The Playwrights Realm is launching the International Theatermakers Award.

Recognizing the critical contribution of theatermakers from around the world to American theater and the barriers they face to work in our country, The Playwrights Realm is launching the International Theatermakers Award.

The International Theatermakers Award program is a partnership between The Playwrights Realm and Dyer Harris LLP, a New York law firm whose focus is immigration for creative artists and professionals. The award seeks to bring clarity and comfort to the people caught up in the American immigration system, and to contribute to expanding the plurality of voices in American theater, by offering:

  • Free of charge, legal assistance by Dyer Harris LLP in applying for an O-1B artist visa (including related filing charges) to up to three international theatermakers, who will be selected by a panel of experts led by The Playwrights Realm. As per The Playwrights Realm mission, at least one theatermaker will be a playwright.

  • Free public digital panels on U.S. artist visa and green card application processes for international artists, to demystify these processes and expand the comfort and knowledge of international artists and American theatermakers wanting to work with immigrant artists.

Please register for our first free webinar on October 20th at 2PM ET: O-1 Visas: A Primer for International Artists

To participate in the International Theatermakers Award, you will first need to establish that you meet the requirements of an O-1 Visa in the arts, which is granted to individuals who have a sustained record of recognized achievement in an artistic field (in the U.S. or other countries).

To confirm your eligibility, please complete our preliminary eligibility survey here by Sunday, November 1 at 11:59PM EST.

Timeline

  • October 7th: Preliminary eligibility survey opens

  • October 20th: Free webinar on O-1 Visas: A Primer for International Artists (register here)

  • November 1st: Preliminary eligibility survey closes

  • By November 9th: Up to 75 eligible applicants will be invited to submit a full application (if there are more eligible applicants, 75 will be chosen based on a random lottery)

  • December 6th: Full applications due

  • Early February:  Awardees announced