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Applications for The Leah are OPEN!
All women, trans, and non-binary playwrights who consider themselves emerging are eligible to apply for The Leah.
Playwrights from all over the world are encouraged to apply, but the play must be written in English. Eligibility does not require that a submitted work adhere to the traditional three-act structure. One-acts, two-acts (even four-, five-, six- acts), monologues, adaptations, and any other wild (or deceptively tame) format will be considered with equal seriousness. The only absolute requirement is that the submitted text be a completed full-length work for theater. There is no fee to apply and the deadline is 1/8/24 or when 400 submissions are received.
The honor comes with a $5000 cash prize and a public reading and summer workshop as part of the Powerhouse Theater Program at Vassar College.
Finalists will be notified in March, and the winner will be chosen by readers selected by board members of the Leah Ryan Fund.
CLICK HERE for instructions on how to apply and for more information!
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Our Mission
The Leah Ryan Fund helps sustain and support writers facing individual challenges and systemic oppression so they can keep writing, connecting, creating, and thriving. The Fund currently offers an annual playwriting prize (The Leah) and an annual award for writers facing a serious illness (The Vladimir), and the newly created commission (The Boost).
The Leah Ryan Fund was established in 2008 to honor the memory of Leah Ryan, a woman of letters who wrote plays, poetry, essays, lyrics, adaptations, and collaborated with performance artists.