New Dramatists Residency

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The submissions window for the 2017-2018 New Dramatists admissions cycle will be open Friday, June 30, 2017 at 10am until Monday, July 31, 2017 at 5pm (Eastern Time).

What is New Dramatists?

New Dramatists pursues a singular mission: To provide playwrights time, space, and resources to create work, realize their artistic potential, and make lasting contributions to the theatre. We offer our playwrights an artistic home and self-guided laboratory for seven years, free of charge, in the company of their most gifted peers. Our playwright company consists of emerging and mid-career writers collectively embodying an artistic, cultural, ethnic, and geographic diversity rarely found in the American theatre.

What do we offer?

 Playwright led, and authority over, seven-year residency.
 A company of playwrights and a vibrant extended artistic community.
 An organization where playwrights are the host artist.
 Support for the individual and collective interests of the resident playwrights.
 Flexible playwright-driven artistic development opportunities through 1-2 day readings and extended working sessions as part of The Playwrights’ Laboratory.
Flexible working spaces in our studio, theatre, and classroom.


 Flexible writing spaces in classroom and library.
 Private writing studio (the Russell Room).
 Meeting space in the classroom and library.
 Temporary residence rooms in 7th Heaven, which can also be booked as writing space.
 Casting, director, and other collaborator assistance.
 Dramaturgical, career, and artistic advisement.
 National playwright and new play advocacy.
 Supervision over what unpublished plays are kept in New Dramatists’ Library.
 Grants, Awards, and In the Works Bulletin of Playwright Opportunities.
 Retreats.
 Web-based resources, including your own profile page on ND’s website and the opportunity to host podcasts.
 Complimentary script photocopying.
 Complimentary theatre tickets.
 A one-year free membership to the Dramatists Guild during the first year of residency.
 Wi-Fi.
 Bottomless coffee, tea, and water.
 Washer and dryer.
 Childcare reimbursement for playwrights through the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Lilly-Ruhl Fund.

All these services are provided free of charge.


What Does New Dramatists Ask of its Playwrights?
To the best of your abilities:
 Strive to fully utilize New Dramatists’ resources.
 Attend the semi-annual All-Writers Meetings.
 Serve on the New Dramatists Admissions Selection Committee at least once during your seven-year residency.
 Engage in New Dramatists’ community of playwrights: attend fellow New Dramatists writers’ readings, host events, create content for the podcast series, or spearhead conversations about issues of common concern.
Serve on other governing bodies such as: the Writers Executive Committee or New Dramatists’ Board of Directors.
 Ask questions and share resources on New Dramatists’ resident playwright email group.
 Credit your New Dramatists Residency in all published professional biographies of yourself, whether in production programs, press releases, book or play publications, and in any and all other printed matter describing your work and accomplishments as a writer.
 Treat the New Dramatists’ building, facilities, equipment, and staff with all possible care and respect.

Who Can Apply?

 Playwrights living in New York City and the surrounding tri-state area.
 Playwrights outside the tri-state area who are able to demonstrate the ability to spend time in New York City, the desire to utilize New Dramatists’ services, and the readiness to participate in a dynamic artistic community.

 If you are not a citizen of the United States, you must be lawfully admitted to the U.S. with permanent USCIS work authorization.


1) Eligibility
You will be asked to verify your citizenship or permanent work status from the USCIS.

2) Name & Address
Enter your contact information in the form.

3) Letter of Intent
Enter or copy-and-paste the equivalent of a one page letter in the form field. You will be asked to respond to the following prompt: The selection panel is tasked with intuiting information about who you are as a playwright through the plays you have submitted. Please use this space to provide context for your materials, such as: What compels you to write for the theatre? Why did you select these plays to represent your body of work? Where are you in your trajectory as a playwright? What do you see as the benefits of developing your work in the company of other playwrights?

4) Playwright/Artistic Bio, Resume or CV
You have the options to upload, enter, or copy-and-paste a professional biography or resume.


1) Eligibility
You will be asked to verify your citizenship or permanent work status from the USCIS.

2) Name & Address
Enter your contact information in the form.

3) Letter of Intent
Enter or copy-and-paste the equivalent of a one page letter in the form field. You will be asked to respond to the following prompt: The selection panel is tasked with intuiting information about who you are as a playwright through the plays you have submitted. Please use this space to provide context for your materials, such as: What compels you to write for the theatre? Why did you select these plays to represent your body of work? Where are you in your trajectory as a playwright? What do you see as the benefits of developing your work in the company of other playwrights?

4) Playwright/Artistic Bio, Resume or CV
You have the options to upload, enter, or copy-and-paste a professional biography or resume.