INKubator New Play Program 2026 - 2027
Application NOW OPEN!

ABOUT THE INKUBATOR NEW PLAY PROGRAM

INKubator is an eight-month generative playwriting residency culminating in the annual INKubator New Play Festival. From October 2026 to May 2027, a select cohort of playwrights meets monthly in person with program director Alex Tobey to share new pages, exchange feedback, and develop the first draft of a brand new play. In May, each writer teams up with a professional director and actors for a public staged reading at the festival.

We're seeking playwrights with a strong association to New Jersey — residency not required. Lived here? Went to school here? Worked here? Visited the Shore? Have family here? Any connection at all? Great — we'd love to hear about it. We hope the plays created will be inspired by New Jersey in all its glory, warts and all.

INKUBATOR WRITERS RECEIVE:
- $150 stipend
- A one-day rehearsal and public staged reading of their first draft at the INKubator New Play Festival in May 2027
- Promotional and marketing support
- Free admission to Art House performances, mixers, and events throughout the year
- Free use of the theater for meetings, rehearsals, and readings as needed

DETAILS:
Writers must commit to all monthly in-person meetings at Art House: the evenings of October 5, November 2, December 7, January 4, February 1, March 1, and April 5.
Your pitch can have some pages written, but the goal of the residency is completing a first draft. If your play is mostly written or already drafted, we recommend applying with something earlier in its development.

The festival is tentatively scheduled for May 3–5 and 10–12, 2027. Please hold these dates — we encourage writers to attend the full festival to support their cohort.

PAST INKUBATOR COHORTS