The American Theatre Critics Association has presented the annual Steinberg honor for "outstanding new plays produced around the United States, outside of New York City" placing a focus on regional works not often included in the numerous New York-based awards.
The prize includes the highest American playwriting cash award of $15,000. Two additional citation recipients are given cash prizes of $5,000 each. All prizes are funded by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust.
The 2003 finalists are:
produced by Chicago's Goodman Theatre and the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles
produced by South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California
produced by Baltimore's Center Stage and South Coast Repertory
produced by Cincinnati's Ensemble Theatre
produced by Oregon Shakespeare Festival
produced by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
For this year's award, 18 eligible scripts were submitted by ATCA members, representing over 250 regional media outlets. A committee of 13 professional theater critics reviewed and selected the finalists. Last year's winner of the Steinberg New Play Award was Nilo Cruz's Anna and the Tropics — who was announced as the Pulitzer Prize winner days later. The two other citations went to Craig Wright's Recent Tragic Events and Arthur Miller's Resurrection Blues. Other recent recipients of the honor include Horton Foote's The Carpetbaggers Children (2002), Jane Martin's Anton In Show Business (2001), Regina Taylor's Oo-Bla-Dee (2000) and Lanford Wilson's Book of Days (1999).
For more information on the American Theatre Critics Association, visit www.americantheatrecritics.org.
