The participating playwrights will:

• Receive a stipend of $3,000
• Participate in a biweekly writers group led by The Public’s Literary Department
• Receive at least one reading at The Public
• Participate in master classes led by established playwrights
• Observe rehearsals for productions at The Public
• Receive an additional stipend for theater tickets to productions at other theaters
• Receive complimentary tickets to Public Theater shows, invited dress rehearsals and other special events
• Receive career development advice from mid-career and established writers
• Receive artistic and professional support from the literary department and artistic staff.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY:

• Cannot have professional representation for playwriting including, but not limited to, agent, manager or lawyer.
• Cannot be a full-time student during the duration of the program.
• Cannot be enrolled in any academic playwriting course during the duration of the program.
• Must not have had productions in New York other than those using the showcase code or in an off-off Broadway theater with 99 or fewer seats. (If your New York show used a higher contract tier than the showcase code, you are not eligible to apply. If your New York show received a festival production in a theater with more than 99 seats and did not use an Equity contract, you are eligible to apply.)
• Must live within the tri-state area.
• Must be able to attend evening meetings at The Public Theater every other week in 2009 as well as other events throughout the year, such as master classes, retreats, observerships and other special events at The Public.
• Must be available for an in-person interview in early December 2008.

If you are unavailable for an in-person interview or have a limited conflict in regards to attending biweekly meetings, please make note of such conflicts on the Application Form. We will try to accommodate such situations on a case-by-case basis.

For further clarification of Requirements for Eligibility, please see the Frequently Asked Questions section below.

Applicants must submit the following:

• THREE copies of completed Application Form. CLICK HERE to download.
• Names of and contact information for two references (to be listed on the application form). The references can be a theater professional, teacher of any discipline, or workplace supervisor.
• THREE copies of resume.
• THREE copies of one-page artistic statement incorporating answers to the following questions:
  • Why do you want to participate in the Emerging Writers Group at The Public Theater?
  • Have you participated in a writers group before?
  • If so, what was it like and why was it meaningful to you? If not, how do you hope it would contribute to your artistic growth?
  • If you were selected for the Emerging Writers Group, what would your goals for the year be?
• TWO copies of one full-length play or book of a musical
  • Play/musical must be at least 60 pages long.
  • The script must be a completed draft, though it need not be a final draft. The script cannot summarize scenes-yet-to-be-written or contain any other hallmarks of an incomplete draft.
  • If you applied for the program last year, you must submit a different script; revised drafts of the play previously submitted will not be accepted.
  • Please do not bind or staple your script; a binder clip will suffice.
  • We encourage you to save paper by printing your play on recycled paper or double-siding your script.
  • NOTE: Writers selected for the group will not be asked to work on the plays they submit (though they will be welcome to do so if they choose), so you need not submit the play you would like to work on in the group if selected; the play you send with your application should be your strongest writing sample.

If you would like confirmation that your application materials have been received, please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard for us to mail back to you.

If your contact information or eligibility status changes between August 29th and your notification, you are required to update The Public Theater by mailing a letter to the address below or sending an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For further clarification of materials required for application, please see the Frequently Asked Questions Section below.

Your application materials will not be returned.

Please mail or deliver materials to:
Emerging Writers Group
The Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street
New York , NY 10003

APPLICATION DEADLINE: AUGUST 29, 2008. Materials must be postmarked August 29th or received at the theater by midnight of August 29th.

CRITERIA AND SELECTION PROCESS
The Public Theater will select the strongest candidates based on the overall strength of the applicant’s play submission, artistic statement, and interview.

The Public will look for candidates from diverse backgrounds who show tremendous artistic promise and talent, as well as responsible and dedicated individuals who are serious about a career in the theater. The Public is especially interested in playwrights who have not begun their writing career via the traditional channels.

The selection committee will be comprised of Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Mandy Hackett, Associate Artistic Director; Liz Frankel, Literary Associate; and other full-time artistic staff.

TIME TABLE
Application Deadline: August 29, 2008
Finalist interviews: Early December, 2008
Notification: Mid-Late December, 2008
Program start date: January, 2009
Program end date: End of December, 2009

All applicants will be notified of their status by mail the end of December. Please do not call or email to ask your status. Please rest assured that if we would like to interview you, we will contact you, so you need not call or email to inquire.

If you have specific questions, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it after reading the Frequently Asked Questions section below. No phone calls please.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If an agent or agent-in-training represents my writing but I have not yet officially signed with them, am I eligible to apply? No. Since we are most eager to find playwrights who have yet to reach this step in their career, you are not eligible to apply.

If I have an agent/lawyer/manager for work other than my playwriting (ex. acting, translation work), may I apply? Yes, you may, but kindly note this relationship in a brief cover letter.

If an agent/lawyer/manager has represented my playwriting on one project but does not represent my whole body of work or plan to represent anything I write going forward, may I apply? Yes, you may, but kindly note this relationship in a brief cover letter.

If I am in a graduate playwriting program at present but am willing to suspend or end my student status if accepted to the Emerging Writers Group, may I apply? Yes, you may, but kindly note this status in a brief cover letter.

If I am in the third year of a graduate playwriting program of which the third year does not involve attending any classes, may I apply? No, we cannot accept writers who are currently affiliated with a graduate playwriting program.

What kind of conflicts in 2009 would make me ineligible? We accept that every writer will wind up missing one or two meetings throughout the year but if you know now that you will be away for more than three weeks in total in 2009, you should not apply.

When will the biweekly meetings be held? We will work with the writers selected to find a time that works for every member of the group, so you need not worry about this question at the application stage.

If I am selected for the group and then my eligibility status changes, would I be automatically suspended from the program? No, we will handle this situation on a case-by-case basis. Please do not let such a concern keep you from applying.

What kind of resume should I submit? Your resume should list the plays you have written and any readings, workshops and productions they have received. Your resume should also include any other relevant theater experience. We would be glad to see a resume detailing your education or other work experience, though this is not required. Please feel free to submit multiple resumes if you think that this would be helpful as we consider your application. As long as you have a resume that details your playwriting experience, you need not tailor a resume to this application process alone.

I have revised my play so much since I submitted it last year that it can hardly be considered the same play; may I submit it? Unfortunately, you cannot. We require that you submit a new play.

Will you check to see if each applicant is applying with a new play? Yes, we will.

If I change the title of the play I submitted last year, will you even know that it’s the same play? Yes, once we read your submission we will review our notes from when we considered your work last year, and then we will know if you have submitted the same play with a new title.

My play is not 60 pages long but I think that if you read it, you will surely want to admit me to the program. May I apply? Unfortunately, you may not. We feel strongly about admitting writers who have written at least one full-length piece.

If I can’t decide between two plays or have an additional writing sample that I am very proud of, may I include more than one play with my application? No, we only read one play per applicant, so please only submit one writing sample.

May I send in a CD of music along with the book of my musical? You are welcome to do so and we will likely listen to it. Please give credit to the composer and lyricist if it is not you.

Is there an age limit? Are you looking for young writers? No, there is no age limit and we would be glad to admit a talented writer of any age into the program.

If I have graduated from an MFA playwriting program, am I eligible to apply? Yes, you are eligible, so long as you are not currently enrolled in any graduate playwriting program.

Will you let me know that my materials have arrived safely at your office? We will not routinely notify applicants when we receive their materials, but if you would like confirmation, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard or note-card with a box for us to check upon safe receipt. We would be glad to mail this back to you. If you do not send such a card with your application but wish to do so afterwards, please feel free to send us such a form at any time.

If I don’t hear from you by 2009, may I follow-up with you about my application status? Yes, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

If I have had some contact with a Public Theater staff member, would it be better to contact them directly with my question rather than write to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ? No, please write to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , but feel free to mention any contact with a Public Theater staff member.

How long will I have to wait for a response to an email I send to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ? We will respond to every email within 2-3 days of receipt.

Thank you for your interest in the Emerging Writers Group!