The Nilan Internship

An Opportunity For Emerging Arts Administrators and Producers
Applications Accepted Annually Each Spring

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.
  • GENERAL: 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.
  • DOCUMENTATION: The NI will observe and take notes for all weekly staff meetings, artistic team meetings, and other gatherings as needed, distributing notes to artistic staff no later than the following day.
  • ARTIST RESEARCH: The NI will, each week, perform data gathering and research, updating contact information and production work of the Directors Project Alumni. They will share findings with the Artistic Associate (AA), and updating records in The Drama League’s databases, Neon and Mailchimp, with the AA.
  • EVENT ASSISTANCE: During Directors Project Week, the NI will be the Liaison and Guide for all program recipients. The NI will attend and support the team of The Drama League Benefit Gala and Drama League Awards, in addition to other public fundraising activities. They will also assist the Artistic Associate in the execution of public events as assigned.
  • LEGACY PRESERVATION: The NI will collect new production posters for Broadway and Off-Broadway productions for the Legacy Wall
  • REPORTAGE: Pull database (Neon) reports as needed by the Artistic Staff
  • CLERICAL SUPPORT: Other duties as assigned by the Artistic Director, including research projects, especially in a flexible and constantly changing arts landscape.
  • EDUCATION: A high school degree required. This internship is intended for early-career arts professionals who are not actively engaged in educational study. If you are still attending college/university, please know that the internship requires significant time and will need clearance from your program to give it the the time needed for the entire season.
  • SOFTWARE FLUENCIES: Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, Chat, Calendar, etc.), Zoom, and any database software. Knowledge of WordPress, Neon, Photoshop, Canva, or Adobe Suite is a plus.
  • INTERNET ACCESS: For remote work portions, candidates will need access to the internet, phone, and webcam to complete this internship. 
  • SERVICE SKILLS: Professional work ethic, including a friendly, personable, and outgoing demeanor with all guests, donors, members, vendors and staff of The Drama League.
  • SOFT SKILLS: Evidence of an interest and passion for the arts, and interest in pursuing a professional career in the nonprofit arts sector. Excellent Written and Verbal Communication, Teamwork, Collaboration, Problem-Solving, and Flexibility. Ability to work independently and in concert with others in a multi-tasking environment. Excellent Proofreadings, Grammar, and Spelling abilities.
  • 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 STIPEND: This position will receive $125/week for 20 hours per week for 39 weeks ($4,875 total). This position offers no insurance, PTO, or other benefits. The NI is not an employee of TDL or its partners, instead a recipient of an educational program and will be considered as such under legal and insurance policies.
  • WORK ENVIRONMENT: The Drama League works in a hybrid model, mixing in-person and remote work. As of this writing, the weekly requirements are :
    • Mondays (in person at The Drama League Theater Center, New York City, 11:00am-4:00pm)
    • Tuesdays-Fridays (mix of in-person and remote, 3-4 hours per day, flexible between 10am and 6pm, to be scheduled with the Artistic Associate. Mostly remote, but sometimes required in-person at company events. One week in mid-May will be especially full.) Requires some flexibility in the schedule.
  • SUPERVISION: The NI is a direct report to the Artistic Director, and will be stewarded in their assignments, mentoring and tasks by the AA. The NI has no direct reports, and will fulfill work requests from all Artistic Department Staff. The NI will update the AA and AD on all work, including a weekly email status report.
  • CONFIDENTIALITY: The NI, as an educational opportunity and not a staff position, is nevertheless bound by the rules outlined in the organization’s personnel handbook. These rules are enforceable and their breach may constitute disciplinary actions, position dismissal and/or legal action.
  • TO APPLY: Send an email to  artistic@dramaleague.org with an attached PDF containing three documents: a cover letter, a letter of reference from someone who knows your work, and your professional resume. Please include “Nilan Internship For Arts Leadership” in the email subject line.
    In the cover letter, please address the following:
    • Why do you want to be a part of 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?
  • Zoom interviews will take place on the following dates:
    • First Round on Tuesday, June 23, 2026
    • First Round on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 

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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