Reads & auditions

Play Development Residencies: What They Offer and How to Choose One

Reads & auditions · By the Sides & Space editorial team · Published 2026-10-24

A development residency gives a playwright, and often a director and actors, protected time and resources to work on a script before production. Formats range from a weekend with a reading at the end to several weeks of workshops. They can change a play's life, but they vary enormously in what they actually provide, so it pays to read the fine print.

What "residency" can mean

The word is used loosely. Before applying, work out which of these you are looking at:

• Writing residency. Time and somewhere to write, sometimes with housing, sometimes with a stipend, usually without actors. Many artist communities that host visual artists and writers also accept playwrights.
• Developmental workshop. A set number of rehearsal hours or days with a director and actors, ending in a reading for an invited or public audience. The goal is rewrites, not a polished show.
• Reading series with a development track. A cold read or staged reading first, followed by a second, longer round for selected scripts. Our guide to cold read series explains the first stage.
• Company or cohort programmes. A group of writers meets regularly over months, shares pages and builds towards readings. These sometimes call themselves "residencies" even without a physical residency.

What a good programme usually provides

There is no standard package, but these are the elements worth comparing:

• Time: how many hours or days, and over what period. A reading after six hours of rehearsal is a different thing from a reading after two weeks.
• People: a director, a dramaturg, actors, sometimes designers. Ask whether the writer has a say in who is hired.
• Space: rehearsal rooms, a venue for the final reading, sometimes housing and travel.
• Money: a stipend or fee for the writer, and whether the actors and director are paid.
• Audience and follow-through: who is invited to the final reading (producers, literary managers, the public) and whether anything is offered afterwards.

Questions to ask before applying

1. Is there an application fee? Many respected programmes charge none. A fee is not automatically a red flag, but compare it with what is offered and how many applicants are selected.
2. Who owns what? Some producing theatres ask for a share of future income or the right to produce the play first ("first production rights" or a "right of first refusal") in exchange for development. These terms can be reasonable, but they should be in writing, limited in time and proportional to the support.
3. Who controls the script? The writer should approve every change to the text. This is a core principle in the Dramatists Guild's Bill of Rights.
4. What is expected in return? Teaching, community events, a public showing, social media posts?
5. What happened to previous participants' plays? A programme proud of its record will tell you.
6. Is it accessible? Schedules, travel, housing and caring responsibilities can make a residency impossible for some writers. Good programmes publish what support they offer.

Preparing a strong application

• Follow the format exactly: page limits, file types, anonymity rules (some programmes read "blind" and ask you to remove your name from the script).
• Explain why now. Panels want to know what the residency would let you do that you cannot do alone: the specific questions you have about the draft and how time with actors would answer them.
• Choose sample pages carefully if only an excerpt is requested: a self-contained scene that shows your voice and the play's central conflict.
• Be concrete about goals: "test whether the second act works with the time jump removed" is more convincing than "develop the play".
• Keep a calendar. Many programmes run on annual deadlines. Tracking them in a spreadsheet with requirements and results saves hours each year.

Where to find opportunities

Service organisations maintain the most reliable listings:

• The Dramatists Guild publishes opportunities and career resources for writers, with some content reserved for members.
• The New Play Exchange lists opportunities alongside its script database.
• The Alliance of Artists Communities maintains a directory of residency programmes across disciplines.
• NYFA (New York Foundation for the Arts) runs a searchable database of opportunities and classifieds for artists.

Always check an opportunity on the host organisation's own website before submitting, and be cautious with listings you only find reposted on social media.

Running your own residency

Companies and collectives sometimes create their own development programmes. A small, honest version is better than a grand one that cannot pay its promises. Decide on the minimum you can reliably offer (for example, a set number of rehearsal hours, a director and actors, and a final reading) and publish that clearly. Put terms in a short written agreement covering dates, payment, the writer's control of the text, credit wording for future productions, and whether recording is allowed. If you engage union actors, check the union's rules for readings and workshops before you budget. If you plan to fundraise, our guide to fiscal sponsorship explains how unincorporated groups can accept grants and tax-deductible donations.

Red flags

• High application fees with vague selection criteria or no published results.
• Requests for a share of future rights that are open-ended in time or scope.
• Pressure to make changes to the script that you have not agreed to.
• Any request to pay to have your play read, beyond a clearly explained, modest application fee.

Sources and further reading

• Dramatists Guild of America, official site (including "The Dramatists Bill of Rights").
• Alliance of Artists Communities, residency directory.
• National New Play Network, New Play Exchange.
• New York Foundation for the Arts, NYFA.

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