Next Stage Directing Residency
A Partnership with New York Stage And Film
Application Deadline: January 3, 2025
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 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 Residency will include four phases:
- Pre-Residency Activity that includes generating text and ideas to explore during the NYSAF Residency, and dramaturgical and logistical planning with The Drama League;
- A Creative Residency during New York Stage And Film’s Summer Season in Poughkeepsie, NY that prioritizes explorative efforts on the dramatic material;
- An Inspiration Experience offered by The Drama League to expand understanding and experiential learning about the project; and
- A Staged Reading, produced by New York Stage And Film and presented at the Drama League Studio Lab in New York City. This reading will be presented as part of New York Stage and Film’s New York City programming.
The Drama League is not, and will not be, the producers of the project itself, nor producers of any public or private event in conjunction with this residency.
NOTE: All programs of The Drama League Directors Project have eligibility requirements. Please read our F.A.Q. page for full details before applying.
Program Partner: New York Stage And Film
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.
Details
Program Duration
Periodically over the course of one year, determined in consultation with the Recipient.
Program Frequency
Offered every year, number of residencies varies.
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 ($100/day not to exceed $500/person). Production of the Stage Reading will be handled by New York Stage and Film.
Health Insurance Reimbursement
None.
Travel Coverage
For the Creative Residency (see Timeline below), round-trip train travel from New York City to Poughkeepsie is provided for Recipient and up to four (4) collaborators; baggage fees and in-city transportation in Poughkeepsie are not provided. Travel is not provided for the Inspiration Experience or the Staged Reading, and is the responsibility of the Recipient and collaborating artists.
Housing Coverage
For the Creative Residency (see Timeline below), artist housing in Poughkeepsie is provided for Recipient and up to four (4) collaborators. Housing is not provided for the Inspiration Experience or the Staged Reading, and is the responsibility of the Recipient and collaborating artists.
Liability 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. Recipients are advised to pursue their own liability, health and other insurances.
Other Benefits
VIP Pass to all publicly offered Drama League programming during the Assistantship period; access to alumni-focused programs and events; and a lifetime Drama League Membership.
June-July (TBD, occasional, online/remote)
PRE-RESIDENCY PLANNING
The Recipient meets with Drama League staff to prepare for the process ahead, including script development, casting, and other elements.
TBD (varies by project, in-person at New York Stage And Film)
CREATIVE RESIDENCY
The recipient and their additional collaborators receive time and space to self-facilitate exploratory rehearsal at New York Stage and Film’s Summer Season activities in Poughkeepsie, NY, on dates to be determined by The Drama League and NYSAF (not to exceed 40 hours of rehearsal per week).
INSPIRATION EXPERIENCE
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.
STAGED READING
The Recipient will receive a staged reading, produced by New York Stage And Film and held at The Drama League Theater Center in New York City, during one contiguous week to be scheduled in agreement with Recipient, NYSAF and The Drama League. The week culminates with a public sharing of the findings in an Open Rehearsal, Staged Reading, or Public In-Process Presentation.
About Next Stage...
Directors rarely receive time or resources to explore, risk, or experiment; usually, they must do so on the fly, in rehearsal or previews, where production concerns and the needs of other artists must be prioritized. The Next Stage Residency aims to fill this gap in development. In these weeks, directors are given moments of their own, to mine the reaches of their creativity in three dimensions, without the pressure of production. Given space to imagine visceral, complex staging opportunities, directors can create impactful, exciting productions that can transform their collaborators, their audiences, and their world.
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About the Drama League
The Drama League is the preeminent creative development home for directors, offering access and opportunity to them, their collaborators, and the audiences they inspire across the world in theater, film, television, online content, 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 supporting future generations of artists, please visit dramaleague.org/membership.