We are thrilled to present the newest members of The Civilians’ eleventh annual R&D Group. These artists were selected from a pool of nearly 200 project proposals by a committee of Civilians staff and readers, including your Extended Play team.

The R&D Group is designed to support and develop new investigative theater by gathering a group of writers, composers, and directors as they embark on the creative process. Led by Resident Dramaturg Phoebe Corde, the group meets regularly to discuss their findings and offer their own perspectives on each other’s projects. The process culminates in the FINDINGS Series, a works-in-progress reading series.

The members of The Civilians’ 2022-23 R&D Group are Adam Chanler-Berat, Andrew Saito (collaborating with director Amy Marie Haven), Brandy Hoang Collier, Clare Fuyuko Bierman, Divya Mangwani, Erika Ji, Julia Izumi, Julian Hornik, and Xandra Nur Clark.

The artists in this year’s R&D Group are curious, inventive, and clever. They approach their work with humor and heart, and we are thrilled to return to in-person meetings with them. You can find out more about these artists and the projects they’ll be developing this season on The Civilians R&D Group page.

FINALISTS & SEMIFINALISTS

This year’s submission pool was flooded with talent and projects that we were thrilled to uncover. In honor of their excellent work, The Civilians are pleased to share the exceptional finalist and semifinalist artists considered for this season’s R&D Group. We encourage you to get to know their work.

Finalist Projects were proposed by Alexandra Becker, Charles Green & Erica Wray, Elle Thoni, Erin Reifler & Zonia Tsang, Jay Eddy & Sam Plattus, Kate Eberstadt & Molly Rose Heller, Marianna Staroselsky, Sophie Sagan-Gutherz, and Zoë Geltman.

Semifinalist Projects were proposed by Alexander Shaw & David Rosenberg, Anna Fox, Ashley Olive Teague & Liz Appel, Dylan Schifrin, James La Bella, Jeanna Phillips & NicHi Douglas, Julián Mesri, Kate Douglas, Katya Stanislavskaya, Miranda Cornell, Patrick Dunning & Talia Feldberg, Sarah Rose Dahnke, SEVAN, SMJ, and Storm Thomas.

To learn more about The Civilians and to access exclusive discounts to shows, visit our website TheCivilians.org.