IN A WORD Playwright Lauren Yee Wins the Kesselring Prize

The National Arts Club announces that Lauren Yee, the rising young playwright whose newest work, THE GREAT LEAP will be produced this season by Denver Center, Seattle Rep and Atlantic Theatre Company, is the recipient of the 2017 Kesselring Prize for playwriting from the National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South). The Prize includes a $25,000 award and the opportunity for Ms. Yee to reside for two weeks in the historic clubhouse of the National Arts Club in order to develop her work.

The Prize will be presented to Ms. Yee at an awards ceremony at the National Arts Club on Sunday, November 5 at 4 p.m. The evening will include readings of select scenes from Ms. Yee's plays. A gala reception in the NAC parlors and dining room follows the awards presentation. For further information and to reserve seat for the awards ceremony and readings, contact Kesselring@thenationalartsclub.org.

Established in 1980 by Charlotte Kesselring - widow of playwright Joseph Kesselring - to honor and support young writers who are not as yet nationally recognized, and provide them with an honorarium and indirect support towards development of their work. Past recipients include Lucas Hnath (now on Broadway with A DOLL'S HOUSE PART 2), Tony Kushner, Anna Deavere Smith, Nicky Silver and last year's honoree, Lindsey Ferrentino, whose play UGLY LIES THE BONE was produced this year at the National Theatre in London.

Each year, the National Arts Club invites theaters across the country to nominate an emerging playwright for the Kesselring Prize who is poised for a higher national profile through his or her growing body-of-work. Atlantic Theatre Company nominated Ms. Yee.

Her previous works include IN A WORD, a finalist for the ATCA/Steinberg Award; THE HATMAKER'S WIFE, which was an Outer Critics Circle nominee for its John Gassner Award for best play by a new American playwright; and KING OF THE YEES, which premiered last season at The Goodman Theatre.

The 2017 Kesselring Prize Jury that selected Ms. Yee consisted of: famed playwright John Guare; Dramaturg of Lincoln Center Theater, Anne Cattaneo; and two-time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Lynn Nottage. The Kesselring Prize Artistic Director is Michael Parva.

Photo Credit: Doug Catiller, True Image Studio