Theater News

Dael Orlandersmith to Receive Inge Festival’s Otis Guernsey New Voices in the American Theatre Award

Dael Orlandersmith
Dael Orlandersmith

Actor, poet, and playwright Dael Orlandersmith has been named the recipient of the 2011 William Inge Theatre Festival’s Otis Guernsey New Voices in the American Theatre Award. It will be presented to her at the 30th Annual Inge Festival, which runs April 13-16 at Independence Community College.

The award recognizes contemporary playwrights whose voices are helping shape the American theater of today. It is named for the late Otis L. Guernsey, Jr., a longtime advocate and attendee of the Inge Festival.

Orlandersmith will present a concert reading of her new play Horsedreams at the festival on April 14, at 7:30pm. Gordon Edelstein will direct.

Orlandersmith is best known for Yellowman, a finalist for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize in Drama, and the winner of the 2003 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Other works include Stoop Stories, Bones, Liar, Liar, The Gimmick, Monster, and her Obie-winning Beauty’s Daughter.

As previously reported, Marsha Norman has been named the 2011 William Inge Theatre Festival Honoree. The festival will close on Saturday, April 16 with a multi-media tribute to her.

For further information, click here.