TheaterWorks Hartford has received the Joyce C. Willis Equity in the Arts grant to fund its artist residency in 2026 and it “strengthens our future,” according to theater leaders.
The grant was awarded by the Roberts Foundation for the Arts, and the funds will back the development of a new play “Both”, which will have its world premiere during the organization’s 2026-27 season. It is a play by Paloma Nozicka, a Mexican American writer, actor, and award-winning filmmaker this summer, according to a statement.
During Nozicka’a residency, she will develop the play, scheduled for TheaterWorks Hartford’s 2026-27 season, according to TheaterWorks Hartford.
“We are deeply grateful to the Roberts Foundation for the Arts for this wonderful award and generous support,” TheaterWorks Hartford’s artistic director Rob Ruggiero state in a statement.
“This gift makes a real and immediate impact — fueling TheaterWorks Hartford’s commitment to champion emerging playwrights of color and to bring bold new voices to our stage. Support like this doesn’t just fund a single work; it strengthens our future and allows us to grow with purpose and imagination.”
The Joyce C. Willis Equity in the Arts Award is a competitive grant that aims to foster creativity in the Greater Hartford region, support artists of color in creation of new work, foster collaboration “between artists of color and arts organizations that benefit the arts, the organization, and the community, and further the foundation’s mission to support and encourage excellence in the arts in Hartford and immediately surrounding communities,” according to a statement.
TheaterWorks is the lone recipient of the grant for the year.
“TheaterWorks Hartford has a long history of working with new and emerging playwrights and is committed to fostering new play development. The goal is to produce the play for a diverse audience, with select performances to include Spanish language captioning. This opportunity from the Roberts Foundation will allow TheaterWorks to reach a larger Spanish Speaking audience within the Greater Hartford Community,” according to TheaterWorks Hartford.
“We are especially excited to welcome Paloma to TWH for a residency in 2026 to further develop her new play, Both. We look forward to producing the play’s world premiere during our 2026–27 season and to welcoming Paloma back throughout the rehearsal process,” Ruggiero said.
“True to our commitment to access and community connection, this residency and production will include Spanish-language outreach, translated materials, and additional initiatives designed to meaningfully welcome Hartford’s Spanish-speaking communities into the experience. We also anticipate that Paloma’s time at TWH, supported by the guidance of our artistic team, will help further her career and elevate her presence within the American theater,” he added.
Nozicka, who is based in Los Angeles, created an award-winning short film, “Each Lovely Thing,” which is on the festival circuit, according to TheaterWorks. Nozicka’s debut play, “Enough to Let the Light In,” premiered in the fall of 2022 in Chicago, according TheaterWorks. She was voted “Best Filmmaker” in the Chicago Reader’s 2022 “Best of Chicago” poll.
Nozicka’s acting credits include “The Red Line” (CBS); “Proven Innocent,” “Empire” (FOX); “Chicago Med” and “Chicago P.D.” (NBC), among others.
TheaterWorks Hartford, founded in 1985, is led by Ruggiero and managing director Jeff Griffin. It has produced theater for 40 years at 233 Pearl St. in Hartford. The theater has produced more than 200 plays and musicals, including the world premiere of “High” (with Kathleen Turner), “Relativity” (with Richard Dreyfuss) and “Make Me A Song: The Music of William Finn,” according to TheaterWorks.