Frequently Asked Questions

  • Sun Valley Playwright’s Residency is a non-profit 501c3 organization that gives early-career to internationally-recognized playwrights time and resources to write in the inspired setting of the historic Ernest & Mary Hemingway House. In tandem, we provide the local community educational events that offer insight into writers’ creative processes. We are striving to foster new relationships between theatremakers and the Wood River Valley community and fuel the American theatre with invigorating new plays that speak to our collective humanity today.

  • In our first few years, we have worked with Obie Award-winner David Cale, Pulitzer Prize-winner Martyna Majok, Tony-nominated director Les Waters, and MacArthur “Genius” Fellow Samuel D. Hunter.

  • Annually, we work with one playwright to foster a new play from idea to full draft. And we produce educational activities centered on this playwright, their existing plays, and the new play they are writing.

  • A playwright begins their residency with a month-long stay at the historic Hemingway House. The writer then returns home where they continue writing the play with our continued support. The following fall, the writer returns to Idaho to participate in a workshop of the new play that culminates with a free public reading at The Argyros.

  • Most local theatre companies focus on producing plays that already exist. We engage playwrights at the very beginning of their creative process—when their next play is just an idea.

  • Idaho’s Wood River Valley has a deep history of attracting and nurturing artists of all disciplines. The natural beauty of the area’s small mountain town is a fertile incubator for artists seeking to create and co-create away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

  • Our special partnership with The Argyros Performing Arts Center and The Community Library offers playwrights unique and inspiring resources for their time in Idaho, including time to write at the historic Ernest and Mary Hemingway House and access to world-class theatre facilities.

Black and white headshot of playwright Jen Silverman.
“Residencies are a vital incubator for artists to test the limits of their imaginations, to refine the questions they’re asking, to hone the edges of their work. Some of the best work happens when you’re given the time and the focus to go deep—deliberately, steadily—without being responsible to the demands of your normal life.”
— Jen Silverman, Advisory Board Member

Zack Canepari

Headshot of Marcia Liebich wearing glasses and a white shirt.
“Living in rural Idaho, it is intellectually stimulating and a joy to be able to attend readings of new works and to participate in discussions about playwrights’ creative processes.”
— Marcia Liebich, SVPR Board Member

Marcia Liebich

Playwright Carla Ching wearing a long blue shirt leaning on the metal railing of a staircase.
“Residencies are where I often start or finish a draft of a play. Sometimes both, and sometimes on multiple projects. It’s a way to fully immerse in the work, be with your collaborators and be still with your thoughts away from the distractions and stressors of everyday life.”
— Carla Ching, Advisory Board Member

Christina Gandolfo