Grant Opportunities
Leah Ryan Fund: The Boost Commission
THE BOOST COMMISSION
awarded by the Board of the Leah Ryan Fund. The Boost commission – now in its second round – will be awarded to a woman, trans, or non-binary playwright over forty (40) who has an ongoing practice. The winner will receive $10,000 to write a new play in conversation with a work by Leah Ryan. Applicants should use Leah’s work as a jumping off point, taking inspiration and creating freely from her themes, characters, or other aspects of her writing. (Please note: we are not looking for a sequel to Leah’s play.)
The board of the Leah Ryan Fund has chosen Leah’s play Debt as the prompt for this round of the Boost. Debt is a one act comedy about unpaid bills, endorphins, band practice, Marvin Gaye, and even more unpaid bills . . . something for everyone.
TIMELINE
Application Opens: February 16, 2026
Application Deadline: April 13, 2026, or until 150 applications are received.
Winner announced: June 1, 2026
Play delivered: June 1, 2027
Reading of the commissioned play: Fall 2027
Eligibility requirements
An eligible applicant for the Boost is a woman, trans, or non-binary playwright over forty (40) who has had at least one professional production or a script published by an established publishing/licensing house.
Application materials
– Two-page project summary in which the writer describes the play they intend to write, and answers the question: what about Leah’s play Debt inspired your idea for this play?
– CV / production history
– Fifteen pages of a work that best represents the writer’s voice. (This does not need to be the first fifteen pages of the work, just the pages you feel are the strongest).
– One reference – someone who can speak to your work as a playwright and theater maker (no letter is needed.)
The winner will receive:
—$10,000 to be received $6K at time of commission, $4K on completion
—A reading in Fall 2027
If you have any questions please contact Dev Bondarin at dev@leahryanfund.org
