Sydney Theatre Company Announces Patrick White Playwrights' Award Shortlist

Sydney Theatre Company has released the judges' shortlist of five plays in the running for the 2014 Patrick White Playwrights' Award which will be announced with a rehearsed reading of the winning play at The Wharf on Friday 22 May 2015 at 8pm. The winner of the prestigious Patrick White Playwrights' Fellowship will also be announced at the event on 22 May.

The Award and the Fellowship are initiatives of Sydney Theatre Company and exist to foster the development of Australian playwrights while honouring Patrick White's contribution to Australian theatre.

The Patrick White Playwrights' Award is for an original, unproduced play. The winning playwright will receive $7,500 and the opportunity to work with a STC Resident Director and actors during a workshop culminating in a rehearsed reading of their play. Scripts are submitted anonymously, with the aim of acknowledging a playwright whose play is ambitious, demonstrates skilful application of craft and reveals great potential for a stage production. This year 105 entries were received for the Award, from which the following shortlist of five plays has been selected:

- Furthest West by Michael Collins

- Ibis (a post-industrial fable-play) by Benito Di Fonzo

- What Has Been Taken by Verity Laughton

- Tsunami by Ned Manning

- The Man's Bitch by Debra Thomas

The Award judges are Angela Betzien (playwright and Patrick White Playwrights' Fellow 2012), Richard Cottrell (director), Imara Savage (director) and Polly Rowe (Literary Manager at Sydney Theatre Company).

The recipient of the Patrick White Playwrights' Fellowship will be announced at the same time as the Patrick White Playwrights' Award.

The Fellowship is a position for an established Australian playwright whose work has been produced professionally in Australia within the last four years. The winning playwright receives a $12,500 prize in recognition of their body of work and previous artistic achievements, as well as a commission from Sydney Theatre Company, which they will develop during the year long (22 May 2015 through to 23 May 2016) fellowship. Previous Fellows are Angela Betzien, Hillary Bell, Raimondo Cortese and Patricia Cornelius.

Limited tickets for the event, part of the Sydney Writers Festival, are available from the STC box office: Tickets $5 (02) 9250 1777 or sydneytheatre.com.

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