The Smith PRIZE

In the spring of 2006, NNPN began administering an annual play prize. Funded by a gift from novelist and playwright Timothy Smith, The Smith Prize is awarded to a play that specifically focuses on American politics - examining our civic institutions, particularly our democratic institutions - and asks: Who are Americans as a people? What are we becoming? What are our global responsibilities? The prize carries a $5,000 cash award, which is split between the playwright and the first National New Play Network member theater that chooses to produce the winning play.

The winner of the first annual award, announced in December 2006, was Topsy Turvy Mouse by Peter Gil-Sheridan. In November 2007, Black Gold by Seth Rozin was announced as the winner of the second Smith Prize, and went on to productions at InterAct Theatre Company (Philadelphia), Prop Thtr (Chicago) and Phoenix Theatre (Indianapolis) as part of the Continued Life of New Plays program. The 2008 prizewinner - Y York's dark comedy ...And LA is Burning, received its first NNPN member production from Florida Studio Theatre in March 2009.  And the 2010 Smith Prize was awarded for the first time to two plays:  Sean Christopher Lewis’ Killadelphia: Mixtape of a City and Martin Zimmerman’s White Tie Ball.  Killadelphia was produced by InterAct Theatre in Philadelphia, and has been subsequently performed across the country.  White Tie Ball will be produced in the 2010-11 season by NNPN member Borderlands Theatre in Tucson, AZ. 

SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2011 SMITH PRIZE ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED. Please note: scripts must be submitted online.

REQUIREMENTS:

1) Only full-length, non-musical plays will be accepted.

2) The play's theme must focus on American politics, as explained above, illuminating issues that can only be dealt with at the national or global level, even if the story is told from an individual perspective.

3) At the time of application, the play must not have had a professional production.

4) Playwrights may only submit one script, and may not submit a script that was previously entered in the Smith Prize. 

5) Previous winners of the Smith Prize may not enter.

There are two steps to the application process:

1) Pay the submission fee of $10.  You may pay online by visiting our PayPal site – go to www.nnpn.org, click on the “Donate” button in the lower right-hand corner, and in the “instructions to seller” section, please type “Smith Prize” and the name of your play.  Alternatively, you may send a check made out to the National New Play Network to us (NNPN, c/o Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004).  If you send a check, please make sure to indicate the name of your play on your check.  Do not mail your script.

2) Email a blind copy of your script (without your name on the title page or anywhere in the script) to jason@nnpn.org.   The script may be formatted in MSWord or PDF format. 

The deadline for receipt of both the script and application fee is December 30, 2010. The winner will be announced in June 2011.