The Laurents / Hatcher Foundation Awards $200,000 to Two Plays

The Trustees of The Laurents / Hatcher Foundation, Inc. have announced that JONAH by Rachel Bonds and THE WORLD IS NOT SILENT by Don Nguyen are recipients of the Laurents / Hatcher Foundation Award.  Ms. Bonds and Mr. Nguyen will each receive $50,000 for the work, and Roundabout Theater Company and The Alley Theatre , who present the premieres, respectively in the 2024 season will receive $50,000 towards each production.    

Jonah concludes its off-Broadway run at the Lauren Pels Theatre on Sunday March 10. The World is Not Silent by Don Nguyen begins performances at The Alley Theatre in Houston March 22.  

Rob Melrose, Artistic Director of The Alley Theatre said in a statement, "When The World is Not Silent was part of our 2022 Alley All New Festival, the audience was dazzled by what a beautiful and funny play it was. I knew we had to do the world premiere. We are excited to share it with the city of Houston, both the audience who regularly comes to the Alley and many new audiences this play will reach through the generosity of this award."

"We are thrilled that Jonah has been selected as a 2024 Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Award recipient," Roundabout Theatre Company's Interim Artistic Director Scott Ellis said in a statement. "We are grateful for the Committee’s recognition of Rachel Bonds and her extraordinary, ambitious new play. This is an incredible honor for us and for Rachel, who has crafted a deeply intimate, surprising story of pain and survival. We are proud to bring her distinctive voice and this beautiful and hopeful piece to Roundabout audiences with support from our friends at the Laurents/Hatcher Foundation."

In addition to the annual prize the Foundation also awarded Citations of Excellence to Abe Koogler for his upcoming play Staff Meal and Shayan Lofti  for What Became of Us.  Koogler and Lofti will each receive $25,000.  Staff Meal will be produced by Playwrights Horizons and What Became of Us is produced by Atlantic Theater Company later this spring.