Mellon Foundation Gives Millions to Help Playwrights
As contemporary American playwrights know all too well, getting a play produced is a formidable task. Even those who manage to have their work staged often find that the production lasts not much longer than the hourslong life of a mayfly. After the “world premiere,” no other theaters want to touch what they perceive as second best.
With that in mind, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation recently awarded nearly $10 million to playwriting organizations and theaters in the hopes of getting more fresh voices before an audience. Although Mellon has regularly contributed to theaters around the country for years, the recent grants are a result of a three-year study into the particular problems new plays encounter, said Diane E. Ragsdale, the foundation’s program officer for theater and dance.
It turns out that developing plays is not the problem. Producing them is. New playwrights often get stuck in “workshop hell,” as Ms. Ragsdale put it. Supporting playwrights directly and creating long-term residencies at theaters were among the recommendations that emerged.
Mellon Foundation Gives Millions to Help Playwrights – NYTimes.com.