American Theatre Wing Relaunches National Theatre Company Grants Program

Today we announced the relaunch of ATW’s National Theatre Company Grants program. In recognition of the critical importance regional theatres play in the American theatre ecology, and how the work of American playwrights advances the artform and culture, five grants of $100,000 will be awarded annually to regional theater companies innovating new strategies to successfully present the work of American playwrights.  

The requirements for the grant are that it goes to a regional theatre, and that the funds are used towards an American playwright’s work. The eligibility structure is purposefully expansive, to encourage innovation and create space for theatres to tailor the grant to their specific needs. Examples of eligible projects include: co-productions of world premieres, national not-for-profit tours of new work, regional or local debuts of work, fresh approaches to audience development and community outreach around new work, and educational or low-cost ticket initiatives that introduce younger and diverse audiences to new work. Through this program, ATW looks to emphasize work which supports living American playwrights, but will also consider the presentation of authors who are no longer living, whose work remains unknown or under-presented in the national theatre canon.

“On the heels of the Regional Tony Award announcement, which annually honors a pioneering and exceptional theater company, we are thrilled to relaunch our American Theatre Wing National Theatre Company Grants program,” says President and CEO of The American Theatre Wing Heather Hitchens. “The work that regional theatres do is vital to the communities around them and to the theatre ecosystem as a whole.  With this program, we want to help regional theatres tell compelling new stories that reflect the world and times we are living in, to build, diversify and expand audiences and the American theatre canon.”

“Most of my plays and musicals began their lives at regional theatres, whose health and vitality have always been critical for both playwrights and our field,” says American Theatre Wing Trustee David Henry Hwang. “These Grants will support new and rediscovered plays as the lifeblood of the American theatre, while helping these companies during this challenging time to innovate, experiment, and transform.”

Organizations must demonstrate their capacity to successfully support their project with appropriate staffing and financial resources to further build the program in the future.

Applications will open in August 2024. A public announcement of recipients and distribution of grants will take place in 2024

GUIDELINES

• Theatre companies of all budget sizes are welcome to apply.
• Primary Applicant must be a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit theatre based outside NYC.  However, partnerships with commercial entities, non-theatre organizations, and NY-based theatre organizations are welcome and encouraged.
• Funded projects must take place during the Fall 2025 and/or Spring 2026 season. If the recipient(s) follow a calendar year season, funded projects must take place starting January 2026.
• The theatres must demonstrate how projects will significantly advance program goals: 
  • To uplift and celebrate the central contributions of playwrights in advancing the art form, and to build new audiences for their work;
  • To support regional theatre companies in the successful presentation of new work;
  • To support and help drive new and innovative models for marketing, ticketing, and presenting new work as well as building and sustaining new audiences for that work which could serve as models for the whole industry
  • To help the work of under-represented and unknown playwrights find an audience.
• The theatres must show evidence of consistent, diverse theatrical programming 
• The theatres must demonstrate that artists are paid appropriately for their work
• The theatres must legally acquire rights to produce proposed production(s)
• The theatres must submit detailed budget demonstrating what funds will be used for

TIMELINE:

August 2024: Applications & Official Requirements available at AmericanTheatreWing.org

Mid-September 2024: Applications Due

November 2024: Recipients Announced and Funds Distributed