Press Release

The Orchard Project, a nationally renowned theater development laboratory, is announcing the launch of a new summer lab program that will help artists to develop television and episodic content starting in July 2018 from July 10 through July 23, 2018 in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Applications launch today on the Orchard Project’s website.

Application Deadline: First round applications are due by 5 PM EST on April 13, 2018.

Accommodations and meals are covered. Beyond the application fee ($30 before April 1, $40 after), there is no fee to participate.

Mentored by accomplished showrunners and producers, participants in the new Orchard Project Episodic Lab will be able to develop a specific project and elevate the level of their work. Lab participants will have time and space to refine their work, one-on-one creative story meetings with industry leaders, pitching sessions, mock writers’ rooms, and collaboration sessions with peers. The Lab will culminate with the opportunity to present new work to TV executives.

The Orchard Project Episodic Lab will be a two-week accelerator program for 6 to 8 artists selected through a competitive process. The program is for anyone with a desire to tell stories in the episodic form; playwrights, TV professionals, novelists, comedians and others are all encouraged to apply.

Writers will arrive to the Episodic Lab in Saratoga Springs, NY with a draft pilot script and leave with a refined draft and a show bible. Industry professionals, including television and film producers, directors, and show-runners culled from the program’s advisory committee, will be matched with each participant to read scripts and provide ongoing feedback and mentorship. Advisors for the program will include leading figures in TV, including David Mandel (Veep), Theresa Rebeck (Smash), Andrew Guest (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Jamie Pachino (Halt and Catch Fire), Becca Brunstetter (This Is Us), and others.

“With our new Episodic Lab, the Orchard Project will do more of what we do best: giving artists access to top-notch peers and leaders eager to share ideas, plus the time, space, and support they need to accelerate their their ideas and take them to the next level,” Orchard Project Artistic Director Ari Edelson said.

“Storytellers are moving between forms, more now than ever, and we are excited to expand our already bustling ecosytem of artists to include the next generation of great episodic storytellers.”

As the intention of the program is both to support those already in the episodic world and those looking to transition into it, anyone over the age of 18, regardless of experience, level, or background, may apply.

There will be a two-round application process. First, applicants will submit a short writing sample, logline, bio, and personal statement by April 13, 2018. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to submit a draft pilot script. The Orchard Project will notify selected artists by May 18, 2018.

For more than ten years, The Orchard Project has become the go-to development workshop for many of America’s boldest theatre companies and artists to create new work. To date, the Orchard Project has supported more than 1,000 artists and 200 shows, and work created at the Orchard Project been seen by at least 2,000,000 people in New York, Boston, London, Tokyo, Stockholm, Washington D.C., and beyond. From All the Way to Amelie, The Musical and from 33 Variations to Posh, the Orchard Project has played a significant role in the development of new works that have been, or will be, produced on and off Broadway and at theaters including St. Ann’s Warehouse, MCC Theatre, BAM, Arena Stage, Philly Live Arts, PS122, The Public Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company, the Edinburgh Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, Yale Rep, the Royal Court, and beyond. Work created at the Orchard Project also been turned into films distributed through HBO Films (All The Way), Universal (The Riot Club), and optioned into television projects at HBO, Netflix, and AMC Networks.

Photo (above): The Orchard Project website