CAATA Creates Godfather Prize For Playwrights

The Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA), the premiere service organization for Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI), South West Asian North African (SWANA), Middle Eastern North African (MENA), and Mixed Race Theater artists, has announced the inaugural Godfather Prize for Asian American Playwrights.

The Prize is meant to promote an AANHPI/SWANA/MENA playwright deserving of national recognition. This year, eight finalists will be part of a National Asian American Playwrights Festival, an on-line ten-minute play festival to be presented online in November by CAATA. The winner will be drawn from the Festival and will receive a $1,000 prize and a staged reading of a full-length play of their choice in 2027.

The Godfather Prize is one of two ongoing prizes for Asian American theatre artists (and the only one open to people outside the education arena). Judging panels for the Prize will be drawn from across the country, from Washington state to Georgia to Texas to New York.

This year's Prize is underwritten by CAATA board member, Roger Tang, called the "Godfather of Asian American theatre" for his work in advocating for Asian American theatre. Future prizes will be drawn from an endowment established by CAATA. Mr. Tang will match all funds donated to the endowment in 2026 up to $30,000.

Roger Tang is a long-time producer in the Seattle area, having worked with the Northwest Asian American Theatre, Intiman Theatre, the 14/48 Projects and SIS Productions. He is currently the Executive Director of Pork Filled Productions, the oldest Asian American theatre in the Pacific Northwest. He is also editor of the Asian American Theatre Revue, the top resource for Asian American theatre on the web.