ColLABo
A one-of-a-kind laboratory for theater makers
ColLABo is a production development incubator–housed on Carnegie Mellon University’s campus–where theater makers from multiple disciplines come together to wrestle with production-related challenges on a project they intend to have produced. Produced in partnership with CMU’s Center for New Work, ColLABo is designed to be a director-centered and design-led process, giving creative teams valuable time, space, and resources to explore their projects and problem-solve before they dive into the production pressure cooker.
HOW COLLABO WORKS
Creative teams made up of four artists (which must include at least one director and one designer) who are working together on a theatrical project join us in Pittsburgh for two weeks at the end of May/early June. ColLABo 2026 will take place June 6–20, 2026. Out-of-town artists are provided on-campus housing, airfare (within the U.S.) or gas reimbursement to travel to and from Pittsburgh. Each participating artist receives a $1,000 honararium. Teams work out of the Purnell Center of the Arts – home to Carnegie Mellon University’s prestigious School of Drama – and have access to School of Drama resources and artists, as well as local Pittsburgh theater practitioners. Throughout this two-week process, teams explore and create solutions for specific production-related challenges within their theatrical projects.
WHO IS RIGHT FOR COLLABO?
We are seeking cohorts of American theater artists who are dedicated to developing new stories that elevate unheard voices, or to reimagining established plays in ways that broaden the range of perspectives explored. We are looking for teams that have very specific production-related challenges to explore. As a director- and designer-led process, ColLABo is meant to support production development more so than script development.
HOW TO APPLY.
The application period for ColLABo 2026 is now closed. Applications are open each year between November and January.
Past ColLABo Projects
PLASTIC NEST – 2024
“Plastic Nest” by Tracy Held was part of ColLABo 2024. The team explored different ways to depict the bird characters in the play through movement, puppetry, and design.
DR. REES ZITI’S PAGEANT FOR A BETTER FUTURE – 2024
“Dr. Rees Ziti’s Pageant for a Better Future” was a project workshopped during ColLABo 2024 by The Bellwether Project. Their team explored how to use live camera media in concert with a live action play.
MONSTROUS – 2025
“Monstrous” – a new play by MFA Dramatic Writing alum elle thoni was workshopped during ColLABo 2025. Their residency focused on how the convention of time travel operates onstage and how the magical transformations in the play manifest aesthetically and compositionally.
SPEAK
“Speak” was workshopped during ColLABo 2025 as a project submitted by local Pittsburgh theater company Prime Stage. Adapted from a YA novel by playwright Tammy Ryan, the script called for visual storytelling and theatrical design to convey the inner turmoil of the quiet protagonist, Melinda – a high school freshman.
39 REVOLUTIONS – 2023
“39 Revolutions” by Alex Lin was workshopped during ColLABo 2023 and explored how lighting design could help tell the story.
THE MOURNERS – 2023
“The Mourners” by Rivka Rivera has a hurricane happen on stage. During ColLABo 2023, their team created it by dropping rice from the grid in the Rauh Theater.
LAST WEST
“Last West” came to ColLABo 2025 in preparation for its world premiere production at Sonoma Valley Museum of Art in November 2025. The team worked on the show’s large-scale, immersive projected backdrop with MFA Video & Media Design student Ryan Yu, who went on to design for the full production.
PLASTIC NEST – 2024
“Plastic Nest” by Tracy Held was part of ColLABo 2024. The team explored different ways to depict the bird characters in the play through movement, puppetry, and design.
DR. REES ZITI’S PAGEANT FOR A BETTER FUTURE – 2024
“Dr. Rees Ziti’s Pageant for a Better Future” was a project workshopped during ColLABo 2024 by The Bellwether Project. Their team explored how to use live camera media in concert with a live action play.
MONSTROUS – 2025
“Monstrous” – a new play by MFA Dramatic Writing alum elle thoni was workshopped during ColLABo 2025. Their residency focused on how the convention of time travel operates onstage and how the magical transformations in the play manifest aesthetically and compositionally.
SPEAK
“Speak” was workshopped during ColLABo 2025 as a project submitted by local Pittsburgh theater company Prime Stage. Adapted from a YA novel by playwright Tammy Ryan, the script called for visual storytelling and theatrical design to convey the inner turmoil of the quiet protagonist, Melinda – a high school freshman.
39 REVOLUTIONS – 2023
“39 Revolutions” by Alex Lin was workshopped during ColLABo 2023 and explored how lighting design could help tell the story.
THE MOURNERS – 2023
“The Mourners” by Rivka Rivera has a hurricane happen on stage. During ColLABo 2023, their team created it by dropping rice from the grid in the Rauh Theater.
LAST WEST
“Last West” came to ColLABo 2025 in preparation for its world premiere production at Sonoma Valley Museum of Art in November 2025. The team worked on the show’s large-scale, immersive projected backdrop with MFA Video & Media Design student Ryan Yu, who went on to design for the full production.
ColLABo Producers
ColLABo is produced in partnership with
Center for New Work
CMU’s new Center for New Work connects the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama with Pittsburgh’s established theaters and national partners to generate new work initiatives, creating a collaborative hub between higher education and regional theaters to sustain new live theatrical performance.
The Center’s staff is Anna Hanson (Associate Producer), Brannon Bowers (Co-Artistic Director), Skyler Baker (Program Assistant), Isaiah Jones (Program Assistant), and Rick Edinger (Co-Artistic Director).