Diamond, Lavery, Schwartz, et al. Named Blackburn Prize Finalists

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has announced the finalists for this year’s prize. The awards, to be announced in March, are given annually to recognize women from around the world who have written works of outstanding quality for the English-speaking theater This year marks the awards’ 30th anniversary. The winner will be awarded $20,000, and will also receive a signed and numbered print by renowned artist Willem de Kooning, created especially for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Special Commendations of $5,000 may be given at the discretion of the judges, and each of the additional finalists receives $1,000.

The ten finalists, chosen from 92 submitted plays, are Linda Brogan for Black Crows, Lydia Diamond for Stick Fly, Bryony Lavery for Stockholm, Lisa McGee for Girls and Dolls, Linda McLean for Strangers, Babies, Julie Marie Myatt for Boats on a River, Jenny Schwartz for God’s Ear, Polly Stenham for That Face, Victoria Stewart for Hardball, and Judith Thompson for Palace of the End.

This year’s judges include Long Wharf Theatre artistic director Gordon Edelstein, actress Edie Falco, producer Thelma Holt, director Francis Matthews, actress Janet McTeer, and playwright Sarah Ruhl, a prior winner.

Six Blackburn finalists — Margaret Edson, Beth Henley, Marsha Norman, Suzan-Lori Parks, Paula Vogel, and Wendy Wasserstein — subsequently won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Past winners of the Blackburn Prize include Caryl Churchill, Dael Oerlandersmith, and Naomi Wallace.