Cimientos
Part 1: incubator
Created over 20 years ago under the name La voz de los autores, Cimientos Play Development Program is a unique initiative of IATI Theater that supports the development of bold new works in English and Spanish.
Cimientos (English: Foundations) provides a nurturing environment for selected playwrights by offering workshop panels and mentorship throughout the incubator phase of the program. Each year, our development culminates in our Staged Readings Series, a week-long festival that brings the work from the page to the stage. These readings and talkbacks not only allow the playwright to showcase their work in New York City but also act as an inviting space for audiences to engage in the creative process of what we call Vanguardia.
The Cimientos Play Development Program doesn't just provide a platform for new voices; it creates an inclusive community of artists who learn, collaborate, and support each other in building the future of theater. Overall, this program plays a crucial role in promoting diverse and compelling storytelling, and it’s an essential aspect of IATI Theater's commitment to fostering innovative and thought-provoking works of art.
The Playwrights Selected for Cimientos 2025:
Mugabi Byenkya - Uganda 🇺🇬
Emily Yujo Walborn - USA 🇺🇸
isi bhakhomen - Canada 🇨🇦
Katherine Bustillos - Bolivia 🇧🇴
Nora Coss - Mexico 🇲🇽
Paz Palau - Spain 🇪🇸
Dimitris Alexiou - Greece 🇬🇷
Lwanda Sindaphi - South Africa 🇿🇦
Raúl Riquelme Hernández - Chile 🇨🇱
Daniela Thome - USA 🇺🇸
Playwrights!
Submissions for Cimientos 2026
will be open between
June 1 and June 30, 2025.
Cimientos
Part 2: Staged Readings Series
Every year, our incubator culminates in our Staged Readings Series, a week-long festival presenting our exciting curation of national and cross-continental contemporary writers. Our readings fuel the genesis of theater: the playwright. The selected texts showcase an eclectic array of dramaturgy that spans several themes and styles, that are all unique in bending traditional playwriting conventions. Each presentation is always followed by a talkback featuring playwrights, directors, and actors in which we invite audiences to share their thoughts and ask questions.
IATI Theater continues its commitment to developing new works by presenting Cimientos, a play development program that has given hundreds of playwrights the foundations to explore their vanguardia through developmental workshop-panels and staged readings.
