Harding Nelson Center for the Arts Residency
Deadline: September 1, 2025
Website: https://khncenterforthearts.org/
The Harding Nelson Center provides a highly immersive environment for artists seeking uninterrupted creative time. Writers, visual artists, and composers are invited to apply for 2–6 month residencies on a quiet Nebraska campus. The program hosts 30–38 residents per session, with 10–14 spots reserved exclusively for writers. Residents are awarded private studio space, housing, and a $175 weekly stipend, ensuring both stability and focus throughout the residency period.
What sets Harding Nelson apart is its interdisciplinary intimacy: the small cohort size fosters meaningful cross-pollination of ideas between artists of different mediums, while its location away from major urban centers ensures minimal distractions. If your work would benefit from deep concentration — whether you’re drafting a new play or revising a trilogy — this residency provides both solitude and community in balance.
Circle in the Square Emerging Writers Residency
Deadline: September 1, 2025
Website: https://www.circlesquare.org/emerging-writers-residency
Hosted at Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre School, this prestigious program selects one musical and one play each year for an intensive four-week development workshop. Writers collaborate directly with faculty directors and student actors to refine scripts through table reads, rehearsal, and staging experiments, culminating in a public presentation on Broadway.
Participants receive a $500 honorarium but must provide their own housing and transportation in New York City. This opportunity is ideal for playwrights and composers seeking high-level professional development, exposure to Broadway audiences, and a collaborative setting rooted in theatrical excellence.
Creative Residency at Bloedel Reserve — Class of 2026
Deadline: September 1, 2025
Website: https://bloedelreserve.org/creative-residency/
Located on Bainbridge Island, WA, the Creative Residency at Bloedel Reserve offers a three-week, fully immersive retreat amid 140 acres of internationally renowned gardens and forests. Open to writers, composers, and interdisciplinary artists, the program seeks projects that explore the human relationship to nature.
Residents stay in a private, fully furnished home, complete with a stocked kitchen, Wi-Fi, and laundry access. Domestic participants receive a $1,000 stipend, and international residents may submit up to $1,000 in reimbursable expenses. The program hosts only one resident at a time, creating an unmatched setting for focus and introspection.
WRITER 2026 — 100W Corsicana Residency
Deadline: September 1, 2025
Website: https://corsicanaresidency.org/apply
This fully funded residency invites writers to historic Corsicana, Texas, for one- to two-month sessions in Winter, Spring, and Fall 2026. Residents live and work in beautifully renovated downtown studios and are encouraged to participate in community-facing events, including public readings, open studios, and artist talks.
While travel and meal stipends aren’t provided, the residency offers deep integration into a thriving local arts ecosystem. The combination of architectural charm, immersive solitude, and opportunities for public engagement makes this especially valuable for playwrights refining major works.
Foundation House Artist Residency Program
Deadline: September 7, 2025
Website: https://www.foundationhousect.org/artist-residency-application
Foundation House, located on 75 acres in Greenwich, CT, offers 10-day residencies designed to advance work at the intersection of mental health, social justice, and environmental issues. Each session hosts six residents, providing private bedrooms, semi-private baths, all meals, studio space, and a stipend.
Evenings feature communal dinners, fostering dialogue and collaboration across disciplines. For playwrights developing work grounded in contemporary themes — particularly pieces tied to community, activism, or climate narratives — this is an opportunity to create in a supportive, mission-driven environment.
Princeton Arts Fellowship
Deadline: September 9, 2025
Website: https://arts.princeton.edu/fellowships/
A highly competitive two-year fellowship designed for early-career artists, this program offers a $93,000 annual stipend plus health benefits. Fellows are expected to teach one course per semester in their discipline, gaining valuable classroom experience while advancing their own creative work.
Playwrights benefit not only from Princeton’s resources but also its vibrant artistic network. Past fellows have used this platform to incubate groundbreaking works and connect with interdisciplinary collaborators. If you’re seeking both financial support and academic affiliation, this fellowship is unmatched.
Hodder Fellowship
Deadline: September 9, 2025
Website: https://arts.princeton.edu/fellowships/
Distinct from the Princeton Arts Fellowship, the Hodder Fellowship provides $93,000 for a 10-month appointment focused entirely on independent creative work. There are no teaching requirements, allowing fellows to pursue ambitious projects at their own pace.
Applicants are judged on exceptional promise rather than a substantial existing body of work, making this an excellent fit for emerging-to-mid-career playwrights poised for significant breakthroughs.
MacDowell Fellowship
Deadline: September 10, 2025
Website: https://www.macdowell.org/
MacDowell is one of the most prestigious artist residencies in the U.S., offering 2–8 week retreats on a 450-acre wooded campus in New Hampshire. Residents receive private studios, prepared meals, and housing while joining a community of 30+ interdisciplinary artists.
Applications are judged anonymously, ensuring that artistic excellence is the sole criterion. Financial aid is available for travel and income loss, making MacDowell accessible to a diverse pool of playwrights seeking solitude, community, and focused creative time.
QM–Jerome Foundation Fellowship (Queens Museum)
Deadline: September 22, 2025
Website: https://queensmuseum.org/program/open-call-qm-jerome-foundation-fellowship-for-emerging-artists-2026-2027/
Disclaimer: This is mostly focused on visual artists, but there is some wiggle room for theatremakers.
This fellowship, administered collaboratively by the Queens Museum and Jerome Foundation, offers $20,000 awards to two selected artists, alongside solo exhibitions at the Queens Museum. It encourages work at the intersection of cultural experimentation and public engagement.
While primarily focused on visual arts, playwrights whose work integrates installation, object theatre, or performance-as-exhibition will find this especially compelling. The fellowship provides resources for artists willing to rethink how audiences interact with storytelling and form.
ArtsWave Funding
Deadline: September 22, 2025
Website: https://artswave.org/apply-for-funding/
Designed to support community-engaged arts projects in Cincinnati, ArtsWave awards grants for initiatives taking place between September 1, 2025, and July 15, 2026. These funds are aimed at projects with broad public reach rather than individual stipends.
Playwrights based in Cincinnati or partnering with regional theatres can leverage this to fund readings, site-specific performances, or educational projects tied to civic storytelling. Proposals are strongest when they emphasize community participation and public impact.
Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center Fellowship
Deadline: September 26, 2025
Website: https://www.nypl.org/about/fellowships-institutes/cullman-center-scholars-writers
Hosted by the New York Public Library, this nine-month fellowship provides playwrights with $90,000, office space, and full access to the library’s archives. The program prioritizes projects requiring extensive research and historical materials.
This is ideal for writers developing historically grounded plays or works based on primary sources. Fellows become part of a multidisciplinary cohort of scholars and creators, fostering collaborations and intellectual cross-pollination.
Jonathan Larson Grants
Deadline: September 26, 2025
Website: https://americantheatrewing.org/
Awarded by the American Theatre Wing, the Jonathan Larson Grants recognize emerging composers, lyricists, and librettists working on original musicals. Winners receive financial support, mentorship, and exposure within Broadway networks.
Beyond the monetary award, the grants open doors to industry leaders and potential collaborators. Playwrights developing musicals or experimental music-driven works will find this a powerful launchpad for advancing new projects.
Millay Arts Core Residency
Deadline: October 1, 2025
Website: https://millayarts.org/residencies/
Located on the historic Steepletop estate of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, this residency offers playwrights private studios, shared dinners, and immersive creative space. Sessions are fully subsidized, and financial aid is available for those with demonstrated need.
Applications are reviewed anonymously by a peer jury, prioritizing innovation and depth of practice. For playwrights working on scripts that engage poetry, identity, or landscape, Millay provides a uniquely resonant environment.
Playwrights First Award
Deadline: October 1, 2025
Website: https://www.playwrights-first.com/
Founded in 1993, this award honors emerging playwrights showing extraordinary promise. The winner receives $1,000 and a potential New York City reading facilitated by Playwrights First.
The competition focuses exclusively on unproduced, unpublished scripts, making it a valuable first milestone for emerging writers. The reading component provides crucial opportunities for industry networking and dramaturgical refinement.
American Theatre Company Playwriting Competition
Deadline: October 31, 2025
Website: http://www.atcbrussels.com/playwriting-competition.html
Based in Brussels, this biannual competition seeks original English-language plays between 25–45 minutes. Applicants must live in Belgium or have resided there within the past three years.
The prize is the staging of the winning play in 2026 or 2027, offering playwrights a direct path to production. Scripts are judged anonymously to ensure equity, and ATC’s focus on developing intimate, actor-driven pieces makes this especially rewarding for emerging writers.
Travis Bogard Artist-in-Residence Fellowships at Tao House
Deadline: November 1, 2025
Website: https://eugeneoneill.org/fellows/
Located at the Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site in Danville, CA, this residency gives playwrights access to Tao House’s archives and O’Neill’s personal documents while providing space for uninterrupted creative work.
For writers exploring themes of American identity, history, or theatrical lineage, this program offers both a retreat and direct inspiration from O’Neill’s legacy. The setting itself fosters reflection on narrative scale, artistic ambition, and craft.
ROLLING DEADLINES
Native Voices at the Autry — Script Submissions
Deadline: Rolling
Website: https://theautry.org/
Dedicated to Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations playwrights, this program accepts full-length stage scripts year-round for production consideration in Los Angeles.
Selected works undergo dramaturgical development, staged readings, and sometimes full-scale productions. It’s a cornerstone platform for Native voices in contemporary theatre.
Dramatists Guild Foundation Emergency Grants
Deadline: Rolling
Website: https://dgf.org/grants/
These need-based grants provide up to $500 to dramatists facing financial hardship due to unexpected crises. Funds typically cover essential living expenses like housing, utilities, and groceries rather than project-specific costs.
Applications are prioritized based on urgency and severity, making this an invaluable resource during challenging times.
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants
Deadline: Rolling
Website: https://foundationforcontemporaryarts.org/
Offering $500–$3,000 on a rapid turnaround, these grants support artists facing time-sensitive project opportunities or emergencies. The program welcomes applications from playwrights presenting work in the U.S. or abroad.
For productions, workshops, or festivals requiring sudden travel or materials, this grant provides the flexibility to act quickly on emerging opportunities.
Urban Stages Emerging Playwright Award
Deadline: Rolling
Website: https://www.urbanstages.org/submit-to-us
Urban Stages champions diverse theatrical voices by selecting 10–15 plays annually for staged readings. Of these, 1–3 are workshopped, and 1–2 move on to Off-Broadway production.
Playwrights who demonstrate sustained excellence throughout the process receive the Emerging Playwright Award and accompanying press coverage. This pipeline offers one of the most structured paths from submission to full production.
Buinho Residency Program (Portugal)
Deadline: Rolling
Website: https://buinho.pt/residency-2/
Buinho oversees five creative houses in Messejana, Portugal, three of which are dedicated to artists and writers seeking technology-enabled creative development. Residents have access to private studios, shared workspaces, and digital fabrication labs including 3D printers.
This program is ideal for playwrights exploring immersive theatre, multimedia projects, or stagecraft innovation in an international setting.
Dorland Mountain Arts Residency
Deadline: Rolling
Website: https://dorlandartscolony.org/
Dorland offers self-directed residencies on a 300-acre private nature reserve in Southern California, providing residents with private cottages and uninterrupted solitude.
Optional communal activities allow residents to connect with other artists while maintaining a meditative environment. Perfect for playwrights working on expansive projects requiring sustained focus.
Sarasvati Creative Space Residency
Deadline: Rolling
Website: https://sarasvaticreativespace.org/
This intimate residency integrates creative renewal with a deep connection to land and nature. Participants live as part of an interdependent homestead while focusing on personal projects.
Flexible terms — from one week to several months — make this particularly appealing for playwrights pursuing site-specific narratives or ecologically driven themes.
Caetani Centre Artist Residency
Deadline: Rolling
Website: https://caetanicentre.ca/
Located in Vernon, Canada, the Caetani Centre offers self-directed residencies ranging from 3 days to 3 months in a historic villa.
This program blends independence with opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration, making it ideal for playwrights seeking quiet space to create while engaging an international community.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Director of Education and Engagement at Geva Theatre
Deadline: Now Accepting Applications
Website: https://www.gevatheatre.org/
Geva Theatre, a LORT B regional theatre in Rochester, NY, seeks an experienced and collaborative arts educator and/or administrator to serve as Director of Connectivity. With an annual operating budget of $8.5 million, Geva is looking for a leader to oversee its Education, Engagement, and Access programs.
This role involves creating transformational theatre experiences through community partnerships, student matinees, and Geva’s annual Summer Academy. Professional theatre-makers are encouraged to apply, with the possibility of participating artistically alongside leadership responsibilities.
Assistant, Associate, or Professor of Theater — Bryn Mawr College
Deadline: Applications received by October 15, 2025, will receive full consideration
Website: https://www.brynmawr.edu/arts
Bryn Mawr College seeks applications for a full-time, tenure-track Open Rank faculty position in Playwriting or Dramaturgy within its Arts Program in Theater. The position begins August 1, 2026, and is open at the assistant, associate, or full professor level, depending on experience.
Candidates should have a strong record of professional productions and a demonstrated commitment to theatrical education. Additional expertise in directing, filmmaking, or theatre history is desirable. Responsibilities include teaching core undergraduate courses, advising thesis projects, and directing one production per year.
Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance — Colorado College
Deadline: Continuous Recruitment — For full consideration, apply by December 15, 2025
Website: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/academics/dept/theatredance/
Colorado College’s Department of Theatre & Dance seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor specializing in Playwriting and Performance, beginning August 2026. The department emphasizes empowering students to become artists, changemakers, and cultural leaders.
The successful candidate will teach courses in new plays, interdisciplinary performance, and contemporary trends while contributing to Colorado College’s broader focus on social justice and global theatre practices. This position suits individuals interested in blending creative work, pedagogy, and cultural engagement.
