Sydney Theatre Company

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TC is committed to developing new, Australian work for performance and has several initiatives in place for doing so. The appointment of The Residents marks a significant change in our approach to creating new work and will facilitate the development of several projects major as well as the professional development of playwrights and directors.

What We Do…

Commissions
Project Development
Rough Drafts
Workshops and Creative Developments
STC Writers’ Group
Readings
STC Ed – Commissions and Development of New Work
Young Playwrights’ Residency

Commissions

STC regularly commissions playwrights to develop either original works or adaptations for the stage. These commissions are generally offered to playwrights who are advanced in their careers and with whose work we have established a relationship. Workshops with actors and a dramaturge are made available to all commissioned playwrights and we endeavour to support the development of each project according to the writers’ individual needs.

Playwrights currently under commission include: Lally Katz, Hilary Bell, Daniel Keene, Donna Abela & Vanessa Bates & Hilary Bell & Noelle Janaczewska & Ned Manning & Catherine Zimdahl (7-On), Nicki Bloom and Stefo Nantsou

Project Development

A number of large scale projects are in long term development for future production. The writers and directors attached to these projects collaborate with The Residents in regular development workshops.

Rough Drafts

Rough Drafts are a strand of our Next Stage program. Essentially, Rough Drafts are fully funded week-long creative developments which give theatre makers the opportunity to try out new ideas, new ways of working and new collaborations.

The emphasis of the exercise is on process rather than product; it’s about giving artists a space in which they can experiment… and perhaps even fail!

For more information about Rough Drafts and for submission guidelines for artists click here.

Workshops and Creative Developments

Although we generally only commission more experienced writers, STC seeks to support playwrights at earlier stages in their careers.

One of the ways in which we do this is through Playwrights’ Workshops which run at intervals during the year. These creative developments are a stripped back version of Rough Drafts. Writers invited to participate are provided with access to a rehearsal space, a dramaturge and as many members of The Residents as are available or required. Participants can to develop works in progress, begin a new work long in the pipeline or experiment with an entirely new idea.

In 2009 we have invited Tahli Corin, Nick Coyle, Emily Calder, Phil Spencer, Post Presents and Kate Mulvany to participate in these creative developments.

Please note that we do not receive unsolicited pitches or submissions. Please click here for our submission guidelines.

STC Writers’ Group

Our Literary Department also runs a Writers’ Group comprising of four core members (Hilary Bell, Tahli Corin, Nick Coyle and Tommy Murphy) which enables us to consult with playwrights on a regular basis and provide informal mentorship. The group has access to STC’s facilities, a dramaturge and a space in which to write.

Readings

Throughout the year STC rehearse and present readings of plays as part of our Back Stage program. In addition to these public events, we also hold internal readings (attended by STC and industry colleagues) of new or existing works that we are either considering for programming or wish to support the development of.

Public readings are free and are advertised on this website.

STC Ed – Commissions and Development of New Work

Like many theatre companies in Australia and internationally, STC are constantly examining and reassessing our play commissioning practices and processes. STC Ed has recently begun to commission playwrights to undertake Assignments. This provides playwrights with an opportunity to begin the essential research required before writing and to make preliminary sketches that could later be developed into a play. They are expected to deliver a document that may include a treatment, research notes, a story outline or any other relevant material. It is intended to be a theatrical equivalent of a visual artist's sketch book!

This approach ensures that playwrights are renumerated for the time they spend undertaking initial research (in the past playwrights hoping to be commissioned have been expected to submit 'pitches' for which they receive no payment).

The Company also benefits greatly from adopting this commissioning model. We hope that we will - in consultation with the playwright - be able to assess whether the project has programming potential for STC ED.

Young Playwrights Residency

The Young Playwrights Residency was established this year in place of the Young Playwrights Award. The Residency brings students from across New South Wales into the company to immerse themselves in the world of theatre and develop their skills as playwrights. For more information click here.