Susan Smith Blackburn Nominees Announced

The directors of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, awarded annually to outstanding plays written by woman, have announced the finalists for this year's prize. The award comes with a $25,000 cash prize and an signed print (seen at right) by artist Willem de Koonig.

So who's up for the big prize this year?

Alice Birch for Revolt. She said. Revolt again.
Alecky Blythe for Little Revolution
Clare Barron for You Got Older
Clara Brennan for Spine
Katherine Chandler for Parallel Lines
Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig for The World of Extreme Happiness
Lisa d'Amour for Airline Highway
Lindsey Ferrentino for Ugly Lies the Bone
Zodwa Nyoni for Boi Boi Is Dead
Heidi Schreck for Grand Concourse
Ruby Rae Spiegel for Dry Land
Tena Štivičić for 3 Winters

Birch was nominated in 2012 for Many Moons, while Chandler was up in 2013 for Before It Rains, and Cowhig and d'Amour were both finalists in 2011, for Lidless and Detroit respectively.

Blythe, Barron, Brennan, Ferrentino, Nyoni, Schreck, Spiegel and Štivičić are all first-time nominees, but whoever wins will be a first-time winner.

For more information about the playwrights or their nominated plays, click under the links above.