First-Ever International Yiddish Playwright Contest Names Winner

An historical drama about unlikely relationships forged during a time of international turmoil has been chosen as the winner of the first-ever International Jewish Playwriting Competition: The David and Clare Rosen Memorial Play Contest, presented by National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene. NTYF is the longest consecutively-producing Yiddish Theatre Company and Jewish performing arts organization in the world.

When Blood Ran Red, by Montreal resident Ben Gonshor, chronicles the friendships between African-American actor, singer and civil rights activist Paul Robeson and leading Soviet Jews in the aftermath of WWII when relationships between the Allies turn sour, and friendships are tested- leading ultimately to dire consequences.

Conceived and curated by Judith Friedman Rosen, the Play Contest received hundreds of applicants, over 60 of whose works were selected for evaluation by readers spanning from professors to publishers. Five finalists were selected to be judged by an unprecedented Blue Ribbon Panel comprised of Tony Award-winning Broadway producers Emanuel Azenberg and Jane Dubin; playwright and TV series writer Jeff Baron; Tony Award-winning composer-lyricist and orchestrator Jason Robert Brown; playwright and Pulitzer Prize Finalist Jon Marans; and Drama Desk Award-Winning Playwright Israel Horovitz.

The Panel announced its selection after a month-long deliberation and following 30-minute-excerpted professional presentations of each of the finalists' plays at Manhattan Theatre Club Studios.

"These five plays were of the highest quality, and this was not an easy decision to make. Though the plays all painted a picture of the significance of Jewish and Yiddish culture in our society, When Blood Ran Red brought a historical perspective that we found intriguing and unique," said Emanuel Azenberg.

Jon Marans was also a vocal supporter of When Blood Ran Red as the frontrunner, noting "The judges were deeply moved by the play's examination of the ties between Jewish history and personal relationships."

"I am so incredibly honored to be moving onwards to the next stage of development." said an overjoyed Gonshor. "I'm ecstatic. The finalist pieces were so well written. It was a privilege to see them all come alive and share that experience with the talented men and women who gave them life."

Continuing a lifelong involvement in the Yiddish Theatre, Gonshor first appeared onstage with the Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre at age 5 and has gone on to play leading roles in productions like On 2nd Avenue and The Dybbuk. Notably, at the age of 8, he played the role of young Davey in the Segal Centre's adaptation of Ted Allan's Lies My Father Told Me and returned two decades later to play the part of Davey again, now as the adult narrator.

"Ben's play is quite extraordinary," said NYTF Executive Producer Chris Massimine who will be overseeing the reading this summer. "It's one of those pieces that kind of sneaks up on you and really takes you to an unexpected place. It captures humanity at its best and its worst, and in ways that are earnest, stimulating, and often surprising. And the result is a hauntingly beautiful evening of theatre. You're drawn in every step of the way. I can't wait to get to work on it."

This play contest is held in conjunction with National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene's highly-anticipated 100th Anniversary Festival, KulturfestNYC, during which When Blood Ran Red will receive a first-class professional staged reading. KulturfestNYC, the brainchild of NYTF Executive Director Bryna Wasserman and Artistic Director Zalmen Mlotek, will be hosted in New York City from June 14-22, 2015. The festival is three years in the making, and will include hundreds of performances from artists all over the world.

For more information about the Play Contest or National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, please visit www.nyft.org or call (212) 213- 2120.