Photo Coverage: Albee Presents Horn Prize for Playwriting

Irish playwright John Austin Connolly was awarded the inaugural David C. Horn Prize for Playwriting, presented as part of the Yale Drama Series. Introduced by Mercedes Ruehl (The Goat), Edward Albee (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Goat) announced the winner on April 26th.

Connolly won for his play The Boys from Siam, with Colin McKenna (The Secret Agenda of Trees) and Lazarre Seymour Simckes (Open Rehearsal) selected as runners-ups.  Albee chose Connolly's play from among 500 others submitted.  The Boys from Siam is loosely based upon the lives of Chang and Eng Bunker, who were known as the original Siamese Twins.

Connolly will receive the David C. Horn Prize of $10,000, publication of his/her manuscript by Yale University Press, and a staged reading at Yale Rep. The rules of the competition stipulated that submissions must be original full-length plays written in English and must not have been previously published or produced.  Albee's appointment as the competition's judge extends for two years. Future judges of the competition will include both distinguished playwrights and directors.

Horn Prize-winner John Austin Connolly, Mercedes Ruehl and Edward Albee

John Austin Connolly, Mercedes Ruehl and Edward Albee

John Austin Connolly and Francine Horn

 
Mercedes Ruehl

Edward Albee

John Donatich and Mercedes Ruehl listen to Edward Albee

Edward Albee

Edward Albee congratulating John Austin Connolly

John Austin Connolly

Edward Albee and Mercedes Ruehl with Gracie the dog

Francine Horn speaks

Ceremony attendees, with John Donatich, Mercedes Ruehl, Edward Albee, Francine Horn, John Austin Connolly and Yale Rep Artistic Director James Bundy

John Donatich and Edward Albee

Edward Albee and Francine Horn

Ceremony attendees, with John Donatich, Francine Horn, John Austin Connolly, Edward Albee and James Bundy

John Austin Connolly, Edward Albee and James Bundy

The Connolly family, with Francine Horn, Edward Albee and Gracie