Artist Workshop

Derick is an Iowa Writers’ Room Visiting Fellow, former Lambda Literary Fellow, recent participant in the Fresh Ground Pepper BRB Retreat, and alleged playwright. His short play Diet Pride appeared at NYU Skirball Center in May as part of the inaugural Say Gay Plays, a fundraising event to benefit New Alternatives NYC. Development includes Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, Lambda Literary LGBTQ+ Emerging Writers Retreat with faculty Victor I. Cazares, La MaMa Umbria with guest artist Todd London, Voyage Theatre Company, November Theatre, Art Garage, Cherry Lane Theatre, Capital Repertory Theatre, and Rockford New Play Festival, curated by Nathan Alan Davis. BA, Sarah Lawrence. MFA, Iowa Playwrights Workshop.

Nikki is an Iranian-Canadian-American writer and performer based in New York City. Her work has been developed and produced through Bard at the Gate, Atlantic Theater, Less Than Rent Theater, The Lark, The Coop, CUNY, and a City Artist Corps Grant. She is currently under commission from Noor Theater, Atlantic Theater Company, and The Acting Company. Her television work as a performer includes roles on Succession (HBO), Love Life (HBO Max), and Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon). Her New York stage credits include multiple plays/musicals written by the intrepid kids of the 52nd Street Project, Sanaz Toossi’s Wish You Were Here at Playwrights Horizons, and Othello at New York Theatre Workshop, directed by Sam Gold. Nikki has also performed at regional theaters all over the country, including the Goodman Theater, The Old Globe, Berkeley Rep, South Coast Rep, and Huntington Theatre Company. Nikki was recently awarded an Odyssey Award by the American Library Association for her audiobook narration and has recorded over 60 audiobooks, currently available on Audible. She is a graduate of the Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA Program, Georgetown University and BADA. “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi.”

Andres is a performer, writer, and filmmaker from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with roots in Washington Heights and Harlem. Some credits include The Sun Always Shines for the Cool, Comedy of Errors at The Shakespeare Theater of NJ, La Puta Vida at La Tea, The Seagull at Circle in the Square Theater, Anon’s Gone at National Black Theatre, The Road to Damascus at Strindberg Theatre, Tracks at Davenport Theater, and Othello and Danny and the Deep Blue Sea at St. Katherine Theater, Medea, Hamlet, In the Red and Brown Water, Ms. Julie, and Romeo and Juliet. Solo plays performed and written by Andres: On the Shoulders of Monsters (workshop presentation at NYTW), Perfect People, Ordinary, Fuck’ed, and By Chance. In film, he has featured in Crabs in a Barrel, SPIC, and Momento Mori. Andres is authored of short stories–146 Street and Amsterdam, authored collections such as Poems and Misdemeanors, Miss Me with You, and the play The Last Place to Eat Arroz con Pollo. Governors Island Artist Fellowship, memberships at the American Theatre Lab and The Actors Center, founding member of Dominican Artists Collective. Currently, Dominican Writers Association Teaching Artist in Residence. Andres holds an MFA in Acting from Columbia University.

Danica is a Croatian-born, New York-based theater and film director, architect, and educator. Through every play she directs, she aims to create a truly adventurous and exciting theater that relates to the world today and expands our notion of it, while leaving the audiences feeling more connected and alive. She is the founder of Bodies Intersect Buildings, a working group exploring the intersection of architecture, performance art, and ecology. Danica spent three years as a Visiting Professor at Cornell University’s Department of Architecture. Her teaching and self-designed seminars, including Body, Space and the In Between and Spatial Choreography, focused on the social and political aspects of spatial design, and its relationship to performing arts. Her work has been supported by Cornell University, LMCC, Columbia University, and shared at venues including Pioneer Works, IPADÉ – A Prelude to the Shed, American Institute of the Architects, Dixon Place, and Theater at the 14Y. Most recently, she closed her thesis production of Sarah Kane’s Phaedra’s Love at the Lenfest Center for the Arts and her first narrative short film Mothers and Lovers, starring Esco Jouléy and Or Schraiber, is currently in post-production scheduled to be finished in June 2024. Danica holds a BA in Architecture and Urban design from the University of Zagreb, an MA in Architecture from Pratt Institute and she just received her MFA in Theater Directing from the Columbia University School of the Arts.

Christie is a Chinese-born immigrant, theatre director, producer, and interdisciplinary artist based in Seattle. As the founder and artistic director of Yun Theatre, Christie has channeled her bold, socially conscious, and thought-provoking style into a platform that elevates complex social issues, cultural identity, and challenges to conventional narratives. Her approach is deeply passionate, particularly in fostering community through theatre and developing works that resonate with contemporary relevance. She advocates strongly for multilingualism in theatre, exploring its impact on both narrative and space. Christie’s directorial portfolio includes June is the First Fall by Yilong Liu, Passage and Caught by Christopher Chen, On the Train by Lisa Price, Young People Social Death Archive by Siming Lu, In Between: A Collection of Short Plays, Two Goldfish (Who Become Heroes), Monologues of n Women, and The Good Person of Szechwan by Bertolt Brecht. Her collaborative spirit shines through her work with groups such as 14/48 Projects, Strawberry Theatre Workshop, SIS Productions, Seattle Public Theatre, and Shattered Glass Project. Christie’s technical expertise spans production management, stage management, lighting design, and collaborating with organizations like Dacha Theatre, Dunya Productions, eSe Teatro, Sound Theatre Company, Swim Pony, the School of Drama at the University of Washington, Dum-Canny Alley, and the Fertile Ground Festival.

NYTW thinks broadly about who can initiate a theatrical event (see the FAQ’s for more). The 2050 Artistic Fellowship will accept up to six theatermakers for the 2025-26 Season. These fellowships will entail a commitment from June 2025 to June 2026.

NYTW’s 2050 Artistic Fellowship consists of five basic components:

1) Monthly fellowship meetings where fellows meet with each other and members of the New York Theatre Workshop community to discuss craft, aesthetics, and artistic development;

2) Access to rehearsal space and an opportunity to share work-in-progress with the NYTW Artistic staff and entire fellowship cohort;

3) Mentorship from the NYTW Artistic Staff, and connections with contemporary theatre artists from our community;

4) An invitation to participate in the artistic life of the theater by attending staff meetings, developmental readings, dress rehearsals, community gatherings and other NYTW special events;

5) A three-day weekend retreat at the start and end of the fellowship. 2050 Fellows are awarded both a stipend and an additional artistic development fund that supports Fellowship projects, theatre tickets, research or travel.

For the first round of the application process you will need: 

• A Statement in 750 words or less responding to these questions: What kind of work are you interested in making at this moment and why? Are there questions that you try to pursue and interrogate in your work? How does this fellowship at New York Theatre Workshop specifically appeal to you as an artist right now?
• A Resume

The 2050 Fellowship supports early career artists who exhibit outstanding artistry and whose voices are underrepresented in the theatre. We encourage applicants with a unique point of view inclusive of race, ethnicity, gender, faith, socioeconomic status, disability and sexual orientation.

The 2050 Fellowship supports generative artists who author or direct work. NYTW thinks broadly about what this means—sometimes it’s a playwright, sometimes it’s a director, sometimes it’s a solo performer creating their own work.  We strive to have a balance of playwrights and directors in the cohort, and ask applicants to identify their main area of practice as well as any other fields where they identify. We recognize that many artists are multi-hyphenate, working with many artistic practices, and provide great latitude in how fellows choose to work.

The 2050 Fellowship is an in-person experience. We accept applications from artists not currently living in New York City; however, applicants must be willing and able to relocate to the NYC metro area for the duration of the fellowship. NYTW is unable to provide housing, relocation or employment assistance. Inability to attend regular meetings and events during the fellowship year may be considered grounds for discontinuation of the fellowship.

Artists who will be enrolled in a full time educational institution (either undergraduate or graduate studies) for the duration of the fellowship year will not be considered.  We encourage you to apply during your final year of school to partake in the fellowship upon graduation.

Yes; however, international applicants must take full responsibility for arranging their travel, travel documents and housing accommodations. Inquire with the U.S. Embassy or the consulate with jurisdiction over your place of permanent residence about visa application procedures. Receipt of fellowship stipend is dependent upon the type of visa secured. If awarded a 2050 Fellowship, you must provide the appropriate visa or work authorization and fill out a W-8BEN Form in order to receive the Fellowship stipend. If you cannot provide appropriate documentation, we will be unable to offer a stipend.

The preliminary application consists of a resume and a personal statement. NYTW will then invite those we wish to consider more fully for a 2050 Fellowship to submit a full application. If invited to submit a full application, applicants will be asked to submit further materials that will be due in mid-December. Candidates that are then invited to a group interview will be notified in February. Candidates that are then still in consideration will be contacted to schedule a final, individual interview in late February.

Applicants will be notified whether or not they are invited to submit a full application by late November with a request for further materials. At that point, candidates will be required to submit:

• A 750-word fellowship plan, outlining how you would like to spend your fellowship year 
• Additional work sample: 

For Playwrights: A full length play.

For Directors: Up to 6 photos from one or more recent professional or academic production(s) OR up to 3 timestamped moments from recordings of directed work (the 3 clips should total no more than 15 minutes.) And an explanation of 3 of the 6 photos or of the 3 video clips.

For Solo Performers: A full-length solo-piece that you feel best demonstrates your work and experience as a solo artist. Whether this be text, video, or images with description.

Full application details and deadlines will be sent to all candidates who are invited to submit a full application.

Cohort meetings occur once per month and are scheduled prior to the start of the fellowship year. Each fellow is invited to share one work-in-progress during the fellowship, and all fellows are expected to be present at the work-in-progress showings of their peers.

Currently, 2050 Fellows are awarded both a $6,500 stipend and a $6,500 development fund that supports Fellowship projects, theater tickets, research, or travel.

The preliminary applications will be evaluated by members of the NYTW artistic staff; each preliminary application will be read in full by 2 people. The full applications will be read by members of the NYTW artistic staff and a selection of former 2050 Artistic Fellows. Each full application will be read in full by at least 2 people. We’re excited to use this application process as a way to get to know each of the applicants. While we don’t have the capacity to offer fellowships to all who apply, we continue to engage with fellowship applicants in a variety of ways.

Candidates will be contacted by the beginning of February to invite them to a group interview. Candidates still in consideration will be contacted to schedule a final individual interview in late February. Final decisions and offers will happen at the end of March. Group interviews will happen over Zoom and Individual interviews will happen either in person or over Zoom, if needed.

Inquiries should be sent to fellowshipinfo@nytw.org.

PAST 2050 FELLOWS:
Emily Abrams
Tara Ahmadinejad
Melis Aker
Michael Alvarez
Andrea Ambam
Elena Araoz
Nissy Aya
Jeff Augustin
Matt Barbot
Hilary Bettis
Lileana Blain-Cruz
Eleanor Burgess
Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm
Jeesun Choi
Shayok Misha Chowdhury
Miranda Cornell
Nana Dakin
Josiah Davis
Nathan Alan Davis
Will Davis
Mashuq Deen
Reginald L. Douglas
Sanaz Ghajarrahimi
Noelle Ghoussaini
Raz Golden
Miranda Haymon
Michel Hausmann
Kimille Howard
Phillip Howze
Celeste Jennings
Hansol Jung
Seonjae Kim
Ying Ying Li
Patricia Ione Lloyd
Kareem M. Lucas
Martyna Majok
Divya Mangwani
Adil Mansoor
Thaddeus McCants
Aileen Wen McGroddy
Alexandru Mihail
Beto O’Byrne
Brian Otaño
Tatiana Pandiani
Ming Peiffer
Nicholas Polonio
Francis Weiss Rabkin
Attilio Rigotti
Andrew Rodriguez
Danny Sharron
Ruth Tang
Danya Taymor
Tyler Thomas
Minghao Tu
Stevie Walker-Webb
Gabriel Vega Weissman
Whitney White
Nia Ostrow Witherspoon
David Zheng
Mo Zhou

Jade King Carroll
Jackie Sibblies Drury
Kareem Fahmy
Simón Adinia Hanukai
Ed Sylvanus Iskandar
Julián J. Mesri
Janine Nabers
Matthew Paul Olmos
Tamilla Woodard
Pirronne Yousefzadeh
Zhu Yi
Catherine Yu

May Adrales
Aravind Enrique Adyanthaya
Chris Alonzo
Saheem Ali
Eduardo Andino
Thomas Bradshaw
Gisela Cardenas
Robert Castro
Kipp Erante Cheng
Julia Cho
Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas
Jihan Crowther
Lydia Fort
Rafael Gallegos
Henry Guzman
Reshmi Hazra
Monica Henderson
Suzanne Hui Sun Kim
Ed Sylvanus Iskandar
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Patty Jang
Sonoko Kawahara
Ismail Khalidi
Bushra Laskar
Edward Bok Lee
Destiny Lily
Czerton Lim
Ignacio Lopez
Matthew Lopez
Aya Ogawa
Frederica Nascimento
Christopher Oscar Peña
Clint Ramos
Harrison David Rivers
S. Vasanti Saxena
Saïd Sayrafiezadeh
Deena Selenow
Suzi Takahashi
t. tara turk
Michael Winn
Pirronne Yousefzadeh

David Sakverilidze (Georgia)
Milan Govedarica (Serbia-Montenegro)
Olga Perevezentseva (Russia)
Bojan Djordjev (Serbia)
Ahmed El-Attar (Egypt)
Ahmed Eldeeb (Egypt)

Yayoi Shimizu (Japan)

Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas (Artistic)
Rafael Gallegos (Artistic)
Adam Moore (Management)
Gita Reddy (Casting/Company Management)
Geoffrey Scott (Literary)
Niki Spruill (Production)
Liesl Tommy (Casting)
Lenora Pace (Directing)
Rubén Polendo (Directing)
Tracey Scott Wilson (Playwriting)

Alex Lewin

Kristin McDonald
William Bryant Miles

Keith Josef Adkins
Tanya Barfield
Kipp Erante Cheng
Angela Counts
Cynthia Fujikawa
Fanni Green
Hilly Hicks
Jake-ann Jones
Chiori Miyagawa
Derek Nguyen
Carmen Rivera
Sung Rno
Said Sayrafiezadeh
Deborah Swisher
Dominic Taylor
Tracey S. Wilson