Announcing the 2019-20 Fellows, new Core Writers, and Core Apprentices

The Playwrights' Center is excited to introduce you to our complete list of this year's program recipients. This includes our 2019-20 McKnight National Residency and Commission recipient, 2019-20 McKnight Fellows in Playwriting, 2019-20 McKnight Theater Artist Fellows, 2019-21 Core Writers, 2019-20 Jerome, and Many Voices Fellows and Mentee, and our 2019-20 Core Apprentices. Join us in welcoming these outstanding writers into the Playwrights' Center universe!

The 2019-20 McKnight National Residency and Commission recipient is Heather Raffo. The McKnight National Residency and Commission funds the creation and development of new works and comes with a $15,000 commission, $5,750 in workshop funds, and travel and housing stipends.

The 2019-20 McKnight Fellows in Playwriting are W. David Hancock and Stacey Rose. The McKnight Fellowship in Playwriting awards two Minnesota-based playwrights a $25,000 stipend, $2,500 to support play development and other professional expenses, and $1,400 in travel funds.

The 2019-20 McKnight Theater Artist Fellows are actor Sun Mee Chomet, actor Jim Lichtscheidl, and set designer Kate Sutton-Johnson. The McKnight Theater Artist Fellowships at the Playwrights’ Center recognize Minnesota theater artists other than playwrights whose work demonstrates exceptional artistic merit. The fellowship provides a $25,000 award as well as access to $7,000 in development funds to launch a new collaborative theatrical work.

The 2019-20 Jerome Fellows are Cristina Luzárraga, Courtney Meaker, and Tylie Shider. The Jerome Fellowship is intended to support early-career playwrights who demonstrate extraordinary potential, artistic vision, and a commitment to spending a year in residency in Minnesota developing their work. Fellows receive an $18,000 stipend in addition to $2,000 in development support.

The 2019-20 Many Voices Fellows are Candrice Jones and Kit Yan, and this year's Many Voices Mentee is Morgan Holmes. Many Voices Fellows receive an $18,000 stipend and $2,000 in play development funds. Our Many Voices Mentee is provided with a $2,000 stipend as well as free access to over $1,500 in services designed to introduce beginning playwrights to the craft of playwriting. Supported by a grant from the Jerome Foundation, this program is designed to increase cultural diversity in the contemporary theater, both locally and nationally.

This year's incoming Core Writers are Gina Femia, Emily Feldman, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Marvin González De León, Rachel Jendrzejewski, Jake Jeppson, Daaimah Mubashshir, and James Anthony Tyler. The Core Writer Program at the Playwrights’ Center provides play development workshops and professional support to 25 to 30 playwrights from across the country over a three-year term. Work by Core Writers is featured in the Center’s public season (the PlayLabs new play festival in October and the Ruth Easton New Play Series December through April).

This year we have included Carlyle Brown as a Playwrights' Center Lifetime Core Writer. Carlyle becomes only the seventh writer in the 48-year history of the Playwrights' Center to receive this distinction. Carlyle has created one of the most vital bodies of work here in the Twin Cities, nationally, and internationally—the Center has long been his home, and this appointment ensures he will always have us to continue the development of his indelible work.

The 2019-20 Core Apprentices are Gursimrat Kaur (University of Texas - Austin), Taylor Rankin (Northwestern University) and Aaron Ricciardi (Indiana University). The Core Apprentice program at the Playwrights’ Center pairs student playwrights with professional mentors and offers full play development workshops at the Center.