NYSAF supports residencies for artists and fellow theater companies that provide tailored resources for their specific needs. Throughout the year, residencies offer sustained financial support, multiple access points to the NYSAF community, and curated responsiveness. During the Summer Season, individuals, small teams, and large companies are present to address their own goals while being a part of the larger artistic community. Support may range from a retreat to work quietly to more detailed project support, within a safe and accessible creative environment.
PFAELZER AWARD
The Pfaelzer Award was created in honor of Johanna Pfaelzer’s twenty-year commitment to nurturing artists and their developing stories at NYSAF. Selected by a panel of former recipients, the Pfaelzer Award winner receives a monetary award, is invited to be in residence as a part of the NYSAF Summer Season to observe, incubate, or work on a project of their choosing, and has the opportunity for project mentorship from Johanna Pfaelzer.
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2020 Estefanía Fadul
2021 Elisa Bocanegra
2022 Dawn Monique Williams
2023 JaMeeka Holloway
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FOUNDERS' AWARD
The Founders' Award was created on the occasion of the company's 25th anniversary, in honor of the founders Mark Linn-Baker, Max Mayer, and Leslie Urdang's enduring commitment to nurturing writers at the earliest stages of their careers. Selected by a panel of former recipients, The Founders' Award winner receives a monetary award, an extended residency during the NYSAF Summer Season, and financial and administrative support for a project for which they are the sole curatorial voice.
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2010 Eric Bernat
2011 Jonathan Caren
2012 Don Nguyen
2013 Sarah Gancher
2014 Suzanne Heathcote
2015 Harrison David Rivers
2016 Max Vernon
2017 Ngozi Anyanwu
2018 Korde Arrington Tuttle
2019 Keelay Gipson
2020 Kirya Traber
2021 jeremy o'brian
2022 Nissy Aya
2023 UGBA
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THE DRAMA LEAGUE STAGE DIRECTING FELLOWSHIP
The Drama League Stage Directing Fellowship provides a wide range of opportunities for early-career directors, to create multiple avenues of future success in the theater industry. NYSAF is one of many partners that offers a residency as a part of the two-year fellowship, for which The Drama League also provides significant financial support and health care reimbursement, creative retreats, network development, and opportunities to direct. Learn more here.
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2019 Ben Randle
2021 Sivan Battat
2022 Ibi Owolabi
2023 Nadia Guevara
2024 Zoë Adams
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DASHA EPSTEIN AWARD
New York Stage and Film offers the annual Dasha Epstein Fellowship to an emerging writer or director who is a student or alumni of Barnard College during the Summer Season. These young artists work with our staff and other professional mentors to hone their craft, and engage in their own creative projects within our vibrant artistic community.
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2012 Emma Goidel
2013 Natalie Molina & Kai-Hsian Tu
2014 Emily Sorenson & Kate Sullivan
2015 Nissy Aya
2016 Sarah Eleanor Linda Minnie Scarr
2017 Andrea Jo
2018 Christine Aucoin
2019 Nell Bailey & Louisa Melcher
2021 Kay Kemp
2024 Maya Shore
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DRAMATISTS GUILD FELLOW
Through the support of The Dramatists Guild Fund, NYSAF welcomes a current DGF fellow to the Summer Season, where they join the artistic community and work with NYSAF artistic staff on their own projects.
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2013 Tatiana Suarez-Pico
2014 Sarah Sanders
2015 Camille Darby​
2016 Jerome A. Parker
2017 Zoey Martinson
2018 Keelay Gipson
2019 Erika Dickerson-Despenza
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THE BILLIE BURKE ZIEGFELD AWARD
Presented in partnership between New York Stage and Film and The Ziegfeld Club, Inc., The Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award offers a prestigious $10,000 grant that aims to celebrate an emerging female composer or composer/lyricist who compellingly demonstrates outstanding artistic promise in musical theater composing and clearly demonstrates how the grant money & mentorship will further her artistic career. Learn more here.
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2020 Tidtaya Sinutoke
2021 November Christine, Carmel Dean and Madeline Myers