Helen Merrill Playwriting Awards Announced 9/26

The Helen Merrill Playwriting Award Ceremony will be held Monday, September 26, 2011, 5:30pm - 7:30pm (Awards given at 6:15pm) at the Algonquin Hotel, 59 West 44th Street. 

$100,000 will be awarded to 5 playwrights from the Helen Merrill Fund in The New York Community Trust. This is the 11th year of the award, which was established by the late Helen Merrill, a theatrical agent, to continue her lifelong encouragement of playwrights. The 2011 Emerging Playwright Award winners are Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Dorothy Fortenberry, Dan LeFranc, and Radha Blank.

2011 Distinguished Playwright Award winner: Lisa Kron

Selection Committee:
Christopher Durang, Obie Award-winning playwright, professor, and actor; co-chair with Marsha Norman of the Playwriting Program at the Juilliard School
Susan Hilferty, Tony Award-winning costume designer for theater, opera, and film
Morgan Jenness, Creative Services/Literary Division, Abrams Artists Agency; former associate producer for The Public Theater
Emily Morse, director of artistic development at New Dramatists
Richard Nelson, Olivier Award-winning playwright, former chairman of the playwriting department at Yale University

Past winners include:
David Adjmi, Zakiyyah Alexander, David Auburn, Tanya Barfield, Neal Bell, Brooke Berman, Constance Congdon, Kara Lee Corthron, Nilo Cruz, Angela Eisa Davis, Bathsheba Doran, Margaret Edson, Will Eno, Marcus Gardley, Gina Gionfriddo, Jessica Goldberg, Michael Golamco, Noah Haidle, Robert Handel, Amy Herzog, Albert Innaurato, Len Jenkin, Robert Kerr, Oni Faida Lampley, Deborah Laufer, Tina Howe, Victor Lodato, Deborah Margolin, Dael Orlandersmith, David Rabe, Adam Rapp, Keith Reddin, Sarah Ruhl, Wallace Shawn, Justin Sherin, Theodora Skipitares, Victoria Stewart, Gary Sunshine, Michael Weller, Samuel Brett Williams, and Lanford Wilson.