Introducing "Active Listening," a New Dramatists podcast!

We are pleased to announce the launch of Active Listening, a New Dramatists podcast series produced by ND residents Melisa Tien and Karinne Keithley Syers. Active Listening invites the resident playwrights to experiment with story, intimacy, and immediacy through sound experiences.

The first season of the podcast features work by ND residents Ariel Stess, Aurin Squire, J. Julian Christopher, Ken Urban, Kirk Wood Bromley, Mary Elizabeth Hamilton, Mashuq Mushtaq Deen, Matthew Freeman, Matthew Paul Olmos, Melisa Tien, and MJ Kaufman.

Active Listening, made possible with the support of the Venturous Theater Fund, is available here on our website, as well as on Apple podcasts, Stitcher, and wherever you listen to podcasts!  We hope you'll lend us your ears!

Thank You For An Amazing Nocturnal Commissions 2020!

We wish to extend a heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful people who made our first ever digital version of Nocturnal Commissions a rousing success!  We are grateful for the beautiful, beautiful work that took place over the course of the four days of Nocturnal Commissions and culminating in what we all witnessed on Thursday, October 29 during the livestreamed event. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and we surpassed our goal with 156 gifts; 156 households comprised our viewing audience!  While we all wish we were together at the old church, this digital platform granted us the opportunity to extend the writing pool to reflect our national reach. We had writers based in LA, Oregon, New Jersey, and from multiple boroughs of New York City, performed by actors from all over the country and in Canada AND we were able to expand our audience beyond the limits of our building capacity bringing together many people from far and wide.

Pictured:  our 2020 Nocturnal Commissionies: (top row, left to right): Octavio Solis, David Adjmi, Jennifer Haley; (middle row, left to right):  Aditi Brennan Kapil, Mfoniso Udofia, MJ Kaufman; (bottom row, left to right):  Mike Lew, Will Arbery, Madhuri Shekar.  Read on for our full letter of gratitude to all the generous people who made this magical event possible.

New Dramatists Closed To The Public Through 12/31; Admissions On Pause

New Dramatists is electing to extend our pause of facility operations and programs through June 30, and will be closed to the public through December 31.  We are also suspending admissions for a full season, and extending the residencies of all 51 current resident playwrights for a full year to compensate for lost time and access to our resources during quarantine.  Read our full statement on changes we are making in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lyricist Benjamin Scheuer and Co-Librettists Melissa Li and Kit Yan Win 2021 Kleban Prize

Lyricist Benjamin Scheuer and co-librettists Melissa Li and Kit Yan have been selected as the winners of the 31st annual Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre. While the award celebrates the artists' career work overall, all three winners recently created works that center the transgender community and experience.

New Dramatists administers the Kleban Prize in Musical Theatre on behalf of the Kleban Foundation. The 2021 prizes will be presented March 16 during a free virtual ceremony at 10 AM here on our website at NewDramatists.org/Kleban-Prize-Musical-Theatre, where you can also find information about the upcoming submission window. The event will feature musical performances from this year's recipients; Tony winners and Kleban board members Richard Maltby, Jr. and Maury Yeston will host.

Welcome, New Dramatists Resident Class of 2028!

We are excited to announce our next incoming class of resident playwrights, who will officially begin their seven-year residencies in the Fall of 2021: a huge congratulations to Jaclyn Backhaus, Eboni Booth, Agnes Borinsky, Julia Izumi, C. A. Johnson, Sam Max, and Charly Evon Simpson!  We are absolutely thrilled to support these writers’ artistic process in the years to come.