The Nilan Internship

An Opportunity For Emerging Arts Administrators and Producers
Letters of Interest Accepted Annually, Between April-July

DETAILS

OVERVIEW
  • The Drama League’s commitment to the future includes not only artists who will create the sustaining work of our culture, but those who will lead the field and its frameworks in the decades to come. The Nilan Internship for Future Arts Leaders is a hands-on, practical learning experience for those who wish to be intimately involved in the daily operations of an institution dedicated to artist support.
  • Named for The Drama League’s longtime educator and Associate Artistic Director Nilan (1987-2026), the Nilan Intern supports the Artistic Department staff in administration, production, season planning, education, and event activities. The Nilan Intern will work alongside all artistic staff members on projects, as well as tasks that assist other departments.
  • Over the course of a year, The Nilan Intern receives regular mentorship and guidance in one-on-one sessions with members of the artistic staff; attends weekly staff and departmental meetings; and participates in the company’s interactions with the Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional, and international theater communities, as well as the film and television industries. Through the experience, they learn the industry from the inside, including an awareness of the producers, artists, institutions, and forces shaping the landscape of modern cultural work in New York City.
  • As part of their experience, they will create a personalized strategic plan for their own career, developed and refined under the mentorship of the Artistic Associate.
  • NUMBER OF INTERNSHIPS: One (1), offered annually.
  • HOURS: 20 Hours per week. The Drama League works in a hybrid model; some of this internship is in-person at The Drama League Theater Center or in other places across New York City, while some is remote via Zoom. Candidates will need access to the internet, phone, and webcam to complete this internship. 
    In-Person Office Hours: Mondays 11am-4pm (five hours) in our Manhattan offices. Other Hours: a mix of in-person and (mostly) remote time that changes week-to-week. Requires some flexibility in the schedule. (15 hours)
  • INTERNSHIP PERIOD: August 31, 2026 – June 11, 2027 (39 Total Weeks)
    Fall Phase: August 31, 2026 – December 18, 2026 (16 weeks)
    Spring Phase: January 4, 2027 – June 11, 2026 (23 Weeks)
  • TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT: $125 per Week Travel Reimbursement for 39 weeks ($4,875 total)
  •  LIABILITIES AND INSURANCES: Recipient will not be an employee of TDL or its partners, instead a recipient of an educational program and will be considered as such under insurance policies.
  • Assist staff in executing processes that operate the Directing Fellowships, Residencies, Assistantships, International Exchanges, Readings, Workshops, Events, Educational Workshops, Galas, Awards, Artist Services, and other activities related but not limited to the artistic work of The Drama League.
  • Directly assist the Artistic Director in management of departmental schedule and meetings.
  • Perform clerical tasks (word processing, database tasks, etc.) as assigned by the Artistic Department. This may include meeting notes, document/spreadsheet preparation, research, scanning/archival work, organization, scheduling appointments, etc.
  • Attend all weekly Staff and Artistic Team Meetings, taking notes and distributing them promptly to all appropriate staff.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Proficiency using the Google Suite – Google Docs, Sheets, Drive, Chat, Etc.
  • Knowledge of WordPress, Photoshop, Canva, or Adobe Suite is a plus, but not required.
  • Professional work ethic, including a friendly, personable, and outgoing demeanor with all guests, donors, members, vendors and staff of The Drama League.
  • Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities and projects at once.
    Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent work experience) required.
  • NOTE: This internship is for early-career arts professionals who are not actively engaged in their educational study. It is impossible to effectively complete this internship while in high school or attending college/university, as the time requirements would impact your study. Please wait to apply until you have completed any academic work you are pursuing.
  • Letters of interest will be accepted every year, beginning April 1 through July 30. Letters of interest submitted between August-March will not be considered, so please wait until April.
  • To apply, send us an email with an attached PDF containing three documents: a cover letter, a letter of reference from someone who knows your work, and your professional resume.
  • Send the email with the attached PDF artistic@dramaleague.org. Please include “Nilan Internship For Arts Leadership” in the email subject line.
  • Please include in the cover letter answers to the following:
    • Why do you want to intern for an organization supporting directors?
    • What are your career goals
    • How can The Drama League help you on that journey?
    • How can you contribute to the success of The Drama League’s efforts to help artists?
    • What would you like to know more about the business of theatre and the arts?

WHY JOIN THE TEAM?

  • Engage with the inner workings of the arts industry, behind-the-scenes of administration and programming…learning what it takes to put creative practice into everyday reality.
  • Gain a deep understanding of the day-to-day life of an internationally-renowned arts organization.
  • Engage with exciting artists, supporting them in their creative growth.
  • Be a part of an artistic team.
  • Explore your needs as a working professional through mentorship, guidance, and ideation with artistic leaders.
  • Mentorship will be tailored to focus on your personal goals.

NILAN

ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR (1987-2026)
Nilan (he/him+) was an award-winning writer, director, actor, producer, educator, and arts leader whose work centered on intersectionality, queer life, and the multiplicity of human experience. He was also the Associate Artistic Director of The Drama League and the co-founder of the acclaimed producing company A Certain Something. As a writer, Nilan’s work includes the plays Heaven, Hell, Or Carolina, A Rock and a Hard Place, FOLKtales: Stories of the Black Diaspora, Endangered Species, Our Precedent, Willie Richard Johnson, We Like To Party, the teleplay The Alphabets, and adaptations of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie and Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People. His play Shadow in the Corner was published in the third volume of Harlem 9’s OBIE Award-winning 48 Hours In Harlem anthology. He co-authored the play And Then I Woke (A Vicarious Cataclysmic Event) with Cherrye J. Davis and Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, the television pilot Renaissance with Travis LaMont Ballenger, and The Recipe with Gabriel Stelian-Shanks. Nilan co-wrote and starred in the series Extra Room and the short film Popsicles, as well as the streaming PSA campaign Consent Is Sexy. He was a 2025 recipient of Life Jacket Theatre Company’s Writer’s Room, a development accelerator for LGBTQ+ playwrights, and was part of the Center For International Theatre Development’s 2025 delegation to Poland. As a performer, Nilan’s work was seen internationally at venues and festivals including PlayMakers Repertory Theatre, National Black Theatre, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Harlem International Film Festival, Madrid International Film Festival, Miami International Film Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Orchard Project, Downtown Art, Bedlam MadLab, Redfern Theatre, New York Shakespeare Exchange, Playback Berlin, Recklinghausen Ruhr Festival, Pridefest, and others. He was a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA, and the Black Theatre Network. As an educator, his many enduring contributions include the production of seventeen short films for The Drama League’s New Visions/New Voices initiative, and supported professional directors at The Drama League as line producer of its educational workshops in television and film directing, its International Directors Summits, and its Directors Project Retreat, where he often did double-duty as an actor and mentor. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nilan co-produced and co-hosted The Drama League’s TA(L)KING DIRECTION podcast (Spotify/Apple). Nilan earned a B.A. from California State University, San Bernardino, and an M.F.A. in Acting from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Through his artistry, leadership, and mentorship, Nilan left an enduring impact on contemporary theater and media, championing voices and stories too often left at the margins, and creating work that was both deeply human and boldly transformative. He will be deeply missed by all those who were lucky enough to know him.

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