Francine Horn

The 2023 Yale Drama Series Prize, one of the theater world's most prestigious playwriting awards, now in its sixteenth year, will be presented to Jesús I. Valles for their new American play, Batthouse, a new work that was selected from more than 1,500 entries.

The 2023 Yale Drama Series Prize has chosen Jeremy O. Harris, the Yale alum and Tony-nominated author of Slave Play, as the presiding playwright for its landmark 15th anniversary year. As his first order of business, Harris is assembling an international group of readers to help evaluate submissions as part of a larger effort to infuse the process with a more global point-of-view.

The 2022 Yale Drama Series Prize, one of the theater world’s most prestigious playwriting prizes, will be awarded to Seayoung Yim for her play Jar of Fat.

This year the Yale Drama Series Prize once again saw a robust and talented group of applicants dedicated to writing for the theater, receiving over 2050 submissions from 60 countries.

Earlier this week was the 13th Annual Yale Drama Series Prize ceremony, which honored playwright Liliana Padilla for her play How To Defend Yourself, and was selected by playwright-judge Ayad Akhtar. This was held at the Claire Tow Theater at Lincoln Center, and culminated in a reading of the play directed by Rachel Chavkin. Also in attendance were previous Yale Drama Series Prize judges including John Guare and Marsha Norman; previous YDS Prize recipients including Barbara Seyda and Neil Wechsler; and Francine Horn, President of the David Charles Horn Foundation.

One of the theater world's most prestigious playwriting prizes, the Yale Drama Series Prize, will be given to Lily Padilla for her play How to Defend Yourself. The 2019 award recipient was chosen by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar. The winning play will receive a private staged reading at Lincoln Center Theater's Claire Tow Theater in the fall.

One of the theater world's most prestigious playwriting prizes, the Yale Drama Series Prize, was given to Leah Nanako Winkler for her play God Said This. The 2018 award recipient was chosen by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar. The winning play received a private staged reading at Lincoln Center Theater's Claire Tow Theater on October 30, 2018.

One of the theater world's most prestigious playwriting prizes, the Yale Drama Series Prize, will be given to Leah Nanako Winkler for her play God Said This. The 2018 award recipient was chosen by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar. The winning play will receive a private staged reading at Lincoln Center Theater's Claire Tow Theater onOctober 30, 2018.

One of the theater world's most prestigious playwriting prizes, the Yale Drama Series Prize, will be given to Jacqueline Goldfinger for her play Bottle Fly. The 2017 award recipient was chosen by playwright Nicholas Wright. This year's ceremony will be held in London, with the play receiving a staged reading in November at the National Theatre Studio.

Just yesterday, Emily Schwend was honored with the 10th Annual Yale Drama Series Award Ceremony at a celebration at the Claire Tow Theater.

One of the theater world's most prestigious playwriting prizes, the Yale Drama Series Prize, will be given to Emily Schwend for her play Utility.  The 2016 award recipient was chosen by playwright Nicholas Wright, who has served as judge for the 2015 and 2016 competitions.

Now in its ninth year, the Yale Drama Series Prize is given out annually for a play by an emerging playwright, selected by a judging panel of one - a preeminent playwright of our time.  The winner receives the David Charles Horn Prize of $10,000, as well as publication of the winning play by Yale University Press and a staged reading at Lincoln Center Theater's Claire Tow Theater.  The Yale Drama Series is an annual international open submission competition for emerging playwrights who are invited to submit original, unpublished, full-length, English language plays for consideration.  Seyda's play was selected from 1,478 entries from 47 countries.

One of the theater world's most prestigious playwriting prizes, the Yale Drama Series Prize, will be given to Barbara Seyda for her play Celia, A Slave: 26 Characters Testify. The 2015 award recipient was chosen by playwright Nicholas Wright, who serves as judge for the 2015 and 2016 competitions.

One of the theater world's most prestigious playwriting prizes, the Yale Drama Series Prize, was given to Janine Nabers for her play Serial Black Face at the 8th annual Yale Drama Series Award Ceremony last night, Thursday, September 11, 2014 at Lincoln Center Theater. The award recipient was chosen by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Marsha Norman, who served as the judge for the 2013 and 2014 competitions. Check out a look back below!

Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman has selected playwright Janine Nabers as the winner of the 2014 Yale Drama Series for her play Serial Black Face, chosen from 1638 entries from 41 countries. As winner of the competition, Serial Black Face will be published by Yale University Press, receive a staged reading at Lincoln Center Theater's Claire Tow Theater, and Ms. Nabers will be presented with the David Charles Horn Prize, a cash award of $10,000.

Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman has selected playwright Jen Silverman as the winner of the 2013 Yale Drama Series for her play Still, chosen from almost 1100 entries from 30 countries. As winner of the competition, Still will be published by Yale University Press, receive a staged reading at Lincoln Center Theater's Claire Tow Theater, and Ms. Silverman will be presented with the David Charles Horn Prize, a cash award of $10,000.

Playwright Clarence Coo will be presented with the Yale Drama Series Award this Tuesday, September 18 at Lincoln Center Theater's Claire Tow Theater.

Shannon Murdoch, an Australian playwright, has won the 2011 Yale Drama Series competition for her play New Light Shine, a work about four small-town lives linked through a violent crime and their hopeless attempts to erase the past and build new lives.

YALE SCHOOL OF DRAMA/YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Dean, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Deputy Dean, Managing Director) announce two events in connection with the 2010 YALE DRAMA SERIES, the annual playwriting competition jointly sponsored by Yale University Press and Yale Repertory Theatre and funded with generous support from the David C. Horn Foundation, on Monday, September 20.

As announced by Francine Horn of the David C. Horn Foundation, the distinguished, award-winning playwright John Guare will serve as judge for the Yale Drama Series for three years - 2011, 2012 and 2013. Ms Horn said, 'What an honor for the Foundation and the Series that John Guare will be our next judge. The job is mammoth and he embraces it with joy and enthusiasm.'