Applications Open April 7 for the 2026 Terrence McNally Award for Playwrights

Philadelphia Theatre Company (PTC), in partnership with The Terrence McNally Foundation, has announced that applications for the 2026 Terrence McNally Award will open on April 7. Presented biennially, the award identifies and supports one of Philadelphia’s most promising playwrights, championing the city’s artistic talent while honoring the legacy of the late Tony Award-winning writer Terrence McNally.

Under the leadership of PTC Co-Artistic Directors Taibi Magar and Tyler Dobrowsky, in close collaboration with The Terrence McNally Foundation, the award functions as a two-year developmental program. The selected playwright will receive a $10,000 cash award, dramaturgical support, access to PTC’s artistic network, and career development opportunities, culminating in a public reading of their play with professional actors and a director during the award cycle (exact timing to be determined in consultation with the playwright).

“The Terrence McNally Award is one of the ways we invest directly in Philadelphia writers,” said Dobrowsky. “Terrence believed deeply in bold voices and new ideas, and this program allows us to support artists at a pivotal moment in their careers.”

Applications will be accepted until June 2, 2026, and reviewed by a pool of industry professionals. Finalists are selected through a multi-round process and will be announced in late August. Finalists will then be interviewed by a selection panel comprising representatives from Philadelphia Theatre Company and The Terrence McNally Foundation. The winner of the 2026 Terrence McNally Award will be selected by a panel of esteemed theater leaders, whose names will be announced at a later date, and revealed on September 9, 2026.

In addition to the biennial award for early-career playwrights, Philadelphia Theatre Company is proud to foster the next generation of writers through the new Carol Saline High School Playwriting Award  funded by Paul Rathblott in memory of Carol Saline, a longtime PTC board member, award-winning journalist, and beloved community advocate. Open to Philadelphia-area high school sophomores and juniors, the competition invites students to submit an original 10-minute play, with the winning playwright receiving a $1,000 scholarship. Submissions open April 7 and close June 2, with finalists announced in late August and the winner revealed on September 9, 2026 — reinforcing PTC’s commitment to supporting Philadelphia storytellers at every stage of their artistic journey. To learn more about please visit the website: www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org/carolsaline-competition/

The 2024 McNally Award-winning playwright was MK Tuomanen for their play Night Science. Previous McNally Award winners include Pulitzer Prize winner James Ijames, Bill Cain, A. Zell Williams, Martín Zimmerman, and Donja R. Love.

Terrence McNally was an American playwright, librettist, and LGBTQ+ trailblazer described by The New York Times as “the bard of the American theater.” Over six decades, he redefined American playwriting, earning five Tony Awards (two for his plays Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class, two for the books to his musicals Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime, and the 2019 Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement), an Emmy Award (Andre’s Mother), the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, and numerous other honors. His legacy continues through his plays, operas, and musicals performed worldwide, as well as through the work of the Terrence McNally Foundation, which supports emerging voices in American theater. 

Philadelphia Theatre Company has a longstanding artistic relationship with McNally, mounting the world premieres of Master Class, Golden Age, Some Men, and Unusual Acts of Devotion, along with Philadelphia regional premieres of Love! Valour! Compassion!, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, Mothers and Sons, and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. Through the Terrence McNally Award, PTC continues its commitment to nurturing the next generation of transformative playwrights. 

Applicants can find more information about the award at https://philadelphiatheatrecompany.org/terrence-mcnally-award/ . To learn more about Philadelphia Theatre Company and its productions, rentals, partnerships, sponsorship opportunities, and community programming, visit www.philatheatreco.org.