AwardsDonja R. Love's Off-Broadway-Bound Sugar in Our Wounds Wins Laurents/Hatcher Foundation AwardLove's play will debut in June at Manhattan Theatre Club.
By
Andrew Gans
January 24, 2018
Donja R. Love
Donja R. Love's Sugar in Our Wounds, which will make its world premiere in June at Manhattan Theatre Club, is the recipient of the Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Award. The grant is given annually to an unproduced, full-length play by an early-career American playwright.
Love will receive $50,000, and Manhattan Theatre Club will receive $100,000 towards the upcoming Off-Broadway production.
“I am thrilled that Donja’s beautiful play has been recognized with this esteemed award,” said Manhattan Theatre Club Artistic Director Lynne Meadow in a statement. “Donja R. Love is a gifted writer and I am proud to be introducing him to MTC audiences later this season with this important play which humanizes a part of history rarely seen on stage.“
The play is part of Love’s exploration of queer relationships during pivotal moments in Black history. The story, set during the Civil War, follows a young slave named James, who forms an unexpected bond and romance with a mysterious stranger.
In addition to the annual prize, the Laurents/Hatcher Foundation also awarded Citations of Excellence to Rogelio Martinez for his play Blind Date and Sylvia Khoury for Selling Kabul. Martinez and Khoury will each receive $15,000.
The Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Award is the first major award for playwriting to be named in honor of a gay couple: late, Tony-winning playwright and director Arthur Laurents (West Side Story, Gypsy) and his partner of 52 years, Tom Hatcher.
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