RICHMOND, VA.: The Cadence Theatre Company has announced the inaugural class of its new fellowship program, Pipeline New Works. The program, which will begin in the fall of 2018, will give Virginia playwrights the chance to create new works and be mentored by a professional playwright for nine months. The fellowship will culminate in a series of public readings during the spring of 2019.

“Fostering relationships with developing playwrights and supporting local work is a vital extension of the Cadence mission,” said artistic and managing director Anna Senechal Johnson in a statement. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be providing Virginia playwrights with this amazing opportunity.”

This year’s inaugural class of fellows will include Brittany Fisher, Will Inman, Irene Ziegler, and writing duo Sanam Laila Hashemi, and Steven Burneson. They will receive guidance and playwriting training sessions from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire (Good People, Rabbit Hole). Fellows will be selected by July 16 and will receive a stipend of $500. The fellowship is sponsored in part by CapTech.

“Nothing excites me more than seeing new plays come to life,” said Lindsay-Abaire. “So what a privilege it was for me to be invited to Cadence to work with an astoundingly talented group of writers, and to be a small part of a process that will help them bring four brand new plays into the world. Under the visionary leadership of Anna Senechal Johnson, Cadence has proven itself to be one of the most vital and relevant theater companies in the country. Developing new work by local playwrights is a thrilling next step for them.”

Founded in 2009, Cadence Theatre Company produces contemporary theatre in Richmond, Va. and frequently collaborates with Virginia Repertory Company.