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.
-
Each year, we invite established theatre artists and leaders from across the US to nominate playwrights for consideration for our Playwright’s Residency. We seek US-based writers with a demonstrated commitment to writing for the stage and a strong body of work. Ideal candidates are excited by the prospect of a quiet, retreat-style residency, eager to engage meaningfully with the Wood River Valley community, and create work that challenges, deepens, and expands our understanding of the world. Nominated playwrights are then invited to submit an application. From this pool, SVPR undertakes a thoughtful review process to select the Resident Playwright whose artistic vision, body of work, and interest in community engagement align most closely with the mission and spirit of the residency.
-
In our first five 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, Tony Winner Stephen Karam, Pulitzer Finalist Rajiv Joseph, former Sundance Fellow Max Posner, Pulitzer Winner Eboni Booth, and Tony-nominated actor Marin Ireland, among others.
-
Since its founding, SVPR has supported the creation and development of new theatrical work by some of today’s most compelling playwrights, helping foster projects that go on to have vibrant lives on stages across the country.
Through our commissioning program, SVPR has supported the creation of Blue Cowboy by David Cale; Horoscope by Rajiv Joseph (co-commissioned with Fordham University); and Hanukkah Spectacular by Max Posner.
Plays developed through our residency and development programs include Queens by Martyna Majok; Little Bear Ridge Road by Samuel D. Hunter; and Lagniappe by C. A. Johnson.
-
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 Community Library’s historic Ernest and Mary Hemingway House, which is which a private residence for visiting writers and the site of ongoing preservation efforts. 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.
-
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. We are a hybrid artist retreat, commissioning program, and new play development lab that helps playwrights turn ideas into full-length plays.
-
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 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. We also collaborate with other Idaho-based organizations including Wood River High School’s Drama Department, Boise State University’s Department of Theatre, Film, and Creative Writing, The Liberty Theatre Company, and Boise Contemporary Theater.
“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.”
Zack Canepari
“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
“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.”
Christina Gandolfo