Early Career Support

Producers in Residence: For over a decade, NNPN’s Producer in Residence program has supported season-long residencies at NNPN Core Member Theaters for those committed to furthering their career efforts toward the creation and production of new plays. While immersed in the day-to-day operations of their Host Theater, Residents learn about NNPN’s successful models for collaboration, deepen their connections to the artists and leaders of the Network, and increase their visibility within the field.   

MFA Playwrights’ Workshop: A partnership with the Kennedy Center Education Department (the American College Theater Festival) and Stanford University’s National Center for New Plays, the MFA Playwrights’ Workshop (MFAPW) provides six to eight graduate students with a week-long workshop for their plays and a unique professional development opportunity that connects them with NNPN Member Theaters. This program is currently on hiatus. 

National Directors Fellowship: In collaboration with the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation, NNPN began the National Directors Fellowship. The program, which concluded in September 2022, offered 18 months of hands-on, practical experience aimed at connecting early-career directors to a vast network of new writers, professional support services, and laboratory-like environments for observation.