Next Stage Residency

Applications Open Autumn 2024

THE DRAMA LEAGUE
NEXT STAGE RESIDENCY

in partnership with

And She Would Stand Like This by Harrison David Rivers, directed by David Mendizábal and choregraphed by Kia LaBeija, was developed in The Drama League's Next Stage Residency in 2016 before premiering at The Movement Theatre Company in 2017. Picture: Tamara Williams, Cornelius Davidson, Darby Davis.

The Drama League Directing Residencies are designed to 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, mentor support from the artistic staff of the partner companies, and the opportunity to share the findings of the process publicly.

The Next Stage Directing Residency is designed for early and mid-career 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 Residency will include three phases: pre-workshop planning with Drama League staff; creative exploration for five days with a company of up to four (4) additional collaborators at New York Stage and Film’s Summer Season in Poughkeepsie, NY; and a continued, later exploration of that work in New York City, resulting in either an open rehearsal or public reading. The Drama League and/or its partners will not be the producers of the project, nor producers of any public or private event in conjunction with this residency; the recipient is responsible for all production, contracting/hiring, or other needs in this regard.

Applications are especially welcome from directors who identify as members of populations that have historically been denied equity, access, inclusion or belonging in the field and in society, who have been marginalized, underrepresented, and/or those whose paths to direction may have been nonlinear or nontraditional. This includes, but is not limited to, Black, Indigenous, Latine (Latino/Latina), AAPI (Asian-American/Pacific Islander), MENASA (Middle Eastern/North African/South Asian), Biracial, Mixed-Race, Global Majority, LGBTQIAA2+, non-binary directors, disabled, and/or immigrant directors or directors not born in the United States.

Please see our F.A.Q. page for eligibility questions

the dance floor, the hospital room, and the kitchen table, directed by Lyam B. Gabel, was developed in The Drama League's Next Stage Residency in 2020. Photo: Louis Stein

Residency Outline

Frequency

Offered every year

Recipients

One recipient each cycle

Award

Recipient receives $5,000 to cover expenses related to the Residency. Collaborating artists receive per diems as detailed in the timeline below.

Program Details

Please click on each date below for program timeline and details.

Additional Benefits

  • Access To Drama League Alumni Programming and Events
  • Lifetime Drama League Artistic Membership
  • VIP Pass to all publicly offered Drama League programming during Fellowship

QUESTIONS? 
You may find your answer on our F.A.Q. page for artists, 
which includes information about eligibility, application materials, and more. 

Fellowships

The Drama League Fellowships are career-transforming opportunities for stage directors focusing on creative learning, skill building, and career development.

Residencies

The Drama League Residencies develop & incubate director-led projects for live performances, utilizing the resources of the Drama League in New York City.

About The Drama League

The Drama League is a creative and career development home for directors, and a platform for dialogue with, and between, the audiences they inspire in theater, film, television, online, and anywhere live performance is found.  Launched in 1916, The Drama League is one of the longest continuously-operating arts service organizations in the United States.  To be a part of our community supporting future generations of artists, please visit dramaleague.org/membership.