Rattlestick Theater, the Terrence McNally Foundation, and Tom Kirdahy Productions have announced they are now accepting submissions for Cycle 4 of the Terrence McNally New Works Incubator.

Established to honor the late playwright and librettist Terrence McNally and his legacy of mentorship, the New Works Incubator supports early-career playwrights with professional mentorship, a $10,000 stipend, and additional networking opportunities. 

Each McNally fellow will also receive a developmental workshop, culminating in a public reading. Recent reading directors have included Anne Kauffman, Arin Arbus, Caitlin Sullivan, Carson Jonek, Dustin Wills, Goldie E. Patrick, Portia Krieger, and Tea Alagić. Recent mentors have included David Henry Hwang, Emma Horwitz, Halley Feiffer, Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, Jaclyn Bachaus, MJ Kaufman, Mfoniso Udofia, Sarah DeLappe, and Sheila Callaghan.

“We could not be prouder of how the Terrence McNally New Works Incubator has grown to become an integral part of New York City’s playwriting ecosystem,” Santino DeAngelo, executive director of the Terrence McNally Foundation, said in a statement. “Under the brilliant guidance of Rattlestick Artistic Director Will Davis, we nurture bold voices and groundbreaking stories with the same passion and integrity that defined Terrence’s legacy. It is a space where creativity thrives, craft is honed, and the future of the American theatre is shaped.”

“Every step of the process—finding a director and a mentor, how to use my three-week incubation time, what we prioritized in the 29-hour workshop—was driven by what the play (and I!) needed at that moment in time," adds Cycle 2 playwright Sam Mueller. "My time in the Incubator Program was spent feeling centered in myself and supported by every single person around me."

Each application will be reviewed by a broad reader pool of industry professionals. Semi-finalists and finalists are selected through two rounds of consideration. Finalists are granted an interview with a selection panel, including representatives from Rattlestick and Tom Kirdahy Productions. 

After consultation with the Playwrights Advisory Council, playwrights will be awarded the fellowship in the spring. Playwrights Advisory Council members have included Sheila Callaghan, Christopher Chen, Halley Feiffer, David Henry Hwang, donja r. love, Lynn Nottage, and Paula Vogel.

Applications will close November 21 at 11:59 PM ET, or when 500 applications have been received. 

Visit Rattlestick.org to apply.