RELLA LOSSY AWARD
Theatre Bay Area
DEADLINE: May 4, 2026 at 5pm PT
INFO: The Rella Lossy Award honors the memory of Rella Lossy, a lifelong champion of the American theatre and playwriting, by honoring the best new full-length script of a play by an emerging playwright that will premiere in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma in the coming year.
ELIGIBILITY: The Rella Lossy Award is an award for professionally-oriented theatre organizations that will be presenting a world-premiere full-length play by an emerging playwright. The award goes to the playwright and the producing company.
For the purposes of this award, we define “emerging” as a writer that has yet to be produced on Broadway or by a LORT member theatre.
Must be located in one of the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, or Sonoma.
AWARD:
Playwright: $2,500
Company: $1,000
ELIGIBILITY:
COMPANIES
Must be located in one of the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa,Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, or Sonoma.
Must have an active company membership with Theatre Bay Area that’s maintained through the granting period (May 1, 2026 - July 1, 2027)
Must be committed to producing a full-length world premiere work by an emerging playwright that opens on or after May 1, 2026 and closes on or before July 1, 2027
Must commit to development of the piece with the playwright (as described below)
YOUR COMPANY IS INELIGIBLE:
It’s primarily a presenter or performance venueI
t’s an academic institution or training program
A member of your company leadership or board member at your company is serving on the Rella Lossy granting panel for this round
PLAYWRIGHTS
Must be “emerging.” For the purposes of this award, “emerging playwright” is defined as a playwright who has not had a prior full production on Broadway or in a LORT member theatre. LORT member theatres are eligible to apply for this award as long as the playwright has not had a full production at a LORT or on Broadway prior to the opening of this production.
Playwrights do not need to be based in the Bay Area.
Playwrights do not need to be TBA members.
A PLAYWRIGHT IS INELIGIBLE IF:
They have had a previous full production on Broadway or at a LORT member theatre.
They are currently a Theatre Bay Area employee or board member.
They are serving on the Rella Lossy granting panel for this round.
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS:
The company must commit to developing the script with the playwright in ONE (or more) of the following ways:
The playwright is an active part of the rehearsal process, attending at least of rehearsals.
The company holds a developmental reading with the playwright, with professional/professionally-oriented actors and a professional/professionally-oriented dramaturg.
The company commits to a workshop process with the playwright, the director,professional/professionally-oriented actors and a professional/professionally-oriented dramaturg before rehearsals begin.
Any other development process the playwright and the company find productive and necessary.
HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE:
A panel of three theatre professionals, including at least one playwright, will be recruited to review applications. Decisions will be made by the panel, whose names and bios will be released when the awardees are announced.
TIMELINE:
Awardees will be contacted by June 19, 2026.
theatrebayarea.org/grants/rella-lossy-award/
_____
TULSA ARTIST FELLOWSHIP
📍Tulsa, OK
DEADLINE: May 7, 2026 at 6:00 pm CT
INFO: Tulsa Artist Fellowship supports artists as vital contributors to Tulsa’s cultural life.
We invest in long-term creative practice, offering artists the time, resources, and community to develop ambitious work rooted in Tulsa.
Our approach is artist-centered and flexible, grounded in the understanding that meaningful creative work takes time—and that artists thrive when trusted to define their own paths.
Tulsa Artist Fellowship is a place-based, durational award supporting visionary artists and arts workers across disciplines.
Open to artists and arts workers with at least five years of field experience, the Fellowship selects up to ten awardees, who will be announced live on November 6 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Each awardee is provided a comprehensive support package that includes a $150,000 stipend, housing support, fully subsidized studio space, and access to shared art-making facilities.
Awardees commit to developing ambitious, community-engaged work that contributes to Tulsa’s cultural life and advances the Fellowship’s mission to support independent arts practitioners.
Program details may evolve to best support participating artists and the Fellowship’s mission.
Competitive applications will demonstrate:
A rigorous and innovative arts practice
A meaningful connection to making work in Tulsa
A forward-thinking, achievable project with strong community engagement and impact
AWARD STRUCTURE:
Each Fellow is supported through a comprehensive three-year award package designed to strengthen artistic development, stability, and well-being.
Financial Support
$150,000 project development and artistic practice stipend (over 3 years)
$36,000 housing support (over 3 years)
$1,500 studio move-in stipend
$3,600 studio assistant support (over 3 years)
$3,600 health and wellness support (over 3 years)
Community & Connection
Cohort gatherings and shared meals
Open studio events and public programs
Opportunties to engage with visiting arts professionals
Studio Workspace
Access to a fully subsidized private studio (337–583 sq ft)
Shared facilities include a ceramics studio with kilns, a woodshop, metal equipment, a media lab, an archival printer, a roof terrace, a performance rehearsal space, a podcast recording studio, and meeting rooms with video and audio capabilities
(Estimated value: $36,000 over 3 years)
Wellness & Care
YMCA membership for household
Caregiver reimbursements for key Fellowship activities
APPLICATION MATERIALS:
All applications are completed online and free to submit. Detailed instructions are provided in the application portal.
Basic information, including contact details, residence, citizenship, identity, and household information
Artistic background, including resume/CV, website, social media platforms, biography (up to 250 words), and collaborator information
(Collaborators must submit individual applications)Artistic Practice Statement (up to 500 words) and Fellowship Statement (up to 500 words)
Three-year project proposal, including project title, description (up to 500 words), role statement (up to 200 words), and optional visual or media support materials
Proposed use of the fellowship stipend, estimated budget for the $150,000 award, including living expenses, artistic production, and project-related costs.
Three professional references from the arts field
tulsaartistfellowship.org/award
_____
ARTIST AS CATALYST LA
The Peace Studio |📍Los Angeles, CA
DEADLINES:
Priority - May 8, 2026
Last call - May 15, 2026
INFO: Artist as Catalyst (AAC) is a three-day immersive experience designed to equip young storytellers, artists, and cultural catalysts (ages 18–30) with the tools, opportunity, and community to use their craft in the service of peace-building.
Throughout this multi-day intensive, participants engage in a dynamic blend of workshops, keynotes, collaborative labs, and community events—all within a diverse and generative environment. AAC brings together some of LA’s most influential artists, cultural leaders, activists, and peace builders, featuring world-class talent and thinkers who are at the forefront of their fields.
This program balances artistic excellence with restorative practices, providing catalysts from various disciplines the opportunity to network, make lasting connections, and collaborate on a group-based “Peace Project.” Participants also have the chance to apply for micro-grants to further develop their ideas in partnership with their cohort.
By centering story as a tool for connection and impact, AAC nurtures a new generation of artists prepared to shift culture and catalyze meaningful change.
PROGRAM DATES: June 12 - 14, 2026
LOCATION: Santa Monica, CA
TUITION: This program is fully funded for all accepted participants.
PARTICIPANT PROFILE: Los Angeles-based artists & cultural leaders, ages 18-30
We welcome creative people of all disciplines to apply. This program is right for you if you agree with the three statements below:
I am creative.
I believe I am capable of making positive change in the world through the stories I tell.
I believe there is strength and power in community.
2026 THEME: The Power is In The People
"This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal." - Toni Morrison
The power to shift culture is in the hands of the people, our stories, and our connection to one another. No matter where we are on our artistic journey you hold the power within you to think critically, craft, and create. There is power in making tangible art, of telling true stories, and it will be what sustains us through any era of societal unrest and uncertainty. Our collective work, collaborative economics, along with our innovation and tenacity will outlive any artificial intelligence threatening our cultural landscape and wellness. Our humanity cannot be reproduced or replicated. Our uniqueness is what makes us whole and irrefutable. Sharing our offerings, skills, assets, and abilities with one another makes our collective power undeniable. We are the original technology. However we contribute our ability to tell stories, no matter the industry, is our way to disrupt oppressive systems that agitate our peace. As an artist, it is our duty to answer the call on our life by sharing our gifts. Who are you and what can you offer? We are constantly evolving, elevating, learning and changing. When we bring our full selves to the collective, there is nothing we cannot do. The Power is in the People.
The Peace Studio is committed to offering equitable opportunity to all. For accommodation requests or any questions, please contact aacla@thepeacestudio.org.
thepeacestudio.org/what-we-do/leadership-development/artist-as-catalyst
_____
Creative Residency Program
Martin House |📍Buffalo, NY
Deadline: May 13, 2026
INFO: The Martin House Creative Residency Program is a project-based residency that provides creative individuals a designated time and space to develop new works of the imagination inspired by one of the great examples of 20th century architecture.
The primary goals of the program are to:
Nurture creativity by offering individuals from multiple disciplines a thought-provoking environment in which to produce works and present them to our community.
Expand interpretation of our site through active solicitation of diverse perspectives and voices.
Provide audiences an opportunity to discover and engage more fully with the Martin House and the creative arts.
Strengthen the Martin House and the region as a center for architecture, art, design, and culture.
The residency is a competitive program that is open to applicants who seek the resources to support ongoing projects or the creation of new work. Creative makers who are selected to participate will generally spend 2-4 weeks onsite either consecutively or incrementally within the specified residency term. Length of stay is project-based and determined by the needs of the applicant and in alignment with the Martin House schedule.
Residents are also expected to deliver a free public program, performance, exhibition, or other creative presentation in order to share their Martin House-inspired work with the larger public.
Residency proposal must relate directly to the Martin House. End-products may revolve around any of the themes central to the site. Subjects of inquiry may relate to architecture, art, art history, landscape, building and design, social history, state and local history, issues of gender, race and class, modernism, urbanism, housing and gentrification, business and industry, the history of technology, cultural studies, engineering and applied sciences, for example.
The Martin House Creative Residency Program is made possible through the Herer Family Charitable Fund.
THE APPLICATION PROCESS:
Applications are accepted in two distinct categories:
Artists: The residency program supports the development and presentation of creative works representing a wide range of artistic styles and practices.
Researchers: The program also provides opportunities for writers, researchers, scholars, critics, and cultural theorists to publish texts or produce projects in various fields, specifically as they relate to Frank Lloyd Wright and the Martin House.
Individuals in all stages of their creative practice may submit proposals to the residency program from the following arts and humanities disciplines, including but not limited to: architecture, design, historic preservation, literature, music, dance, theater, film, and related areas of exploration. Creative makers from diverse backgrounds and perspectives are especially encouraged to apply.
Acceptance is competitive and based on the review of applications by a selection committee. The panel is composed of external jurors and a selection of Martin House staff. Applications will be rated on the following evaluation criteria:
Artistic and intellectual merit of the proposal as covered in the project description, work samples, resume, and previous creative experiences.
Feasibility of the completion of the project as proposed and within the time and resources offered.
Relevance of the project to the Martin House and the stated goals of the Martin House Creative Residency Program.
Quality of the proposed public engagement program, performance, exhibition, or presentation inspired by the Martin House.
BENEFITS OF THE RESIDENCY PROGRAM:
Residents will have wide-ranging access to our architectural campus composed of three Wright-designed homes set within a historic landscape, as well as an award-winning contemporary glass structure conceived by architect Toshiko Mori as an exhibition and visitor space.
Residents will receive a stipend of $5,000. 50% of the stipend will be provided upon arrival to Buffalo; the other 50% will be offered upon completion of the project. Travel expenses of up to $1,000will also be provided to residents who are from outside the Buffalo-Niagara region. Additional funding for materials will not be provided.
Individuals selected to participate will room on campus at the Gardener’s Cottage as part of their residency.
Residents will have heightened access to Martin House collections and collections information. Other locally-accessible research resources are available through:
University at Buffalo Archives Darwin D. Martin + Frank Lloyd Wright Collections
Buffalo + Erie County Public Library Special Collections
Buffalo History Museum Research + Artifact Collections
The Creative Residency Program is an opportunity for the Martin House to respond to and engage with our community. We anticipate that it will lead to more robust interpretations of Frank Lloyd Wright, the Martin House, and the people who once lived and worked here so as to expand the dialogue as to what great architecture is and why it matters.
martinhouse.org/events/residency/
_____
2027 Residencies
Ragdale |📍Lake Forrest, IL
DEADLINE: May 14, 2026 at 11:59pm CST
APPLICATION FEE: $35
INFO: 18-day residency session for individuals. Based on personal financial considerations, artists determine their own residency fee and may opt to pay according to our suggested sliding scale. No financial aid application is required. Admitted residents are responsible for their own travel to and from Ragdale.
Ragdale awards a limited number of fellowships each year. All qualified applicants may apply for fellowships through this application. A fellowship award includes an 18-day fee-waived residency for individuals and a stipend of at least $1000. All applicants who apply for fellowships will be considered. Please note that applicants may be awarded a residency without a fellowship award. Fellowship awards are disclosed upon acceptance.
ELIGIBILITY:
Ragdale encourages applications from artists representing the widest possible range of perspectives and demographics, and to that end, emerging as well as established artists are invited to apply. While there are no publication, exhibition, or performance requirements for application, applicants should be working at the professional level in their fields.
Ragdale encourages artists of all backgrounds to apply and does not discriminate against anyone on the basis of age, disability, gender, origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
GUIDELINES:
All applicants submit electronic materials through the Submittable application portal. Do not email or mail any application materials. Please note the following requirements to complete your application. A completed online application form includes:
An artist statement explaining your work, vison, or story (one page or less)
A brief work plan that outlines your studio needs (one page or less)
A one to two-page CV or resume
A works list outlining work samples
Work samples that show work from the past 2-3 years. All media is acceptable. Most electronic file types and sizes are accepted
If you would like to be considered for a fellowship, we require an eligibility statement of 500 words or less for each fellowship you would like to be considered for. An eligibility statement explains how you qualify for the selected fellowship and how a fellowship would support your work at this time
Letters of recommendation are not required or accepted
WORK SAMPLES:
Work sample requirements
Written work: 20 pages of written work (in up to eight files).
Visual work: 8 images (in up to eight files), plus an image list that includes the following information: title, year, media, dimensions, and an optional short description of each work.
Time-based work: Up to 10 minutes of audio or video per application (in up to eight files or links*), plus a works list that includes the following information: title, year, media, and an optional short description of each work. *A pdf with hyperlinks is an acceptable alternative to file uploads. Please include a password if applicable.
Please note: For proposals with more than one type of media: please be fair to reviewers and to fellow applicants; use your best judgement as to what is equivalent. For example, if you plan to submit written work and photos, you may submit 10 pages of written work and 4 photos.
EVALUATION:
Applications are reviewed by Ragdale’s Curatorial Council jury and staff. Evaluations of work are based on the following criteria:
Work samples: Documented works are original, inventive, and exciting.
Work samples indicate relevance in their contemporary field.
Work sample presentation: Work samples are high-quality and technically proficient in execution, and are professionally presented and documented.
Artist’s experience: Artist statement and CV/Resume reflects continued development of ideas, serious inquiry into subject matter, and exceptional aesthetic investigation in the chosen medium.
Work plan: Artist demonstrates they will maximize the benefits of a residency at Ragdale. What is the reason for seeking time and space in this particular residency program and is there a sense of urgency reflected in the goals described?
NOTIFICATION:
Notifications are sent to applicants via email by September. Final packets, including scheduled session dates, are sent by October.
COLLABORATIONS:
Artists collaborating on a project must submit individual application forms and appropriate work samples, along with a joint description of the work they intend to do at Ragdale. Clearly specify your work and living space needs, i.e., how many private studios and/or sleeping quarters are needed. You may also submit an example of a previous collaborative work (either completed or in progress). Any specific questions about collaborations can be directed to the Residency Manager before applying. Collaborators must be accepted to the residency separately in order to attend as a group.
TIMELINE
May 14: 2026 Residency Application Submission Deadline
September: Notifications of residency or fellowship award sent.
October: Accepted residents' final welcome packets with session dates sent
QUESTIONS?
All inquiries should be directed to admissions@ragdale.org.
ragdale.submittable.com/submit
_____
Playwrights Unit 2026
The People's Theatre
DEADLINE: May 15, 2026
INFO: The People’s Theatre is seeking playwrights whose work engages with stories, experiences, and perspectives that have been historically underrepresented in the American theatre. We are especially interested in uplifting work that reflects the voices and lived experiences of immigrants, People of Color, Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQIA+ communities, while welcoming applications from playwrights of all backgrounds.
This Playwrights Unit is grounded in our mission to build a more equitable, representative, and inclusive theatre landscape. Applications will be evaluated based on artistic merit and alignment with our mission.
Three playwrights will be chosen to develop new plays each under the mentorship of award-winning playwright Marco Antonio Rodriguez. The culminating plays will be showcased at New Horizons Play Reading Festival in December 2026, for inaugural season at our new brand new home The People’s Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante - at 419 West 206th Street, New York. We would like the program and the New Horizons Play Reading Festival to align with the themes of Purpose, Home and Belonging.
YOU WILL RECEIVE:
Ongoing Support to Develop Your Play: Develop your work-in-progress into a 90 min play in workshops led by award-winning playwright Marco Antonio Rodriguez.
Actor Readings and Feedback: Have actors read your latest writing during workshops and receive supportive feedback.
Insight on the business of show business and resources to access: Gain show business insights and resources from well-recognized industry members to advance your career.Director and Actors for Staging: Have your play directed and staged by professionals.
Showcase your work: Present your play at New Horizons Play Reading Festival at our new brand new theater The People’s Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante.Industry Professionals: We invite agents and industry professionals to attend your play reading.
Shared Dinner: Enjoy meals provided during each in-person workshop
Compensation includes a $1,500 participation award and a $100 commuting stipend
The People's Theatre will receive
The right of first refusal to produce the selected plays within three years.
ELIGIBILITY:
The applicant must have completed at least 1 full-length play or at least 2 one-act plays.
Local NYC and its surrounding areas. If not living in the NYC metropolitan area, you must be willing to travel to NYC for in-person sessions.
Must be available to attend in-person workshops and Reading Festival.
SCHEDULE:
Developmental Workshops
8/11/2026, 5:30-8:30pm (In-person)
8/25/2026, 5:30-8:30pm (In-person)
9/8/2026, 5:30-8:30pm (In-person)
9/22/2026, 5:30-8:30pm (In-person)
9/29/2026, 5:30-8:30pm (In-person)
10/13/2026, 5:30-8:30pm (Zoom)
10/27/2026, 5:30-8:30pm (In-person)
11/3/2026, 5:30-8:30pm (In-person)
Location: The People's Theatre, 419 W 206th St, New York, NY 10034
New Horizons Reading Festival
Nov 30- Dec 6, 2026
Each play will receive 10 hours of rehearsal over two days, culminating in two public staged readings.
Venue: The People's Theatre Studio Theatre
Reflection meeting
1/26/2027, 5:30-8:30pm, Reflection (In-person)
SUBMISSION SCHEDULE:
May 15, 2026: Submissions Close, or when 100 submissions are received
The week of June 22, 2026: Finalists invited to online interviews
The week of July 13, 2026: Participants Selected
ABOUT THE PEOPLE’S THEATRE: Over the last 17 years, The People’s Theatre has been creating theatre with and for the immigrant community to create a more just and equitable world and fulfill our mission through productions, education and advocacy. The Playwrights Unit is an integral part of The People’s Theatre’s mission to support the development of new work that centers immigrant stories and the lived experiences of Latine, Black, and Queer communities.
For any questions regarding The People’s Theatre Playwrights Unit 2026, please email sinny@peoplestheatreproject.org.
_____
FULLY-FUNDED FELLOWSHIPS
Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA)
DEADLINE: May 15, 2026
INFO: Residencies can be transformative to an artist’s process and the effect on an artist’s career profound. A residency at VCCA gives artists the time and space to explore and go deeper into their work. Away from the constraints of “the real world” and in an accepting environment of talented peers, one can dream and create with the feeling that anything is possible.
VCCA’s Mt. San Angelo location in Amherst, Virginia, typically hosts 360 artists each year in residencies of varying lengths (no minimum; up to six weeks) with flexible scheduling. A residency at Mt. San Angelo includes a private bedroom with private en-suite bath, a private individual studio, three prepared meals a day, and access to a community of more than 20 other artists in residence.
Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, VCCA is surrounded by natural wonders and hiking trails. Many local sites and additional inspiration can be found in short drives to Lynchburg (20 minutes), Charlottesville (1 hour), Roanoke (1.5 hours), or Richmond (2 hours).
The following fully-funded fellowships are expected to be available for the Spring 2027 residency period at Mt. San Angelo in Amherst, Virginia.
CHRISTINA CHIU LATINX WRITERS FELLOWSHIP
Who: Writers, with preference given to those of Latin American descent
What: Residency of up to two-weeks at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2027 (January – April)
BARBARA CROOKER CAREGIVING FELLOWSHIP
Who: Artists in any discipline who are caregivers to an ill or disabled family member
What: Residency of up to two-weeks at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2027 (January – April)
RICHARD E. CYTOWIC NONFICTION FELLOWSHIP
Who: Writers of long-form nonfiction, with preference given to writers who are gay, residents of Washington D.C., or caregivers to an ill or disabled family member
What: Residency of up to two-weeks at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2027 (January – April)
GOLDFARB FAMILY FELLOWSHIP
Who: Writers of creative nonfiction
What: Two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2027 (January – April)
GREATER OPPORTUNITY FELLOWSHIPS
Who: Artists in any discipline who have not previously been in residence at VCCA, with preference given to those who self-identify as people of color
What: Residency of up to two-weeks at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2027 (January – April)
MONTANA FELLOWSHIP
Who: Artists in any discipline who live in Montana
What: One-month residency at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2027 (January – April)
TAHIRA ZAHEER FELLOWSHIP FOR SOUTH ASIAN WRITERS
Who: Writers, with preference given to those who are South Asian
What: Residency of up to two-weeks at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2027 (January – April)
vcca.com/apply/fully-funded-fellowships/
_____
Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre
New Dramatists
DEADLINE: May 15, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
INFO: Edward Kleban, the lyricist of A Chorus Line and other extraordinary works, created the Kleban Prize in his Will, which is given annually to writers of extraordinary promise – to a librettist and a lyricist, respectively. Kleban designed the prize based on his personal experience as a promising writer. He was acutely aware that, though composers and musicians may often work within the theater, lyricists and librettists generally have to work outside the theater in order to support their writing. He wanted a prize of sufficient size to allow promising writers the time to simply write; his creation of the prize flowed from his desire to help other worthy artists like himself.
The prize is administered by New Dramatists on behalf of the The Kleban Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors. To ensure a robust and equitable adjudication, applications (including work samples) are submitted and reviewed blind by an independent panel of musical theatre artists and industry leaders. The Kleban Foundation Board sets the amount of the Prize annually. In recent years, a sum of $100,000 in each category has been paid in two annual installments to Prize recipients.
ELIGIBILITY:
Kleban’s instructions, as interpreted by the Board, specify that applicants must meet either of the following criteria: 1) The applicant must previously have received a production of one of their works on a stage or in a workshop performance; or 2) The applicant must be or have been a member or an associate of a professional musical workshop or theater group, i.e., ASCAP, BMI Theater Workshop or the Dramatists Guild Fellows Program.
Any individual whose work has been performed on the Broadway stage for a cumulative period of two years prior to the opening of the application window is not eligible. In the case of multiple Broadway productions, the sum of the lengths of the runs must not exceed two years.
If the material is co-written (written by more than one lyricist or more than one librettist) all writers must apply as a team. (This does not include the composer unless s/he has also contributed lyrics or text.) Each applicant must be eligible in their own right to apply.
Applicants may apply in both categories, but must submit a separate application for each category and may win in only one such category.
Applicants may only apply once per category per year.
Applicants may win in only one category.
APPLICATION MATERIALS:
Submissions are coded and reviewed blind. The name(s) of the writer(s) must NOT appear on any submission materials, including in the file names or file author information. Do NOT include hyperlinks in your files. Failure to meet this requirement may render the applicant ineligible. Only work from musical theater will be considered. Materials must be in English.
LYRICIST CATEGORY:
Submissions must include lyrics for a minimum of five and a maximum of eight songs.
The lyrics may be from one or various shows.
Audio files/recordings of each song are strongly encouraged but are not necessary. Acceptable formats are mp3, ogg, and wav.
LIBRETTIST CATEGORY:
Submissions may consist of a full-length musical book, or one act from two separate shows.
Lyrics should be included in the libretto even if they were written by someone other than the librettist.
Submission files must be in either word or PDF formats. Audio files are not accepted in the librettist category.
APPLICATION STEP-BY-STEP:
You will no longer be required to have an account on the New Dramatists website to complete a 2026 application.
It is in your best interest to prepare your materials for upload in advance, and to complete the application in one session. Your progress will be saved automatically if you continue in the same browser, but there is not an option to save.
Click the appropriate button below to begin your application. If you are applying in two categories, simply return to this page.
You will be asked to confirm you are eligible to apply. In the text field you must provide details substantiating your eligibility. Optionally, upload a resumé.
Fill in your full name, address, phone number and email address. If you have a co-lyricist or co-librettist, enter their information here.
For a Lyricist application, upload a text document for each song. You will also have the option to upload audio files for each song. For a Librettist application, upload your Musical text file. If you are submitting two acts from separate musicals they must be combined into one file. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME ON ANY OF THESE SUBMISSION MATERIALS.
Check the box that you have read and agree to our Privacy Policy, and click “Submit Your Application” to complete the process. You will receive a confirmation that your application has been received.
newdramatists.org/kleban-prize-musical-theatre
_____
Anne LaBastille Memorial Writers Residency
Adirondack Center for Writing |📍
DEADLINE: May 18, 2026
APPLICATION FEE: $30
INFO: The Adirondack Center for Writing offers a two-week residency annually in autumn to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers at a lodge on Twitchell Lake in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. Six residents will be chosen: three from the Adirondack region (aka “The North Country”… see FAQ below for specifics) and three from anywhere in the world. Quality of written submissions is the primary consideration when accepting applications.
The residency is generously provided by the estate of Anne LaBastille, who wrote books capturing challenges of the region, including Woodswoman and Beyond Black Bear Lake from her cabin on Twitchell Lake. During the residency, writers will paddle to the site of her property and explore the lake with locals.
The Lodge at Twitchell Lake provides an abundance of physical space, and each resident has their own bedroom and bathroom. There are plenty of writing spaces in and around the property. Internet access is available.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Cover Letter: In the space provided in Submittable (no attachments), include a brief, third-person bio and a work plan detailing your goals for this residency.
Writing Sample: Please send up to 10 pages double spaced, or 2,500 words max of your best writing in the genre you will working in at the residency. Prose: 10 pages max. Poetry: 10 poems max. NOTE: Make sure your name does not show up anywhere in your writing sample. Writing samples that include your name will not be considered. Quality of written submissions will be our primary consideration when accepting applications.
Application Fee: $30. Your application fee ensures that the residency can remain free to selected residents.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Residency Dates: September 20 – October 4, 202
Notification: July 2026
Contact info@adirondackcenterforwriting.orgor 518-354-1261 with any questions.
adirondackcenterforwriting.org/residency/
_____
THE I AM SOUL PLAYWRIGHT RESIDENCY
National Black Theatre
DEADLINE: May 22, 2026
INFO: The I Am SOUL Playwright Residency Program serves the best and brightest early career Black writers from around the country, with a commitment to producing a public presentation of a newly commissioned play over the course of 18 months.
Launched in 2014, we provide a stipend, development resources, and a production team for up to three playwrights per cycle, with an unprecedented commitment to produce the new work within a future season. Through this program NBT also provides micro-development opportunities to up to 23 black playwrights that are awarded to finalist and selected applicants to help them develop new work. This series is called the SOUL Reading Series.
BENEFITS:
The playwright(s) will receive a minimum stipend of $7,500.00.
NBT will provide support for up to six in-house readings of new plays outside of the Resident's commissioned work.
Access to scheduled office space, printing, and administrative support.
Two Complimentary tickets to each of National Black Theatre productions that season, as well as additional services and opportunities that NBT has to offer and may come across.
REQUIREMENTS:
The I AM SOUL - PLAYWRIGHT RESIDENCY is available to Black playwrights, 21 years of age or older, who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States.
Students in K-12 educational programs or enrolled in undergraduate and graduate degree programs for playwriting are not eligible.
The resident playwright commits to spending a minimum 18-month residency period by actively participating in the National Black Theatre community.
Applicants must commit to being present and an active participant during all readings, workshops, rehearsals, and public presentations of their work.
Playwrights may not receive more than one residency at NBT through this program.
The selected playwright is required to serve on the Selection Committee for the I AM SOUL - PLAYWRIGHTS RESIDENCY.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Panel Review Process – June 5 – June 22, 2026
Semi-Finalists Notified – July 7
Finalist Notified – July 20
Playwright Residency Onboarding – Sept 8 – 11
For questions or inquiries contact Belynda M’Baye, belynda@nationalblacktheatre.org
nationalblacktheatre.org/playwright-residency/
_____
Terrence McNally Award
Philadelphia Theatre Company
DEADLINE: June 2, 2026
INFO: Terrence McNally’s storied collaboration with Philadelphia Theatre Company included four world premieres, underscoring his long-standing commitment to Philadelphia’s vibrant cultural scene and thriving community of artists.
As a continuation of that commitment — and of Terrence’s deep belief in supporting early-career playwrights — the Terrence McNally Award was established to support one Philadelphia-based early-career playwright with financial resources, artistic support, and a public reading of their play at Philadelphia Theatre Company.
Past McNally Awardees have included Pulitzer Prize–winner James Ijames, Bill Cain, A. Zell Williams, Martín Zimmerman, Donja R. Love, Stephanie Kyung Sun Walters, and most recently MK Tuomanen, recipient of the 2024 Award for their play Night Science.
Under the stewardship of Artistic Directors Taibi Magar and Tyler Dobrowsky, and in partnership with the Terrence McNally Foundation, the Award continues with a renewed focus on identifying and championing the most promising early-career playwrights in Philadelphia — celebrating the extraordinary artistry, diversity, and bold storytelling rooted in this city.
PLAYWRIGHT ELIGIBILITY:
The applicant must have been born in, raised in, or currently reside in the Philadelphia area in order to be eligible for the Terrence McNally Award. The applicant will be asked how they identify as a Philadelphia writer; the intent of the criteria is to be inclusive.
The applicant must be over the age of 18.
The applicant must have a full-length play ready to submit for consideration.
The Terrence McNally Award is intended to support emerging playwrights. Playwrights may only win the award once.
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION:
Please submit a full-length play written for the stage that you think best represents your work as a playwright. Terrence McNally’s plays were known to focus on three themes, which we hope our winning playwright will amplify: social justice, queer rights, and the transformative power of art. Please keep this in mind when choosing your submission.
Plays that have been fully produced more than once or published are not eligible for the Terrence McNally Award. Plays that have had a workshop, reading, or non-professional production will be considered.Plays may not be under option or commission at the time of submission.
Playwrights may submit a work that is co-authored, but only the submitting artist will be eligible for the award. The work submitted should be primarily in English.
Scripts must be typed and arranged in a professional play script format. Please provide a character breakdown with your play.
Please type your entry in a reasonable font and include stage directions where necessary.
Please submit your work as a .pdf so that all formatting will remain intact and no edits can be accidentally made while your submission is being reviewed.
Entries must be received by the deadline to be considered.
All entries are final, but playwrights will have the opportunity for feedback and revision between selection as a winner and any public presentation.
If you have representation, please include your representation’s contact information on the cover page of your submission, along with your preference for whom to contact (it may be the playwright directly)
AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT: September 9, 2026
ABOUT TERRENCE MCNALLY:
Terrence McNally was an American playwright, librettist, and LGBTQ+ trailblazer, described by The New York Times as “the bard of the American Theater.” One of the few playwrights of his generation to successfully move from the avant-garde to mainstream acclaim, McNally helped redefine American playwriting over six decades.
He was the recipient of five Tony Awards — two for his plays Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class, two for the books to his musicals Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime, and the 2019 Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement. His many honors include the 2011 Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award (he served as Vice President of the Guild from 1981–2001), the 2015 Lucille Lortel Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame (1996), and induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters (2018). His legacy lives on through his plays, musicals, and operas performed worldwide, and through his papers housed at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
Philadelphia Theatre Company mounted the world premieres of Master Class, Golden Age, Some Men, and Unusual Acts of Devotion, as well as the Philadelphia regional premieres of Love! Valour! Compassion!, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, Mothers and Sons, and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.
philadelphiatheatrecompany.org/terrence-mcnally-award/
_____
2027 Project Submissions
Amoeba Productions |📍New York, NY
DEADLINE: May 31, 2026 BY 11:59pm ET
INFO: Amoeba Productions is thrilled to invite playwrights, directors, producers, and creative teams to submit their work for our 2027 season. We are looking for shows that have not been produced/staged in NYC yet. There will be two open production slots: Spring 2027 and Fall 2027
DETAILS:
Performance Length: 1-2 hours
Cast Size: 1-10 people
Must submit a completed draft/script in initial submission
After our initial review, we will conduct interviews and further discussions with selected applicants.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfY9sNrWgLQRHNycr_axm7R_ohkSVDZrLBmTZbsDXp3MIhFvQ/viewform
_____
play incubator for queer voices
Blue Roses Project |📍New Orleans, LA
DEADLINE: June 1, 2026
INFO: Blue Roses Project offers a space for queer playwrights to develop meaningful new works. We’re excited to review your submission!
In one single PDF, please upload your cover letter, resume, and the script you wish to be considered for development. Please include a bit about the play, including:
Developmental history (if any and not required)
Cast breakdown
A short synopsis
The selected script will be given a week-long, 29-hour reading in New Orleans in the fall of 2026 with a director and cast of actors from across the country.
Travel and lodging will be provided. The playwright will be paid as an independent contractor for their work and will be expected to be in New Orleans for the entirety of the workshop.
Script submissions are accepted on a rolling basis, but we recommend submitting by June 1, 2026.
bluerosesproject.com/submissions
_____
Call for Submissions: “Liberation Poetics: Caribbean Feminisms Against Imperialism, from Cuba to Palestine”
Intersect Antigua-Barbuda
DEADLINE: June 1, 2026
INFO: Imperialism is far-reaching, stretching across borders, and harming people across difference: from martyred people of the soil to stolen oil. This is a crucial period in which Caribbean feminists, emboldened by and spirited with a decolonizing, Queeribbean sensibility, must rise to meet this moment.
With this in mind, we invite you to submit critical essays, fiction, plays, poetry, posters, screenplays, art, and photography that address the urgency of leveraging Caribbean feminisms as a primary antagonism against imperialism and fascism.
We invite participants to submit pieces that address imperialism, from the perspective of gender, race, color, class, nation, and/or sexuality, in any of the following broad topics:
Queering resistance
Resisting the masculinization of revolution
Rootedness in Caribbean identity, poetics of relation, opacité, antillanité, creolité: Moving across the Afro-, Indo-, and Indigenous Caribbean
Caribbean feminist perspectives and stories on grief, trauma, healing, and joy
Ancestral insurgencies: lessons from past movement shakers and revolutionaries
We also invite participants to consider the following writing prompts:
How do the attention economy, new media, and generative AI technologies depoliticize, distort, and fracture relation?
How can Caribbean feminist thought be in dialogue and praxis with Sudanese and Congolese feminist thought and movements as they agitate against violent imperial extraction?
What does a turn to the ‘Queeribbean’ offer as an antagonism against imperialism’s political, religious, and cultural conceits?
Whose stories, from plant, animal, and human life, are not being told in this moment?
Access the full call for submissions for the complete list of topics and prompts. Read excerpts from Maurice Bishop’s 1980 speech against imperialism here.