Funding Bold New Work

The Clifford Odets Ensemble Play Commission expands on the lineage of the Group Theatre, Lee Strasberg, and playwright Clifford Odets — whose plays for this storied ensemble transformed the American Theatre.

Through the commission, The Lee Strasberg Creative Center partners talented emerging playwrights, directors, and Method trained actors to develop new ensemble works. The program offers playwrights a unique opportunity to see their plays realized on a professional stage without the years of workshops and readings that drag typical developmental processes.

Each year, one early-career playwright is selected, and in conjunction with the Institute and Creative Center, writes an original ensemble play that will be produced and performed by the end of the year. Playwrights get a chance to work with a full production team and select group of student actors to bring their writing to life in an intensive program unlike any other.

Dead To Us: A New Play

Written by Malikah Stafford, Recipient of the 2025 Clifford Odets Ensemble Play Commission Award