NEW YORK CITY: The Dramatists Guild of America has announced the co-recipients of the 2019 Lanford Wilson Award. Abe Koogler and Charly Evon Simpson will be presented with the awards, which bestow $17,500 on each, at the American Airlines Theatre’s Penthouse Lobby in New York on July 29th, 2019.
Charly Evon Simpson’s plays have been seen or developed at Ensemble Studio Theatre, Ars Nova, the Lark, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, and more. They include Behind the Sheet, form of a girl unknown, Jump, it’s not a trip it’s a journey, and more.
Abe Koogler has received an Obie Award for Playwriting and the Weissberger Award. Produced plays include Aspen Ideas (upcoming at DC’s Studio Theatre), Fulfillment Center (Manhattan Theatre Club), Kill Floor (LCT3), and Lisa, My Friend (Kitchen Dog Theatre).
The Lanford Wilson Award is named after the Pulitzer-winning, Tony-nominated playwright. It is presented annually to a dramatist based primarily on their work as an early career playwright. The award was established by a generous contribution from Wilson’s estate, and a matching contribution from the Guild.
Founded in 1912 and originally called the Authors League of America, the Dramatists Guild is an advocacy organization for playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists.
