2023 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize winner revealed

Sarah Mantell (they/them) has been awarded the 2023 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for their play In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot.

Mantell commented: “When I wrote this play, my wildest dream was that it would become something my generation of actors could age towards. There are so few roles for women, trans, and nonbinary actors in the second half of their careers when many of them are just hitting the peak of their ability. Of all the gifts that The Susan Smith Blackburn has given me, perhaps the biggest one is that it suddenly seems like that wild dream is possible.”

According to Mantell, In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot is a play about “queer aging, capitalism, campfires and falling in love as the world ends”, with a cast of seven consisting of women, trans and nonbinary performers, all over the age of 50.

Mantell is also the first openly nonbinary playwright to win the prize. At a special ceremony at Playwrights Horizons in New York City, they were awarded $25,000 alongside a specially created and signed limited edition print by renowned artist Willem de Kooning. In addition, the nine finalists also received a reward of $5,000 each.

The finalists include:
Anupama Chandrasekhar (India) for The Father and the Assassin

Maryam Hamidi (UK) for Moonset

Karen Hartman (US) for New Golden Age

Katie Holly (Ireland) for Her Hand on the Trellis
Kimber Lee (US) for saturday
a k payne (US) for Amani
Francisca Da Silveira (US) for Pay No Worship
Zadie Smith (UK) for The Wife of Willesden

Ruby Thomas (UK) for ”Linck and Mülhahn

Awarded annually since 1978, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize is the largest and oldest international award recognizing women, trans and nonbinary playwrights who have written outstanding works for the English-speaking theatre.

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