Core Apprentice Program

Overview

Playwrights’ Center’s Core Apprentice program supports two playwrights each year, who are current students or recent graduates. These playwrights will receive:

a professional mentorship with an established playwright who will read the student’s work, provide career advice, and serve as a connection to the field (previous mentors have included: David Adjmi, Pearl Cleage, Nathan Alan Davis, David Henry Hwang, Daniel Alexander Jones, Rajiv Joseph, Hansol Jung, Nehemia Luckett, Dominique Morisseau, Qui Nguyen, Jen Silverman, Charly Evon Simpson, and Chay Yew)
a new play development workshop at Playwrights’ Center in St. Paul, MN, with professional actors, a dramaturg, and a director, with lodging, transportation, and a $625 stipend for the workshop
Playwrights’ Center Membership for two years
professional development and educational opportunities
recognition on the Playwrights’ Center website
consulting opportunities with Playwrights’ Center artistic staff

At the end of the term, all Core Apprentices become Affiliated Writers of Playwrights’ Center.

Eligibility

Any current student (graduate or undergraduate) or recent grad (up to one year post-graduation) from a New Plays on Campus (NPOC) Member School may apply for the Core Apprentice program. If you don’t know if your school is a member of New Plays on Campus or want to get your school enrolled, you can get more information here or enroll here.

Applicants may not have had more than one play fully produced by a professional theater at the time of the application.

Applicants do not need to be residents of Minnesota. Past recipients of the Core Apprenticeship or other Playwrights’ Center fellowships are ineligible to apply. Applicants must be over the age of 18 and must reside in and have the legal right to work in the United States during the fellowship term.

When I think about Playwright’s Center, the words that come to mind are community and artistic family. The Core Apprentice Program is a haven for emerging playwrights to receive support and mentorship as they navigate the professional world of playwriting. The people who work at the Playwrights Center are generous, kind, and deeply connected to the theater industry. They are fully present and want the best for each playwright who enters their space.

Christin Eve Cato

Core Apprentice, 2021-22

Application preview

NOTE: The primary language used by evaluators during the selection process is English. If a text intentionally does not include an English translation, a line of context may be helpful to an evaluator but is not necessary. Playwrights’ Center acknowledges this is an ethnocentric practice and hopes to expand access in the future. While most Fellowship activities and engagements are conducted in English, Playwrights’ Center staff are available to discuss additional support and resources as necessary.

Application form

Includes contact details, eligibility, and demographic information

Playwriting resumé

Any legible format, maximum three pages

A professional resumé must include details of your work and education. This may also include life experiences that are relevant to this opportunity.

Artistic statement

This is a one-page artistic statement describing how the Core Apprenticeship (which includes a nine-month mentorship, a new play development workshop, and career development opportunities) would be transformative for you as an artist. What goals would you hope to achieve by the end of this apprenticeship?

Project proposal

A one-page development project proposal stating how you would benefit from a workshop of this play at Playwrights’ Center. This should include questions you have about the script, goals for the development workshop, and how this opportunity would benefit you in your artistic development.

Script sample

Please be sure that your name and the play title appear on the cover page. Please submit a 15- to 25-page sample of the play you will develop and workshop, should you receive the apprenticeship. Please include a brief play synopsis and casting description at the beginning of the sample. All script submissions must be written only by the applicant—no co-written submissions will be accepted. Scripts for musicals may be submitted by the book writer only. If you advance to the finalist round, you will be asked for the full script (knowing we realize it isn’t the final draft).

NOTE: If you are planning to apply with a musical, please be aware that only text submissions are allowed. We do not accept any audio files, video files, or links to external websites, and evaluators will be instructed to not seek out any demos or audio tracks related to submitted scripts. We recommend that you consider the strength of just the text of your piece—separate from any music or other elements—as you select which piece to submit.

Letter of recommendation

Please request a letter of recommendation from a faculty member or other individual who is familiar with your work as a playwright. This letter should detail why you would benefit from a Core Apprenticeship at this time, your strengths as a writer, and areas in which you have room for growth in your craft. You will be requesting your letter through the application portal (linked below).

Letters of recommendation are due by the application deadline.

You may request letters through the application system before finishing your final application, so we recommend that you click on the link below and begin your application sooner rather than later to give your recommenders time to complete their letters. Please allow 2-4 weeks for your recommender to complete their letter. Letters of recommendation from previous Core Apprentice applications may be submitted. If you would like to use a letter from a previous year, please reach out to Whitney Rowland at whitneyr@pwcenter.org at least two weeks before the deadline. Letters of recommendation may not be written by current Playwrights’ Center staff or board members.

Application Resources

NOTE: You will need to make a SlideRoom account in order to apply. If you are a Playwrights’ Center member, your login will not automatically log you in to SlideRoom—they are two different systems. If you already have a SlideRoom account, you should be able to access the application using your existing login.

SlideRoom Video Tutorial

Information & working sessions

An information session about the Core Apprentice program was held on Wednesday January 7, 2026. A recording of that session is available on the right. You can read the full transcript here.