Theater Joint Announcement

Announcement by Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation

October 24, 2024

As part of its Women Playwrights Commissioning Program, the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation is pleased to announce the funding of four joint playwright commissions of $50,000 each whereby two theaters are paired to commission and develop a new play by a female playwright. The participating theaters and playwrights are:

New York Theater Workshop and Geffen Playhouse – N’yomi Stewart

Playwrights Horizons and Woolly Mammoth – Sheila Callaghan

Public Theater and Center Theater Group – Seayoung Yim

Signature Theater and La Jolla Playhouse - Melis Aker

The purpose of these grants is to advance women playwrights in theater by supporting the commissioning of new works with a focus on emerging female playwrights. It is the Foundation’s expectation that the grant award will be used for the commissioning fee, play development and related administrative expenses. It is hoped that each theater will produce the new work.

The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation is the first and only foundation that exclusively funds female choreographers, composers and playwrights. Mrs. Toulmin was a believer in equal opportunity and fairness for women and girls. Alexander Sanger, a Trustee of the Foundation, stated that, “We are proud to forward Mrs. Toulmin’s values by partnering with these premier theater companies. We wish a great future to these playwrights and the theaters that are partnering with them.”