David Lindsay-Abaire's GOOD PEOPLE and Naomi Wallace's THE LIQUID PLAIN Receive 2012 Horton Foote Prizes

The Horton Foote Prizes, named in honor of the legendary writer, were established in 2010 to award excellence in American Theater. Presented biennially, the first Horton Foote Prize was awarded to Ruined by Lynn Nottage for Outstanding New American Play and Middletown by Will Eno for Promising New American Play.

The New York Times has just announced that this year's recipients are David Lindsay-Abaire's GOOD PEOPLE for Outstanding New American Play, along with Naomi Wallace's THE LIQUID PLAIN for Promising New American Play.

From Pulitzer Prize-winner Lindsay-Abaire, GOOD PEOPLE looks at the dangerous consequences of choosing to hold on to the past or leaving it behind. It centers around Margie Walsh, who loses her job at a South Boston dollar store and she reaches out to old flame Mike, a Southie boy who left the neighborhood and became a successful doctor. Margie’s attempt to hit Mike up for a job takes on a threatening cast when she realizes the power a secret from Mike’s past holds.

Wallace's THE LIQUID PLAIN brings to life a group of people whose stories have been lost in history. Set in 18^th-century Providence, Rhode Island, two runaway slaves find love and a near-drowned sailor. As the mysteries of their identities come to light, painful truths about the past and present collide and flow into the next generation. 

In a 2010 statement, award founder Mari Marchbanks said of the awards: "Horton Foote is widely regarded as one of the leading American dramatists of our time. He wrote some of our most beloved works and his lifelong dedication to, and his passion for, the theatre was boundless. In celebrating the life and legacy of Horton Foote, the Prize honors the work of the American playwright. We hope the Prize inspires its recipients in their continued contribution to the canon of American theater."

The award, which carries a cash prize of $30,000, is funded by the Austin, Texas-based Greg and Mari Marchbanks Family Foundation. Ms. Marchbanks is the Founder of The Horton Foote Prize and will serve as its Executive Director. Shortly before his death in March 2009 at the age of 92, Mr. Foote gave his blessing to this eponymous award.