NEW YORK CITY: The National Arts Club (NAC) has named Inda Craig-Galván as the recipient of the 2019 Kesselring Prize. The Geffen Playhouse nominated the playwright for her play Black Super Hero Magic Mama. Craig-Galván will be presented with the award—which includes a cash prize of $25,000 and a two-week residency—on Nov. 4 at a ceremony open to the public at NAC. The event will also feature readings of her works.
The Kesselring Prize was established in 1980 by Charlotte Kesselring in honor of the late playwright Joseph Kesselring, who penned Arsenic and Old Lace. The award supports emerging playwrights. Craig-Galván was chosen from a pool of 17 submitted playwrights. This year’s selection committee, led by director Michael Parva, included Stephen Adly Guirgis, Anne Cattaneo, and John Guare.
Black Super Hero Magic Mama is about a mother who magically turns into a superhero while mourning the death of her teenage son, who was unarmed and shot by police.
Craig-Galván’s other plays include I Go Somewhere Else, A Hit Dog Will Holler, and Welcome to Matteson!. Her work has been developed and/or produced at the Geffen Playhouse, Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Old Globe, San Francisco Playhouse, and Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. In addition to the Kesselring Prize, her honors include Kilroys List, Steppenwolf’s the Mix, Kennedy Center Rosa Parks Playwriting Award, Blue Ink Award, Humanitas Prize Play LA, and Princess Grace Award. She has written for the acclaimed ABC television series “How to Get Away with Murder.”
The National Arts Club was founded in 1898 with a mission to stimulate, foster, and promote public interest in the arts and to educate the American people in the fine arts. Each year the Club offers more than 150 free programs to the public, including exhibitions, theatrical and musical performances, lectures and readings.
