NEW YORK CITY: Columbia University Libraries/Information Services has announced the five finalist works for the 2016 Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History. Finalists were selected through nominations from a group of 20 theatres across the country. The jury will meet at Columbia to determine the winner, who will be announced on or after Feb. 22, 2016. The winning play will receive a cash prize of $100,000 in a ceremony at Columbia later this spring.
The finalists for the prize are: An Octoroon by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, produced by Soho Rep; Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda, produced by the Public Theater; Indecent by Paula Vogel, produced by Yale Repertory Theatre; Sweat by Lynn Nottage, produced by Oregon Shakespeare Festival; and Vietgone by Qui Nguyen, produced by South Coast Repertory.
The Edward M. Kennedy Prize, created by ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to honor her late brother, Senator Ted Kennedy, is awarded to new plays or musicals that explore the history of the United States and contribute to meaningful conversations of issues through public conversation.
