Southern Rep Now Accepting Submissions for 2015 Ruby Prize

Southern Rep has announced that it will accept submissions for The Ruby Prize, effective immediately. The $10,000 annual award is named in honor of Ruby Bridges, who showed incredible perseverance in the face of formidable obstacles. The Ruby Prize seeks to support women playwrights of color whose work expands the reach of American theatre in the face of formidable obstacles.

In partnership with Hedgebrook, winners will receive a ten-day writer's residency in addition to a cash prize.

This program is a part of Southern Rep's ongoing effort to develop new American plays, support a diverse community of artists, and incite meaningful dialogue within the community.

THE PRIZE
* $10,000 prize
* A development workshop during Southern Rep's 2015 New Play Bacchanal
* A sponsored trip to New York, including round-trip air and lodging accommodations, to continue development of the play and introduce the new work to a larger audience
* A ten-day writing residency at Hedgebrook. Located on beautiful Whidbey Island near Seattle, Hedgebrook offers one of the few residency programs in the world exclusively dedicated to supporting the creative process of women writers. Through innovative public programs, Hedgebrook enables women's work to enrich the global community by diversity: of culture nationality, voice, genre, generation, perspective, religious beliefs and political affiliations

Two finalists will be selected to have their works read at Southern Rep's 2015 New Play Bacchanal in New Orleans.

GUIDELINES
The contest will be open to US citizens who self-identify as women of color, and may be either emerging or established playwrights.

Southern Rep's in-house readers will review and evaluate scripts, selecting finalists that will be move into the next round of judging. The final panel consists of national and local theatre artists as well as Southern Rep's Producing Artistic Director, Aimée Hayes.

Plays must be full-length, and written by a single author. We will not accept collaborative scripts, translations, musicals, one-acts, or any play previously submitted to Southern Rep's Ruby Prize.

Plays that have had a professional production, or have been written under a commission, are not eligible for submission. Plays that have received a development workshop, readings, or nonprofessional production are eligible. "Professional production" shall be defined as a production with paid actors and had an official press opening.

If selected as a Prize Winner or Finalist, playwright agrees that Southern Rep may include the play in an annual Ruby Prize publication. The publication will not require any exclusive rights for printing.

Only one submission per playwright is allowed.

The top prize includes round-trip airfare and lodging accommodations to New York city, and lodging accommodations at Hedgebrook (airfare to Hedgebrook not included). The finalists will receive round-trip air and lodging accommodations to attend the award ceremony, there is no other cash award associated with the selection of finalists.

SUBMISSIONS
Each submission must include a synopsis, character breakdown, brief playwright bio, and history of the play's development if applicable.

Each submission must also include a title page containing the playwright's name, address, and contact information. This information may ONLY appear on the title page.

Plays must be submitted by email, as a single attached document, in PDF format to theruby@southernrep.com.

Please name files as "Last Name, First Name, Title of Play" Ex: "Lee, Kimber, brownsville song".
Hard copies of scripts will not be accepted.

Due to anticipated number of submissions, we regret that individual feedback will not be available to submitting playwrights.

Materials must be received by November 25 for consideration for The 2015 Ruby Prize.

Past Winner & Finalists:
2014: Winner: brownsville song: b side for tray by Kimber Lee // Finalists: REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY by Jackie Sibblies Drury, NO MORE SAD THINGS by Hansol Jung

2012: Winner: MERIT by Lenelle Moïse // Finalists: YOU FOR ME FOR YOU by Mia Chung, TAKARAZUKA!!! by Susan Soon He Stanton

2011: Winner: RAMP by Eisa Davis // Finalists: AFRICAN AMERICANS by Jocelyn Bioh, HURT VILLAGE by Katori Hall, FIGHT by Kimber Lee, MALA HIERBA by Tanya Saracho
ABOUT HEDGEBROOK
Hedgebrook is a literary non-profit that supports the work of visionary women writers whose stories shape our culture now and for generations to come. Celebrating our 26th year in 2014, Hedgebrook hosts a global community of writers, more than 1400 in over two decades, at our retreat. Hedgebrook's public programs connect these women's work with thousands of readers and audience members each year through readings, screenings, events, salons, publications and festivals. The annual Hedgebrook Women Playwrights Festival (HWPF) celebrates the work of women writing for the theatre. Since the festival's inauguration in 1998, HWPF has supported the work of an impressive array of women playwrights and served an important role in the development of new plays by women.