Mark Your Calendars to Apply for 2025 at the O'Neill!

The new year is just around the corner and we are so excited for our 2025 Summer Conference Season!

This Spring, we'll be accepting applications for the Young Playwrights Festival, the National Puppetry Conference, Cabaret Junior Fellows, Cabaret Fellows, the National Theater Institute Summer Theatermakers Intensive. Be sure to save the date to apply — we can't wait to engage with your work!

Application Window:

January 16-30, 2025

The Young Playwrights Festival is a program dedicated to the growth of young, new artists and new works. Each year, students receive a rigorous exploration of their work guided by professional artists as well as a script-in-hand public reading of their new play.

Photo of Sophia Chapadjiev with YPF participants taken by Emma Brown

Application Window:

January 23-February 6, 2025

The National Puppetry Conference provides a meeting and creating ground for master artisans to pass their craft and ingenuity to new artists in the field of puppetry. Each June, participants collaborate with renowned directors, puppet artists, and playwrights to develop innovative productions conceived by guest artists, as well as presentations initiated by the Conference participants.

Photo of a puppet created by Andrew Kim taken by Richard Termine

Application Window:

February 4-18, 2025

The Cabaret Junior Fellows program is the premier pop music performance program for Connecticut's 15- to18-year-olds. The program includes two weeks of master classes and performance opportunities alongside the O’Neill’s professional guest artists at the Cabaret & Performance Conference.

Photo of Junior Cabaret Fellows performing aken by Emma Brown

Application Window:

February 11-25, 2025

One of the O'Neill's oldest programs, the National Critics Institute is the nation’s only program designed for arts writers and critics to strengthen their skills in an increasingly competitive and fast-paced industry. The two-week workshop is America's leading boot camp, offering Fellows an intensive course of study for writers of all experience levels.

Photo of participants in NCI taken by Issac Berliner

Application Window:

February 27-March 13, 2025

The Cabaret Fellows program offers a dynamic opportunity for performers to refine their skills and stage presence under the direction of an accomplished team of professionals. During an intense two-week period, this conference provides artistic guidance and expert instruction to a handful of participants chosen by application and invitation.

Photo of the Cabaret Fellow cohort performing taken by Emma Brown

Summer Theatermakers

Final Deadline:

May 19th, 2025*

*Apply by March 3rd, 2025 to receive a $500 tuition waiver

Our NTI Theatermakers Summer Intensive program provides six weeks of rigorous theater training and the opportunity to create new work alongside the O’Neill’s renowned developmental conferences.

Photo of NTI students performing taken by Isaak Berliner

860.443.5378 • 305 Great Neck Road, Waterford, CT 06385