ECHOES WRITERS GROUP

The Echoes Writers Group at Primary Stages is a year-long, educational program focused on finding, nurturing, and amplifying the voices of women, non-binary, and gender non-conforming artists. Echoes is a place for writers to find and develop their voice in a supportive and creative community that grows together. 

In the Fall, the Group participates as a cohort in playwriting classes led by Calamity West and including sessions with guest mentors. In the Spring, the Group will continue as a cohort with weekly sharing sessions led by Calamity, and also enroll in a class of their choice at the Primary Stages Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA), selecting a class in conjunction with the Primary Stages team that will best move their writing forward. In both semesters, writers will have the chance to create and develop their own work with professionals who represent a vast array of fields and writing styles. Past Mentors include Cusi Cram, Brittany K. Allen, Tina Satter, Chisa Hutchinson, Madhuri Shekar, Migdalia Cruz, and Mfoniso Udofia. ESPA classes include such offerings as The First Draft, Rewriting Your Draft, Comedy Writing, 10-Minute Plays and One Acts, The Dramaturgy of Playwriting, and more. Each Group member also receives a $500 honorarium. 

Primary Stages strives to reflect the story of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexualities, classes, ages, and abilities, and hopes for this group to reflect the America around us as opposed to what has historically been taught and represented. 

This program is made possible by a generous grant from The Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation New ERA Women Writers Program.  

Submissions for the 2024/25 Echoes Writers Group are closed. All applications were due Monday, July 22. We will announce our 2024/25 Echoes cohort this Fall.

Program Details for the 2024/25 Cohort

Program sessions will happen via Zoom, with the option of taking ESPA classes either on Zoom or in person at ART/NY at 520 8th Avenue in NYC. In order to foster a full and robust group, we are asking members to commit to attending meetings throughout the year on Tuesdays from 7-10pm ET. 

Below are the dates for both the Fall and Spring sessions of the group, subject to change:

• Fall 2024 sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 7-10pm ET via Zoom on:
  October 8, 15, 22, 29, November 5, 12, 19, December 3, 10, 17

• Spring 2025 sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 7-10pm ET via Zoom on:
  February 18, 25, March 4, 11, April 1, 8, 22, 29, May 6, 13

• The Spring 2025 ESPA semester runs from mid-February through the end of May, and classes are offered both online and in person. You will be able to choose a class from our course offerings that best fits within your schedule.

We are looking for people who love to write but have not had the chance to fully explore their passion in a professional or academic setting. Women, non-binary, and gender non-conforming writers have faced many barriers to pursuing and developing their writing, and this is meant to be a supportive and creative space that will offer mentorship and community to those who are seeking to develop their voice. Whether you’ve stepped away from your writing and wish to reinvest in your passion, want to expand the scope of your writing, are discovering a new creative interest, or anything in between, we’re looking for undeveloped and undiscovered voices who need room to grow.