The Dramatists Guild Foundation (DGF) has announced its inaugural class of National Fellows. The cohort, made up of playwrights and musical theatre writers, will receive guidance from industry professionals as they develop new works. Previously available only to New York City-based participants, the DGF Fellows program is now accessible to writers across the country. 

The Musical Theatre Fellows are Joe Barsanti, Nicolette Blount, Lachrisa Grandberry, Orlando Morales, and Katie Winkler; and the Playwriting Fellows are Petron Brown, Beth Kander, Nabra Nelson, Alan Stewart, Germaine Shames, and Hope Villanueva. 

The first National Fellows Chairs are DGF Treasurer Christine Toy Johnson (The New Deal) and Bernardo Cubría (The Giant Void in My Soul). 

The DGF Fellows program was founded in 2000 by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, Janet Neipris, and Susan Miller. The program has launched the careers of more than 200 writers, and is made possible by numerous donors, including the Jeffrey Seller Family Foundation. 

Visit DGF.org for more information.