Co-Director/Dramaturg

Daybreak: a new play with songs seeks co-director/dramaturg submissions for an upcoming staged reading in February 2026. Co-written by Erin Lekovic and Jacob Watson (with songs by Laura Stratford), Daybreak is an exploration of the science and emotion of awe.

The story follows two pairs (a married couple and siblings) as they search for hope in the midst of a global crisis called The Dimming. Along the way, they visit outer space and encounter a time-hopping Sailor, whose sea shanties offer an oddly-prescient perspective on what it means to sustain faith and embrace connection amidst darkness and uncertainty.

Read more about the script and music on NPX here: Daybreak | New Play Exchange

We are looking for creative, collaborative theatremakers with interest and experience in nontraditional storytelling, developing new work, and/or science fiction/magical realism.

Our team has been developing this piece for several years and we are excited to bring on an additional voice to help us bring this story to life for a public-facing staged reading. Note: this is a hybrid director/dramaturg role that we expect will support script/story development through active, hands-on work with the actors and writers in the rehearsal room and over video calls.

Commitment: Rehearsals between Jan 18 - Feb 6, 2026, two live readings the weekends of Feb 7th and 14th (specific dates TBD), 25 hours approximate rehearsal time plus production and literary development meetings prior to January with the team.

If interested, please submit a short statement of interest as well as your resume/portfolio to Laura Stratford (lcstratford@gmail.com), Producer. Shortlisted candidates will receive an invitation to schedule a 15-20 minute Zoom conversation to determine fit for the project.