The Orchard Project Opens Applications For Its 2020 Programs

Applications for all 2020 Orchard Project residencies are now open. Artists, writers, ensembles, and companies are encouraged to apply this fall to the program's Professional Lab, Greenhouse program, or Episodic Lab.

For more than ten years, the Orchard Project has become the go-to new work development workshop for many of America's boldest theatre companies and artists. Orchard Project's flexible, form-fitting support has provided countless artists, companies, and productions a much needed kickstart. To date, the Orchard Project has supported more than 1,200 artists and 250 shows from All the Way and its sequel The Great Society to 33 Variations to Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus to Amelie: The Musical; from work of Savion Glover to Mike Bartlett to Annie Baker to Rachel Chavkin to Taylor Mac to Dave Malloy. This year, in New York City alone, Orchard Project supported shows will run at The Public, Roundabout, Lincoln Center, and on Broadway. Since the launch of its Labs, the OP has also played a significant role in the development of new works produced on and off Broadway and at theaters including St. Ann's Warehouse, The Geffen Playhouse, MCC Theatre, BAM, Arena Stage, Philly Live Arts, PS122, The Public Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company, the Edinburgh Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse, Actors Theatre of Louisville, La Jolla Playhouse, Yale Rep, the Royal Court, and more. Work created at the Orchard Project has also been turned into films distributed through HBO Films (All The Way), Universal (The Riot Club), and optioned into television projects at HBO, Netflix, and AMC Networks.

"One of the things that makes the Orchard Project unique is the breadth and diversity of work that our artists generate. Our job is to provide a flexible ecosystem for the best storytellers in the country to navigate how best to create and share their stories, and to clear the runway for them to create daring work that has not been seen before," Orchard Project Artistic Director Ari Edelson said.

Robert Schenkkan, alumnus, Board Member, and playwright whose OP-supported The Great Society is currently in previews at Lincoln Center, adds, "Over the years, I have been a participant in almost all of the major summer developmental labs, retreats, or workshops in the United States and The Orchard Project remains my favorite, in part because they treat me like an adult. There is no 'one size fits all' program at OP, instead they ask one simple question of each attending artist or company, 'What do you need?'"

Every year, 30-40 projects are selected by the Orchard Project for support in a flexible, collaborative environment that puts its faith in its artists to create new works at any stage of their development. Companies and artists join the Orchard Project for overlapping residencies in Saratoga Springs, NY, and are provided with free rehearsal space, room and board, and support from fellow artists. Support also continues through the year via New York City based programs. Open rehearsals invite peers and industry members from around the country to play an active role in project development. The 2020 Orchard Project programs are:

• The Orchard Project Professional Labs (applications due Dec 2, 2019)

This is our original program and is for professional theatre makers, writers, composers, teams, companies, and ensembles looking for support on one or more projects in development.

• The Orchard Project NYC Greenhouse (applications due November 15, 2019)

A two year program for collaborators to meet and generate new ideas and new work, including time at the Orchard Project and monthly meetings in New York City.

• The Orchard Project Episodic Lab (applications due Dec 16, 2019)

For writers and teams working on new episodic television content.

The Orchard Project will be hosting multiple online informational sessions about the application and selection process, the first occurring on September 26 at 12PM EST. Information about other sessions can be found on www.orchardproject.com.

Applications for the core company - the Orchard Project's elite educational summer program for young theater artists - are not yet available, but will open later in the fall.

For more information and to fill out an application, visit www.orchardproject.com.