PoNY - Playwrights of New York

The PoNY Fellowship

Revolutionizing support for the next generation of playwrights.

Now in its tenth year, the Playwrights of New York (PoNY) Fellowship was founded by playwright Sandi Goff Farkas and The Lark, and was created to provide promising playwrights with the financial freedom to create new plays.

The PoNY Fellowship includes:

Housing

1 year of housing in a 1-bedroom doorman apartment in the heart of the theater district in New York City.

Living Expenses

A $2,500 per month stipend for 12 months plus a new $5,000 Rooted in NYC grant if the playwright elects to continue residency in NYC.

Health Insurance

Reimbursement for health insurance for 3 years.

 

Artistic Support

Comprehensive artistic support through access to programs, staff, and a diverse and expansive artistic community at The Lark in New York City. The selected Fellow receives a seat in the renowned Rita Goldberg Playwrights' Workshop (described in the Requirements section), a program led by award-winning playwright Arthur Kopit and other esteemed dramatists. In addition, the selected Fellow will be given opportunities to hear his/her work aloud at Roundtable sessions and at public readings. All these resources are designed to provide writers the opportunity to develop their work with collaborators on a regular basis and to engage in useful discussions with other writers, actors, directors, and artistic leaders.

Throughout the residency, PoNY Fellows discuss developmental needs with The Lark staff and have access to other Lark programs and residencies as appropriate. PoNY Fellows work closely with The Lark beyond the initial year of the fellowship to continue developing plays begun in the Rita Goldberg Playwrights' Workshop, advance completed plays to production, expand their professional networks, and refine skills related to sustaining a career as a playwright. For more information about The Lark larktheatre.org.

• How To Apply

  Writers are eligible to apply for the PoNY Fellowship by nomination only. Nominated writers will receive application instructions once The Lark has received the nominations.

• Eligibility

  Applicants must be nominated by the artistic director of a theater company, chair of a graduate playwriting program, playwright, or director whom The Lark has invited to nominate.

  NEW: Applicants can be citizens or permanent residents of the US, or non-citizens in the U.S. who possess valid work authorization, including permanent resident status (green card), refugee or asylum status, or temporary protected status.

  All applicants must be at least 21 years old.

  Applicants are not eligible to apply if they are currently enrolled in a degree-granting institution.

  NOTE: Interested applicants who do not meet these above requirements can find other opportunities to work with The LARK by clicking here.

  Criteria for Nominating a Playwright

  • A strong advocate of his/her work (namely, the nominator)
  • Playwright’s work meets The Lark criteria: plays are ambitious, fresh, engaging, energizing, provocative, powerful, and theatrical, and reveal unheard and vital perspectives
  • Playwright must be a prolific writer and creator, capable of meeting frequent deadlines
  • Playwright must be confident in his/her “voice” as a writer and have ample experience working with actors and directors in both rehearsal and production environments
  • Playwright must be committed to playwriting as a career
  • Playwright must make a strong case for being part of The Lark's artistic community
  • Playwright must exhibit a clear understanding of how to set forth artistic goals and must be open to a development process focused on achieving those self-stated goals
  • Playwright must possess a desire to live and work in New York City
  • Playwright must be at a "tipping point" in his/her career where The Lark's network of resources would be truly transformative
  • Playwright must demonstrate a financial and housing need

• Requirements of Fellowship

  The selected Fellow must commit to living for 12 months in the PoNY apartment. To insure that the selected Fellow gets the maximum benefit of the Fellowship, applicants must not be committed to out-of-town residencies for more than two weeks at a time and for more than one month total, during the Fellowship period. The apartment may be shared with a spouse or partner but may not be subletted.

  The selected Fellow will be required to begin residency in the PoNY apartment and begin active participation in The Lark community on October 1, 2013; the residency period continues through September 15, 2014.

  The selected Fellow will articulate writing goals to The Lark artistic leadership at the beginning of the fellowship, and meet monthly to discuss those goals and progress on new material. The Fellow is also required to complete an interim report after six months and a final report after 12 months to describe successes and challenges in meeting self-stated goals.

  The selected Fellow is expected to become an active member of The Lark community which includes attending at least three Lark events a month, meeting regularly with the artistic director and program staff, and participating in The Lark’s Rita Goldberg Playwrights' Workshop Program.

  Rita Goldberg Playwrights' Workshop Program

  The Rita Goldberg Playwrights' Workshop is comprised of several components:

  • Community Sessions: There are 12 Monday night Community Sessions distributed throughout the residency period from October to April. These sessions bring Workshop Fellows together with Lark actors and directors to share new work, and are facilitated by Arthur Kopit and at least one other member of The Lark’s Playwright Advisory Committee. Work to be shared at Community Sessions may be in the form of brand-new fragments that are “hot-off-the-press” or sections of longer plays in development. In addition, Workshop Fellows come together for special meals during which they share goals, assess progress, and plan for next steps.
  • Roundtable Program: To provide playwrights with opportunities to work on larger sections of work in smaller groups, The Lark has a Roundtable Program where writers have the opportunity to hear completed drafts of plays with actors followed by an in-depth discussion with actors, directors and artistic leaders.
  • Playwrights Workshop Week: Each spring, a week is set aside for the Fellows in the Rita Goldberg Playwrights' Workshop to present public readings of something they have been developing during the year. For this project, staff works closely with fellows to set goals, identify collaborators, and invite specific audiences.

 

Left to right: Katori Hall, Samuel D. Hunter, Sandi Goff Farkas,
John Eisner (Artistic Director, The Lark)

 

Summary of Support

CLICK HERE to view a chart that details the many ways we are supporting the next generation of playwrights.