Dunaway Gardens, the century‑old theatrical oasis outside Newnan, is about to get very busy. This spring, the historic property will host two heavyweight creative residencies on back‑to‑back dates: a Playwright Lab in April and the Sundance Institute’s Episodic Lab in May. Both are part of owner Tena Clark’s push to turn the once‑forgotten gardens into a full‑scale arts retreat, complete with performance spaces, studios and on‑site lodging for visiting artists.
Two residencies, one tight window
The Playwright Lab is set for April 14–20, led by Philip Himberg, former artistic director of the Sundance Theatre Lab, and will bring playwrights, composers and literary advisers to Dunaway for a week of intensive development, according to BroadwayWorld. The Sundance Institute’s Episodic Lab, a six‑day residency for early‑career television writers, is scheduled for May 15–20 at Dunaway Gardens, per the Sundance Institute.
A boon for Georgia writers
Landing Sundance’s writers program in the Atlanta orbit is a big deal for Georgia’s creative pipeline. The weeklong lab is fully funded and includes targeted mentorship, simulated writers’ rooms and story meetings that organizers say can help keep development work inside the state, as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Local arts leaders see the residencies as a rare shot for Georgia talent to sit at the same table as national showrunners and development executives instead of just mailing in spec scripts and hoping for the best.
A historic site gets another life
The gardens date back to the 1930s, when actress Hetty Jane Dunaway created the property as a training ground for performers. It thrived into the 1950s, then slipped into disuse as ownership shifted and the land was eventually sold in 2001, Axios Atlanta reports. Clark bought the original gardens and surrounding acreage in 2022 and folded them into a multiyear restoration effort aimed at reopening the grounds to both artists and audiences.
What’s on the master plan
The Dunaway Gardens Foundation has sketched out an ambitious build‑out that reads like a creative retreat wish list: a lodge, cottages and treehouses, a restaurant, a screening room, an events center, a pool and spa, plus sound stages and recording studios, according to the foundation’s site. The foundation also says the outdoor amphitheater is being restored to hold roughly 700 guests as part of the project’s first phase.
Clark told Axios Atlanta she hopes writers “won’t be able to imagine writing anywhere else” once they experience Dunaway, adding that the place “literally just exudes” creativity. Organizers say the property’s secluded terraces, waterfalls and stonework are not just pretty backdrops, but central to the residency model, giving writers room to work in quiet and collaborate without city noise creeping in.
Playwright Lab’s pedigree
The Playwright Lab revives a style of theater development long associated with Sundance and its alumni. Dunaway Gardens notes that labs of this type have supported Tony and Pulitzer‑winning work and that the new program will include select Georgia artists to make sure local voices are in the mix. Philip Himberg’s leadership links the weeklong retreat to the theatrical development tradition he helped build at Sundance, according to Dunaway’s program materials.
Application and logistics
Submissions for the 2026 Episodic Lab have closed. The Sundance Institute says applicants will hear back in mid‑April and that travel, housing and meals are covered for fellows who are selected. The institute also notes that the lab accepts only a limited cohort and continues offering creative support after everyone heads home from the in‑person residency.
For Atlanta‑area writers and theater artists, these spring residencies double as serious professional development and a high‑profile test drive of Clark’s restoration work at Dunaway Gardens. Organizers say the programs will help them fine‑tune production workflows, residency logistics and community partnerships as the property moves toward broader public programming later this year.
