Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. We ask that for Fellowships and Residencies, applicants will have served as the director of record for at least three professional or semi-professional productions outside of an educational learning context before applying. For the Assistantship programs, applicants should have served as the director of record for at least one, and hopefully more. Let’s break that down:

• By “professional or semi-professional,” we mean work that was not student work…either directing work you were paid to do (in any amount), directing work you produced yourself, or directing work with a company where you agreed to forego a salary or stipend (as one might at a community theater). This can be any project where you directed performers in a live setting (including film/video, where you would have directed performers on set). 
• By “productions,” we mean events that were performed for a live audience…or for filmed projects, events that were offered to an audience in a streaming environment (including YouTube). These could be single performance events, or longer runs…doesn’t matter to us! Outdoor, site-specific, promenade, and other hybrid productions are welcome. Virtual/Streaming theatre productions may be included, but should not constitute all three productions. Readings and developmental workshops, however, are not productions under this definition. 
• By “director of record,” we mean projects where you were listed as the director of the project. While we deeply value your experience in assistant direction, associate direction, choreography, intimacy direction, stage management, etc., they should not be counted towards the eligibility minimum of directing credits.
• By “outside of an educational learning context,” we mean projects that were directed OUTSIDE of your student learning in an educational program like a high school, college, or university. (We value student work as a learning opportunity, but for our programs, we want to make sure applicants are already in the journey in making work outside of their school experience.) It should be noted that due to the time commitments of the various programs, recipients cannot be enrolled in any undergraduate or graduate degree program during the program’s period of support.

Don’t worry about it! We understand that the path to a directing career varies widely, and that the idea of ‘productions’ may not fully encompass the wide variety of experiences directors have. All we ask is that you tell us about that experience in your application answers, and that you tell us why you’d benefit from the program offerings. As always, we also accept your questions at [email protected], but you’re the expert on yourself — if you think you’re ready for these programs, so do we!

No. We understand that directors come to their profession from a variety of paths and experiences.

The answer is (a qualified) yes. Our programs are available to any director who feels they are right for them. However, any applicant who is not a U.S. citizen will need to obtain all documents and permissions (visas or otherwise) to spend the right amount of time in the United States…which ranges from two separate weeks (residencies) to two years (certain fellowships). AND, even though our programs are educational in nature and not considered employment, they come with a monetary scholarship prize that some nations (including the United States) consider taxable. Please check with your own country’s embassy, ministry, or municipality to ensure you understand the responsibilities you undertake when applying. One other thing: The Drama League offers air travel for some of its programs, but these are only for domestic (U.S. originating) flights. For those living outside of the United States, program participations means you will have to fly to/from the continental United States first on your own, and then The Drama League will coordinate travel inside the country.

To be fair to all applicants, there will be no deadline extension. We suggest finishing your application and submitting it at least 72 hours before the deadline, to ensure you don’t encounter any internet outages or software difficulties.

In very loose, general terms, we think of an Early-Career Director as someone who is at the beginning of their professional journey…beginning to work beyond the completion of any educational path they have taken. A Mid-Career Director, then, might be someone who has been working in the field for 4-5 years or more, and an Established Director would be anyone who has done more than that. 🙂 HOWEVER, we understand these categories, even as general as they are, are not incredibly effective when elucidating the career paths of artists. They are not important or discussed in our selection panel’s deliberations. Why not? Well, just because you’ve worked consistently for ten years does not mean, for instance, that opportunity has come your way; similarly, directors who have only been working a few years may have moved quickly to big opportunities, and not need the same things their peers need. In truth, every individual comes to directing on their own individual path; to speak with Drama League staff about your specific experience and its appropriateness for any specific opportunity, please email [email protected] with your questions.

Of course! It is hoped, however, that they will note this in their application narratives, and address the reasons they feel they are the ideal candidate for the opportunity.