Blackburn Prize Nominees

BroadwayWorld.com reported yesterday that the short-list for the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has been announced.

This international award is given each year to a woman who has written an outstanding new work for the English-speaking theatre.

The ten nominees are:

• The Aliens by Annie Baker (U.S.)
• The Language Archive by Julia Cho (U.S.)
• This by Melissa James Gibson (U.S.)
• it felt empty when the heart went at first but it is alright now. by Lucy Kirkwood (U.K.)
• The Shipment by Young Jean Lee (U.S.)
• The Nature of Love by Rebecca Lenkiewicz (U.K.)
• East of Berlin by Hannah Moscovitch (Canada)
• The Swallowing Dark by Lizzie Nunnery (U.K.)
• Enron by Lucy Prebble (U.K.)
• Strandline by Abbie Spallen (Ireland)

The 2010 Blackburn Prize will be marked with a ceremony in New York in early March, honouring all finalists. The winner will be awarded $20,000, and will also receive a signed and numbered print by renowned artist Willem De Kooning, created especially for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. A Special Commendation of $5,000 may be given at the discretion of the judges, and each of the other finalists receives $1,000.