The Playwrights Realm has revealed the 2024-2025 cohort for its Writing Fellowship, Native American Artist Lab, and Scratchpad programs.
The writing fellows include Alexa Derman, Malaika Fernandes, Mik Johnson, and Yilong Liu; the Native American Artist Lab participants include Kira Eckenweiler and Chris Hoshnic; and the Scratchpad Playwrights include Kaylin Jones, Xiaoyan Kang, and Nick Malakhow.
The Writing Fellowship Program awards four early-career playwrights with nine months of resources (including a $5,000 stipend), workshops, and feedback as they develop a single new play. The program culminates in the INK'D Festival, which features a public presentation for each fellow.
The Native American Artist Lab (NAAL), co-facilitated by Navajo playwright and director Rhiana Yazzie, Tuscarora playwright Vickie Ramirez, and The Playwrights Realm artistic director Katherine Kovner, seeks to uplift artists from Domestic Nations and projects rooted in Native practices. The program offers design consultations, individualized mentorship, industry networking, and more. NAAL playwrights participate in a paid developmental process of up to one week, culminating in a public reading in New York City.
The Scratchpad Series supports playwrights with a paid developmental process of up to one week culminating in a reading, which is internal or public at the writer’s discretion. The program connects them with professional collaborators, such as a director, casting director, cast, stage manager and The Realm’s artistic staff, who offer dramaturgical development, discussion, professional development guidance, seminars, and industry introductions.
“With over 1300 applications, this was—by far—our biggest year of open submissions yet," Playwrights Realm Associate Artistic Director Alexis Williams said in a statement. "We get to experience so many exciting new voices across the country through this process, and it's truly humbling and awe-inspiring to see the quantity and quality of work being created. Our 24-25 cohort has such varied styles and captivating visions—we are thrilled to welcome these wonderful playwrights into the Realm Family and we can't wait to dive in to work with them!”
Visit PlaywrightsRealm.org for more information.
