The The primary purpose of the residency is to allow the playwright to write plays.  The intent is to advance professional outcomes for the participating writers as well as to help Arena test and develop best practices for such residencies in theaters around the country. The design of the Playwright Residencies are based on the following principles:

Karen Zacarías has had productions at Arena Stage, Goodman, Kennedy Center, Round House, TFA, Alliance, Berkshire, Arden, and others. Her plays include: Legacy of Light, The Book Club Play, Mariela in the Desert, the adaptation of How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and The Sins of Sor Juana. This season, she’ll have productions at the Goodman, Denver Center, and Milagro Theater, plus the Kennedy Center will take her children’s play, Chasing George Washington on national tour. Her musical plays for young people with composer Debbie Wicks La Puma include: Einstein Is a Dummy and four plays created for Imagination Stage: Looking for Roberto Clemente, Ferdinand the Bull, Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans and The Magical Piñata. Honors: Primus Prize, Hayes for Outstanding New Play, National Latino Playwrights Award, AT&T First Stages, O’Neill residency, New Vision/New Voices. She has a B.A. from Stanford University and masters in playwriting from Boston University. Zacarías lives in Washington with husband Rett and their three children. She is the founder and artistic director of Young Playwrights Theater.

• Writers need time to write.
• Many writers find it helpful to be around other writers.
• Development processes need to be designed with and for Playwrights.
• Playwrights need producing support for a successful process.

Residency Design

• Three-year terms for three playwrights (one local, two non-locals) to write and develop new plays.
• Each playwright will receive an Arena Stage commission, annual stipend, health benefits and housing (for non-locals) as well as a budget to cover collaborating artist fees and development expenses to be managed by the playwright.
• Arena Stage will retain rights for the Arena Stage commission ONLY; all other work completed during the residency will be unencumbered.
• The Resident Playwrights will work with New Play Producing Fellows (link to New Play Producing Fellows page) who will produce all new play development activities during their residency.
• The Resident Playwrights will have access to and be welcome to participate in any Arena Stage activities that draw their interest. 

Timeline
The local Resident Playwright, Karen Zacarías begins January 1, 2010, and the full inaugural class will be announced in February, with the two non-local playwrights beginning on July 1, 2010.