"Naked Angels shares with The New School a creative sensibility that challenges the status quo — in art, in pedagogy, and in the resourceful enterprise that has always characterized the downtown theatre scene," said David Van Zandt, president of The New School, in a statement. "By bringing a professional arm to The New School for Drama, Naked Angels will provide our students invaluable experiences and resources that stretch far beyond the academy."

Naked Angels' development programs and cold reading series — including Tuesdays@9, 1st Mondays and the Naked Radio podcast — will continue to incubate dramatic work, with New School students contributing their efforts to these laboratories. New School students will also participate in Naked Angels' 3Thursdays, which leads high school students from conception to creation to performance. In turn, Naked Angels will produce plays and maintain administrative oversight over its development programs from The New School for Drama's home on Bank Street.

Naked Angels, founded in 1986, has produced works that include Geoffrey Nauffts' Next Fall (Broadway transfer, two Tony Award nominations), Zayd Dohrn's Outside People, Chloe Moss' This Wide Night, Will Eno's Thom Pain (based on nothing), Kenneth Lonergan's The Starry Messenger, and The Substance of Fire by Jon Robin Baitz, who also serves as artistic director of The New School for Drama's new BFA in Dramatic Arts.

Since it was established in 2005, The New School for Drama has graduated acclaimed young playwrights including New York New Voices Fellow Bekah Brunstetter (Be A Good Little Widow), Daniel Pearle (Laurents-Hatcher Award-winning A Kid Like Jake), 2012 New York Theater Workshop Fellow Janine Nabers (Welcome to Jesus, Serial.Black.Face.) and Gabe McKinley (0CQ/CX) — all of whom have won the Samuel French Short Play Off-Off-Broadway Short Play Festival.

Pippin Parker — playwright and director as well as a founding company member of Naked Angels — became director of The New School for Drama in 2011. Andy Donald, Naked Angels' artistic director, will remain in his position as both organizations optimize this partnership. For more information visit NewSchool.edu or NakedAngels.com.