Burlington, Vermont's premiere performing arts center, the Flynn, is partnering with the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize to publish new 10-minute plays and monologues on the state of American democracy by past winners of the prize—the oldest and largest playwriting prize honoring women+ writing for the English-speaking theatre. The civic initiative will conclude with a marathon live performance of the resulting work—Women+ on the Edge of Democracy—at the Flynn this October.
The 36 commissioned playwrights include three Columbia alums and two Theatre faculty members: Jenny Schwartz '00 (God's Ear), Elizabeth Diggs (GSAS '65) (Close Ties), and Migdalia Cruz '84 (Fish Tank), as well as Associate Professor of Professional Practice and Interim Chair of Playwriting Leslie Ayvazian (Nine Armenians) and Professor of Theatre Lynn Nottage (Clyde's).
The Flynn will also publish the complete collection of plays as an anthology—free to perform—inviting artists, community groups, and citizens across the country to stage readings and performances between October 23 and November 3, ahead of the U.S. Midterm Elections. The anthology will be available for purchase in September with rights waived for individuals and non-profit organizations who would like to present the plays free of charge to the public.
"Democracy depends on conversation, and theater gives us a place to practice it," said Jay Wahl, Director of the Flynn.
Organizations and individuals wishing to participate in the conversation can sign up here.
