Next Stage Directing Residency

A Partnership with New York Stage And Film

Applications Open Mid-September 2025

APPLICATION PORTAL
F.A.Q. PAGE
OTHER PROGRAMS
And She Would Stand Like This by Harrison David Rivers, directed by David Mendizábal, was developed in The Drama League Next Stage Residency before its premiere at The Movement Theatre Company. Pictured: Tamara Williams, Cornelius Davidson, Darby Davis.

RESIDENCY DETAILS

OVERVIEW
  • Directors rarely receive time or resources for their own explorations, risks, or experimentations; usually, they must do so rapidly in rehearsal or previews, when production concerns and the needs of other artists must be prioritized. The Next Stage Directing Residency aims to fill this gap in development. In these weeks, directors are given moments of their own, to mine their creativity in three dimensions without the pressure of production. Given space to imagine visceral, complex staging possibilities, directors can create more meaningful productions. The Next Stage Directing Residency is designed for stage directors to support a work they are attached to for possible future production — either a project they are directing, or one in which they are also a generative creator in other aspects (director-writer, director-designer, etc.).
  • The Drama League Directing Residencies support the interrogative process of a director creating work that includes live performance. The residencies offer financial support for a multi-stage developmental process, rehearsal and administrative space, mentorship from the artistic staff of the partner companies, and the opportunity to share the findings of the process publicly. The Drama League and its partners are not, and will not be, the producers of the project itself, and will only support the stated activities of this residency.
  • NUMBER OF RESIDENCIES: One (1), offered annually.
  • ELIGIBILITY: Before applying, visit the  F.A.Q. page for full eligibility details.
  • SCHOLARSHIP PRIZE: Recipient receives $5,000 to cover expenses related to the Residency. Up to four (4) collaborating artists receive financial stipends for the Creative Residency ($500/person, not to exceed $2,000 total). Production of the Stage Reading will be handled by New York Stage and Film. All prize and stipends are taxable under U.S. law, and recipients will be responsible for tax payments.
  • HEALTH INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT: None.
  • TRAVEL/HOUSING INFORMATION: Varies, see Program Timeline Below.
  • OTHER BENEFITS: VIP Pass to all publicly offered Drama League programming during the Fellowship period; access to alumni-focused programs and events; lifetime Drama League Membership.
  •  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.
1. PRE-RESIDENCY PLANNING | Online (Zoom)
  • DATES: June (TBD, Occasional, online/remote)
  • DESCRIPTION: The Recipient meets with Drama League and New York Stage And Film staff to prepare for the process ahead, including script development, casting, scheduling, and other elements.
  • TRAVEL/HOUSING: None (online/remote)
  • DATES: Summer (Dates TBD, one week, in-person, scheduled by New York Stage And Film)
  • DESCRIPTION: The recipient and their additional collaborators receive time and space to self-facilitate exploratory rehearsal at New York Stage And Film’s Summer Season, not to exceed forty (40) hours of rehearsal in the week. The opportunity to share findings with other artists in the NYSAF community is offered.
  • HOUSING: For the Creative Residency, artist housing in Poughkeepsie is provided for Recipient and up to four (4) collaborators.
  • TRAVEL: For the Creative Residency, round-trip train travel from New York City to Poughkeepsie is provided for Recipient and up to four (4) collaborators. Baggage fees, transfers, and in-city transportation in Poughkeepsie or NYC are not provided.
  • DATES: Autumn (TBD, scheduled by The Drama League)
  • DESCRIPTION: Inspired by Twyla Tharp’s concept of “The Artist Date,” the Inspiration Experience is an opportunity for the Recipient to expand their exploratory investigation through a short experience inspired by the project itself. This might mean a visit to a local business or attraction, a facilitated conversation with an expert, or participation in a local event. The experience will be developed in conjunction with and facilitated by The Drama League.
  • TRAVEL/HOUSING: Travel and Housing are not provided for the Inspiration Experience, and is the responsibility of the Recipient and collaborating artists.
  • DATES: TBD, in-person and scheduled by New York Stage and Film
  • DESCRIPTION: The Recipient will rehearse and present a Staged Reading, produced by New York Stage And Film and held at The Drama League Theater Center in New York City or similar location, during one contiguous week to be scheduled in agreement with the recipient, NYSAF, and TDL. The findings may be presented as an Open Rehearsal, Staged Reading, or Public In-Process Presentation.
  • TRAVEL/HOUSING: Travel and Housing are not provided for the Staged Reading and are the responsibility of the Recipient and collaborating artists.
APPLY NOW
F.A.Q. PAGE

FELLOWSHIP PARTNERS

THE DRAMA LEAGUE
The Drama League is a career accelerator and creative home for those who, in whole or in part, identify as directors — the artists who stand in the center of collective artmaking in theater, film, television, streaming, and all creative industries that utilize live performance. The Drama League offers acclaimed access, training, mentorship and opportunity for these artists and their collaborators.  Launched in 1916, alumni of its programs, collectively known as The Directors Project, create over 1,100 projects each year for audiences around the world, numbering in the tens of millions.  To be a part of supporting future generations of artists, please visit dramaleague.org/membership.
New York Stage And Film is a not-for-profit company dedicated to both emerging and established artists in the development and production of theater and film by creating community, supporting process, and uplifting original artistic voices. The New York Times calls the company a “formidable breeding ground for new work,” and dozens of notable works trace their developmental roots to NYSAF, including Tony Award winners HAMILTON, HADESTOWN, SIDE MAN and THE HUMANS; Broadway productions such as THE NOTEBOOK, AMERICAN IDIOT, JUNK, and BRIGHT STAR; and Pulitzer winners and finalists such as DOUBT, THE WOLVES and Taylor Mac’s A 24-DECADE HISTORY OF POPULAR MUSIC.
The 2022 National Tour of the dance floor, the hospital room, and the kitchen table, directed by Lyam B. Gabel, was developed in The Next Stage Residency. Photo: Louis Stein

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