lack access to traditional professional networks. Mentees are paired with working theatre designers and directors from the Wingspace community over the program cycle; the site includes an overview, FAQ, mentor and mentee pages and a dedicated application form. A specific deadline for the current cycle is not posted on the program page. |
Wingspace Theatrical Design | Brooklyn, NY | Development program | Unknown |
Workspace Residency / Arts Center Residency / Process SpaceLower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) runs studio-based residencies for New York artists across visual, performing and literary disciplines, including the Arts Center Residency at Governors Island, the Workspace residency and Process Space. The Arts Center Residency is an eight-month program focused on projects at the intersection of art and climate, providing individual workspace, a materials stipend, access to rehearsal studios, Open Studios and participation in LMCC programming; the 2026 cohort of 18 artists was chosen through a closed nomination process. Interested artists should check lmcc.net for the next cycle and application method. |
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) | New York, NY | Residency | Unknown (varies by program; typically annual open calls) |
Writer-in-Residence Program (Playwriting)Hedgebrook's Writer-in-Residence program awards two- to three-week residencies on Whidbey Island, Washington to women-identified writers across genres, including playwriting. Residents stay in individual handcrafted cottages with chef-prepared meals; the residency itself is free of charge though travel is not covered, and the organization notes a partially subsidized fee structure with scholarships and fee waivers for applications. Applications are read blind by genre-specific readers and alumnae judges; roughly 1,100 writers apply each year for more than 60 residencies. |
Hedgebrook | Langley (Whidbey Island), WA | Retreat | April (applications Feb-April for following year) |
Writing FellowshipThe Playwrights Realm Writing Fellowship is a nine-month residency for four early-career playwrights living within commuting distance of Manhattan. Each fellow develops a single new play with a $5,000 award, paid rehearsal time, twice-monthly writers' group meetings, one-on-one sessions with artistic staff, two readings with a director, designers and actors, and tailored professional-development programming. The fellowship culminates in a public presentation at the INK'D Festival of New Plays. |
The Playwrights Realm | New York, NY | Cash fellowship | Fall (applications open fall 2026) |
Yaddo Residency (Performance)Yaddo, a century-old artists' retreat in Saratoga Springs, New York, offers residencies of two weeks to two months with room, board and a private studio to professional and emerging artists in literature, visual art, music composition, film and video, and performance (including choreography, performance art and multimedia live performance). Artists apply individually through SlideRoom in one of two annual cycles (deadlines July 1 and December 20) with a $35 fee, may apply every other year, and are judged anonymously by peer panels solely on the quality of the work. Modest access grants are available to offset costs of accepting an invitation. |
Yaddo | Saratoga Springs, NY | Retreat | January 5 and July 1 (annual cycles; summer cycle capped at 1,300 applications) |
YoungbloodYoungblood is Ensemble Studio Theatre's OBIE-winning collective of early-career playwrights based in the New York City metro area. Accepted writers become members for a minimum of three years, attending weekly meetings and taking part in monthly (or more frequent) performances, readings and retreats. Applications, which open each February, require a 25-page writing sample, a statement on why the applicant considers themselves early-career, a resume and a full-length play. |
Ensemble Studio Theatre | New York, NY | Development program | Unknown |
New York Theatre Workshop announced its newest cohort of 2050 Artistic and Administrative Fellows, six emerging artists and administrators set to gain hands-on experience across the organization.
Rose Bruford College named actors David Ajao and Macarena Gómez as Fellows, with Ola Labib, Jennifer Sims and Kim Tatum to receive Honorary Fellowships at graduation ceremonies in Sidcup.
Timothy Bloom will receive The Prince Fellowship and Chase Parker will receive The Prince/TTLP Fellowship, programs supporting early-career producers in association with Columbia University School of the Arts.
Rattlestick Theater has selected playwrights Stefani Kuo 郭佳怡 and Marissa Joyce Stamps for its Van Lier New Voices Fellowship, which includes a living stipend and artistic fund for emerging writers of color.
The Telsey Office, in partnership with Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Miranda Family Fund, is now accepting applications for the third cohort of The Telsey Office Miranda Family Casting Fellowship.
Dance/USA will conclude of its Fellowships to Artists program after its current third round ends, closing out a nine-year initiative that awarded over $2.
PlayGround has announced four next-gen theatre leaders as its 2026-2027 Producing Fellows, selected from over 100 applicants to train across SF Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.
Everyman Theatre has announced that Resident Company Member Jefferson A.
.jpg?format=auto&width=365)
