CHOIR BOY's Tarell Alvin McCraney Named 2013 MacArthur Fellow

The ALLIANCE THEATRE has announced that Playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney, author of Choir Boy, has been named one of the 2013 MacArthur Fellows, chosen for his exploration into the use of drama in the portrayal of urban communities. The MacArthur Fellowship recognizes 24 exceptionally creative individuals with a track record of achievement and the potential for even more significant contributions in the future. Fellows will each receive a no-strings-attached stipend of $625,000 paid out over five years. Without stipulations or reporting requirements, the Fellowship provides maximum freedom for recipients to follow their own creative vision.

McCraney was first recognized for his work by the ALLIANCE THEATRE when he won its 2008 Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition. As part of the competition, his play In the Red and Brown Water received its world premiere on the Hertz Stage that year. McCraney's new play, Choir Boy, is being produced by the ALLIANCE THEATRE and the Manhattan Theatre Club, where it was praised by The New York Times, played to sold out houses, and was extended twice during its New York run this summer. Choir Boy at the Alliance kicks off the 10th Anniversary of the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition. All the productions on the Hertz Stage this season are written by past and current winners of the competition.

Choir Boy opens in Atlanta tonight, September 25. Tickets are available at www.alliancetheatre.org/choirboy or by calling 404.733.5000.

Photo by Peter James Zielinski