irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $151KLITERARY SERVICES - TO SELECT NEW RESIDENT PLAYWRIGHTS & ADVOCATE FOR THE RESIDENT WRITER COMPANY WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NATIONAL THEATRE AND ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITIES. ADMINISTER EXTERNAL WRITER FELLOWSHIPS AND PRIZES ON BEHALF OF OTHER ARTIST SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS (THE PRINCESS GRACE FOUNDATION-USA; THE KLEBAN FOUNDATION). MANAGES AN ON-SITE LIBRARY OF UNPUBLISHED PLAYS/PIECES OF THEATRE, FOR READING AND REVIEW.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
External Writer Fellowships and Prizes
Administers fellowships and awards on behalf of the Princess Grace Foundation-USA and The Kleban Foundation
National Script Distribution
Makes scripts from member playwrights available to regional theaters across the country
On-Site Library of Unpublished Plays
Curates and maintains a library for reading and review of unpublished theatrical works
PlayTime
Two-week developmental retreat allowing playwrights to lead their own creative process with collaborators, supported by resident writers and staff
Resident Playwright Program
Long-term support for selected playwrights to develop work over time in community with peers
activities · 7 groups
What they do
-
New Play Development Programs 6 activities
- Developmental workshops and retreats for playwrightsHosts two annual in-house PlayTime retreats and a two-week developmental workshop where resident playwrights explore, revise, and develop new projects with collaborators, staff support, and participation in mid-retreat writing workshops led by New Dramatists writers.
- Financial and logistical support for resident playwrightsProvides financial reimbursements for travel, childcare, and substitute teachers for resident playwrights during extended workshops and generates additional financial support through annual luncheon events.
- Free public readings and working sessionsProvides free access to working sessions with collaborators and supports public readings ranging from one- to two-day events to 29-hour workshops for the development of new plays.
- Play library and resource managementMaintains an on-site library of unpublished plays for reading and review, supports its maintenance through intern engagement, and includes awarded scripts in the New Dramatists library as part of grant benefits.
- Script distribution and advocacy for playwrightsSelects new member and resident playwrights, distributes their scripts nationally to regional theaters, advocates for them within national theater and entertainment communities, and publishes a monthly bulletin on script development.
- Support for contemporary American playwritingHas supported over 700 playwrights in creating work that has shaped contemporary American dramatic literature through sustained developmental programs and resources.
-
-
Arts and Cultural Workforce Training 1 activity
- Academic internship program for early-career theater professionalsOffers a semester-long internship program for students and early-career theatre artists and managers to learn about playwright development and nonprofit operations, engaging interns in supporting resident playwrights through development activities, special events, and library maintenance.
-
-
Professional Theatrical Production 1 activity
- Institutional collaborations for Off-Broadway productionsDevelops and produces Off-Broadway plays through sustained collaborations with major theater institutions including The Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Manhattan Theatre Club, La MaMa ETC, Keen Company, Flamboyán Theater, Classic Stage Company, and Dixon Place.
-
-
Performing Arts Production Support 1 activity
- Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre administrationAdministers the Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre on behalf of the Kleban Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors, awarding up to $100,000 annually to a librettist and a lyricist.
-
-
Artist Support Grants 1 activity
- Princess Grace Award in Playwriting administrationAdministers the annual application process for the Princess Grace Award in Playwriting, engages approximately 25 theater practitioners annually to evaluate submissions, and awards a $15,000 unrestricted grant, a one-season artistic residency, advocacy, and publication opportunities to one early-career playwright each year.
-
-
Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
- Seven-year playwright residency programProvides a seven-year residency for up to five incoming playwrights annually, offering creative autonomy, professional collaborators, and comprehensive support to develop and produce new dramatic works. The program maintains limited capacity to ensure robust individualized support.
-
-
Uncategorized 1 activity
- Blind script evaluation and residency selection panelConvenes a new seven-person panel each year composed of current residents, alumni, and outside theatre professionals to conduct blind initial reviews of all designated “A” plays, ensuring equitable assessment of residency applications without applicant identifiers.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.32M
Contributions & grants$1.23M93%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$66K5%
Other revenue$20K
expenses
Total expenses$1.76M
Program expenses54%
Admin / overhead33%
Fundraising14%
Salaries & benefits$1.05M
Grants paid out$11K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.91M
Cash$2.27M
Investments$366K
Liabilities$67K
Net assets$2.84M
Liquid reserves17.9 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -34.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHRISTIE BROWN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $161K |
| EMILY MORSE | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | 40 | $159K |
board members · 23
- ABBIE VAN NOSTRAND — PRESIDENT
- ANDREA STOLOWITZ — DIRECTOR
- CHARLOTTE ACKERT — DIRECTOR
- CHISA HUTCHINSON — DIRECTOR
- DORI BERINSTEIN — DIRECTOR
- IAN CALDERON — DIRECTOR
- JAMILA PONTON BRAGG — DIRECTOR
- JASON M COOPER — VICE PRESIDENT
- JIM DALE — DIRECTOR
- JOLYON FOX STERN — DIRECTOR
- JOSEPH A MAFFIA — TREASURER
- KEN URBAN — DIRECTOR
- KIRSTEN BERKMAN — SECRETARY
- KRISTOFFER DIAZ — DIRECTOR
- LAURA POLITI — DIRECTOR
- LUIS CASTRO — VICE PRESIDENT
- LYNDSAY MAGID — DIRECTOR
- MARK D'AMBROSI — DIRECTOR
- MORGAN GOULD — DIRECTOR
- QUI NGUYEN — DIRECTOR
- ROBERT KUCHNER — DIRECTOR
- ROBIN LYNN — VICE PRESIDENT
- SAM CHANSE — DIRECTOR
relationships · 61
Who they work with
- ASCAP Partner — Co-hosts the Kleban Prize ceremony with BMI and the Kleban Foundation.
- Andrea Stolowitz Partner — Participating playwright in the March 2026 PlayTime retreat with the project _Andrea Stolowitz Gets Yelled at by Jews in Lobbies_
- Aya Ogawa Partner — Participating playwright in the March 2025 PlayTime retreat with the project _Meat Suit_
- BMI Partner — Co-hosts the Kleban Prize ceremony with ASCAP and the Kleban Foundation.
- Boni B. Alvarez Partner — Participating playwright in the March 2025 PlayTime retreat with the project _God, It’s Leandro_
- Breaking & Entering Theatre Collective Partner — Long-term collaborative theatre collective membership
- C. Julian Jiménez Partner — Participating playwright in the November 2025 PlayTime retreat with the project _Julian As_
- Clare Barron Partner — Participating playwright in the March 2024 PlayTime retreat with an untitled project
- Classic Stage Company Partner — Collaborates on theatrical projects
- Clubbed Thumb Partner — Collaborates on the development and staging of new plays, including hosting residencies.
- Concord Theatisticals Partner — Provided in-kind contributions to support New Dramatists.
- Concord Theatricals Partner — Provides opportunity for the winning play to be licensed and published.
- Dixon Place Partner — Collaborates on theatrical projects
- Elmer Rice Partner — Co-founded New Dramatists in 1949.
- Flamboyán Theater Partner — Collaborates on theatrical projects
- Houghton Hall Arts Community Partner — Hosts New Dramatists' administrative and artistic activities during building repairs at their primary location.
- Howard Gilman Foundation Funder — Provided financial support at the $75,000+ level and in-kind contributions.
- Howard Lindsay Partner — Co-founded New Dramatists in 1949.
- IndieSpace Partner — Provided in-kind contributions to support New Dramatists.
- Jaclyn Backhaus Partner — Participating playwright in the November 2025 PlayTime retreat with the project _HEATHCLIFF!_
- Jen Silverman Partner — Participating playwright in the March 2024 PlayTime retreat with the project _DBK_
- Jiehae Park Partner — Participating playwright in the March 2026 PlayTime retreat with the project _Spun_
- John Golden Partner — Co-founded New Dramatists in 1949.
- John Wharton Partner — Co-founded New Dramatists in 1949.
- Kara Lee Corthron Partner — Participating playwright in the March 2024 PlayTime retreat with the project _What Are You Worth?_
- Keen Company Partner — Collaborates on theatrical projects
- Kleban Foundation Funder — Administers the Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre in partnership with New Dramatists.
- La MaMa ETC Partner — Collaborates on theatrical projects
- Manhattan Theatre Club Partner — Partners in the production and development of new dramatic works by resident playwrights.
- Maxwell Anderson Partner — Co-founded New Dramatists in 1949.
+ 31 more
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Artist-Led Development with Long-Term Residencymethodology: artist-led developmentBy empowering playwrights to lead and self-direct their own seven-year development process within a sustained peer community, we produce deeper artistic innovation and lasting contributions to theater, because creative autonomy and pressure-free exploration foster transformative work.
- Equity-Centered Selection and Resource Allocationmethodology: equity-based resource allocationBy using blind review processes, diverse evaluation panels, and time-based access prioritization, we produce more equitable opportunities for underrepresented playwrights, because reducing bias in adjudication and directing resources to those with less prior access strengthens artistic diversity and fairness.
- Peer-Supported Artistic Growth in Cohort Modelmethodology: peer-supported artistic developmentBy embedding playwrights in a long-term peer community with shared resources and collaborative space, we produce stronger artistic development and resilience, because sustained interaction with fellow gifted writers fosters mutual inspiration, accountability, and creative risk-taking.