BCA Playwright Residency Open Call

Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) is accepting applications for our Playwright Residency. The BCA Playwright Residency supports rising playwrights by providing space to rehearse, perform and write a new work. Support is tailored to the selected artist, and includes mentorship, and professional development to create, produce and reach expanded audiences. This program aims to provide a container for playwrights who are invested in developing experimental work that sheds light on underrepresented stories and narratives.

We will be accepting two playwrights this year. The residency is a year-long process that will begin January 2025 and end January 2026. As part of the program, the awarded playwrights will offer a mid-year workshop, as well as a final staged reading. The playwrights will have access to a studio space located in BCA's Artist Studios Building, located at 551 Tremont St. The studio space will be shared between both playwrights, and it is already equipped with desks, chairs and power. To learn more about the program, please visit BCA Playwright Residency page.

Eligibility:

Committed to incubating a new work
Have written a complete work (short or full length play)
Playwrights who are interested in the access to free studio and workshop space
Interested in presenting their work at a final staged reading at the end of the residency
Playwrights local to Boston and surrounding areas

Criteria:

Applications will be evaluated based on the artist’s demonstration of BCA’s current artistic ethos:

Experimentation: we support artistic work that displays innovation and openness to new ideas, perspectives and techniques.
Responsiveness: in the process of supporting new and innovative work, we value ideas that are relevant to contemporary interests and conversations.
Community engagement: we encourage an artistic practice that engages meaningfully with the ecosystem where it exists through collaboration and exchange among artists and audiences.
Potential impact: we seek to support artists for whom our involvement has the potential to propel their practice creating a path for growth artistically and professionally.

These criteria will be applied by an external jury whose composition includes mainly theatre professionals in the Boston area, as well as diverse individuals with a broad range of lived experience and experience in the arts field.

To learn more about the program, please visit BCA Playwright Residency or reach out to Michaila Cowie, Director of Theatre Arts, at Michaila@bostonarts.org.

USEFUL DATES:

Application Open: Monday October 27, 2025

Application Closes: Monday December 8, 2025

Notification On or Around: Monday Janurary 12, 2025

Residency Start Date: Monday February 2, 2025

Name*

First NameLast Name

Email*

example@example.com

Phone Number*

Please enter a valid phone number.

Social Media and/or Website

Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code

Artist Bio (please keep within 450 words) *

PROPOSED CONCEPT: What do you plan to develop or explore during the year-long residency? *

WORK SAMPLE: Please upload at least one work sample - this could include a full length or short play. This should be in PDF form.*

How would this residency push you to take a creative risk, adapt your process, or grow your career as a playwright?*

A large benefit to this residency is access to 24-hour shared studio space for the residents to use. Please describe the impact of free studio space will have on your creative process.*

Describe your current work and artistic practice, including recent residencies, programs, projects and goals.*

Are you available in August/September of 2026 for a mid-year workshop? (Exact date to be discussed upon selection)*

YesNoMaybeOther

Are you available in February of 2027 for an end-of-year staged reading? (Exact date to be discussed upon selection)*

YesNoMaybeOther

How do you identify your lived experience of gender? Potential answers may (but need not) include: Genderqueer, Nonbinary, Trans, Cisgender, Female, Male, or Prefer not to answer.

How do you identify your lived experience of race and/or ethnicity? Potential answers may (but need not) include: Black/African American, Indigenous/Native, Person of Color, White, Multi-racial, Asian & Pacific Islander, Latinx/Latine/Hispanic, African, European or Prefer not to answer.

Age Range

18-2930-4445-5960+

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Before you go, please tell us how you heard about the BCA Playwright Residency (select all that apply)

Would you like to be added to BCA's mailing list?

YesNo

BCA Playwright Residency Open Call

Artist Impact

Demographic Information