To the main content To the footer
Adam Mansbach reads from his piece “I Had a Brother Once” to a group of audience members during The Ground Floor’s 2026 Summer Residency Lab in our Tony Taccone Hall.

Summer Residency Lab

Mark your calendars: we’re looking for our 15th anniversary cohort of theatre-makers.

Fifteen years ago, The Ground Floor started with a simple, essential premise: give theatre-makers the time, space, and bespoke resources they need, and let the work lead the way. Since then, it has evolved into a vital creative home — a place where writers, directors, and cross-disciplinary artists gather in person, push past familiar boundaries, and take each other’s wildest impulses seriously.

As we celebrate our 15th anniversary, Berkeley Rep is proud to continue building toward the future of theatre-making. Our Summer Residency Lab brings artists to Berkeley Repertory Theatre to work on projects for a duration of one- to two-week residencies from Jul 5 through Aug 1, 2027.

Applications for the 2027 Summer Residency Lab open Nov 16 at 9am PT and will close Dec 1 at 5pm PT.

Join our email list

For the most up-to-date information on the Summer Residency Lab, including invitations to public performances, log in to your account or join our email list, then check “The Ground Floor—New Plays” checkbox.

Artists

Berkeley Rep welcomed over 100 local and national artists to develop 20 innovative theatrical projects during The Ground Floor's Summer Residency Lab in 2026.

Alumni artists

The Ground Floor's Summer Residency Lab has been bringing artists to Berkeley Rep to work on theatrical projects since 2012.

How to apply

We invite artists to apply to the Summer Residency Lab with projects meant for the stage that would benefit from a residency in Berkeley for one to two weeks. Projects may be anywhere along their development path.

Production assistants

The Ground Floor Summer Residency Lab production assistant position offers highly motivated, responsible individuals the opportunity to gain experience working for a new play development process at a major regional theatre.

FAQ

Please peruse The Ground Floor Summer Residency Lab’s frequently asked questions. If your question isn’t answered here, email us.

Special thanks

Lead support for The Ground Floor has been provided by Frances Hellman & Warren Breslau, The John Logan Foundation, The Maurer Family Foundation, and The Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust.

Put me on the waiting list

Wishlist

Added:

To wishlist