Overview
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Theater Program commissions and produces new plays in which science, technology, or mathematics is central to the drama. Since 1998, the program has commissioned over 400 new science plays, staged more than 60 productions in New York City alone, and received over 2,000 submissions. The program operates through four partner organizations: Ensemble Studio Theatre (NYC), Manhattan Theatre Club (NYC), the National Theatre (London), and LA Theatre Works. In 2025, the Foundation awarded Ensemble Studio Theatre a $2,242,000 grant to fund three more years of the EST/Sloan Project - commissioning 30-40 new plays at $10,000 each, producing three mainstage productions, and providing seed grants to regional theaters. If you are a playwright with a science-themed project, the EST/Sloan Project accepts commission applications from September 15 to November 5 each year at estnyc.org.
History
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation was established in 1934 by Alfred P. Sloan Jr., former president and chairman of General Motors. The Theater Program launched in 1998 through a partnership with Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST) in New York. Since then, the program has commissioned over 400 new science plays, staged more than 60 productions in New York City alone, and received over 2,000 submissions. The program expanded to include Manhattan Theatre Club, the National Theatre in London, and LA Theatre Works as partners. In 2025, the Foundation awarded EST a $2,242,000 grant to fund 3 more years of the EST/Sloan Project. The program has backed works that won Tony Awards and Pulitzer Prizes, including Proof by David Auburn and Copenhagen by Michael Frayn. In 2025, Eureka Day, an MTC/Sloan-commissioned play, won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.
What It Funds
The Theater Program funds three types of activity:
Commissions: Playwrights receive $10,000 stipends to develop new science-themed plays. The EST/Sloan Project commissions 10-12 new plays per year. Manhattan Theatre Club awards additional commissions - its 2025-26 recipients are Waleed Akhtar, Chris Bush, and Christina Pumariega.
Development and readings: Commissioned plays receive workshop support, readings, and dramaturgical feedback. EST produces an annual festival of readings and workshops for works in progress. The program also hosts Artist Cultivation Events - virtual panels where scientists and playwrights discuss science and storytelling. The 2025 cultivation event on September 30 featured neuroscientist Dr. Heather Berlin, science historian Dr. Evelynn Hammonds, and playwrights Jake Brasch and Carla Ching.
Production grants: The program funds full productions of completed Sloan-commissioned plays at EST and at regional theaters nationwide. The 2025-26 regional development and production grants went to Lantern Theater Company, Media Art Xploration, Miners Alley Playhouse, Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre, and Seattle Rep. Over 100 Sloan-supported productions have been staged at more than 75 theaters across the country.
Distribution: Through a partnership with LA Theatre Works, the best Sloan-supported plays are recorded with A-list actors, broadcast on public radio, and distributed to schools and libraries.
Partner Organizations
The program operates through four partners, each with a distinct role:
Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST), New York
EST is the primary commissioning partner. The EST/Sloan Project has run since 1998 and has developed over 300 plays involving more than 1,000 playwrights, actors, choreographers, and composers. The 2025 grant of $2,242,000 funds three years of activity: 30-40 new commissions at $10,000 each, three mainstage productions, an annual festival, and regional seed grants. Commission applications open September 15 and close November 5 at estnyc.org. Contact: sloan@ensemblestudiotheatre.org.
Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC), New York
MTC commissions playwrights through its Sloan Initiative. The 2025-26 commissioned writers are Waleed Akhtar (Olivier Award winner for The P Word), Chris Bush (Olivier Award winner), and Christina Pumariega. MTC's Sloan-commissioned play "Eureka Day" was nominated for two Tony Awards. Contact: sloan@manhattantheatreclub.com. Visit the MTC Sloan Initiative page for details.
National Theatre, London
The Foundation recently awarded a pilot grant to the National Theatre to extend the science-play model to the UK. This partnership is in its early stages.
LA Theatre Works
LA Theatre Works records Sloan-supported plays with professional actors for radio broadcast and educational distribution through its Relativity Series, extending the reach of commissioned plays beyond live theater audiences.
Typical Award Size Range
| Grant Type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| EST/Sloan commission | $10,000 per play | 10-12 commissions per year |
| MTC Sloan commission | Varies | By invitation |
| EST mainstage production | Varies | Funded through $2.24M grant |
| Regional seed grants | Varies | For Sloan-commissioned plays at regional theaters |
| EST 2025 grant total | $2,242,000 | 3-year commitment |
Payment Structure
Sloan Theater Program commissions are paid as $10,000 stipends to playwrights upon signing the commission agreement. Development and production grants are disbursed to partner organizations, which manage funds for workshops, readings, and full productions. The 2025 EST grant of $2,242,000 is disbursed across 3 years in annual installments. Grant recipients must submit progress reports to receive subsequent installments.
Past Recipients and What They Made with the Money
Sloan Theater Program commissions have produced works that achieved major recognition:
- Proof by David Auburn - Won the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. A Sloan-supported play about mathematics and mental health.
- Copenhagen by Michael Frayn - Won the Tony Award for Best Play. A historical drama about the 1941 meeting between physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg.
- Eureka Day (MTC/Sloan) - Won the 2025 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. A comedy about a mumps outbreak at a progressive school.
- Dr Semmelweis - A West End production starring Mark Rylance about the 19th-century Hungarian physician who discovered the cause of puerperal fever.
- Las Borinqueñas - World premiere at EST in April 2024. A play about the Puerto Rican women who were among the first subjects of early birth control pill research.
- What You Are Now - Available to stream for free from EST. A play about neuroscience and memory.
The 2025-26 EST/Sloan commissions include Room 407 by Lily Akerman, IO by Milo Cramer, and I Believe in the Night by Annalisa Dias. The 2026 commissions were announced in June 2026, with 10 new playwrights selected.
What Makes an Application Competitive
The Sloan Foundation and its partners evaluate theater proposals on several concrete criteria:
- Scientific specificity: The science must be specific enough that a scientist would recognize the accuracy of the portrayal. The Foundation connects grantees with science advisors through its network.
- Dramatic integration: Science must be central to the drama and characters, not incidental or metaphorical. Historical plays about scientists, near-future speculative works, and contemporary plays about research are all within scope.
- Dramatic quality: The Foundation prioritizes drama, character, and storytelling over didactic explanation. Plays that treat scientific work as inherently compelling score higher.
- Career stage openness: Both emerging and established playwrights are eligible. The program does not require prior production credits.
- Format fit: The program does not fund revivals, adaptations of existing non-science works, or plays where science is used only metaphorically.
What Filmmakers Should Know
The Sloan Theater Program is not a film grant. It funds new plays for live theater, not screen-based work. However, several Sloan-commissioned plays have transferred to screen or been adapted for film and television. Proof was adapted into a 2005 film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins. Eureka Day won the 2025 Tony Award for Best Revival, demonstrating the commercial viability of Sloan-supported science plays. The key requirement: science, technology, or mathematics must be central to the dramatic conflict. The EST/Sloan Project accepts commission applications annually from September 15 to November 5 at estnyc.org. MTC identifies and invites playwrights for commissions through its Sloan Initiative, which does not run an open submission process. The program also hosts Artist Cultivation Events in September, featuring virtual panels where scientists and playwrights discuss science and storytelling. Over 100 Sloan-supported productions have been staged at more than 75 theaters across the country. Through a partnership with LA Theatre Works, the best Sloan-supported plays are recorded with professional actors, broadcast on public radio, and distributed to schools and libraries.
Watch
See Also
For the Sloan Foundation's Television Program funding science-focused TV documentaries, see the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Television Program entry. For the Sloan New Media Program funding interactive and digital science projects, see the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation New Media Program entry. For understanding how development funding fits into the broader landscape, see Film Grants and Funding. For distribution strategy for adapted works, see Film Distribution Deals Explained.
