Nominees For the 2010 Wasserstein Prize for Playwriting to be Reconsidered

As BroadwayWorld first referenced on November 13, The Wendy Wasserstein Prize committee and administrator, the Theatre Development Fund, caused quite the stir this month when reports flourished that the $25,000 prize would not be awarded to an emerging female playwright this year. Out of 19 nominees, the panel stated that none could be deemed "truly outstanding."

In response to the committee's decision, playwright Michael Lew, on the official YOUNGBLOG blog (the group blog for the Ensemble Studio Theatre of New York's young playwrights) wrote an open letter to TDF, which quickly went viral and inspired a petition to be generated by artists and art-enthusiasts alike for a reconsideration.

The New York Times reports today that as a result of this online petition, signed by more than 800 angered writers, teachers and artists, the panel has decided to refine the selection process and reevaluate the 19 nominees.

The Wasserstein Prize was established in memory of the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who died in 2006. The prize is awarded for an outstanding script by a young woman who has not yet received national attention. The prize has been given to Marisa Wegrzyn (2009), Laura Jacqmin (2008) and Linda Ramsey (2007). 

To read the full report in the New York Times, click here.

To read Lew's initial open letter to TDF on BroadwayWorld, click here.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos