NEW CANAAN, CONN.: The Tow Foundation has awarded $75,000 grants to six New York City theatres to support a playwright of their choosing as the 2016–17 Tow Playwright-in-Residence. The residency program includes a full-time salary for each playwright, and the residencies will culminate in a full production of a play by each playwright at their respective sponsor theatre company.

This year’s recipients are Rachel Bonds at Ars Nova; Paola Lazaro-Muñoz at Atlantic Theater Company; Jaclyn Backhaus at Clubbed Thumb; Jenny Rachel Weiner at Roundabout Theatre Company; Caroline V. McGraw at Page 73 Productions; and Chisa Hutchinson at Second Stage Theatre. The six theatres—and their playwrights—were selected after two competitive application rounds. The playwrights will be involved in the day-to-day operations of their sponsoring organizations to learn about all aspects of nonprofit theatres.

“Our primary goal is to provide a transformational opportunity to spend a year focused on their writing,” said Emily Tow Jackson, executive director and president of the Tow Foundation, in a statement. “Promising playwrights need time and space to create their work, the support and mentorship of a professional theatre company, and ultimately, to see their work produced. We hope this residency will enhance their ability to navigate with confidence the multi-faceted, highly competitive world of professional theatre.”

Established in 1988 by Leonard and Claire Tow, the Tow Foundation funds innovative projects and collaborative ventures in fields where there are opportunities for breakthroughs, reform, and benefits for underserved populations.