American Blues Theater Announces Blue Ink Award Winner, Mardee Bennett

American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces the winner of the 2022 Blue Ink Award is The Reapers on Woodbrook Avenue by Mardee Bennett. As part of the award, Bennett receives a $2,500 cash prize, a staged reading at American Blues Theater, and the opportunity to further develop his script with American Blues Theater.

A staged reading of The Reapers on Woodbrook Avenue will be presented this August as part of the 2022 Blue Ink Playwriting Festival, along with an online library of new work by finalists Gina Femia (Staff Retreat), Rachel Lynett (White People By the Lake), Matthew Paul Olmos (a home what howls, or the house what as ravine), and Deborah Yarchun (Preservation). Details for 50 playwrights named in the 2022 Blue Ink Award and online library are at AmericanBluesTheater.com. Information about the staged reading, including dates and tickets, will be announced at a later date.

2022 Blue Ink Award winner Mardee Bennet notes, "I am elated to have my work selected by American Blues Theater. Set in mid-century Baltimore, The Reapers on Woodbrook Avenue is the tale of a family striving for what was once called the American dream. It is also a political drama that speaks to the state of the nation with grace and humor. The opportunity to develop this play in one of the theater capitals of the world- Chicago-is a delight. The Blue Ink Award adds legitimacy to my work. For that I am profoundly grateful."

"We are thrilled to announce Mardee Bennett's script The Reapers on Woodbrook Avenue as the 2022 winner," notes Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside. "Mardee created an incredibly detailed world with rich characters that leap off the page and into our hearts. We're honored to share this relevant and timeless story."

About The Reapers on Woodbrook Avenue

Spanning decades, this heartrending play explores the complex relationship between three generations of women: Loretta Reaper, a middle-aged Black woman, her grown, spitfire daughter, Nell, and her starry-eyed granddaughter Tamar. Raised in the church, all three ladies cut a mean cloth while taking us on a riveting journey through time, exhuming long-buried family secrets, and creating gospel fire in the process.

About Mardee Bennett

Mardee Bennett is a playwright, screenwriter, and actor based in New York. With a sharp ear for dialogue, Mardee's work explores the collective triumphs of Black people in America. His eight-character comedy Cane was a 2021 Blue Ink Award Finalist. The Reapers on Woodbrook Avenue was a finalist for the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference and the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference. Other full-length titles include Loretta, The Nerve, In the Ramble, and A Pleasant Place to Be. His work has been developed at Center Stage, Signature Theatre, and Gloucester Stage Company. National Black Theatre will hold a workshop of his new play Sylvia Fair in Spring 2022. A proud Baltimore hometown boy, he trained at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Mardee is represented by A3 Artists Agency.

About the Blue Ink Award for playwriting

The nationally renowned Blue Ink Award was created in 2010 to support new work. Since inception, we've named 12 Award winners, 112 finalists, and 171 semi-finalists. Nearly $10,000 in cash and prizes will be distributed to playwrights in 2022.

Each year American Blues Theater accepts worldwide submissions of original, unpublished full-length plays. The winning play will be selected by Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and the theater's Ensemble. The 2022 winning playwright receives a monetary prize of $2,500. Cash prizes are awarded to finalists and semi-finalists too. All proceeds of the administrative fee are distributed for playwrights' cash prizes.

Submissions for the 2023 Blue Ink Playwriting Award open July 1, 2022. All submissions must be received by American Blues Theater by August 31, 2022 at 11:59pm. Playwrights may only submit one (1) manuscript each year for consideration.

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