Shortlist released for STC Playwrights’ Award

After receiving 114 entries for the 2011 Patrick White Playwrights’ Award, Sydney Theatre Company have announced the five works shortlisted to win this year’s prestigious prize.

The Sun and Other Stars by Nicki Bloom, Little Borders by Phillip Kavanagh, Triangle by Glyn Roberts, Merman by Kylie Trounson and The Bay by Alexandra Wood are all original, unproduced plays submitted to readers and judges of the Award anonymously, and have shone through the myriad of entries as potential works for production.

STC is arguably Australia’s premier theatre company and is committed to fostering new Australian talent in both on stage and off stage capacities. This award has been offered since 2000 with the dual aim of acknowledging a playwright whose work is ambitious, demonstrating skilful application of craft, while at the same time honouring Patrick White’s contribution to Australian theatre.

The Patrick White Playwrights’ Award will be announced at The Wharf on Friday 18 May 2012 at 8pm, and a rehearsed reading of the winning play will take place at this event. The winning playwright will receive $7,500 and the opportunity to work with an STC director and actors during a workshop of their rehearsed reading.

The Award judges are Jonathan Biggins (playwright, director and actor), Jane Bodie (playwright), Joanna Murray-Smith (playwright), and Tom Wright (playwright and Associate Director at Sydney Theatre Company).

The recipient of the Patrick White Playwrights’ Fellowship will also be announced at the event on 18 May. Now in its second year, the Fellowship is a position for an established Australian playwright who has had a new play produced professionally in Australia within the last four years. A $25,000 prize is awarded and the year-long Fellowship is granted in recognition of their contribution to theatre.

The Fellow will participate in a range of activities including leading playwriting workshops at Sydney Theatre Company and participating in a mentoring programming for two emerging playwrights during the year.

Over the last year the inaugural Fellow, Raimondo Cortese, whose adaptation of The Threepenny Opera played at Sydney Theatre in September 2011, has participated in a range of activities at STC including running master classes and mentoring emerging playwrights.

There are limited tickets available for the event which is a part of the Sydney Writers Festival. Cost: $5

To book tickets, contact STC box office: (02) 9250 1777 or www.sydneytheatre.org.au

Past Winners include:

2010:
Melissa Bubnic, Award
Raimondo Cortese, Fellowship (inaugural)
2009:
Ian Wilding
2008:
Nicki Bloom
2007:
Angus Cerini
Timothy Daly
2006:
Patricia Cornelius
2005:
Wesley Enoch
2004:
Stephen Carleton
2003:
David Milroy and Ningali Lawford
2002: 
Reg Cribb
Ian Wilding
2001:
Brendan Cowell
Toby Schmitz
Jackie Smith
2000:
Ben Ellis
Bette Guy
Ailsa Pip