Goodman Theatre’s New Stages Residency is a year-long program for Chicago-area generative artists. Established in 2010, the program supports multiple writers each season, offering tailored developmental support for works-in-progress and fostering close connections between Goodman staff and Chicago artists.
Applications are due by 5pm on Friday, August 21. Send all applications as PDFs to literary@goodmantheatre.org.
The 2027 New Stages Residency will support two Chicago-based playwrights or teams of generative artists for a yearlong residency at Goodman Theatre, running January to December 2027. Each artist/team will receive a stipend of $10,000 as well as up to $10,000 to put towards their creative work-in-progress and professional development. Residents will be embedded in the Goodman’s artistic staff for the season, with writing space at the theatre and invitations to Goodman artistic meetings, events, rehearsals, and more.
This Residency is intended to help Chicago writers take a big step forward in their art and careers and is not intended for very early-career artists. Writers or generative artists across theatrical genres are encouraged to apply; but applicants should have had at least two full-length works produced (school productions count) or equivalent professional experience. If applying as part of a team, please submit a joint proposal and budget, with separate artistic statements, resumes, and 1-2 scripts from each applicant.
All applicants should be based in the Chicago area and able to travel to the Goodman at least once a month for meetings. (Secondary collaborators on your project proposals may be based anywhere; but all artists applying to be New Stages Residents should be in or near Chicago.)
We are considering proposals from alums of the Playwrights Unit or New Stages Residency. Women, writers of color, trans and non-binary writers, and writers with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applications are due by 5pm on Friday, August 21.
Chicago’s theatre landscape—and the needs of its writers—are always evolving. We’ve asked New Stages alums and playwrights across Chicago what kind of support they would value most. A clear takeaway was that there’s a need for more expansive support of each writer’s artistic growth, coupled with development processes that are tailored to the specific needs and timelines of each project. This reworked Residency reflects how we feel we can best meet those needs.
A substantive portion of the funding should go towards developing or workshopping new theatre pieces. This could involve multiple workshops of one brand new piece, readings of multiple extant pieces, extended generative time with a group of collaborators, etc. A successful proposal will be specific about the projects in development and the potential needs of each and allocate budgetary resources accordingly.
Development funds can also be used for compensating collaborators, research, travel, theatre tickets, and conference fees (this list is non-exhaustive). All $10,000 of the funding does not need to be used, and none of it may go directly towards paying yourself.
Ultimately, we’re interested in what the Goodman can provide that will best foster the development of your artistic work and career, and we’ll work with you to craft a plan. Residency projects and final budgets will be based on your proposal and decided in conversation with the Director of New Works.
Sure! With the disclaimer that these are non-exhaustive starting points…
Example 1: I have an early draft of a play and need a one-day reading to hear it. I’d like to bring a director on board with me early in the process and work towards a longer workshop with a public presentation. Because the play requires significant research, I’d like to set aside some funds for a research trip, as well as payments for interview subjects and an expert consultant in a relevant field.
Example 2: I’m writing a musical with an out-of-town collaborator. I want to bring them to Chicago for two workshops: one table read (plus a few days of conversation) and one longer workshop in which we can stage a few numbers to learn how movement/choreography works in this piece. I’d like the Goodman video team to capture those numbers so that I can share them when I’m pitching this piece in the future. If the Goodman is producing a new musical during the season, I would like to have a formal observership in the room so that I can learn how new musical development works in a LORT space.
Example 3: I have two plays in progress that could use finishing workshops. PLAY 1: I’d like a series of one-day workshops to try out a few different endings to my newest piece. Getting to read each version in front of a small audience would be helpful. PLAY 2: There’s a specific actor I’ve imagined as the lead and I’d love to hear the piece with her in that role—and to get her feedback on the character as I work towards my next draft and a longer workshop.
Example 4: My collaborator and I have an idea for a Theatre for the Very Young piece. We want to work with a group of teaching artists and children in the target age group (2-5 years of age) at intervals throughout the year to develop the piece and see how the children interact with the material we have. We would also like to attend a Theatre for the Very Young conference to deepen our awareness of current trends in the field.
That depends on the contract used, the host institution, and many other details. For the purposes of this proposal, here is a sample budget for a three-day workshop:
| ROLE | # | TOTAL |
| Director | 1 | $500 |
| Actors | 6 | $2,640 |
| Stage Directions | 1 | $440 |
| Production Assistant | 1 | $440 |
| Travel for out-of-town artist | 1 | $860 |
| Housing for four nights | 1 | $500 |
| TOTAL | $5,380 |
We understand that your budget will be a very rough draft and will work with Residents to craft a project budget.
The primary goal of this Residency is to embed Chicago writers at the Goodman and support them and their work wholistically, rather than to develop work specifically for Goodman stages. With that said, the Goodman will ask for a right of first refusal for pieces developed during the Residency.
This Residency is open to generative artists, meaning that you should be someone leading the process of creating material for new, story-based theatrical work. This often means that you’re a playwright; but you might also be a composer, a choreographer with a strong narrative impulse, the head of a devising company, or a teaching artist who works with young people to create stories drawn from their experiences.
One Residency slot can be split among multiple collaborators if you are jointly developing the proposed project and all parties are actively involved in shaping the material (e.g. a writer/composer or a writer/director team working together on a piece from its inception). You may decide how to allocate the $10,000 stipend between you.
Residents will be invited to weekly Artistic staff meetings, production meet & greets, Goodman opening nights, and various events throughout the year. They will take part in the selection process for the following season’s New Stages Residents.
Residents are invited to serve as artistic ambassadors of the Goodman to the Chicago theatre community, including seeing work on the Goodman’s behalf, reading and pitching scripts, and taking on paid artistic work at the Goodman as desired—but this is an invitation, not a requirement.
We ask that you are able to come to the Goodman in person at least one day a month for a few hours, as in-person fellowship remains an important part of being in community. However, we understand that you’re a busy human with many commitments and are therefore making our support as flexible and customized as possible.
This Residency is intended for Chicago-area writers. Ask yourself: are you currently a part of Chicago’s theatrical ecosystem (however much or little you’re working in it)? Residents are not required to be in Chicago year-round (we see you, “bicoastal” artists), but should call Chicago home for substantive amounts of time throughout the year. See the note above about monthly presence at the Goodman.
Applications will be read by a team of Goodman’s artistic staff members and artistic affiliates. If you are a New Stages Residency or Playwrights Unit alum and are NOT interested in applying this year but want to serve as a paid evaluator for this, please reach out to Kat for more details.