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ASSOCIATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF DRAMATIC ARTS INC
New York, NY · EIN 237239481 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A61 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · orchardproject.com
revenue
$637K
expenses
$490K
net assets
$150K
employees
0
program ratio
93%
mission · from form 990

The Association's mission is to stimulate public and artistic interest and to foster the development in the community of literary, musical and dramatic arts by promoting, developing, producing and causing to be produced dramatic productions, readings, and theatrical entertainments. The Association operates numerous programs for established, emerging, and learning artists to develop their work and craft in a supported environment.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Association for Development of Dramatic Arts Inc, operating as The Orchard Project, supports playwrights, composers, and generative artists in developing new dramatic works across theater, audio, and episodic storytelling. Through residency labs and year-round programs in New York City and Saratoga Springs, it provides resources, mentorship, and production support to hundreds of artists annually. The organization emphasizes artistic development, diversity, and long-term sustainability for creators.

named programs · 6 · from sources

What they call their work

Audio Lab
Program supporting creators of audio storytelling, providing resources and development opportunities for new work in the audio format.
Episodic Lab
Initiative for screenwriters and creators developing episodic content, fostering new work in television and digital storytelling formats.
Greenhouse
Apprentice program for young artists offering mentorship, skill-building, and immersive experience in theatrical development.
OP Forward
Industry-facing initiative including OP Forward Industry Week, designed to connect artists with entertainment industry partners and create extended opportunities.
OPportunity Fund
Program providing producing support and institutional partnership to 10–20 projects annually, stewarding artists through development and production pathways.
Performance Lab
Summer residency program in Saratoga Springs supporting playwrights and ensembles in developing new theatrical works through structured residencies, readings, and workshops.
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 3 activities
    • Summer residency programs for theatermakers in Saratoga Springs
      Hosts annual in-person summer residencies in Saratoga Springs, NY, providing theatermakers, writers, composers, and ensembles with time, space, room and board, technical resources, artistic staff support, and access to performance spaces to develop live performance projects. The program supports up to 40 development projects annually and includes open rehearsals for peer and industry feedback.
    • Support for underrepresented voices in dramatic arts
      Prioritizes underrepresented stories and voices in its selection process, supporting generative artists with bold artistic visions across diverse backgrounds and career stages.
    • Year-round accelerator and Greenhouse Program in New York City
      Runs a year-long accelerator and the Greenhouse Program in NYC for early-career and emerging artists, featuring bi-monthly or bi-weekly meetings, themed creative sprints, weekend intensives, and collaborative development opportunities across dramatic formats. Includes in-person meetings and ongoing project support.
  • Alumni Leadership and Career Support Programs 1 activity
    • Alumni support and long-term artist development
      Provides ongoing support to alumni artists through the OP Forward program, offering professional development resources, industry partnerships, community events, continued advice, and mutual aid opportunities to sustain artistic growth beyond initial residencies.
  • Free Outdoor & Community Theater Productions 1 activity
    • Annual Summer Arts Festival and public engagement events
      Hosts an annual Summer Arts Festival in Saratoga Springs featuring open rehearsals, sharings of developing work, panels, and concerts that engage the public with new theatrical content. Artists receive honoraria for participation in public performances.
  • Literary Events & Workshops 1 activity
    • Community Learning events and professional development programming
      Hosts weekly Community Learning events during lab seasons featuring panels, workshops, and conversations with industry professionals on topics such as writing rooms, digital performance, collaboration, and pitching. These are offered to all lab participants and include expert-led sessions to build practical skills.
  • Film Production Funding and Fiscal Sponsorship 1 activity
    • Fiscal sponsorship and producing support for production-bound projects
      Provides admin-fee–free fiscal sponsorship and hands-on producing support—including budgeting, fundraising, payroll, legal guidance, touring logistics, and marketing consultation—to projects transitioning from development to production through the OPportunity Fund.
  • Cultural Exchange and Mutual Understanding Programs 1 activity
    • International cultural exchange through London tour program
      Organizes an annual London tour that provides immersive access to leading theater makers and productions, supporting artistic exchange and professional development for U.S.-based theater artists.
  • Emerging Filmmaker Support Programs 1 activity
    • Virtual and hybrid labs for dramatic storytelling development
      Conducts virtual and hybrid labs in episodic content, audio storytelling, and other dramatic formats, enabling national and international artists to develop original works remotely. Programs include structured feedback, mock writers’ rooms, pitching panels, weekly meetings, and access to industry professionals, with specific six-week summer labs for audio and TV pilot development.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Equitable artist selection and application process improvements
      Uses a unified application system reviewed by a panel of over 30 readers to increase equity in program admissions. Expanded outreach and reviewer diversity in 2021, resulting in increased applications, and provides honoraria to reviewers for their evaluation work.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$637K
Contributions & grants$583K91%
Program service revenue$54K9%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$490K
Program expenses93%
Admin / overhead4%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$237K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$154K
Cash$121K
Investments$0
Liabilities$4K
Net assets$150K
Liquid reserves3.0 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +255.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Ari Edelson Artistic Director 40 $80K
board members · 13
  • Carly Hugo — Trustee
  • Dean Strober — Trustee
  • Diane Borger — Trustee
  • Eric Daniels — Secretary
  • Eunice Ferreira — Trustee
  • Gabriella Ianoale — Treasurer
  • Hugh Thistlethwaite — Trustee
  • Rachel Uccellini — Vice President
  • Raymond Bryan — Trustee
  • Richard Glazer — Trustee
  • Robert Schenkkan — Trustee
  • Samantha Lazarus Levin — President
  • Stephen Seymour — Trustee
relationships · 58

Who they work with

  • A.R.T. Partner — Hosted artists from A.R.T. in residency programs.
  • American Repertory Theater Partner — Participated in The Orchard Project’s residency programs.
  • American Repertory Theatre Partner — Board member Diane Borger is a producer at American Repertory Theatre, indicating an institutional affiliation.
  • Andrew Guest Partner — Guest advisor for the Episodic Lab, providing guidance to participants
  • Audible Partner — Kate Navin from Audible has participated as a guest advisor in the Audio Lab.
  • Beau Willimon Partner — Guest advisor for the Episodic Lab, providing guidance to participants
  • Beau Willimon Partner — Industry advisor for the Episodic Lab, contributing expertise as creator and showrunner of "House of Cards".
  • Bekah Brunstetter Partner — Guest advisor for the Episodic Lab, providing guidance to participants
  • Belarus Free Theater Partner — Hosted artists from Belarus Free Theater in residency programs.
  • Dan Dietz Partner — Guest advisor for the Episodic Lab, providing guidance to participants
  • David Mandel Partner — Guest advisor for the Episodic Lab, providing guidance to participants
  • David Mandel Partner — Industry advisor for the Episodic Lab, contributing expertise as showrunner of "Veep".
  • Elevator Repair Service Partner — Hosted artists from Elevator Repair Service in residency programs.
  • Elevator Repair Service Partner — Participated in The Orchard Project’s residency programs.
  • Etan Frankel Partner — Guest advisor for the Episodic Lab, providing guidance to participants
  • Facebook Network — Hosts live information sessions via Facebook Live to engage artists and share program details.
  • Gabrielle Allan Partner — Guest advisor for the Episodic Lab, providing guidance to participants
  • Imagine Entertainment Partner — Collaborates with The Orchard Project to develop television pilots, including The Park.
  • Jamie Pachino Partner — Guest advisor for the Episodic Lab, providing guidance to participants
  • Jason Grote Partner — Guest advisor for the Episodic Lab, providing guidance to participants
  • Jennifer Crittenden Partner — Guest advisor for the Episodic Lab, providing guidance to participants
  • John Gore Organization Partner — Board emeritus Jennifer Costello is Director of Production at John Gore Organization, indicating an institutional affiliation.
  • Kyle Jarrow Partner — Guest advisor for the Episodic Lab, providing guidance to participants
  • Laura Eason Partner — Guest advisor for the Episodic Lab, providing guidance to participants
  • Mabou Mines Partner — Participated in The Orchard Project’s residency programs.
  • Marvel Partner — Jill BC Duboff from Marvel has participated as a guest advisor in the Audio Lab.
  • Neena Beber Partner — Guest advisor for the Episodic Lab, providing guidance to participants
  • Orchard Project Network — ASSOCIATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF DRAMATIC ARTS INC operates the OP Greenhouse as part of the Orchard Project network.
  • Orchard Project alumni Partner — Source of nominations for application reviewers.
  • Pig Iron Partner — Hosted artists from Pig Iron in residency programs.
+ 28 more
strategies · 4

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.

  • Anti-Racism as Creative Institutional Practice
    methodology: anti-racism_institutional_change
    By embedding anti-racism training, shared vocabulary, and accountability tools into onboarding and governance via a DEI committee, the organization transforms creative contexts because systemic equity practices enable safer, more transparent, and inclusive artistic collaboration.
  • Artist-Centered Incubation Model
    methodology: artist-centered_incubation
    By providing customized, process-centered support and self-directed lab environments, the organization fosters artistic growth and innovation because it prioritizes the artist's vision, autonomy, and developmental journey over product-oriented outcomes.
  • Community-as-Infrastructure for Artistic Development
    methodology: community_as_infrastructure
    By building long-term creative communities and peer-driven feedback structures, the organization accelerates artistic development because sustained collaboration, interdisciplinary exchange, and cohort-based learning create a supportive ecosystem that outlasts individual projects.
  • Pipeline-Bridging Fiscal Sponsorship
    methodology: pipeline_development
    By offering fee-free fiscal sponsorship and producing support, the organization strengthens the transition from development to production because removing financial and administrative barriers enables fragile new works to survive and scale.