2025 Theater Production Awards Guidelines

The Gerbode Foundation's Special Awards in the Arts Program, established in 1987, has been a cornerstone in supporting new works across dance, theater production, and music composition. The program has consistently backed culturally and aesthetically diverse works by emerging, mid-career, and legacy artists. These grants have supported artists at critical junctures in their careers; enabled local nonprofit artist-centered groups to produce original works; and enriched Bay Area audiences by showcasing the region’s most promising new works.

The Gerbode Foundation is pleased to announce a $400,000 fund for the creation and development of new theater productions by California writers, playwrights, spoken word artists, and theater-makers. The new works will be commissioned and produced by Bay Area nonprofit artist-centered organizations with annual budget sizes of $60K to $3M that can apply for grants of $50,000 each.

1. Support the creative process involved in developing new work.

2. Recognize the exceptional contributions of innovative writers, playwrights, spoken word artists, and theater-makers.

3. Support projects that represent diversity in gender-expression & identity, race, ethnicity, culture and are inclusive of individuals of all abilities.

4. Support artist-centered organizations in their commitment to commission, develop, and produce new work by California artists.

5. To support organizations and companies that are deeply rooted in Bay Area communities and have a positive impact within these communities.

The Common App is a collaboration between funders and grantmakers with unique histories and objectives. The 2025 Theater Production Awards is a part of the Common Application for the Arts – Bay Area (“Common App”) – an initiative in which participating funders use standardized questions to help create greater efficiency for grantseekers.

The information requested in our Application Form aligns with the Common App with notations in parenthesis. While the intent of the Common App is to provide an easy copy-n-paste from the Common App template, be mindful of our program’s goals and criteria. Consider making minor revisions to ensure responses address the specific nuances of the 2025 Theater Production Awards program.

If you are not using the Common App, please simply ignore the notations in parenthesis in our application form. Once you have completed Gerbode’s application, consider copy and pasting your responses into the Common App template since you are already 70% done!

Olivia Malabuyo Tablante
Program Director

Email: special.awards@gerbode.org

February 27, 2025
2025 Theater Production Awards application process opens

Wednesday, March 19th at 11:30am,
Tuesday, April 22nd at 10am,
Thursday, May 15th at 5:30pm
Application Info Webinar - registration required; sign up here
1-hour webinar – Program Director will provide an overview of the Program Guidelines and walk participants through the Application Process. Great for first-time applicants and seasoned applicants to learn about any changes from past rounds.

Webinars are not recorded

Thursday, March 13th at 1:30pm,
Monday, March 24th at 10:30am,
Monday, March 25th at 11am,
More times TBD – check here
1-hour Zoom session – drop in any time during this hour. These sessions are designed to create space for questions about eligibility or our application process. Please note that this session is an open forum – all participants may ask questions or listen in.

Wednesday, May 7th – Friday, June 13th
Follow-up Call or Zoom with Program Director (Bookings will open on May 1st) – sign up here
30-minute phone call or Zoom meet with Program Director – This is an opportunity to discuss specific questions about your application or project. It is highly recommended to have the lead artist involved in this follow-up. Please make sure to attend either an Application Info Webinar or Drop-in Hour before scheduling a follow-up.

Wednesday, June 18th at 4pm (PST)
Application Deadline
Application materials emailed to: special.awards@gerbode.org

June/July 2025
Program Team review & follow up with Applicants (if applicable)

August 2025
Panel Review

September 2025
Applicants notified

Important note: We do not accept applications from individual artists or collaborative teams. An eligible organization is the applicant.

Eligible producing organizations (suggestions below):

• Theater companies

• Theater ensembles

• Interdisciplinary arts presenters

• Community-based arts organizations

• Organizations with a demonstrated history of working with theater-based artists

Note on fiscal sponsorship: We accept fiscal sponsorship on a case-by-case basis. Fiscal sponsors serving only as a fiduciary bridge are not eligible. A fiscal sponsor must be a partner and have involvement in the project beyond a fiduciary pass-through. Please contact the Gerbode Foundation at special.awards@gerbode.org or attend a drop-in session to confirm eligibility.

The producing organization must meet the following criteria:

1. Commit to developing, producing, and fundraising for the proposed project.

2. Artist-centered, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been in operation for at least 2 years.

3. Located in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano, or Sonoma County.

4. Has an organization budget between $60K and $3M.

5. Will pay a minimum fee of $12,500 to the commissioned lead artist or a minimum of $25,000 for artist fees if the project is a collaboration or devised theater process.

6. Demonstrates a history of producing and/or presenting theater-based projects.

7. Does not have a current open grant in Gerbode’s Special Awards in the Arts program.

8. Submit only one application.

Important note: We do not accept applications from individual artists or collaborative teams. An eligible organization is the applicant.

Lead artists at any career stage – emerging, mid-career or legacy – are eligible (suggestions below):

• Writers

• Playwrights

• Spoken word artists

• Puppeteers

• Theater ensembles

• Collaborative Teams

• Devised-theater practitioners

• Musical Theater Writers

The proposed lead artist(s) must meet the following criteria:

1. Meet one of the following: (1) be a current California resident or (2) have demonstrated history creating and producing work in California in the last 5 years.
   While the organization must be based in an eligible Bay Area County, the artist(s) can reside in any zip code in California or out-of-state if they meet the criteria stated above.

2. Theater-based artist(s) who is/are the creative lead in the development of the proposed project.

3. Consider a project that will have a significant impact on the producing organization if they are a founding director of the producing organization or ensemble.

4. Have had at least two works developed and produced (this includes online experiences).

5. Have not received a previous playwright or theater commissioning grant from the Gerbode Foundation. (Unfortunately, past individual artist recipients of the Special Awards in the Arts program are not eligible.)

6. Proposed as the lead artist or ensemble for only one application.

All theater-based forms will be considered. The panel evaluation and scoring is primarily focused on the creative process.

Proposed projects must meet the following criteria:

1. Proposed projects must be new and original. Revisions of existing work are not eligible, unless it is substantially revised.

2. The project must be completed/presented between June 2026 and December 2028.

3. Project budgets must include either:

   1. a minimum lead artist commissioning fee of $12,500; or

   2. a minimum of $25,000 in artist fees if it is a collaborative or devised theater process

4. Proposed projects can be at any stage of development except a work-in-progress already in rehearsal.

The following is a list of eligible projects and final presentation formats (this list is suggestive but not exhaustive):

• Company-devised projects

• Solo work

• One-acts

• World premiere

• Fully staged reading

• Workshop production

• Full-length play

• Puppet theater

• Musicals and musical theater

• Hip hop theater

• Participatory theater

• Experimental theater

• Streamed theater

• Projects that incorporate AI technology

• Online experiences

The following projects are not eligible:

• Work-in-progress that is currently in rehearsal.

• College or university-based theater ensemble produced work.

Gerbode Foundation Program Team will conduct the initial review of applications. Then, a 4-person national advisory panel of peers and advisors in the theater field (with at least one locally-based panelist) will review the applications and work samples and make recommendations. Gerbode Foundation staff will present the recommendations to the Board of Directors who will make the final selection of grantees. Recipients will be notified in September 2025.

To achieve the program goals listed on page 1 of the Guidelines, the advisory panel will be asked to consider the following criteria in their evaluation:

• Lead Artist’s Creative Process & Artistic Experiences (60 points)

  • ✓ The lead artist’s approach, style, and creative process is articulated clearly.

  • ✓ The lead artist's proposed project, combined with their past artistic experience, demonstrates the potential to make a significant contribution to the theater arts and advance innovative approaches to theater-making.

  • ✓ The lead artist's creative methodology and vision for the proposed work is represented in the work samples and their proposed artistic collaborators or project partners.

  • ✓ The project will involve the lead artist’s artistic growth and/or have an impact on their creative practice.

  • ✓ The project displays originality of concept or theme.

  • ✓ There is urgency to support this project at this time.

Please note that the panelists will use the work samples and artistic experience submission as a key component of their review for this section.

• Diverse Representation (20 points)

  • ✓ The artist involved in the project is deeply rooted in and/or has intimate knowledge of a specific community. “Community” can include gender-expression & identity, race, ethnicity, culture, and is inclusive of individuals of all abilities.

  • ✓ Geographic location of artists will also be factored.

  • ✓ The lead artist's creative process involves community engagement.

  • ✓ The lead artist and organization represent the Bay Area’s diverse communities, neighborhoods, and/or cultural districts.

• Partnership (20 points)

  • For projects that involve a producing organization & a lead artist outside of the organization:

    • ✓ The proposed project reflects partnership with the producing organization that is essential to the realization of the proposed new theater work.

    • ✓ The lead artist has creative leadership in the project and their vision and process will be supported by the producing organization.

  • For projects involving the founding of artistic director or resident artists:

    • ✓ The proposed project is not "business as usual."

    • ✓ Developing and producing the proposed work is relevant to the producing organization. 

    • ✓ The project presents a unique opportunity to highlight the organization's institutional history or significance in its community.

  • Project Feasibility (assessed during Program Team review; not scored by Advisory Panel)

    • ✓ The applicant organization has the ability to raise funds for, develop and produce the proposed project.

Recipients will be notified in September 2025. In October 2025, 50% of the grant is disbursed upon receipt of the signed grant agreement. Grantees of the 2025 Theater Production Awards must develop, produce and present the commissioned work in one of the ten San Francisco Bay Area counties for in-person performances, virtual presentations or other online experiences.

An interim report specifying production plans must be received by the Gerbode Foundation before the remaining grant funds can be disbursed (typically 6 months prior to proposed premiere/presentation or new work). If the production plan or schedule changes from what is proposed at the time of the application, the Gerbode Foundation must be notified, and the changes must be approved. Gerbode Foundation will accept program or outreach materials in lieu of a final report.

We ask that recipients, when possible, acknowledge this grant in outreach materials and other forms of recognition with the following language or inclusion of our Foundation logo:

[Project] was made possible by the Gerbode Foundation’s Special Awards in the Arts program.