(Re)Envision Directing Residency

A Partnership with Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education
2027 Application Opens September 2026
APPLICATION PORTAL
F.A.Q. PAGE
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Screenshot
Brontë England-Nelson, Emma Mineo, and Anna Crivelli in William Shakespeare's Richard III, directed by 2026 (Re)Envision Director In Residence Rory Pelsue at Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education in Cambridge, NY. Photo: Patrick Anthony Surillo.

RESIDENCY DETAILS

OVERVIEW
  • The (Re)Envision Directing Residency supports stage directors who reimagine theatrical works from the past for a contemporary audience today. The value of a director’s vision as a tool for deconstructing — and upending — the notion of a staid, unchanging, inflexible canon is immeasurable, and can bring vibrant new life to the history of our art form.
  • Any text in the public domain that a director wishes to (re)envision is eligible, including classics and works from antiquity. The goal is to foment thoughtful and transformative explorations of these works, for planned future production in either live performance or filmed mediums.
  • Over a week-long residency, directors and their optional collaborators receive time, space, support, and resources to (re)envision the work. They utilize the Theater, Freight Depot Rehearsal Studio, writing/art/movement spaces, and the grounds of Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education in Cambridge, NY. Hubbard Hall is ideal for this purpose — a quiet, creative environment free from the pressures of production. Hubbard Hall will provide a Production Intern for the residency to support as needed. 
  • On the Saturday evening, the Director and Collaborators will engage the local arts community with a Community Sharing in the Opera House at Hubbard Hall. This sharing can be an open rehearsal, reading, or other experience the Director chooses. It is through this community engagement that the work grows and finds new insights.
  • The Drama League Directing Residencies support the interrogative processes of directors. The residencies offer financial support, rehearsal and creative 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.
  • DATES OF RESIDENCY: August 9-14, 2027.
  • NUMBER OF RESIDENCIES: One (1), offered annually.
  • ELIGIBILITY: Before applying, visit the  F.A.Q. page for full eligibility details.
  • SCHOLARSHIP PRIZE: Recipient receives $4,000 to cover expenses related to the Residency for materials, support of collaborators, or other needs. Up to four (4) optional collaborating artists receive financial stipends ($950/person, not to exceed $3,800 total). All prizes and stipends are taxable under U.S. law, and recipients will be responsible for tax payments.
  • HEALTH INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT: None.
  • HOUSING INFORMATION: Artist Housing for the residency is provided by Hubbard Hall in the Lovejoy Artist Residency, on the Hubbard Hall campus. Artist housing is for individual artists only; at this time, partners and families of artists cannot be accommodated.
  • TRAVEL INFORMATION: The Drama League will provide an additional $1,000 maximum travel reimbursement, which may be used to reimburse gas/mileage, rental cars, or train tickets to Albany, the nearest train station. NOTE: automobile travel is recommended. At their discretion, Hubbard Hall may be able to arrange pick up from Albany to Hubbard Hall, but this is not guaranteed. Applicants are advised to plan their travel before applying.
  • OTHER RESOURCES: A limited number of volunteer actors may be available from the Cambridge arts community, if requested prior to the residency. A Hubbard Hall Residency Intern and Drama League staff will be with the company throughout the week to assist with any needs the company may have.
  • OTHER BENEFITS: VIP Pass to all publicly offered Drama League programming during the Residency season; 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 Hubbard Hall staff to prepare for the process ahead, including script development, casting, scheduling, and other elements.
  • DATES: August 9-14, 2027.
  • DESCRIPTION: The recipient and their additional collaborators receive time and space to self-facilitate creative exploration at Hubbard Hall, utilizing the Freight Depot Rehearsal Studio and other spaces across the campus. A limited number of volunteer actors may be available from the Cambridge arts community, if requested prior to the residency. A Hubbard Hall Residency Intern and Drama League staff will be with the company throughout the week to assist with any needs the company may have.
  • COMMUNITY OPEN SHARING: The sharing of the work-in-process is offered on the Saturday evening of the Residency, in the Hubbard Hall Theater. Local artists and the community are invited. The sharing can be in any format: a reading (at tables or staged), an open rehearsal, or any part of the process that audiences could be helpful in responding to.
APPLY NOW
F.A.Q. PAGE
The campus of Hubbard Hall Center for the Performing Arts and Education in Cambridge, NY.

RESIDENCY 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. Founded in 1916 and establishing The Directors Project in 1982, 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.
Since 1878, Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education has developed, produced, and presented theater, music, opera, dance, and the visual arts, and in recent years has become a world-class development center for new work in beautiful Cambridge, NY. Since 1977, Hubbard Hall’s current nonprofit has engaged thousands of artists, students, and audience members. As a training ground for both young and seasoned artists, Hubbard Hall continues to develop a new generation of artists and audiences while providing opportunities for individuals to take new risks and stretch beyond their comfort zone. Through classes in dance, theater, music, movement, visual arts, puppetry, creative writing, martial arts, yoga, and even gardening, Hubbard Hall gives students of all ages an opportunity to train, collaborate, and thrive. They have recently developed award-winning works by Ryan J. Haddad, Shayok Misha Chowdury, and others. https://hubbardhall.org/ 
(L-R): Inside the Freight Depot rehearsal studio, the Lovejoy Artist Housing, and the Freight Depot Rehearsal Studio on the campus of Hubbard Hall Center for the Performing Arts and Education, in Cambridge, NY.

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