Photo Coverage: Vineyard Theatre's Annual Emerging Artists Luncheon Honors Kate Tarker

The Vineyard Theatre's Annual Emerging Artists Luncheon was just held at the National Arts Club, featuring the presentation of the 2016-2017 Paula Vogel Playwriting Award by Paula Vogel to Kate Tarker (THUNDERBODIES), who began her residency last fall.

Kate Tarker is the ninth recipient of Vineyard Theatre's Paula Vogel Playwriting Award named in honor of playwright and teacher Paula Vogel, whose plays INDECENT (Tony Award nomination), HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE (Pulitzer Prize for Drama) and THE LONG CHRISTMAS RIDE HOME premiered at The Vineyard. The residency-based award is given each year to an emerging writer of exceptional promise and comes with a cash prize and artistic development support. Previous recipients of the award include Boo Killebrew, Clare Barron, Christopher Chen, Erika Sheffer, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Kara Lee Corthron, Rajiv Joseph, and Tarell Alvin McCraney.

Kate Tarker's play LAURA AND THE SEA, (2016 Kilroys List; 2016 L. Arnold Weissberger Award finalist; 2016 Princess Grace Award finalist) was presented this past fall as part of The Vineyard's Reading Series and will receive further development this summer in a Developmental Lab production at The Vineyard. More details to follow at a later date. Other plays include THUNDERBODIES (nominee, 2017 L. Arnold Weissberger Award), and AN ALMANAC FOR FARMERS AND LOVERS IN MEXICO (2015 Kilroys List). Ms. Tarker's plays have been developed by The Lark, Ars Nova, NYTW, and The O'Neill, among others. She is the recipient of a Jerome Fellowship and National Science Playwriting Award, and residencies at MacDowell Colony, Tofte Lake Center, and SPACE at Ryder Farm. Ms. Tarker is currently a part of Ars Nova Play Group, a New Georges Affiliated Artist, and a Playwrights' Center Core Writer. She has commissions from The Wilma and Theater Masters (The Visionary Playwright Award) and collaborations with Pig Iron and Siti Company. She received her MFA from Yale School of Drama.

The Vineyard's Paula Vogel Playwriting Award is made possible through the generosity of The Tournesol Project.

The Emerging Artists Luncheon celebrates Vineyard Theatre's commitment to cultivating talent in our own backyard. From local public high school students to next year's Tony Contenders, artistic development and education programs provide artists with support and resources to develop new plays and musicals, as well as offering free arts learning opportunities for community youth.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride