How it works

Each year, two Van Lier Fellows are selected for the Fellowship from a panel of former Van Lier alumni and industry professionals.. Each receives a $35,000 living stipend, a $5,000 artistic fund to support career development, mentorship with a veteran playwright, workshops and sharings of their work, and participation in Rattlestick’s artistic communities and programming. The Van Lier Fellowship is flexible, artist-led, and responsive to the unique demands of the project at hand. 

Who is it for?

The Van Lier New Voices Fellowship is open to playwrights who: 

• Reside in, or within 30 mile radius of, New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, or Staten Island), or Minneapolis, MN. Or, plans to relocate to NYC or Minneapolis area permanently by May 2026.

• Is between the ages of 18 - 30 in May 2026

  • Why?  The New York Community Trust, which carries out Edward and Sally Van Lier’s legacy of arts appreciation, specifically benefits arts groups and training programs to provide education, training, or other support to young artists under 30. The Van Lier New Voices Playwriting Fellowship falls under the umbrella of these predetermined age parameters and is legally obligated to fulfill this goal.

• Identify as a BIPOC individual 

• Is not enrolled as a full-time or part-time student in any degree-granting program from May 2026 to May 2027. 

• Demonstrates exceptional talent in playwriting and theater-making, with a deep appreciation for the collaborative nature of the creative process..

• Expresses why this is a particularly timely opportunity for their participation in the Van Lier New Voices Fellowship.

Note: Current Rattlestick Staff, board members, and review panelists are not eligible to apply.

Questions? Email vanlier@rattlestick.org! No phone calls please.

How it works:

• Stipend and Artistic Fund

  • Each Van Lier Fellow will receive a $35,000 stipend. Additionally, each Van Lier Fellow will receive a $5,000 Artistic fund to support their artistic practice, supplement dramaturgical research, and/or expand the resources available to activate their play drafts during the Van Lier Fellowship year. Past uses of this fund have included research trips, language lessons, visual arts lessons, recording equipment, and retreats. Each recipient will collaborate with the Rattlestick Theater team to determine how best to use the fund to meet their individual needs.

• Mentorship

  • ​In consultation with Rattlestick Theater, each Van Lier Fellow will be paired with a veteran playwright mentor who will read drafts, offer one-on-one feedback, provide professional development, and attend a workshop rehearsal and/or final presentation, subject to their availability. Rattlestick staff, in consultation with the fellow, will select a mentor aligned with their interests and preferences.

• Sharings and Workshops

  • Each Van Lier Fellow will be provided with multiple opportunities throughout the year to share their work in progress with the Rattlestick Artists-in-residence cohort, which includes the Terrence McNally Fellows, Directing Fellow, and Director-in-Residence.. The form of these sharings is shaped by the playwright’s needs and can take a variety of forms..Additionally, each Van Lier Fellow is provided a week-long workshop and an invited presentation at the culmination of their fellowship.

Application Process:

Applications open on October 23rd, 2025 at 10:00am EST.

Applications close on December 23rd, 2025 at 11:59pm EST.

Applicants may only apply once per application year. 

There are two rounds of review. Each application is thoughtfully reviewed by a broad reader pool of industry professionals, Van Lier Fellowship alumni, and Rattlestick staff.  Each application is reviewed in the first round by at least 2 different readers. A semi-finalist pool will be identified and moved on to the second round. These applications will be reviewed by at least 2 different readers, as well. Applicants advancing to the finalist round will be notified in February/March 2026.

Finalists are selected through two rounds of consideration and are required to reconfirm their eligibility. 6 finalists are granted an interview with a selection panel, including representatives from Rattlestick Theater. 

2 playwrights will be awarded the Fellowship in May 2026.