Jessica Dickey's THE GUARD Wins 2015 Barrie and Bernice Stavis Award

Playwright Jessica Dickey and her world-premiere play, THE GUARD, are recipients of the National Theatre Conference's 2015 Barrie and Bernice Stavis Award -- an annual award celebrating outstanding emerging playwrights. THE GUARD was commissioned by Ford's Theatre Society as part of the Washington region's Women's Voices Theater Festival and will play at the historic Ford's Theatre (511 Tenth Street NW, Washington, D.C.), directed by Sharon Ott, September 25 to October 18, 2015. The Barrie and Bernice Stavis Award will be presented at the National Theatre Conference's December meeting in New York City.

In the world-premiere comedic drama, THE GUARD, playwright Jessica Dickey paints shimmering portraits of Rembrandt, Homer and those who protect the art we cherish. The play opens in a modern-day art museum where three individuals yearn to experience first-hand the wonder and glory of Rembrandt's work. When a museum guard decides to touch a famous painting, a remarkable journey across the ages ensues. Spanning centuries of human experience, THE GUARD movingly explores the power of creative expression and the sacrifices we make in the pursuit of love and beauty.

"Jessica Dickey has created a resonant piece with characters dealing with love, grief and legacy," said Ford's Theatre Director Paul R. Tetreault. "We are thrilled with the response that her play has already received in the arts community and look forward to welcoming audiences to experience it for themselves at Ford's this fall."

"THE GUARD is a story that speaks to the permanence of art and the impermanence of life," said Jessica Dickey. "Being commissioned for Ford's Theatre and to be part of the Women's Voices Theater Festival is an amazing opportunity. The festival is a bold and necessary contribution to the national dialogue about gender parity in the theatre, and I'm honored to be counted among a group of smart, talented writers."

"I am also delighted to welcome Sharon Ott to direct THE GUARD," Tetreault added. "Sharon is one of America's female artistic director pioneers. Her energy and vision are excellent, and she is a strong voice in our national discussion about gender parity in the theatre industry- the major impetus for the Women's Voices Theater Festival."

Pictured: Mitchell Hébert, Kathryn Tkel and Josh Sticklin for THE GUARD at Ford's Theatre, Sept. 25-Oct. 18, 2015. The production is part of the Women's Voices Theatre Festival -- a celebration of more than 50 original works by female writers in the Washington region's professional theatres. Photo by Scott Suchman.

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