"The Rattlestick's Terrence McNally New Works Incubator is a peerless program, fostering unique voices by pairing them with like-minded mentors and benefiting them both in the process. The opportunity to then further develop the work in a workshop with top-tier creatives is a dream-come-true for any writer. The Rattlestick has always been a haven for daring new voices and this initiative only furthers that singular aim by cementing the future of ambitious playwriting in a strong and salient way."
- Halley Feiffer, Playwright and Mentor for Cycle One
About the Terrence McNally New Works Incubator
As a continuation of Terrence McNally’s singular legacy of mentorship, and his commitment to fostering bold new voices in the American theater, the Terrence McNally New Works Incubator is designed to support ambitious early-career playwrights by giving them time and space to develop their work, professional mentorship with veteran playwrights, and access to the community of artists and work being developed at Rattlestick and Tom Kirdahy Productions.
McNally fellows are selected by a panel of renowned American playwrights. The Playwright Advisory Council for cycle two includes Sheila Callaghan, Halley Feiffer, Madeleine George, Stephan Karam, Mike Lew, donja r. love, Rehana Mirza, and Lynn Nottage.
Applications for cycle two are open now and will close January 15th at 11:59pm or when 500 applications have been received. Each application is thoughtfully reviewed by a broad reader pool of industry professionals. Semi-finalists and finalists are selected through two rounds of consideration. Finalists are granted an interview with a selection panel, including representatives from Rattlestick and Tom Kirdahy Productions. In consultation with the Playwrights Advisory Panel, three playwrights will be awarded the Fellowship in April of 2024.
Only complete applications will be considered. Please review the Application Materials Checklist before submitting your application to ensure you have not missed any steps.
Questions? Contact us at tmincubator@rattlestick.org. No phone calls please.
Structure of the Program
Stipend
Each McNally fellow will receive a one-time stipend of $7500 to be used as the playwright sees fit to best further their goals.
Mentorship
In consultation with Rattlestick Theater and Tom Kirdahy Productions, each McNally Fellow will be paired with a veteran playwright mentor who will read a minimum of two drafts and offer one-on-one feedback, in addition to attending a workshop rehearsal and/or final presentation subject to their availability.
Three-Week Incubation
After the initial mentor meeting, the playwright will revise and develop their play for three weeks. This is time for rigorous thinking, dreaming, and writing outside the constraints of a product-oriented rehearsal space.
In addition to mentor feedback, the playwright will meet with the literary teams at both Tom Kirdahy Productions and Rattlestick to discuss their work and process.
McNally fellows will be invited to participate in additional Rattlestick events where they will have the opportunity to get to know the teams at Tom Kirdahy Productions and Rattlestick as well as the other McNally Fellows and other industry professionals.
29-Hour Workshop
The second part of the incubator will take the form of a developmental workshop culminating in a industry presentation. Core collaborators (director, dramaturg, actors) will be chosen in consultation with the selected playwright, Tom Kirdahy Productions, and Rattlestick and will be compensated for their time.
Molly Herron Bicks
Mentored by MJ Kaufman
HyoJeong Choi
Mentored by David Henry Hwang
Haygen-Brice Walker
Mentored by Halley Feiffer