Hubbard Hall Announces a New National Partnership

Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education in Cambridge, NY (Executive & Artistic Director David Andrew Snider) and The Drama League of New York City (Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Director Bevin Ross) announce a national partnership in support of directing residencies at Hubbard Hall and significant expansion of The Drama League’s legendary Directors Project.

Every summer The Drama League will bring theater directors, chosen in collaboration by The Drama League and Hubbard Hall, to Hubbard Hall’s campus in Cambridge, NY, to advance their craft during two one week residencies, with full descriptions linked below.

“We are thrilled to partner with The Drama League on the Beatrice Terry Directing Residency and the Next Stage Residency to bring some of the best and brightest early career directors to our campus every summer. This collaboration will allow us to further support artists and the field at large, while bringing great art and artists to our rural community. As we grow our partnerships, as with our long-term residency partnership with The Bushwick Starr, Hubbard Hall continues to grow into a world-class center for new work development,” said Hubbard Hall Executive & Artistic Director David Andrew Snider.

Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Artistic Director of The Drama League, said of the new partnership,”As resources for theater makers become more and more scarce post-pandemic, it’s more crucial than ever for us, as a society, to band together and support the creation of new plays, musicals, and performances that address the world we live in. Hubbard Hall and The Drama League are natural partners who are dedicated to the future of the field. We look forward to working together and creating extraordinary new theater pieces that will be enjoyed in Cambridge, in New York City, and around the world.”

THE DRAMA LEAGUE DIRECTING RESIDENCIES: The Drama League’s Directing Residency programs, including the Beatrice Terry Directing Residency and the Next Stage Residency, will continue in expanded, reimagined formats that expand the development from a one-week workshop to two weeks of development, both at The Drama League and at New York Stage and Film and Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education, respectively. The deadline for the Beatrice Terry Residency and Next Stage Residency is March 1, 2024. The full program description for the Beatrice Terry Residency can be found HERE and the Next Stage Residency can be found HERE.

To learn more about the partnership, the other national partners, and the complete list of expanded programming, please see The Drama League release below. You can also read about the new partnership in Variety magazine.

DRAMA LEAGE RELEASE

THE DRAMA LEAGUE ANNOUNCES

SIGNIFICANT EXPANSIONS OF THE DIRECTORS PROJECT

OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDE EXPANDED

FELLOWSHIPS, RESIDENCIES, GRANTS AND ASSISTANTSHIPS

Launching First-Ever International Directing Fellowship

with London’s Rose Theatre

DirectorFest to be Produced by Obie Award-winning Keen Company,

Offering Off-Broadway debuts of Stage Directing Fellows

Playmaking Residencies Now Include New York Stage and Film

and Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education

Film Fund Aiding Theatre Directors’ Ventures Into Film and Television

BIPOC/Global Majority Directing Assistantships,

Providing Essential Access and Mentor Opportunities

Partner Companies Include:

Lead Partners Manhattan Theatre Club, McCarter Theatre Center, and Keen Company; Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Hubbard Hall Center for Arts and Education, New York Stage and Film, Red Bull Theater, Rose Theatre UK,

TheaterWorksUSA, and more.

Applications Open August 29, 2023

Programs Begin May 2024

(New York, NY – August 29, 2023) The Drama League (Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Director Bevin Ross) today opened applications for the artist development programs collectively called The Directors Project, which feature significant expansions for the 2024 class, including a first-ever international fellowship for emerging directors with the Rose Theatre in London, UK; Obie Award-winning Keen Company to produce DirectorFest, offering historic Off-Broadway debuts for the Drama League’s Stage Directing Fellows; new partnerships with Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education; and the establishment of The Drama League Film Fund to assist stage directors looking to expand their work into film and television.

As the nation’s only full-time creative and career development home for directors, The Drama League continues its dedication to evolving The Directors Project’s umbrella of programs each year, expanding to serve artists in new ways, as the cultural landscape continues to transform post-pandemic. Financial stability, creative well-being, and guaranteed opportunities are core tenets of The Directors Project – which is now entering its 41st season, and whose illustrious alumni direct over 1,000 productions each season on Broadway, Off-Broadway, across North America, and beyond.

“Artists are our most precious resource, and directors – the leaders of live storytelling – deserve world-class support programs,” said Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks. “The Drama League’s Directors Project has been industry-leading for 40 years, but this moment requires expanded commitments from service organizations. That is exactly what our dedicated staff, visionary board of directors, and community members of The Drama League intend to do.”

Added Executive Director Bevin Ross: “Theater is a collective practice, and we are thrilled to be joined by our lead partners Manhattan Theatre Club and McCarter Theatre Center, our new festival producer Keen Company, engagement partners Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education, New York Stage and Film, Red Bull Theater, the Rose Theatre, and TheaterWorksUSA — to more impactfully serve artists.”

Applications for the Fellowship, Residency, Fund, and Assistantship programs are now available at dramaleague.org.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NEW INITIATIVES INCLUDE:

THE DRAMA LEAGUE STAGE DIRECTING FELLOWSHIPS: a two-year experience for early-to-mid career stage directors, supported by an unprecedented $100,000 scholarship prize per recipient ($50,000 per year), up to $10,000 in health care insurance reimbursement ($5,000 per year), and a wide range of unparalleled opportunities at the organization’s Theater Center in New York City and at the Fellowship’s partner institutions Manhattan Theatre Club, McCarter Theatre Center, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education, New York Stage and Film, Red Bull Theater and Keen Company. During the two years, the selected Fellows will have an extended residency and direct Off-Broadway at the Obie-winning Keen Company; internal directing projects during an extended residency at Manhattan Theatre Club or McCarter Theatre Center; direct staged readings at Red Bull Theater; assist on major new projects at Berkeley Rep and New York Stage and Film; and additional career-building activities. Two applicants will be accepted per cycle, the first of which will begin in May 2024. The deadline for applications is November 30, 2023. Selected Fellows will be celebrated at The Drama League Awards in May 2024. The full program description can be found HERE.

THE DRAMA LEAGUE ROSE DIRECTING FELLOWSHIP: for early- and mid-career directors interested in expanding beyond the borders of the United States, the Rose Directing Fellowship offers the opportunity to serve as Assistant or Associate Director on a mainstage production at the acclaimed Rose Theatre in London, as well as direct a two-week public workshop of a new project, utilizing the Rose Theatre’s Youth Theatre Company. The Rose Directing Fellowship offers an embedded experience for a director inside one of the world’s most acclaimed companies, learning techniques of arts leadership, directorial practice, and cross-cultural artmaking, an acceleration into the deeply interconnected theater landscapes of the United Kingdom and the United States. The deadline for applications is February 2, 2024. Selected Fellows will be celebrated at The Drama League Awards in May 2024. The full program description can be found HERE.

THE DRAMA LEAGUE FILM AND TELEVISION DIRECTING FELLOWSHIPS: a 4-7 week production experience for mid-career stage directors interested in expanding their work to include film and/or television directing. The program includes on-set shadowing experience, as well as introductions to mentors and industry professionals. Recipients will be mentored by the Emmy-nominated writer/director/showrunner Tony Phelan (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “A Small Light”). Two or more applicants will be accepted for this Fellowship position, which will begin in June 2024. The deadline for applications is February 2, 2024. The full program description can be found at HERE.

THE DRAMA LEAGUE FILM FUND: To assist stage directors who are making filmed projects, The Drama League Film Fund will offer grants to complete short films, pilot projects, series, or features for film, television, hybrid, or online/streaming. The Fund will prioritize applications from alumni of Directors Project programs and will offer grants ranging from $5,000-$25,000 to one or more projects, and the Recommendation Committee includes award-winning directors including Tony Phelan (Fire Country, Grey’s Anatomy, A Small Light), Keith Powell (Young Rock, Interview with the Vampire, Home Economics), and Jessica Petelle (Trigger Point, V-Wars, The Shannara Chronicles). The full program description can be found HERE.

THE DRAMA LEAGUE DIRECTING ASSISTANTSHIPS: Each season, The Drama League will partner with established BIPOC/Global Majority stage directors to provide assistant directing opportunities on productions across the United States to the next generation of early-career BIPOC/Global Majority directors, sharing knowledge, access, and creative energy in production processes. For each recipient, The Drama League will pay the assistant director’s salary, and reimburse housing, travel and health care costs. In 2024-25, The Drama League Assistant Directors will be paired with four nationally-renowned directors: Timothy Douglas (Where The Mountain Meets The Sea, Signature Theatre), Candis C. Jones (Cullud Wattah, Public Theater), Rebecca Martínez (Bite Me, WP Theater), and Valerie Curtis-Newton (Last Night and the Night Before, Steppenwolf Theatre Company). Applicants will be accepted for the 2024-25 season. The deadline for applications is January 2, 2024. The full program description can be found HERE.

THE FUTURENOW DIRECTING FELLOWSHIPS: The FutureNow Directing Fellowships will announce their new program description and application in early October. Updates as they occur will be found HERE.

INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES: In September, The Drama League will travel with American directors to Tbilisi, Georgia, for a first-ever workshop in musical theater techniques at the Vaso Abashidze Music and Drama State Theater. The company will work on scenes from Kiss Me, Kate, Damn Yankees, Hair, Into The Woods, Chicago, and more, with plans to have an American-Georgian collaboration in 2024-25. In March 2024, The Drama League’s International Directors Gathering will welcome to New York City rising directors from Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, and the United States for an in-person convening and possible future collaborations with American theater professionals. The program description can be found HERE.

EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES: The Drama League Directors Project Salon, curated by Tony Award-nominated director Sheryl Kaller, offers unfiltered, transparent conversations year-round for professional directors on the changing landscape of the arts sector. The Drama League’s renowned podcast, Ta(l)king Direction, offers an archive of in-depth interviews with directors, playwrights, producers, and artistic leaders in the American and International theater communities. More information on each can be found at www.dramaleague.org.

Programs of The Drama League are made possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters including the Howard Gilman Foundation, The Hyde and Watson Foundation, the Sylvia W. & Randle M. Kauders Foundation, the Jolene McCaw Family Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, the Leo Shull Charitable Fund for the Arts, and the Trust for Mutual Understanding. Drama League programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. Department of State, and the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. A special thanks goes out to Drama League Members, who provide important underwriting support for The Directors Project, as well as Drama League Directors Project Alumni, who collectively direct over 1,000 plays worldwide each season.

PARTNER BIOGRAPHIES

THE DRAMA LEAGUE (New York, NY)

The Drama League advances the American theater by providing life-long artistic resources for directors and a platform for dialogue with audiences. Founded in 1916, it is one of the longest continuously-running arts organizations in the country. We enable directors to make the most powerful, impactful storytelling possible across multiple mediums, while reaching audiences and building sustainable careers. Uplifting directors of all economic classes, races, abilities, genders and identities is a cornerstone of this mission. We provide support to directors throughout their artistic lives, while our work in education offers both continued learning to professionals and introduces the art of directing to young people. Underpinning our work is the support of our members, a community of ardent audience members and industry professionals whose commitment to advancing the art form helps develop the careers of the talented artists we champion. For more information, please visit www.dramaleague.org.

MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB (New York, NY)

The 2022-23 season marked Lynne Meadow’s 50th Anniversary as Artistic Director of Manhattan Theatre Club. Meadow was joined in summer 2023 by Chris Jennings, MTC’s new Executive Director. MTC’s mission, which Meadow created in 1972 and has implemented over five decades of award-winning theatrical productions, is to develop and present new work in a dynamic, supportive environment; to identify and collaborate with the most promising new as well as seasoned, accomplished artists; and to produce a diverse repertoire of innovative, entertaining, and thought-provoking plays and musicals by American and international playwrights. Since 1989, MTC Education, which uses the power of live theatre and playwriting to awaken minds, ignite imaginations, open hearts, and change lives, has also been an important corollary to MTC’s work, reaching thousands of students and educators worldwide each season. Since its beginnings, MTC has grown from a small off-off-Broadway showcase theatre into one of the country’s most prestigious and award-winning producing companies, creating over 600 world, American, New York and Broadway premieres. MTC productions have earned 7 Pulitzer Prizes, 28 Tony Awards, 50 Drama Desk Awards and 49 Obie Awards amongst many other honors. MTC has homes on Broadway at its Samuel J. Friedman Theatre and Off-Broadway at New York City Center. MTC is an anti-racist organization that respects and honors all voices, and upholds the values of community and equity. www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.

McCARTER THEATRE CENTER (Princeton, NJ)

An independent not-for-profit performing arts center located between New York City and Philadelphia on the campus of Princeton University, McCarter is a multi-disciplinary creative and intellectual hub offering theater, music, dance, family programs, spoken word, and educational programs for all ages that inspires conversations, connections and collaborations in our communities. McCarter leads with the values of justice and joy, and seeks beauty in belonging. Celebrated for developing new work and winner of the 1994 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, world premieres include Christopher Durang’s Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike (Tony Award winner, Best Play), Tarell Alvin McCraney’s The Brother/Sister Plays, Emily Mann’s Having Our Say. McCarter’s presented series has featured hundreds of renowned artists including Alvin Ailey, Yo-Yo Ma, Audra McDonald, David Sedaris, The Moth, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Roseanne Cash, Lake Street Dive, Samara Joy, and many more. McCarter and Princeton University share a successful history of unique partnerships and creative collaborations. To learn about McCarter’s history, the 23/24 season, community and education programs, visit www.mccarter.org.

BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE (Berkeley, CA)

Berkeley Repertory Theatre has grown from a storefront stage to an international leader in innovative theatre. Known for its ambition, relevance, and excellence, as well as its adventurous audience, the nonprofit has provided a welcoming home for emerging and established artists since 1968. Over 5.5 million people have enjoyed nearly 500 shows at Berkeley Rep, which have gone on to win six Tony Awards, seven Obie Awards, nine Drama Desk Awards, one Grammy Award, one Pulitzer Prize, and many other honors. Berkeley Rep received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 1997. To formalize, enhance, and expand the processes by which Berkeley Rep makes theatre, The Ground Floor: Berkeley Rep’s Center for the Creation and Development of New Work was launched in 2012. The Berkeley Rep School of Theatre engages and educates some 20,000 people a year and helps build the audiences of tomorrow with its nationally recognized teen programs. Berkeley Rep’s bustling facilities — which also include the 400-seat Peet’s Theatre, the 600-seat Roda Theatre, and a spacious campus in West Berkeley — are helping revitalize a renowned city. www.berkeleyrep.org

HUBBARD HALL CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND EDUCATION (Cambridge, NY)

Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education is a thriving arts center dedicated to developing, promoting, and sustaining the cultural life of their rural community. Hubbard Hall is an arts incubator, a training ground for artists, a magnet for artistic activity, a safe haven for risk-taking, an economic driver for their region, and the beating heart of their community. Since 1878 Hubbard Hall 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. 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. www.hubbardhall.org

KEEN COMPANY (New York, NY)

Keen Company creates theater that connects. In intimate productions of plays and musicals, we celebrate the complexities of hope and the joys of the human condition. Keen has brought such wholehearted productions to the Off-Broadway stage as Crumbs from the Table of Joy by Lynn Nottage (First NY Revival), The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (First NY Revival), This Space Between Us by Peter Gil-Sheridan (World Premiere), Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage (NY Premiere, AUDELCO and Antonyo Nomination), Surely Goodness and Mercy by Chisa Hutchinson (NY Premiere), Ordinary Days by Adam Gwon (Drama League Nomination), Tick, Tick…BOOM! by Jonathan Larson (Drama Desk Nomination), Boy by Anna Ziegler (World Premiere, Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Award), and Marry Me a Little by Stephen Sondheim (Drama League Nomination). Through our unique education program, Keen Teens, we raise the quality of plays written for the high school students and provide a free professional mentorship opportunity for teens. www.keencompany.org

NEW YORK STAGE AND FILM (New York and Poughkeepsie, NY)

New York Stage and Film is a not-for-profit company dedicated to both emerging and established artists in the development of new works for theater, film and television. Since 1985, New York Stage and Film has played a significant role in the development of new stories, provided a home for a diverse group of artists free from critical and commercial pressures, and established itself as a vital cultural institution for residents of the Hudson Valley and New York. www.newyorkstageandfilm.org

RED BULL THEATER (New York, NY)

Red Bull Theater brings rarely seen classic plays to dynamic new life for contemporary audiences, uniting a respect for tradition with a modern sensibility. Named for the rowdy Jacobean playhouse that illegally performed plays in England during the years of Puritan rule, it was the first London theater to reopen after the Restoration. This bold spirit is central to Red Bull’s identity. With the Jacobean plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries at its cornerstone, Red Bull Theater is New York’s home for dynamic performances of great plays that stand the test of time as well as new works that are in conversation with the classics. Red Bull Theater delights and engages the intellect and imagination of audiences. A diverse and inclusive home for artists, scholars and students, Red Bull strives to make the work accessible and welcoming to all theatergoers. Red Bull Theater believes in the power of great classic stories and plays of heightened language to deepen understanding of the human condition and in the special ability of live theater to create unique, collective experiences. Red Bull recognizes the timeless capacity of classical theater to illuminate the events of our times while keeping a rich and vital tradition thriving. Founded in 2003 with a production of Shakespeare’s Pericles, Red Bull Theater has been acclaimed by The New York Times as “a dynamic producer of classic plays.” Time Out New York agreed, naming Red Bull “the most exciting classical theater in New York.” In its 20-year history, Red Bull Theater has produced 24 Off-Broadway productions and over 200 Revelation Readings of rarely seen classics, serving 5,000 artists and providing quality artistic programming to an audience of 65,000. The company’s unique programming has received ongoing critical acclaim, and has been recognized with Lortel, Drama Desk, Drama League, Calloway, Off Broadway Alliance, and Obie nominations and awards. www.redbulltheater.com

ROSE THEATRE (London, United Kingdom)

Founded by the legendary director Sir Peter Hall and modeled on the original Rose Theatre – an Elizabethan theater that staged the early plays of Christopher Marlowe and Shakespeare – today’s Rose Theatre is the largest producing theater in Southwest London and one of the largest in the United Kingdom. The Rose officially opened in 2008 with Hall’s production of Uncle Vanya, although he also directed an “in the raw” production of As You Like It within the shell of the uncompleted building in December 2004. The Rose’s highlights include Hall’s revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce (which later transferred to the West End); Judi Dench in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Romeo and Juliet starring Tony nominee Sharon D Clarke; Noël Coward’s Hay Fever; Joely Richardson in The Lady from the Sea; and a reimagining of Jane Austen‘s Persuasion featuring the music of Frank Ocean, Dua Lipa and Cardi B. In 2023, The Rose welcomed Adjoa Andoh (Lady Danbury of Netflix’s “Bridgerton”) as the star and director of a new revival of Richard III. www.rosetheatre.org

THEATERWORKSUSA (National)

TheaterWorksUSA has led the Theater for Young and Family Audiences movement in New York City and across North America for over half a century. At TWUSA, we believe that access to art—and theater, in particular—is vital for our youth. Since 1961, the 501(c)3 not-for-profit has captured the imaginations of 100 million new and veteran theatergoers with an award-winning repertoire of over 140 original plays and musicals. Acclaimed alumni include Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Disney’s Frozen), Jerry Zaks (The Music Man), Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen), Joe Iconis (Be More Chill), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent), and Kathleen Chalfant (Angels in America). Prior to suspending live production due to the pandemic, TWUSA’s 19-20 season included touring eleven shows around the country, the Broadway premiere of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, and three world premieres: Warriors Don’t Cry, based on the autobiography of Melba Patillo Beals; Dog Man: The Musical Off-Broadway; and The Pout-Pout Fish, which opened the New Victory Theater’s season in October 2019. Visit www.TWUSA.org for more information.